ghost_warlock
2007-05-13, 10:25 AM
This is based largely on the street fighter prestige class (Complete Adventurer) and the thug (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#fighterVariantThug) and sneak attack (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#fighter) variant fighters set the precedent for making it a standard, 20-level class. Should play well in a wilderness-style game, possibly even a low-magic one. I imagine it'd make a great addition to a party already containing a ranger and/or a scout. :smallsmile:
Brigand
“Sorry, haven’t you ever heard of the Golden Rule? It’s simple – give me all your gold!”
Great treasures are often found being moved along the roads of the world, and almost equally as often these treasures are heavily guarded! Perhaps equally so as any dungeon, temple, or crypt, intercepting goods as they travel from place to place can be dangerous as well as profitable for those cunning and stout enough to seize them. The brigand has an innate understanding of these facts and has trained himself adequately to face them – and become all the richer for doing so!
Hardier and a more practiced combatant than the common rogue, a brigand has adapted himself well to life on the road, or at least beside the road waiting in ambush for the next pompous and heavily laden traveler. Often, these ambushes are best successful when highwaymen work in groups and the brigand seeks to capitalize on this by picking up some competency with opportunistic attacks and not being squeamish about striking a foe when they are unable to defend themselves. Perhaps more than anything else, however, the brigand’s abilities make him well-suited to surviving nights in the wilderness, just off the beaten path, as well as prolonged combat.
Often the transition from highwayman to dungeon-delving adventurer (and back again) is an easy one to make, so adventuring brigands tend to keep their pockets well-filled even between more traditional adventures.
Making A Brigand
As a brigand, you possess a number of useful skills as well as a few strong combat abilities, primarily concerned with defense and resiliency. If your party lacks a rogue, you can make a great substitute even if you lack a bit of that class’ versatility. If the group lacks a strong warrior, you are in an ideal position to fill that void, especially as you gain experience and gain access to higher-level brigand abilities. Finally, although not as well suited to wilderness adventures as a ranger or druid (as brigands tend to stay on the fringes of society), your woods-lore should be sufficient to help get your party to and from some remote ruins or other distant location.
Abilities: Brigands are strong, sturdy, and sly. You profit the most from high Strength and Constitution scores and a high or moderate Intelligence is useful for bolstering your many skills. It is also useful to have a good Dexterity as you are proficient only with light armor and your Evasion ability can’t be used if you train in and wear heavier armor.
Races: Humans and half-orcs are the most numerous brigands of the common races, although may disillusioned half-elves also take up the profession of highwayman. However, members of any race could easily come to the conclusion that this career may be a good way to line their pockets with money.
Alignment: Most brigands have a somewhat flexible moral compass, considering their typical activity of waylaying travelers and relieving them of their possessions. As such, most brigands tend towards neutral or chaotic alignments. However, brigands may be of any alignment and some are more charitable than others, choosing to use their abilities primarily in the dungeon or simply to “rob from the rich and give to the poor.” The true question, perhaps, lies in whether the brigand considers himself to be among the proverbial “poor!”
Starting Gold: 4d4 x 10 gp (100 gp).
Starting Age: As ranger (PHB 109).
Hit Die: d8.
Class Skills
The brigand’s class skills are Bluff, Climb, Craft, Disable Device, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nature), Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Ride, Search, Spot, Survival, and Tumble.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
As a brigand, you function best in the front lines of combat, seeking to set up and take advantage of flanking opportunities with other combatants in your team. Your abilities also make you a passable scout although you lack the wilderness stealth of a ranger or the trap-avoiding abilities of a rogue.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Brigands are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light armor, and with shields (but not tower shields).
Sneak Attack: A brigand deals an extra 1d6 points of damage when flanking an opponent or at any time when the target would be denied its Dexterity bonus. This extra damage applies to ranged attacks only if the target is within 30 feet. The extra damage increases to 2d6 at 4th level and by an extra 1d6 every three brigand levels thereafter (7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, and 19th). See the rogue class feature, page 50 of the Player’s Handbook. If a brigand gets a sneak attack bonus from another source (such as rogue levels), the bonuses on damage stack.
Battle Reflexes (Ex): At 2nd level, a brigand develops an innate sense for reacting quickly to danger. She receives a +1 competence bonus on initiative checks and Reflex saving throws.
The brigand’s bonus to initiative checks and Reflex saves from battle reflexes increases to +2 at 11th level and to +3 at 20th.
Trapfinding: Like a rogue, brigands can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20.
Endurance: A brigand gains Endurance as a bonus feat at 3rd level.
Evasion (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, a brigand can avoid damage from certain attacks with a successful Reflex save. (See the rogue class feature, page 50 of the Player’s Handbook.) A brigand can use his evasion ability only if he is wearing light or no armor and carrying no more than a light load.
Bonus Feat: At 5th and 15th level, a brigand gets a bonus combat-oriented feat. These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats noted as fighter bonus feats. A brigand must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums. A brigand may select fighter-only feats, such as Weapon Specialization, if he also meets the minimum fighter level required to select such a feat.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 6th level, a brigand cannot be caught flat-footed and reacts to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. See the barbarian class feature, page 26 of the Player’s Handbook.
If a brigand already has uncanny dodge from a different class, he gains improved uncanny dodge instead. See the barbarian class feature, page 26 of the Player’s Handbook.
Damage Reduction (Ex): At 8th level, a brigand gains the ability to shrug off some amount of injury from each blow or attack. Subtract 1 from the damage the brigand takes each time he is dealt damage from a weapon or natural attack. At 11th level, and every three brigand levels thereafter (14th, 17th, and 20th level), this damage reduction rises by 1 point. Damage reduction can reduce damage to 0 but not below 0.
If the brigand has damage reduction as a feature of another class, such as barbarian levels, the damage reduction values stack.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 12th level and higher, a brigand can no longer be flanked, since he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies other characters the ability to use flank attacks to sneak attack him. The exception to this defense is that a rogue (or member of some other class that grants the sneak attack ability) of at least four levels higher than the brigand can flank him (and thus sneak attack him).
If a brigand gains the uncanny dodge ability from another class, the levels from the classes that grants uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character. See the barbarian class feature, page 26 of the Player’s Handbook.
Stand Tough (Ex): At 14th level, a brigand gains the ability to shrug off blows that might otherwise incapacitate him. Once per day, when struck with a weapon or natural attack, a brigand may make a Fortitude saving throw against a DC equal to the damage dealt by the blow. If successful, the brigand takes half the amount of damage that would otherwise have been dealt.
A brigand can use this ability twice per day at 19th level.
Brigand
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Sneak Attack +1d6
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0|Battle Reflexes +1, Trapfinding
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+1|Evasion, Endurance
4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1|Sneak Attack +2d6
5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+1|Bonus Feat
6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+2|Uncanny Dodge
7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+2|Sneak Attack +3d6
8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+2|Damage Reduction 1/-
9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+3|-
10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+3|Sneak Attack +4d6
11th|
+11|
+7|
+3|
+3|Battle Reflexes +2, Damage Reduction 2/-
12th|
+12|
+8|
+4|
+4|Improved Uncanny Dodge
13th|
+13|
+8|
+4|
+4|Sneak Attack +5d6
14th|
+14|
+9|
+4|
+4|Damage Reduction 3/-, Stand Tough 1/day
15th|
+15|
+9|
+5|
+5|Bonus Feat
16th|
+16|
+10|
+5|
+5|Sneak Attack +6d6
17th|
+17|
+10|
+5|
+5|Damage Reduction 4/-
18th|
+18|
+11|
+6|
+6|-
19th|
+19|
+11|
+6|
+6|Sneak Attack +7d6, Stand Tough 2/day
20th|
+20|
+12|
+6|
+6|Battle Reflexes +3, Damage Reduction 5/-
[/table]
Brigand
“Sorry, haven’t you ever heard of the Golden Rule? It’s simple – give me all your gold!”
Great treasures are often found being moved along the roads of the world, and almost equally as often these treasures are heavily guarded! Perhaps equally so as any dungeon, temple, or crypt, intercepting goods as they travel from place to place can be dangerous as well as profitable for those cunning and stout enough to seize them. The brigand has an innate understanding of these facts and has trained himself adequately to face them – and become all the richer for doing so!
Hardier and a more practiced combatant than the common rogue, a brigand has adapted himself well to life on the road, or at least beside the road waiting in ambush for the next pompous and heavily laden traveler. Often, these ambushes are best successful when highwaymen work in groups and the brigand seeks to capitalize on this by picking up some competency with opportunistic attacks and not being squeamish about striking a foe when they are unable to defend themselves. Perhaps more than anything else, however, the brigand’s abilities make him well-suited to surviving nights in the wilderness, just off the beaten path, as well as prolonged combat.
Often the transition from highwayman to dungeon-delving adventurer (and back again) is an easy one to make, so adventuring brigands tend to keep their pockets well-filled even between more traditional adventures.
Making A Brigand
As a brigand, you possess a number of useful skills as well as a few strong combat abilities, primarily concerned with defense and resiliency. If your party lacks a rogue, you can make a great substitute even if you lack a bit of that class’ versatility. If the group lacks a strong warrior, you are in an ideal position to fill that void, especially as you gain experience and gain access to higher-level brigand abilities. Finally, although not as well suited to wilderness adventures as a ranger or druid (as brigands tend to stay on the fringes of society), your woods-lore should be sufficient to help get your party to and from some remote ruins or other distant location.
Abilities: Brigands are strong, sturdy, and sly. You profit the most from high Strength and Constitution scores and a high or moderate Intelligence is useful for bolstering your many skills. It is also useful to have a good Dexterity as you are proficient only with light armor and your Evasion ability can’t be used if you train in and wear heavier armor.
Races: Humans and half-orcs are the most numerous brigands of the common races, although may disillusioned half-elves also take up the profession of highwayman. However, members of any race could easily come to the conclusion that this career may be a good way to line their pockets with money.
Alignment: Most brigands have a somewhat flexible moral compass, considering their typical activity of waylaying travelers and relieving them of their possessions. As such, most brigands tend towards neutral or chaotic alignments. However, brigands may be of any alignment and some are more charitable than others, choosing to use their abilities primarily in the dungeon or simply to “rob from the rich and give to the poor.” The true question, perhaps, lies in whether the brigand considers himself to be among the proverbial “poor!”
Starting Gold: 4d4 x 10 gp (100 gp).
Starting Age: As ranger (PHB 109).
Hit Die: d8.
Class Skills
The brigand’s class skills are Bluff, Climb, Craft, Disable Device, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nature), Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Ride, Search, Spot, Survival, and Tumble.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
As a brigand, you function best in the front lines of combat, seeking to set up and take advantage of flanking opportunities with other combatants in your team. Your abilities also make you a passable scout although you lack the wilderness stealth of a ranger or the trap-avoiding abilities of a rogue.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Brigands are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light armor, and with shields (but not tower shields).
Sneak Attack: A brigand deals an extra 1d6 points of damage when flanking an opponent or at any time when the target would be denied its Dexterity bonus. This extra damage applies to ranged attacks only if the target is within 30 feet. The extra damage increases to 2d6 at 4th level and by an extra 1d6 every three brigand levels thereafter (7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, and 19th). See the rogue class feature, page 50 of the Player’s Handbook. If a brigand gets a sneak attack bonus from another source (such as rogue levels), the bonuses on damage stack.
Battle Reflexes (Ex): At 2nd level, a brigand develops an innate sense for reacting quickly to danger. She receives a +1 competence bonus on initiative checks and Reflex saving throws.
The brigand’s bonus to initiative checks and Reflex saves from battle reflexes increases to +2 at 11th level and to +3 at 20th.
Trapfinding: Like a rogue, brigands can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20.
Endurance: A brigand gains Endurance as a bonus feat at 3rd level.
Evasion (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, a brigand can avoid damage from certain attacks with a successful Reflex save. (See the rogue class feature, page 50 of the Player’s Handbook.) A brigand can use his evasion ability only if he is wearing light or no armor and carrying no more than a light load.
Bonus Feat: At 5th and 15th level, a brigand gets a bonus combat-oriented feat. These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats noted as fighter bonus feats. A brigand must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums. A brigand may select fighter-only feats, such as Weapon Specialization, if he also meets the minimum fighter level required to select such a feat.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 6th level, a brigand cannot be caught flat-footed and reacts to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. See the barbarian class feature, page 26 of the Player’s Handbook.
If a brigand already has uncanny dodge from a different class, he gains improved uncanny dodge instead. See the barbarian class feature, page 26 of the Player’s Handbook.
Damage Reduction (Ex): At 8th level, a brigand gains the ability to shrug off some amount of injury from each blow or attack. Subtract 1 from the damage the brigand takes each time he is dealt damage from a weapon or natural attack. At 11th level, and every three brigand levels thereafter (14th, 17th, and 20th level), this damage reduction rises by 1 point. Damage reduction can reduce damage to 0 but not below 0.
If the brigand has damage reduction as a feature of another class, such as barbarian levels, the damage reduction values stack.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 12th level and higher, a brigand can no longer be flanked, since he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies other characters the ability to use flank attacks to sneak attack him. The exception to this defense is that a rogue (or member of some other class that grants the sneak attack ability) of at least four levels higher than the brigand can flank him (and thus sneak attack him).
If a brigand gains the uncanny dodge ability from another class, the levels from the classes that grants uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character. See the barbarian class feature, page 26 of the Player’s Handbook.
Stand Tough (Ex): At 14th level, a brigand gains the ability to shrug off blows that might otherwise incapacitate him. Once per day, when struck with a weapon or natural attack, a brigand may make a Fortitude saving throw against a DC equal to the damage dealt by the blow. If successful, the brigand takes half the amount of damage that would otherwise have been dealt.
A brigand can use this ability twice per day at 19th level.
Brigand
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Sneak Attack +1d6
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0|Battle Reflexes +1, Trapfinding
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+1|Evasion, Endurance
4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1|Sneak Attack +2d6
5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+1|Bonus Feat
6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+2|Uncanny Dodge
7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+2|Sneak Attack +3d6
8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+2|Damage Reduction 1/-
9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+3|-
10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+3|Sneak Attack +4d6
11th|
+11|
+7|
+3|
+3|Battle Reflexes +2, Damage Reduction 2/-
12th|
+12|
+8|
+4|
+4|Improved Uncanny Dodge
13th|
+13|
+8|
+4|
+4|Sneak Attack +5d6
14th|
+14|
+9|
+4|
+4|Damage Reduction 3/-, Stand Tough 1/day
15th|
+15|
+9|
+5|
+5|Bonus Feat
16th|
+16|
+10|
+5|
+5|Sneak Attack +6d6
17th|
+17|
+10|
+5|
+5|Damage Reduction 4/-
18th|
+18|
+11|
+6|
+6|-
19th|
+19|
+11|
+6|
+6|Sneak Attack +7d6, Stand Tough 2/day
20th|
+20|
+12|
+6|
+6|Battle Reflexes +3, Damage Reduction 5/-
[/table]