Peasant Heroine [Base Class] - How does it seem?

[paigeoliver]

This character class is designed to represent those seemingly normal female characters in many stories who somehow still get involved in adventures that would kill most people. These characters are most common in horror movies, video games, and cartoons.

Possible fictional peasant heroines include the girl from Nightmare on Elm Street, any female character who survived any of the Friday the 13th movies, Cordelia and Dawn from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and any "girl with a frying pan" from any video game.

Too powerful? Not powerful enough? Silly?

Peasant Heroine

The peasant heroine class fills the role of the seemingly normal untrained female heroine who manages to triumph over impossible odds.

Adventures: Peasant Heroines don’t go looking for adventure so much as adventure finds them. Most get their start by falling down a rabbit hole, being assaulted by powerful undead in their dreams, or being thrown into a situation filled with horrible monsters while armed with nothing but a trusty frying pan or table leg.

Characteristics: Most peasant heroines are attractive with and still manage to project a bit of fear, no matter how powerful they become. Even the most jaded ones often have a bit of an air of innocence about them. Peasant heroines rarely marry, and their romantic relationships often end tragically.

Alignment: Peasant Heroines may be of any alignment, although evil ones would be more properly called Peasant Villains.

Religion: Many Peasant Heroines tend toward religions that build great temples and make a large deal over every little aspect of worship. While others (particularly those from rural settings) instead follow traditional druidical deities.

Other Classes: Other classes are often slow to realize that the peasant heroine is as capable as they are, and many fledgling peasant heroines have a hard time convincing their companions that they aren’t just another damsel in distress.

Game Rule Information:
Abilities: Peasant Heroines are best served by a very high charisma score, as most of their class abilities are based on it. Strength, dexterity and constitution are also important, as a peasant heroine is essentially a fighting class.

Alignment
Any.

Hit Die
d8

Class Skills
The peasant heroine’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge: Local (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Cha), Ride (Cha), Tumble (Dex).

Skill Points at 1st Level
( 4+ Int modifier) ×4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level
4+ Int modifier.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the peasant heroine.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A peasant heroine is proficient with all simple weapons, but no armor. A peasant heroine wearing armor loses many of her class abilities.

Improvised Weapon Proficiency (Ex): A peasant heroine of 1st level or above can use improvised weapons as if they were simple weapons with no penalty to her attack roll. Many peasant heroines fight using things like lamps and frying pans.

Cute (Ex): A peasant heroine receives her charisma as a bonus to armor class provided she is not wearing any armor or using a shield. The benefit applies even if the peasant heroine is denied her dexterity bonus. This bonus increases by one at 5th level and every 5th level after that.

I Feel Pretty (Su): A peasant heroine of 2nd level or higher receives her charisma modifier as a bonus on all Fortitude saves. This bonus does not apply if the peasant heroine is wearing armor or carrying a shield.

Lucky Dodge (Su): A peasant heroine of 3rd level or higher receives her charisma modifier as a bonus on all Reflex saves. This bonus does not apply if the peasant heroine is wearing armor or carrying a shield.

Improvised Force (Su): Starting at 4th level a peasant heroine may treat any improvised weapon she is holding as if it were a magic weapon with a +1 enhancement bonus. The enhancement bonus is increased by 1 at 8th level and every 4th level after that, to a maximum of +5. The enhancement bonus does not apply if the peasant heroine is wearing armor or carrying a shield.

Force of Will (Su): A peasant heroine of 6th level or higher receives her charisma modifier as a bonus on all Will saves. This bonus does not apply if the peasant heroine is wearing armor or carrying a shield.

Bang (Ex): A peasant heroine of 10th level or above may perform a bang attack a number of times per day equal to her charisma modifier (minimum 1). When performing a bang attack she makes any attack and adds her charisma modifier (minimum +1) to both the hit and damage rolls.


Rage (Ex): A peasant heroine of 14th level or above may enter a rage once per day as if she were a barbarian, but instead of receiving +4 to Strength and Constitution she receives +4 to Strength and Charisma, with the duration of rage based upon her newly increased charisma modifier. Peasant heroines with other kinds of rage from alternate sources may choose which sort of rage they go into, and their total number of rages per day from all sources stack. At 18th level and every 4th level thereafter her number of rages per day goes up by 1.

Level
l    BAB              Fort    Ref   Will    Special
1    +1                 +2    +2    +2    Improvised Weapon Proficiency, Cute
2    +2                 +3    +3    +3    I feel pretty.
3    +3                 +3    +3    +3    Lucky Dodge
4    +4                 +4    +4    +4    Improvised Force +1
5    +5                 +4    +4    +4    Cute +1
6    +6/+1              +5    +5    +5    Force of Will
7    +7/+2              +5    +5    +5    
8    +8/+3              +6    +6    +6    Improvised Force +2
9    +9/+4              +6    +6    +6    
10    +10/+5            +7    +7    +7    Bang!, Cute +2
11    +11/+6/+1         +7    +7    +7    
12    +12/+7/+2         +8    +8    +8    Improvised Force +3
13    +13/+8/+3         +8    +8    +8    
14    +14/+9/+4         +9    +9    +9    Rage 1/day
15    +15/+10/+5        +9    +9    +9    Cute +3
16    +16/+11/+6/+1     +10   +10   +10   Improvised Force +4
17    +17/+12/+7/+2     +10   +10   +10    
18    +18/+13/+8/+3     +11   +11   +11   Rage 2/day
19    +19/+14/+9/+4     +11   +11   +11    
20    +20/+15/+10/+5    +12   +12   +12   Improvised Force +5, Cute +4

[paigeoliver]

Feyborn Heroine [General]

Prerequisites
Improvised Force +1, Beauty of the Fey.

Benefit
Your Feyborn Druid and Peasant Heroine levels stack for the purposes of determining your effective druid level for the purposes of calling an animal companion. Your Feyborn Druid and Peasant Hero levels also stack for the purposes of determining your Improvised Force ability and your Cute bonus to armor class.

Example. A Peasant Heroine 4/ Feyborn Druid 8 would have the animal companion of a 12th level druid, would treat improvised weapons as if they had a +3 enhancement bonus, and would have a +2 Cute bonus to armor class when unarmored.

[paigeoliver]

Unlikely Champion [General]

Prerequisites
Improvised Force +1, ability to smite evil

Benefit
Your Paladin and Peasant Heroine levels stack for the purposes of determining your Improvised Force ability. Your Paladin and Peasant Heroine levels also stack when determining the extra damage dealt by your smite evil ability.

In addition you may multiclass freely between Paladin and Peasant Heroine, although XP penalties for multiclassing and Paladin alignment restrictions still apply.

Example. A Peasant Heroine 5/ Paladin 7 would treat improvised weapons as if they had a +3 enhancement bonus and would do an extra 12 points of damage on a successful smite attack.

[Innis Cabal]

its a 20 level PrC?

[paigeoliver]

its a 20 level PrC?

Oops, it is a base class, I will fix that.

[Innis Cabal]

ok, looks good, though a base class that requires you being one gender is...odd to say the least...perhaps make it a little more general?

[paigeoliver]

Well, this is just the basic stuff. You will note that I didn't actually give the class a gender restriction, I just gave it a female name and wrote it from the female perspective. This could also be the male halfling baker who attacks with his rolling pin.

ok, looks good, though a base class that requires you being one gender is...odd to say the least...perhaps make it a little more general?

[Khoran]

Before I say anything else, I like the class and think it's funny and would most defintly put this to use in at least BESM d20, possibly D&D if my group ever runs a light hearted campaign. If I come off as abrasive with this next part then I am sorry. Something about a woman with a pot having the same BAB and Hit Die of professional soldier rubs me the wrong way. I would suggest possibly droping the Hit Die down to a d8 or maybe even a d6, and giving it 3/4th BAB.

[paigeoliver]

Sample Character.

Allison Wonderland CR6
Female Human Peasant Heroine 6
LG Medium Humanoid
Init +1; Senses Listen -1, Spot -1
Languages Pirate

AC 19, touch 18, flat-footed 18
hp 46 (6HD)
Fort +8 Ref +6 Will +6

Speed 40 ft. (8 squares)
Melee +1 frying pan +9/+4 (1d6+2)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +6; Grp +7

Abilities Str 12, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 20

Feats Improvised Weapon Proficiency, Weapon Focus (Improvised Weapon), Power Attack, Run, Cleave

Skills Diplomacy +14, Escape Artist +10, Handle Animal +14, Jump +28, Ride +3, Tumble +12

Possessions Cloak of Charisma +2, Boots of Striding and Springing, Bracers of Armor +1, Ring of Protection +1, Potion of Bears Endurance, 14 gp, 13 sp, 17 cp.

Personal Info: Background: Local, Ht: 5' 4", Wt: 125lbs, Hair: Brown, Eyes: Hazel, Age: 19.

[paigeoliver]

As far as the hit points and BAB go, I actually initially tested the class with d8 hit points and 3/4 BAB. It got stomped all over the place. Fighters, Barbarians and Monks at equal level still beat the stuffing out of this class. They might have the same hit point dice and BAB as fighters, but they can't touch the fighter in actual fighting ability, and they probably won't have as many hit points either.

[Miles Invictus]

It actually seems pretty underpowered to me. A Barbarian 1/Paladin of Freedom X gets basically everything this class gets. On top of that, the Paladin gets spellcasting and a mount, making it strictly more powerful than this class. And I believe Paladins are considered a weak class, at least at higher levels.

So...neat flavor, but I think it needs a lot of bulking up. If you don't want to do a lot of revising, here are my suggested tweaks -- give damage die progression for improvised weapons (akin to monks), and allow peasant heroines to use their abilities in light armor. I'm not sure if that's enough, but it'd narrow the gap, at least.

Also, I'm a bit surprised that such seemingly normal, down-to-earth people don't have Gather Information or Knowledge (local) on their class skills list.

[paigeoliver]

I am agreed on both Gather Information and Knowledge Local, I will add those on my next revision. I specifically don't want them wearing armor, as the archetype this character is based on never wears armor, and this class is for a setting book I am writing that heavily favors not wearing armor at all, or light armor at the most.

Perhaps they could use evasion and/or uncanny dodge? Or perhaps the ability to qualify for feats that require Fighter Level X?

[paigeoliver]

I am agreed on both Gather Information and Knowledge Local, I will add those on my next revision. I specifically don't want them wearing armor, as the archetype this character is based on never wears armor, and this class is for a setting book I am writing that heavily favors not wearing armor at all, or light armor at the most.

Perhaps they could use evasion and/or uncanny dodge? Or perhaps the ability to qualify for feats that require Fighter Level X?

[ShneekeyTheLost]

She needs all three high saves. After all... they somehow survive the worst that happens, right? Must have outragous saves to be able to pull that off. Probably D12 hit die too.

I'd drop the BAB to 3/4 or even 1/2. None of those character archetypes are particularly noted for their ability to hit things.

[paigeoliver]

Ok, I added the two skills and upped the saves. I left the BAB alone, but dropped the hit points to 1d8. Test.

[Closet_Skeleton]

Maybe reduce the BAB but give them bonuses with improvised weapons.

Like a +5 impact shocking burst dragon bane rolling pin.

[Triaxx]

I'm seeing... Dragonlance.

[Valairn]

Honestly, for a base class you don't need to scale the armor bonus. The class should recieve +charisma to armor from the start to the finish. Otherwise you are literally forcing someone to take this class only from 1 to 20 to see any sort of benefit.

Like it was said before Barb1/Paladin of Freedom X is superior in everyway right now.

EDIT:

Also another way to look at it is, pretty much every other class has a significant bonus to armor in some fashion whether spells or armor at any given point and this class has nothing.

[Valairn]

Also not to drag this on, I really do like the class idea. In fact I want to use it! hehe

But anyway, the bonus to saves can easily just be connected into one big bonus, you already gave up armor and don't have any spellcasting progression, give the poor girl something!

[Miles Invictus]

I am agreed on both Gather Information and Knowledge Local, I will add those on my next revision. I specifically don't want them wearing armor, as the archetype this character is based on never wears armor, and this class is for a setting book I am writing that heavily favors not wearing armor at all, or light armor at the most.

Perhaps they could use evasion and/or uncanny dodge? Or perhaps the ability to qualify for feats that require Fighter Level X?

The armorless setting does change things a bit, but it sounds like that's something that applies to all classes in your campaign -- given that, I don't think it would hurt to allow light armor as the default. Just note somewhere in your post that in your specific campaign setting, they lose class features when wearing armor.

Evasion and Uncanny Dodge sound...thematically appropriate. I'm very slightly uncomfortable with the idea of letting them get Fighter feats, though, as that's really all that the Fighter has.

[Closet_Skeleton]

A leather jerkin is light armour.

[Black Mage]

It's a pretty nifty class. I'd use it if my DM actually let us use homebrewed stuff.

And this just made me laugh.

Bang (Ex): A peasant heroine of 10th level or above may perform a bang attack a number of times per day equal to her charisma modifier (minimum 1). When performing a bang attack she makes any attack and adds her charisma modifier (minimum +1) to both the hit and damage rolls.

[Fishies]

I specifically don't want them wearing armor, as the archetype this character is based on never wears armor

Joan of Arc.

[Black Mage]

I specifically don't want them wearing armor, as the archetype this character is based on never wears armor.

I believe Tika from Dragonlance wore armor later on in the series, as did Laurathablahblah (totally forgot the spelling of her name). And they both fit into the idea of this class. But they wore armor.

[jindra34]

increase it to light armor: even a heavy apron counts as armor.

[The_Snark]

Joan of Arc.

Pretty sure that she'd have multiclassed into paladin, though.

increase it to light armor: even a heavy apron counts as armor.

Heh. Apron as padded armor?

Anyway, it seems like it needs a bit more offensive power. Right now, it blends the abilities of the paladin, barbarian, and soulknife, but it doesn't do it as often, as well, or at as low levels. I can't think of any good ideas at the moment, though... the archetype's more about surviving than slaying hordes of enemies.

[Valairn]

But even at surviving its kind of lacking. No armor, not a solid armor bonus from abilities. No spells... just good saves, which only cover certain situations. Important ones, but still.

[Crystall_Myr]

Very funny. Maybe give it DR X/Lawful? That's all I can think of at the moment.

[Triaxx]

Perhaps give it Improved Shield Bash, and let it use it's abilities while using shields. And this:

Improvised Shield
From 2nd level, a Peasant Heroine may treat everyday objects as shields. Objects such as Pot Lids may be treated by as Bucklers.

[paigeoliver]

Dex bonus + charisma bonus is a fairly solid armor bonus. Makes for a starting ac of 14-18 (depending on power level of campaign). It isn't the AC 20 that most halfling fighters have coming out of the gate, but it is respectable.