[PrC] The Throwing Gnome

[Wystrell]

Throwing Gnome

Being of small stature in a world frequented by adventurers with a 10 ft headstart can be a nuisance. Many times the gnome, being the quirkier of the two major "short" races, is more prone to a certain kind of surrender;

"Oh, fine, just throw me."

The Throwing Gnome excels in fighting while airborne. While the reasons for becoming a Throwing Gnome are usually out of the character's control, or are out of a self-depcrecating need to be useful, the extra burst of speed, height bonus, and various other abilities somehow make being thrown an ability worth having.

Prerequisites
Race: Gnome.
Skills: Jump (10 ranks), Tumble (10 ranks).
Special: Must be thrown by another character (as a weapon) 10ft or farther.

Class Skills
The throwing gnome's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Dex), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex)
Skill points per level: 4 + Int modifier

Game Rule Information
Hit Die: d8
Base Flight Speed determines how much farther a Throwing Gnome will go after being thrown; add this to the throwing distance of the character throwing the gnome. If the Throwing Gnome is self-propelled, use base land speed instead.

Table 1-1: The Throwing Gnome
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Base Flight Speed|Crash To-Hit Bonus|Crash Damage Bonus

1st|

+1

|

+2

|

+2

|

+0

|Extended flight 1/day, cannonball|15ft|+1|+1

2nd|

+2

|

+3

|

+3

|

+0

|Leap and bound|20ft|+1|+1

3rd|

+3

|

+3

|

+3

|

+1

|Extended flight 2/day|25ft|+2|+1

4th|

+4

|

+4

|

+4

|

+1

|Flight of 10,000 Squirrels|30ft|+2|+2

5th|

+5

|

+4

|

+4

|

+1

|Extended flight 3/day|35ft|+3|+2

6th|

+6

|

+5

|

+5

|

+2

|Windwhipped|45ft|+3|+2

7th|

+7

|

+5

|

+5

|

+2

|Extended flight 4/day|50ft|+4|+3

8th|

+8

|

+6

|

+6

|

+2

|Self-propelled|55ft|+4|+3[/table]

Class Features

Extended flight: This ability works similar to the spell feather fall, but only increases your flight speed by an extra 10ft. This stacks with any item or armor that increases flight speed, except for feather fall, and lasts for the duration of your time in the air (if you are in the middle of a Leap or a series of Leaps, extended flight remains in effect until you land on the ground). Extended flight does not stack with itself.

Cannonball: If your thrower has "called" an opponent for you to crash into, that opponent loses their dexterity bonus until the thrower's turn ends. An effective hit stuns the opponent. Your body, on its own, deals 1d8 lethal damage when moving at a speed of 30 ft - and a crash deals 1d3 damage to you. Any stabbing weapon (spiked mail included) used on the opponent you crash into deals an extra 1d4 damage due to speed. Unless windwhipped, if you're flying faster than 60ft, upon collision, make a Tumble check to see if you land on your feet. If you fail the Tumble check, roll 1d2 for every 20ft you flew. The following is a table of damage dealt versus speed:

Table 1-2: Cannonball Damage
{table=head]Total Speed|Crash Damage|Stab Bonus

15ft|1d3|1

20ft|1d4|1d2

30ft|1d6|1d4

35ft|1d8|1d4

40ft|2d6|1d6

45ft|2d6|1d8

50ft|2d8|2d4

55ft|2d8|2d4

60ft|3d6|2d6

65ft|3d6|2d6

70ft|3d8|2d8

75ft|3d8|2d8

80ft|4d6|3d6

85ft|4d6|3d6

90ft|5d6|3d6

95ft|5d6|3d8

100ft|4d8|3d8[/table]

Level does not determine damage as much as speed does, for speed determines how hard the Throwing Gnome collides with an enemy. Your flight speed can be, at maximum, the thrower's throwing distance plus your base flight speed. However, as shown in Table 1-1, your ability to effectively hit an opponent while in flight increases as you level, both in to-hit and to damage.

Leap and Bound: You understand the physics of midair dueling enough to be able to "jump" around the battlefield. Upon contact with your Cannonball target, you can opt to jump off of him/her in the direction of another opponent. Any body-cannon damage is halved (stabbing weapon bonuses still apply), and the opponent you jump off of must make a Strength check against yours (+3 bonus to you from speed, +4 if the opponent is of greater than average stability) or be Tripped. You cannot L&B off of a character who is incorporeal or otherwise unstable (like a gelatinous cube), and you cannot L&B at an impossible angle (i.e., you cannot bounce off your opponent's chest and end up flying behind him). Any leap must be in a straight line (like a charge). Your flying speed after the Leap is halved, and if you opted to stab your inital Cannon target, it decreases another 5ft. Leaping provokes attacks of opportunity.

Flight of 10,000 Squirrels: Every gnome has the undercurrent of illusion running through her veins. The original Throwing Gnomes found a way to integrate heritage with uncontrolled flight by using a glamer mid-battle. Any gnome with Cha 12 or higher can "split" her image midair into a series of illusory doubles, whose location and trajectory are under her control. The amount of doubles created is equal to double your Cha bonus, but are often fuzzy (unless Cha is 16 or higher). The doubles disappear if you hit anything solid, or if they are attacked. This ability can only be used once per battle.

Windwhipped: Starting at 6th level, it is assumed that you have been thrown around enough that the wind begins to reshape your body structure. This only occurs if you have been thrown in battle as many times as you have points of Dexterity; however, if you hit that number at any time afterwards, you become Windwhipped as soon as you gain a level. Your frame becomes leaner, your face more hollow. This gains you an inherent +1 to Dexterity and Constitution, and increases your flight speed by 10ft. A regular cannonball no longer deals damage to you. By this, Throwing Gnomes become an alternate race of sorts.

Self-Propelled: You no longer need to be thrown by another person to create the fast, short-distance flight of your class. If you have at least 15 ranks in Jump, you can use any sturdy, upright form as a jump-start. If the target you wish to self-propel from is rickety, mortal, or otherwise unstable, make a Jump check against your target's AC - if you succeed, and if your target makes a successful counterTrip check, you use the target as a "thrower." If your jump succeeds, the target must make another counterTrip to avoid being thrown backwards from the energy it takes to propel you speedily across the battlefield. If the target is mortal and does not trip in either instance, he/she is pushed backwards 5ft after the self-propel.

---

Any input is greatly appreciated, I decided I had to do this after reading the Things I Can't Do While Gaming thread. Also, if you need to know the rationale behind any of this, just ask. Forthcoming will be related armor, perhaps feats, and a quip for multiclassed Dashing Swordsmen. ;)

[Holocron Coder]

Looks fun :)

Some notes, though: Check your saving throws, they seem off. Your BAB stops increasing after 6th level (should be 7/2 and 8/3).

[Call Me Siggy]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...haha...heh...ooh... I'd love one of these as a cohort...

Hmm...shouldn't Windwhipped be turned into a template?

[Wystrell]

Looks fun :)

Some notes, though: Check your saving throws, they seem off. Your BAB stops increasing after 6th level (should be 7/2 and 8/3).

Thanks! I wasn't sure if the first BAB increased along with the second, but the main purpose was to up the second attack for Leaps. I'll change that now. And I know the saving throws are off, I'll fix that too...

Hmm...shouldn't Windwhipped be turned into a template?

Hell, why not? I was thinking of it, but I wanted to post this first.

[Gralamin]

PrC's Do not gain extra attacks.

[Wystrell]

PrC's Do not gain extra attacks.

Never knew that before. Either way, error fixed.

[Roderick_BR]

Lol! Oh my... I'd love to try it...
What would be the effects of an ally using "Fling Ally"? (Races of Stone)
And "Self-Propelled" makes me think of "ME-DOKEN"

[Wystrell]

Lol! Oh my... I'd love to try it...
What would be the effects of an ally using "Fling Ally"? (Races of Stone)
And "Self-Propelled" makes me think of "ME-DOKEN"

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...ngal/fling.jpg

Probably something like this. I expect the effects would be an increase of 15ft of distance, 40ft if the Ally-Flinger is a Goliath or took Rock Hurling, plus the base flight speed of the Throwing Gnome.

And much laughter goes to the ME-DOKEN. I suppose that's what this class is, neh?

Anycase, I was thinking (before I wisened up) that this would be a pairing for a Master Thrower or anyone with the Throw Anything feat. I conveniently forgot that most MTs are halflings, and you can't take Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Gnomes. However, I'll assume that the Throwing Gnome naturally tries to cut down on extra baggage to be a better thrown weapon.

[Korias]

Oh no. This is very, very, very wrong, in so many ways. Can you imagine an army full of these things? Flung out of catapults? Into an enemy seige, using the 10,000 Squirrles abillity?

[jindra34]

Imagine this + a Hulking Hurler...

[Icewalker]

BEST CLASS EVER

But uh...I don't think I get 10000 squirrels. Do the clones deal damage? If not, does the ability do anything?

But I can definitely see myself using this. Best evil villain ever. Some gnome and a burly cohort.

[Gnome King]

...



One thing though, shouldent "Self-Propelled" be at an earlier level?

[Ranis]

As funny as this is, does anyone else think it's strange that the damage dealt never goes up? It seems kinda silly to put more than 2 levels into this class for that reason.

[Toric]

Actually Ranis, I'd still take full levels in this class, as it adds more distance to your flights and allows you to perform a "ricochet" effect between two enemies using the Leap and Bound ability. That'll add up damage dice fairly quickly, and later on you'll be using enchanted piercing weapons anyway. The only problem is that L&B promotes attacks of opportunity and I doubt you could tumble mid-air, and this is what the 10,000 squirrels ability is for.

I like it. It reminds me of the Rock-Skipping Champion, only you're bouncing yourself between enemies instead of a rock.

[Wraithy]

yippeeeeeeee!!!
i have to show this PrC to my DM, i must meet an NPC with levels in it, i would play one myself but everyone else in my gaming group laughs at me everytime i suggest playing a gnome.
i have to agree that with a hulking hurler in the party this would become an unstoppable combination

[Gnome King]

would play one myself but everyone else in my gaming group laughs at me everytime i suggest playing a gnome.

So make a gnome that can kill them all! that'd show em.

[Wystrell]

10,000 Squirrels does not do damage, no. But, imagine; an army of illusory doubles that you can place anywhere you want, that last for however long you're in the air. You can send them out in every direction, and confuse the enemy as to which one is you; or, my personal preference, center them (mostly) around yourself, which gives you the same effect as Blur. You fly, AND get cover.

So yes, there is a point.

And yes, I think the damage will end up increasing as you level. Besides, as you level your flight speed increases, so naturally damage would have to increase as well. It's kind of like an ultra-improved unarmed combat class, but without the monk fluff.

One thing though, shouldent "Self-Propelled" be at an earlier level?

I didn't want to make it godly /too/ early. Until then, at least you have to depend on other people. But I suppose it could.

Also, I'd probably make a feat - Acrobatic Flight or somesuch - to make it so that Leaping doesn't provoke AoOs.

[sigurd]

Its a fun Idea. My first thought is that the class would get more use if it were targeted at goblins or small kobolds. Goblinoids in battle have a menagerie of various sizes and a relative disrespect for their own lives :).

Maybe no illusion abilities but vestigal gliding wings or something like that.

[Shades of Gray]

How about rules for extra damage if you are wearing spiked armor? It would hurt on impact. I'd love to buy a +1 spiked helmet and be thrown like a javelin

[Wystrell]

How about rules for extra damage if you are wearing spiked armor? It would hurt on impact. I'd love to buy a +1 spiked helmet and be thrown like a javelin

Imagine the possibilities! Edited that in just now.

I'm also working on how damage increases as you level; rather, how damage increases as you speed up... for those of you who like updates.

[NakedCelt]

This might go well with my Brawler.

[Triaxx]

This gave me a great idea for a new sport.

Gnome Bowling

Gnome Bowling is accomplished by the use of a Throwing Gnome, and several target dummies of varying Strengths. The 'ball' is thrown at the initial target, and then attempts to Leap and Bound to consecutive targets until a failed check is made. Winner is determined by top two of three attempts.

[DanielLC]

How come you can't knock the opponent prone with cannonball?
What happens if you're thrown by a Rock-Skipping Champion (with righteous might cast)?
Speaking of which, is there any lower limit on the size or strength of the thrower?
Does the thrower have to be proficient in gnomes?

That last one reminds me of a question: If you take someone's head and slam it into a wall, do you take a -4 penalty for not being proficient in heads, or do you take a -4 penalty for not being proficient in walls?