the Rogue, fixing stealth and trickery (3.5, PEACH)

[eftexar]

Rogue (3.5)


Class Features

Hit Die: d8

Starting Gold: unchanged

Skills: Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Diguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (architecture and engineering, dungeoneering, and local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Perform (Cha), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points: 8 + Int mod (x 4 at first level)

{table=head]Level|BaB|Fort|Refx|Will|Special |
Mobility|
Ambush Feats

1st|+0|+0|+2|+2|Trapfinding, Vexing Flanker, Finesse|
-|
-

2nd|+1|+0|+3|+3|Uncanny Dodge|
-|
-

3rd|+2|+1|+3|+3|Sneak Attack +1d6, Mobility|
+5ft|
-

4th|+3|+1|+4|+4|Evasion|
+5ft|
-

5th|+3|+1|+4|+4||
+5ft|
+1

6th|+4|+2|+5|+5|Trapsense|
+10ft|
+1

7th|+5|+2|+5|+5|Imp. Uncanny Dodge, Sneak Attack +2d6|
+10ft|
+1

8th|+6/+1|+2|+6|+6|Special Ability|
+10ft|
+1

9th|+6/+1|+3|+6|+6||
+15ft|
+2

10th|+7/+2|+3|+7|+7|Flawless Concealment|
+15ft|
+2

11th|+8/+3|+3|+7|+7|Special Ability, Sneak Attack +3d6|
+15ft|
+2

12th|+9/+4|+4|+8|+8|Meld with Shadows|
+20ft|
+2

13th|+9/+4|+4|+8|+8|Murderous Assault|
+20ft|
+3

14th|+10/+5|+4|+9|+9|Special Ability|
+20ft|
+3

15th|+11/+6/+1|+5|+9|+9|Sneak Attack +4d6|
+25ft|
+3

16th|+12/+7/+2|+5|+10|+10|Hidden in Plain Sight|
+25ft|
+3

17th|+12/+7/+2|+5|+10|+10|Special Ability|
+25ft|
+4

18th|+13/+8/+3|+6|+11|+11||
+30ft|
+4

19th|+14/+9/+4|+6|+11|+11|Execution, Sneak Attack +5d6|
+30ft|
+4

20th|+15/+10/+5|+6|+12|+12|Special Ability|
+30ft|
+4
[/table]

Proficiencies: The Rogue is proficient with all simple weapons, bolas, hand crossbows, rapier, the sap, spiked armor, short sword, the net, and whip. She is also proficient with light armor and bucklers.

Important Note: Many abilities have been revised from their original version. Don't assume any of them have remained the same as they were in the original class.

Class Abilities
Finesse (Ex)
Dextrous of both hand and body, the Rogue gains the Weapon Finesse and Dodge feats, even if she doesn't meet their prerequisites, for free.

Vexing Flanker (Ex)
Against any foe the Rogue flanks, she and her allies gain a +2 circumstance bonus to attack rolls. This stacks with any bonus already provided by flanking.

Trapfinding (Ex)
The Rogue can use the search skill to find traps with a DC higher than 20. Most non-magical traps have a DC of 20 or higher, while magical traps have a DC of 25 + level of the spell used in it's creation.
When she would succesfully disarm a trap she may instead choose to bypass it, along with the party, without triggering it. Effectively she suppresses the trap's triggering mechanism for any period of up to 10 minutes.
Disabling a magical trap usually has a DC of 25 + the spell's level, though this varies from trap to trap. She may not bypass a rune or glyph, though she can disarm it as normal.

Lv2 > Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
The Rogue is able to react to opponents on all sides just as easily as she can with singular foes. Basically, she can no longer be flanked and any critical hit or Sneak Attack has a 20% chance of instead being a normal hit against her.

Lv3 > Mobility (Ex)
Quick on her feet, the Rogue gains the Mobility feat. Additionally, she gains the indicated bonus to her base land speed as long as she wears no heavier than light armor and carries no more than light load.

Lv3+ > Sneak Attack (Ex)
Whenever the Rogue attacks an opponent who is denied their dexterity to AC, whether or not they have any, or makes an attack of opportunity she strikes for a vital point and deals extra damage equal to that indicated.
Oozes, swarms, and incorporeal creatures are immune to Sneak Attack. Extra damage from this ability is never multiplied on a critical hit and is of the same type as the attack that has qualified for it.
A ranged attack qualifies out to 30ft or it's first range increment, whichever is further. Only a weapon that usually deals non-lethal damage, such as the sap, is suitable for non-lethal Sneak Attacks, unless she has the ability to make non-lethal attacks without penalty with the weapon.
Though Sneak Attack can affect creatures without discernible anatomies, such as aberrations, elementals, oozes, and undead, Ambush feats and other abilities keyed off of the ability may not.
Note that this version of Sneak Attack assumes several changes in rules (noted within the ability itself). These changes are intended to make it a viable source of extra damage, instead of leaving the Rogue useless in combat.

Lv4 > Evasion (Ex)
Whenever the Rogue succeeds on a reflex save to reduce the effects of an attack or hazard she instead negates them. Other effects, that would not have been reduced or negated by her save, still take place as normal.
The Rogue loses the benefits of Evasion while wearing heavier than light armor or carrying more than a light load.

Lv5+ > Ambush Feats (Ex)
At each of the indicated levels the Rogue gains a single Ambush feat, of her choice, that she meets the prerequisites for.
With 5 minutes of practice or meditation she may change which Ambush feats she has. The Rogue may not, however, swap out an Ambush feat that is a prerequisite for another feat, or a PrC, that she possesses.

Lv6 > Trapsense (Ex)
The Rogue is entitled to a spot check, same DC as for search, to notice any trap within 30ft of herself. If she fails to spot a trap she may not attempt to spot it again for the remainder of the encounter (though she may still search for it).

Lv7 > Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
The Rogue can react to danger the moment her senses alert her. She retains her dexterity to AC, if any, when caught flatfooted or struck by an invisible attacker, although she still loses this bonus when immobilized or helpless.

Lv8, 11, 14, 17, 20 > Special Abilities
At each of the indicated levels the Rogue learns a new special ability, from the list in the next post. Unless noted otherwise any special ability is extraordinary in nature.

Lv10 > Flawless Concealment (Su)
When the Rogue hides, within darkness, creatures with Darkvision, or similar ability to see within darkness, must still search for her. Basically their ability to see through darkness isn't factored into whether or not she can hide from them.

Lv12 > Meld with Shadows (Su)
As long as the Rogue is within 10ft of some sort of shadow, not her own, she may hide, even if she is being observed. She must feasible have been able to fit within the source of shadow for it to provide any benefit.

Lv13 > Murderous Assault (Ex)
As a full round action the Rogue may make a single melee or ranged attack. If she deals Sneak Attack damage her opponent must make a fortitude save, at a DC of 14 + 1/2 her BaB + her dexterity modifier, or be paralyzed for 1d3 rounds.
Any foe who successfully saves against Murderous Assault is immune to further uses of for the remainder of the encounter. This ability does not affect foes without discernible anatomies, such as aberrations, elementals, oozes, and undead.

Lv15 > Hidden in Plain Sight (Ex)
When the Rogue leaves an area of concealment, during her turn, she retains the benefits of that concealment until the end of her turn. She gains the benefits from the highest level concealment she had. This ability effectively allows her to hide in plain sight for brief moments.

Lv19 > Execution (Ex)
The Rogue may perform a coup de grace as a swift action and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity for doing so. She must still meet the normal requirements before she can perform one.

New Feats
Poison Use
You can apply poison to a weapon without risk of poisoning yourself. The DC for any contact poison you deliver is increased by +2.

Greater Poison Use
Prerequisites: BaB 4+, Poison Use
You can apply poison to a weapon as a swift action and do not provoke attacks of opportunity for doing so.

Extra Special Ability
Prerequisites: must possess at least one Rogue special ability
This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time the Rogue gains an additional special ability beyond normal.

Deny Opportunity [Ambush]
Prerequisites: +2d6 sneak attack
By sacrificing +1d6 damage from Sneak Attack you deny your target the ability to make attacks of opportunity for 1 round.

Clipped Wings [Ambush]
Prerequisites: +3d6 sneak attack
By sacrificing +2d6 damage from Sneak Attack, with a ranged attack, you cripple any flight capabilities your opponent has for 2d4 rounds. A creature in mid air doesn't fall, but must descend at the highest speed they can.

Find the Blind Spot [Ambush]
Prerequisites: +4d6 sneak attack
By sacrificing +3d6 damage you slip into an opponents blind spot. Make a bluff check. If you match or beat their sense motive check you are treated as being invisible, at least in regards to the targeted opponent, for a single round.
Special: Because this isn't actually invisibility effects such as See Invisibility and True Seeing do nothing to mitigate it.

Design Notes
This revision is an attempt to take the original Rogue and make it function as I believe the designer's intended, but more properly. As such I am not attempting to increase it's tier (though it's power, and utility, has most certainly been increased).
Most of the abilities have been rewritten as a result. The biggest problem with Rogue abilities is how specific they were, coupled with the fact that none of them had any synergy together.
This was especially a problem in combat. It's only real feature was Sneak Attack, which couldn't damage half the creatures you fought. And it's only defenses were one-shots, it had no combat capability unless you met strict conditions, it was basically left with nothing but skills (which many spells could just duplicate), and it had crappy hit die and no AC.
Meanwhile tanky melee classes could jump straight into power attack and even slip in weapon finesse, which was based on BaB even though it was most useful to mid-BaB characters, and some sweet tactical feats before the Rogue could even hope to do so.
With it's abilities revised the Rogue should be able to keep up combat and even have some flexibility at higher levels.
And for the love of Pelor, why wasn't Poison Use a feat? Just why? If poisons are meant for the weaker man to use, as seen with fluff repeated here and there, then why couldn't anyone learn not to poison themselves?

[eftexar]

Special Abilities
Sidestep
Whenever an attack provokes an attack of opportunity from the Rogue she may forgo the attack to instead take a 5ft step. The Rogue may completely avoid an attack with use of this ability.
This does not count towards her movement for the round, or even towards whether or not she can still take another 5ft step.

Improved Evasion
Once per encounter, as an immediate action, the Rogue may automatically succeed on a single reflex save as if she had rolled a natural 20.

Window of Opportunity
Any attack made against an opponent the Rogue is flanking, other than an attack made by herself, causes the attacked creature to immediately provoke an attack of opportunity from the Rogue.
She may not gain more than one attack of opportunity in this way per round, regardless of how many attacks of opportunity she can make.

Field of Expertise
This ability may be taken multiple times. Each time the Rogue may select three skills, that are Rogue class skills, of her choice. When making a skill check, with one of her chosen skills, she may take 10, even if stress or distractions would normally prevent her from doing so.
In addition, she gains a +4 bonus to any skill she takes 10 with using Field of Expertise (effectively taking 14).

Slippery Mind
Having trained her mind to resist mental assault, she is difficult to control. She is automatically freed of any mind-affecting effect after 24 hours pass, also recovering from any mental ability drain, or damage, energy drain, or memory alteration.

Runaround
If the Rogue remains engaged in combat with an opponent for 3 rounds they must make a fortitude save, at a DC of 14 + 1/2 her BaB + her intelligence modifier, each round until they are no longer engaged.
An opponent who fails their save is fatigued, or exhausted if already fatigued, and becomes incapable of making attacks of opportunity, both, for 1 round. Any spell from the healing subschool ends these penalties.
For the purposes of this ability, being engaged in combat means that the Rogue, or her opponent, have made an attack, whether or not it hit, against the other within the past round.

Combat Charlatan
Anytime that an opponent attacks the Rogue and misses she may redirect the attack to another target within her reach, even if the original reach or range of the attack couldn't go that far.
The attacker must reroll any statistics involved, but special modifiers are repeated without expending further uses, if any. When making multiple attacks, such as with a full attack, the opponent's remaining attacks end if she redirects.

Sophisticated Feint
When making a standard or full attack the Rogue may feint as a swift action before making her attack, gaining half her Rogue level as a bonus to her check.
This ability counts as the Improved Feint feat for the purpose of meeting prerequisites and using other abilities.

Bar Room Brawler
The Rogue gains the Improved Unarmed Strike feat for free, even if she wouldn't normally qualify for the feat. She deals damage as a 4th level Monk. She reduces attack roll penalties with improvised weapons, and weapons she isn't proficient, with to -2.

Roll with It
Once per encounter the Rogue may roll with an attack or hazard as an immediate action. Any hit point damage dealt is halved and, unless she is immune to it, becomes non-lethal damage.

Dirty Fighter
A successful attack of opportunity does not negate any disarm or bull rush attempt she makes. Furthermore, she may use her dexterity, instead of strength, when making disarm or trip attempts.

Perfect Disguise (Su)
While in disguise the Rogue's alignment reads as whatever alignment she wishes for it to mimic. However, any creature that pierces her disguise ignores this ability and detects her alignment as it truly is.

Glibness
No magical effect can discern, limit, or stop her lies, nor may it force her tell the truth against her will. She even ignores bonuses to sense motive checks provided by spells and other types of magic.

Crowd Surfer
The Rogue gains concealment while within in a crowd, at least 15 or more, of creatures and can move through crowds at her normal speed. Further, she gains a +4 to hide checks to hide within a crowd.

Glide
The Rogue is entitled to an escape artist check to escape any form of restraint, even those that normally don't allow one or are magical in nature. The DC to escape a spell or spell-like ability is 15 + the spell level (if any).
Further, she can move through force spells and other force effects as if they weren't there with a succesful tumble check. The DC for this is 15 + the spell level, though effects without a spell level instead add half the creator's CR.

Throw
As a standard action she may grab a foe, within one size of her own, and, turning their own leverage against them, throw them up to 10ft in a direction of her choice, dealing them 1d6 + strength damage and knocking them prone.
An opposed dexterity check negates. She can even throw them at another creature as an improvised weapon. Figure damage as appropriate for that size.

Ranged Opportunity
The Rogue threatens out to 15ft, but only for the purpose of making ranged attacks of opportunity. She can only make one ranged attack of opportunity per round, no matter how many attacks of opportunity she can make.
If she successfully hits a target with such a ranged attack they must succeed on a reflex save, at a DC of 14 + 1/2 her BaB + her dexterity modifier, or be knocked prone immobilizing them until their turn ends.

Advanced Entrapment
When she trips an opponent with a bola they are also immobilized until they escape or break the bolas. A full round strength check, DC 15, or escape artist check, DC 25, allows them to escape (breaking the bolas in the case of strength).
The bolas can also be cut away or removed, without the need for a check, with 3 rounds of uninterrupted work.
Additionally, the Rogue can throw a net up to 20ft, instead of 10ft, and is able to fold a net back up with only a move action (and no AoOs).

Dust Cloud
As a standard action, that doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity, the Rogue may kick up sand, dust, loose soil, ash, snow, or a similar substance. This duplicates the effects of a Fog Cloud spell, non-magically, within a 15ft radius for 3 rounds.

Between the Ribs
As a move action the Rogue may make a spot check versus a single foe's, who she has line of sight to within 30ft, AC + 10. If successful her next attack, as long as it is made within 1 round, is treated as a touch attack against them.

Tumbling Dodge
As an immediate action the Rogue may make a tumble check in response to an attack that would harm her. She reduces any damage, as well as variable numeric effects, by 50% if her check exceeds their attack roll.

Garrote
If the Rogue successfully strikes a target with a whip, whether or not she deals damage, she may extend the attempt into a garrote.
She and her target are immobilized as long as she maintains it, a free action, though her foe can break the whip with a DC 15 strength check or escape with a DC 25 escape artist check, a move action. A foe affected by garrote can't breathe and might suffocate if subject to this ability for extended periods of time.

Whirling Sweep
As a standard action, that doesn't provoke any attacks of opportunity, the Rogue may make a sweep around herself unarmed or with a weapon.
She deals no damage, but all adjacent creatures must make an opposed dexterity check or be knocked prone. The Rogue need make only a single check versus all affected creature's.

Throw Caltrops
The Rogue can unload a 2lb bag of caltrops, covering up to three adjacent 5ft squares, anywhere within 15ft with them. Caltrops placed in this way don't function as normal for caltrops:
Each time a creature moves into the area caltrops fill their feet are wounded, causing their speed to drop by half, until they are healed at least one hit point or treated with a DC 15 heal check.
A creature creature who attempts to charge or run through caltrops must stop. A creature can move at half speed to avoid the caltrops, not risking penalties. As for normal, unusual creature's might not be affected by caltrops.

In Hot Pursuit
As an immediate action, when a foe she threatens leaves her threatened area, the Rogue can move up to her speed to follow them. If at any time she can no longer threaten them during movement, she ceases her pursuit.
Her movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity from the foe she is pursuing, but could from other creatures.

Crossbow Mastery
Loading a hand crossbow for the Rogue is a free action that doesn't provoke any attacks of opportunity. Essentially if she can also draw ammo as a free action, the Rogue can make a full attack with a hand crossbow.

Porcupine Defense
Any creature who strikes the Rogue in melee, while she is wearing armor spikes, takes damage as if she had struck them with armor spikes, except she adds their strength to damage instead of her own.

Gait of the Zephyr
During her movement the Rogue can move across walls, ceilings, and other sloped or angled surfaces without any difficulty. If she doesn't end on a legal space at the end of her movement she risks the consequences (generally falling).

Pinning Shot
The Rogue may, as a standard action ranged attack, attempt to pin the opponent, if she strikes, to a wall, floor, or nearby surface. She must succeed on an opposed dexterity check to pin her opponent.
The pin can be broken as part of movement with a DC 15 strength check or simply by taking a full round action to remove the projectile.

Explorer's Trick
The Rogue can use a whip as if it were a grappling hook. Unhooking it is a free action though.
Alternatively she can, as a standard action, that doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity, grab an item of smaller size than her and pull it into her space, placing it in her grip if she has an open hand.

The Bigger They Are
The Rogue can move into an adjacent creatures space, who is of at least two sizes larger than her, with a 5ft step. If she does so she gains total cover from that creature, as long as she stays in one it's spaces, and soft cover from all others.

[Phippster]

Skills/HD/Etc.
The d8 hit die is nice, even if it's not a huge HP boost. But the hit on several class skills, ESPECIALLY UMD, makes the rogue significantly less versatile, and he's already straining for that. Knocking down his skill points just feels like a low blow. EDIT: Didn't notice the good Will Save. While I'm not sure how well it fits for fluff, for crunch it's a nice improvement, since rogues have little incentive for a significantly high Wisdom.

Finesse/Dodge
Since Dodge is highly regarded as one of the biggest feat taxes for all sorts of goodies, giving the rogue Dodge for free is certainly a nice touch. But if you're adding in new feats, perhaps rewriting Dodge would be helpful to your class. Weapon Finesse is more or less a godsend to rogues, considering that Strength is typically one of their weaker ability scores.

(Improved) Uncanny Dodge
I'm just going to address them both in tandem. I feel like the fact that you flipped the two of them actually somewhat weakens the abilities, and the inability to negate sneak attacks seems odd, considering that the fluff for rogues means it almost makes perfect sense that they're immune to their own dirty tricks.

Mobility
As mentioned with Dodge, eliminating feat taxes is nice, but again a rewrite of Mobility could help just as much, given the feats you've already created. Speed boost is nice, but doesn't quite feel like it meshes with the class for me thematically, though movement is always nice.

Sneak Attack
I have to say, moving it to 3rd level and halving its damage makes it seem somewhat lackluster, even though you let them hit things without discernible anatomies. You also don't explicitly state what may and may not be sneak attacked anymore. You mention aberrations, undead, and elementals, but what about things like oozes and swarms?

Ambush Feats
Useful, but really crippling damage with weaker sneak attack. Considering you mention you specifically CANNOT use them on things now vulnerable to sneak attack, it again just feels like you had something good going but fell a little short in the execution.

Trapsense
I like the upgrade. Allowing for a save despite not actively looking for traps just feels like a good fit for the rogue. I'm assuming that due to lack of trapfinding, anyone can disarm magical traps.

Flawless Concealment
It sounds like you're trying to give him the Darkstalker feat as a class feature. If that's what you're doing, fabulous idea. That feat is great and amazing for stealth-based characters.

Murderuous Assault
Nice, but I feel like people are going to pass the save enough that it's going to fall out of usefulness. I like the idea of it, though.

Hidden in Plain Sight
Interesting, but why not just Hide in Plain Sight, and then this? Not to mention, other classes get this better, and earlier.

Execution
Nice, but maybe not capstone worthy as of now. Maybe give it some sort of a boost, allowing for an extra attack on a kill with it, or something.

[eftexar]

Upped the skill points back to 8.

You're right Uncanny Dodge is weaker how it is now, but the original order seemed thematically inappropriate to me.
As far as not making them completely immune it seemed strange to do otherwise considering how many times the sneak gets sneaked upon in stories. Sometimes what is missing from a class provides role play opportunities just as much as what the class does have.

I hadn't though about swarms for sneak attack so I'll probably have to add that to the list, but oozes were already listed. And I have explicitly listed what is not subject to sneak attack, meaning anything else is.

As far as the Ambush feats go, many of the creatures who fit in the categories I've given, particularly undead and oozes, as well as some aberrations, are already immune to the effects of Ambush feats without that clause. It's not really that big of a blow and prevents having to double check with every member of those races. Plus aberrations are uncommon foes.

Ah, Trapfinding is still there. It's beyond the scope of a single class to remove the inability for other classes to find traps (though personally I'm all for it). That's more of a houserule than anything, especially considering it is repeated through so many other locations.

Keep in mind that Murderous Assault has a DC 2 higher than 9th level spells by level 20, so it's saving throw DC is higher than most abilities. Although I guess plenty of creatures are immune to paralysis by this point. Still I think a save or die is out of place here.

While Hidden in Plain Sight might appear weaker than Hide in Plain Sight, it can be used in more situations even if it requires more tactical thought. With the right abilities it can be used at almost anytime, instead of just near shadow, and is also harder to circumvent. I've even thought about making it extraordinary, but wasn't sure if that would be fitting.

edit: Would you mind telling me where the Darkstalker feat is? I hadn't actually been basing it off of that, but it probably has better wording than Flawless Concealment does now.

[Phippster]

Darkstalker feat is in Lords of Madness. It essentially now requires creatures with forms of detection (See Invisibility, Blindsight, Tremorsense) to roll Spot/Listen to detect you if you're using Hide/Move Silently, which previously was not necessary. They spotted you instantly.

I agree that Hidden in Plain Sight has more tactical usefulness, but I would say throw HiPS in earlier, and then also give him that. Allows for sneaky characters to squeeze through open spaces. I like it, just think both would serve better than just one. And I think making it an EX ability fits well. Sneaky is sneaky, AMF or no.

The only gripe I have again is probably no UMD, even though I sort of understand it from the fluff perspective. But it opens up many tactics to a rogue that make them a lot more viable at all levels.

[eftexar]

Thanks, found it.

I'm going to add Hide in Plain Sight and swap the other one over to (ex), but yeah I removed UMD because it just didn't make sense to me. I think UMD needs moved over to spellcasters (on top of a huge nerf). If the alchemy system worked better it wouldn't be such a big issue.