bythethroat
2007-06-27, 03:52 AM
So my friends and I have been working for some time on a darker, adult version of L. Frank Baum's Oz as a d20 setting, and we've come up with a couple of interesting things. I'd like to share one of those things with you guys and see what you think.
The prestige class is called the Emerald Guard (No relation to the sapphire guard) and it's the private army of the despotic charlatan, the Wizard of Oz. It is designed in a world where only members of this class have any access to firearms, which the rest of Oz views as a sort of strange magic. The various firearm stats are basically everywhere, but we divide them into Rifles, Blunderbusses, Pistols and Mortars, with Grenades thrown in for good measure.
This is also a "prestige" class in the truest sense of the word; these are the Federales and they expect deference, and the stats try to reflect that.
I'm not sure if it's balanced or not; I've not really been able to playtest it. Any input is welcome.
Anyway, here goes:
Emerald Guard
The Emerald Guard are the home defense for the Wizard's regime in the fabled Emerald City. They are selected from the ranks of local milita and hand picked by roving recruiters for toughness, sharp eyes and utter loyalty to the regime. They alone among Ozians are familiar with (and have access to) firearms, giving them an unprecedented edge in the defense of their home city. The firearms are all crude flintlocks, but they nonetheless make an impression on the battlefield. They are charged with enforcing the law, as well as some of the Wizard's dirty work. The most loyal and trusted members of this class gain the knowledge of how to make gunpowder-the secret at the heart of the Guard.
Fighters make the best Emerald Guardsman all around, as it is primarily a combative class, but Rangers and Rogues have been known to dabble in this class. Members of this class often grow long, drooping moustachios, which they dye green in honor of their fabled city.
Hit Dice: D8
Requirements:
In order to become a member of the emerald guard, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Base Attack: +7
Alignment: Any Lawful
Special: Must have served in the Emerald City militia and must demonstrate unfailing loyalty to the Wizard's regime. Candidates are subject to a thorough screening wherein the slightest political dissent may disqualify them.
Class Skills: The Emerald Guard's class skills are as follows. Intimidate (CHA) Jump (STR) Craft: Alchemy (INT) Knowledge (Military Ettiquette) (INT) Spot (WIS) Listen (WIS) Sense Motive (WIS)
Skill Points at Each Level: 3 + INT modifier
Class Features
Class Level
1 Base Attack:+1 Fort+1 Ref+2 Will+0 Firearm Proficiency, Intimidate +2, Liscense to Carry
2 Base Attack:+1 Fort+1 Ref+3 Will+1 Firearm Feat
3 Base Attack:+2 Fort+2 Ref+3 Will+1 Special: Intimidate +3, Cover
4 Base Attack:+2 Fort+2 Ref+4 Will+2 Special: Firearm Feat
5 Base Attack:+3 Fort+3 Ref+4 Will+2 Special: Fire Resist 5/-, Intimidate +4
6 Base Attack:+3 Fort+3 Ref+5 Will+3 Special: Firearm Feat
7 Base Attack:+4 Fort+4 Ref+5 Will+3 Special: Intimidate +5, Crippling Shot
8 Base Attack:+4 Fort+4 Ref+6 Will+4 Special: Firearm Feat
9 Base Attack:+5 Fort+5 Ref+6 Will+4 Special: Intimidate +6, Firing Squad
10 Base Attack:+5 Fort+5 Ref+7 Will+5 Special: Fire Resist 10/-, Craft: Gunpowder
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Emerald Guard is proficient in light and medium armor, but not with shields. They also gain the Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Rifle for free at first level.
Firearm Proficiency: The Emerald Guard gains the Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Rifle at 1st level. All recruits are trained in the use of the standard Emerald Musket.
Intimidate Bonus: The Emerald Guard is well feared by the citizens of Oz for the "strange magic" that they wield. An Emerald Guard in uniform gains a bonus to intimidate checks made against those who know the signifigance of the uniform.
Liscense to Carry: The Emerald Guard is free to carry firearms and the requisite gunpowder, even off duty. Anyone else caught doing so will have their weapons confiscated at the very least, and most likely will be severely punished.
Firearm Feat: At 2nd level and at levels 4, 6 and 8, the Emerald Guard may choose a feat from the following list: Rapid Reload, Pistol Whip, Far Shot, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Pistol, Blunderbuss, Mortar, Grenade, Bayonet). Many Emerald Guard use their time to become familiar with all the different firearms available to them, but some use the standard Emerald Musket their whole career.
Cover: This ability allows the Emerald Guardsman to cover an area no larger than 10' by 10' as a full round action. Whenever a creature pops it's head up in that area, the Guardsman gets an attack of opportunity against that creature. All normal cover rules apply for the creature-most will be under 9/10ths cover when popping up to look around. The Guardsman incurs a -4 penalty to spot and listen checks when covering an area; it requires intense concentration.
Fire Resist: Malfunctions are common in the crude Ozian firearms, and so a recruit that survives to this level in this prestige class has learned to shake off the inevitable powderburns from when a charge blows the barrel. The Emerald Guardsman gains fire resistance 5/-, which increases to 10/- at 10th level. This is an extraordinary ability.
Crippling Shot: The guardsman can now make a called shot for the legs, with the standard -4 penalty. If the attack succeeds, the target must make a fortitude save at DC 10 + Damage or have it's movement cut to 1/4. This does not work against undead or creatures with no discernable anatomy, nor on creatures more than two sizes greater than the guardsman. This is an extraordinary ability.
Firing Squad: The Guardsman may now make a coup de grace attack with a firearm on any opponent within one range increment who fulfills all the other requirements of a coup de grace such as being bound or restrained. This ability is gained (as one might expect) from serving in the firing squads of the Emerald City. This is an extraordinary ability.
Craft: Gunpowder: Only after devoting themselves utterly to the Emerald Guard are recruits entrusted with the secrets of making gunpowder. The recipe is actually quite simple (and any veteran gamer should know it) but it is a closely guarded secret outside of the guard. The actual crafting of the gunpowder, once the materials are gathered, takes about a day. A DC 16 Craft: Alchemy check can produce 20 charges of gunpowder in a day. This effectively frees a Guardsman from the Emerald City's control, and they are very, very careful with whom they entrust it.
The prestige class is called the Emerald Guard (No relation to the sapphire guard) and it's the private army of the despotic charlatan, the Wizard of Oz. It is designed in a world where only members of this class have any access to firearms, which the rest of Oz views as a sort of strange magic. The various firearm stats are basically everywhere, but we divide them into Rifles, Blunderbusses, Pistols and Mortars, with Grenades thrown in for good measure.
This is also a "prestige" class in the truest sense of the word; these are the Federales and they expect deference, and the stats try to reflect that.
I'm not sure if it's balanced or not; I've not really been able to playtest it. Any input is welcome.
Anyway, here goes:
Emerald Guard
The Emerald Guard are the home defense for the Wizard's regime in the fabled Emerald City. They are selected from the ranks of local milita and hand picked by roving recruiters for toughness, sharp eyes and utter loyalty to the regime. They alone among Ozians are familiar with (and have access to) firearms, giving them an unprecedented edge in the defense of their home city. The firearms are all crude flintlocks, but they nonetheless make an impression on the battlefield. They are charged with enforcing the law, as well as some of the Wizard's dirty work. The most loyal and trusted members of this class gain the knowledge of how to make gunpowder-the secret at the heart of the Guard.
Fighters make the best Emerald Guardsman all around, as it is primarily a combative class, but Rangers and Rogues have been known to dabble in this class. Members of this class often grow long, drooping moustachios, which they dye green in honor of their fabled city.
Hit Dice: D8
Requirements:
In order to become a member of the emerald guard, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Base Attack: +7
Alignment: Any Lawful
Special: Must have served in the Emerald City militia and must demonstrate unfailing loyalty to the Wizard's regime. Candidates are subject to a thorough screening wherein the slightest political dissent may disqualify them.
Class Skills: The Emerald Guard's class skills are as follows. Intimidate (CHA) Jump (STR) Craft: Alchemy (INT) Knowledge (Military Ettiquette) (INT) Spot (WIS) Listen (WIS) Sense Motive (WIS)
Skill Points at Each Level: 3 + INT modifier
Class Features
Class Level
1 Base Attack:+1 Fort+1 Ref+2 Will+0 Firearm Proficiency, Intimidate +2, Liscense to Carry
2 Base Attack:+1 Fort+1 Ref+3 Will+1 Firearm Feat
3 Base Attack:+2 Fort+2 Ref+3 Will+1 Special: Intimidate +3, Cover
4 Base Attack:+2 Fort+2 Ref+4 Will+2 Special: Firearm Feat
5 Base Attack:+3 Fort+3 Ref+4 Will+2 Special: Fire Resist 5/-, Intimidate +4
6 Base Attack:+3 Fort+3 Ref+5 Will+3 Special: Firearm Feat
7 Base Attack:+4 Fort+4 Ref+5 Will+3 Special: Intimidate +5, Crippling Shot
8 Base Attack:+4 Fort+4 Ref+6 Will+4 Special: Firearm Feat
9 Base Attack:+5 Fort+5 Ref+6 Will+4 Special: Intimidate +6, Firing Squad
10 Base Attack:+5 Fort+5 Ref+7 Will+5 Special: Fire Resist 10/-, Craft: Gunpowder
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Emerald Guard is proficient in light and medium armor, but not with shields. They also gain the Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Rifle for free at first level.
Firearm Proficiency: The Emerald Guard gains the Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Rifle at 1st level. All recruits are trained in the use of the standard Emerald Musket.
Intimidate Bonus: The Emerald Guard is well feared by the citizens of Oz for the "strange magic" that they wield. An Emerald Guard in uniform gains a bonus to intimidate checks made against those who know the signifigance of the uniform.
Liscense to Carry: The Emerald Guard is free to carry firearms and the requisite gunpowder, even off duty. Anyone else caught doing so will have their weapons confiscated at the very least, and most likely will be severely punished.
Firearm Feat: At 2nd level and at levels 4, 6 and 8, the Emerald Guard may choose a feat from the following list: Rapid Reload, Pistol Whip, Far Shot, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Pistol, Blunderbuss, Mortar, Grenade, Bayonet). Many Emerald Guard use their time to become familiar with all the different firearms available to them, but some use the standard Emerald Musket their whole career.
Cover: This ability allows the Emerald Guardsman to cover an area no larger than 10' by 10' as a full round action. Whenever a creature pops it's head up in that area, the Guardsman gets an attack of opportunity against that creature. All normal cover rules apply for the creature-most will be under 9/10ths cover when popping up to look around. The Guardsman incurs a -4 penalty to spot and listen checks when covering an area; it requires intense concentration.
Fire Resist: Malfunctions are common in the crude Ozian firearms, and so a recruit that survives to this level in this prestige class has learned to shake off the inevitable powderburns from when a charge blows the barrel. The Emerald Guardsman gains fire resistance 5/-, which increases to 10/- at 10th level. This is an extraordinary ability.
Crippling Shot: The guardsman can now make a called shot for the legs, with the standard -4 penalty. If the attack succeeds, the target must make a fortitude save at DC 10 + Damage or have it's movement cut to 1/4. This does not work against undead or creatures with no discernable anatomy, nor on creatures more than two sizes greater than the guardsman. This is an extraordinary ability.
Firing Squad: The Guardsman may now make a coup de grace attack with a firearm on any opponent within one range increment who fulfills all the other requirements of a coup de grace such as being bound or restrained. This ability is gained (as one might expect) from serving in the firing squads of the Emerald City. This is an extraordinary ability.
Craft: Gunpowder: Only after devoting themselves utterly to the Emerald Guard are recruits entrusted with the secrets of making gunpowder. The recipe is actually quite simple (and any veteran gamer should know it) but it is a closely guarded secret outside of the guard. The actual crafting of the gunpowder, once the materials are gathered, takes about a day. A DC 16 Craft: Alchemy check can produce 20 charges of gunpowder in a day. This effectively frees a Guardsman from the Emerald City's control, and they are very, very careful with whom they entrust it.