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Every generation or two a being is born destined to be something more. The parents are blessed by the Heavens to give birth to a man or woman that will be their people's only hope in the trials they all will soon face. They know nothing of it except perhaps he or she is a bit more strong willed than most, more reckless and prone to getting into trouble. However, in the face of adversity, what they truly are begin to shine forth, and despite their humble beginnings, they find themselves and what they were meant to be.
When an oppressive king or lord squeezes its kingdom for taxes until those within it cry out, it is the peasant hero that builds up the rebellion. When an enemy army comes to wipe out every man, woman, and child, it is this hero who somehow leads his untrained peoples to victory. The peasant hero is not only great, but he awakens the greatness inherent in all. He is more than a man, he is a symbol of freedom and hope.
Sample Peasant Hero
Spoiler
Joshua Ashcombe
Peasant Hero Human Commoner 5
Medium Humanoid (human)
Hit Dice: 5d4+15 + 10d8+30 (102 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 11 (+1 dex), touch 11, flat-footed 10
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+19
Attack: Pitchfork (improvised ranseur) +15 melee (2d6+4/x3) or Lasso +14 ranged touch
Full Attack: Pitchfork (improvised ranseur) +15 melee (2d6+4/x3) or Lasso +14 ranged touch
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Inspirational, tenacious, tooth and nail
Special Qualities: Brave face, country bred, hidden destiny, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +9, Will +14
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 22
Skills: Diplomacy +17, Handle Animal +19, Intimidate +12, Ride +19, Use Rope +15
Feats: Fearless Destiny, Force of Personality(B), Heroic Destiny(B), Improved Grapple(B), Improved Unarmed Strike(B), Leadership(B), Mounted Combat, Ride-by Attack, Run, Spirited Charge, Stunning Fist, Trample
Environment: Temperate Plains
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +6
This is a tall, lanky young man with sun-darkened skin and hands roughened and calloused from work and rope. His sun-bleached hair stands up in an unkept tangle exposing the remains of a tattered ear, and his face unkept with sweat and stubble. Despite his countenance there is a commanding presence to him, a glow to his brown eyes that demands one's immediate attention.
Joshua was once but a ranch hand driving cattle and training horses. That was until the lord of the county was usurped and outside forces brought in to enforce his rule. The ranchman refused to send his herds to the usurper's table and Joshua and the other hands fought away the soldiers but were overpowered. Joshua and a couple of the other men bitterly fled, and watched from afar as all but the best horses were slaughtered. They kept just ahead of the soldiers, but from hiding witnessed all of those that opposed them were dealt with harshly if they lived at all. Joshua began to gather together those that escaped, raiding their enemy for their own stolen supplies and herds.
Though all had known him before as a wild-spirited, passionate young man his leadership had never gone beyond the loyalty and commitment of his friends upon the ranch. This innate ability quickly blossomed until few would not follow him, even to the death.
Joshua speaks Common. He stands at six foot even and weighs 190 lbs.
Combat
Joshua is a fearless combatant, leading the charge with a pitchfork sharpened past any normal need. He prefers to fight from horseback, using pitchfork or lasso against his enemies. He has no qualms about fighting on foot however and is a master brawler.
If possible he captures his opponents alive and tying them up to be taken back for capture.
Brave Face (Su): His people's courage often hanging on a thread, Joshua is a steady rock upon which others may brace themselves. He is immune to fear and despair, and all those within 60 feet of him gain a +4 bonus to save against such effects.
Country Bred (Ex): Joshua may move through any sort of field or undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect him.
He may also improve the attitude of any domesticated animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. Joshua rolls 1d20 and adds 21 to determine the check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent.
To use this ability Joshua and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
Hidden Destiny (Su): Joshua is undetectable by divination (scrying) effects, such as the scrying spell or a crystal ball. Such an attempt automatically fails to perceive the hero.
Inspirational (Su): Joshua can inspire his people to accomplish great things with his words alone. As a full round action where he speaks inspiringly, any ally within range of his voice gains a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +2 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. This affect lasts for as long as he speaks and for 1d4 hours afterward. Bonuses from multiple speeches do not stack.
Three times per day he may pick a number of people whose total HD does not exceed 30 to inspire even greater greatness. These people gain 2 bonus Hit Dice (d8s), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (apply the target’s Constitution modifier, if any, to these bonus Hit Dice), a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 competence bonus on Fortitude saves. The bonus Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining the effect of spells that are Hit Dice dependent. This lasts for as long as Joshua speaks and 6 minutes afterward.
Those that are inspired must succeed on a Will save each round (DC 10 + half Peasant Hero's HD + Charisma modifier) or become Charmed by the peasant hero for as long as the inspiration lasts. These are all mind-affecting abilities.
Tenacious (Ex): Joshua continues to fight without penalty even while disabled or dying. When reduced to between –1 and –9 hit points, he automatically becomes stable. He doesn't have to roll d% to see if he loses 1 hit point each round.
Tooth and Nail (Ex): Joshua may use an improvised weapon without taking any penalties. He gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage with a lasso.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Creating A Peasant Hero
"Peasant Hero" is an acquired or inherited template that can be added to any humanoid without class levels except commoner, expert, or racial paragon, hereafter referred to as the base creature. A peasant hero uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: A peasant hero's remains unchanged.
Hit Dice: A peasant hero gains 10 levels in Humanoid. These extra racial HD grant full Base Attack progression and all good saves. Use only the ability increases below.
Speed: All of a peasant hero's speeds increase by 10 feet.
Special Attacks: A peasant hero retains all special attacks of the base creature. They also gain the following special attacks.
Inspirational (Su): A peasant hero can inspire his people to accomplish great things with his words alone. As a full round action where he speaks inspiringly, any ally within range of his voice gains a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +2 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. This affect lasts for as long as the peasant hero speaks and for 1d4 hours afterward. Bonuses from multiple speeches do not stack.
Three times per day he may pick a number of people whose total HD does not exceed twice that of his own to inspire even greater greatness. These people gain 2 bonus Hit Dice (d10s), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (apply the target’s Constitution modifier, if any, to these bonus Hit Dice), a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 competence bonus on Fortitude saves. The bonus Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining the effect of spells that are Hit Dice dependent. This lasts for as long as the hero speaks and a number of minutes equal to his Charisma modifier afterward.
Those that are inspired must succeed on a Will save each round (DC 10 + half Peasant Hero's HD + Charisma modifier) or become Charmed by the peasant hero for as long as the inspiration lasts. These are all mind-affecting abilities.
Tenacious (Ex): A peasant hero continues to fight without penalty even while disabled or dying. When reduced to between –1 and –9 hit points, he automatically becomes stable. He doesn't have to roll d% to see if he loses 1 hit point each round.
Tooth and Nail (Ex): A peasant hero may use an improvised weapon without taking any penalties. He gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage with a single type of weapon.
Special Qualities: A peasant hero retains all qualities of the base creature. They also gain the following special qualities.
Brave Face (Su): His people's courage often hanging on a thread, a peasant hero is a steady rock upon which others may brace themselves. He is immune to fear and despair, and all those within 60 feet of him gain a +4 bonus to save against such effects.
Country Bred (Ex): A peasant hero may move through any sort of field or undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect him.
He may also improve the attitude of any domesticated animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. The peasant hero rolls 1d20 and adds his HD and his Charisma bonus to determine the check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent.
To use this ability the peasant hero and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
Hidden Destiny (Su): A peasant hero is undetectable by divination (scrying) effects, such as the scrying spell or a crystal ball. Such an attempt automatically fails to perceive the hero.
Low-Light Vision: A peasant hero can see twice as far as a normal human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +4, Dex +2, Con +4, Wis +2, Cha +8 Skills: A peasant hero has a +4 bonus on all Charisma-based checks. Feats: A peasant hero gains Force of Personality, Heroic Destiny, Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, and Leadership as bonus feats. Environment: Same as base creature. Challenge Rating: Same as base creature +5. Treasure: Same as base creature. Alignment: Any good. Level Adjustment: -
Last edited by The Vorpal Tribble : 08-29-2008 at 09:46 PM.
I really like the concept, but I was wondering how a +6 LA grants this guy 10 levels of Humanoid?
__________________ People seemed to like this better, but only marginally so - the way one might prefer to be stabbed than shot. Optimally, one isn't stabbed or shot. Optimally, one eats some cake! But there are times when cake is not available, and instead we are destroyed. This is the deep poetry of the universe. -- Tycho Brahe
Not to be confused with the Pleasant Hero, who is a jolly good fellow to share a drink with.
Whoa, that's like super powerful, though. I would like to see a gradual progression of power increases if this was to be taken by a PC, though. Perhaps even as a prestige class..
Perhaps a requirement for the template would be the Commoner, Expert, or Warrior classes?
Once again a good read, Tribble. In fact, it gives me a few ideas for my wartime commoner campaign...
__________________ Paragon Badger (14 HP)
Str 23, Dex 32, Con 30, Int 17, Wis 27, Cha 19
AC: 33, Claw: +29 Melee (1d2+19)
Body by Jake Army. Avatar by Kyace.
I really like the concept, but I was wondering how a +6 LA grants this guy 10 levels of Humanoid?
Meh, just slapped that on. LA's are a pain.
Quote:
Whoa, that's like super powerful, though. I would like to see a gradual progression of power increases if this was to be taken by a PC, though. Perhaps even as a prestige class..
Super powerful? Unless you add class levels it's merely a CR 5 and even that I was thinking might be too high. Really, is anything here worthy of a Prestige Class?
Quote:
Perhaps a requirement for the template would be the Commoner, Expert, or Warrior classes?
No warrior, because then you aren't really a peasant. At least Experts can just be a really good blacksmith or farmer or whatnot.
Left off the requirements so that you could make the player as low as you want.
Do the HD in Humanoid count as racial HD, meaning that this guy starts out as ECL 16? If so, I don't think the level adjustment is necessary; 10 racial hit dice seems like enough to balance it to me.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thespianus
I fail to see how "No, that guy is too fat to be hurt by your fire" would make sense.
Do the HD in Humanoid count as racial HD, meaning that this guy starts out as ECL 16? If so, I don't think the level adjustment is necessary; 10 racial hit dice seems like enough to balance it to me.
Yes, they count as racial HD. I just went and knocked off the LA.
Super powerful? Unless you add class levels it's merely a CR 5 and even that I was thinking might be too high. Really, is anything here worthy of a Prestige Class?
Well...for a peasant.
*tends to think of power levels more in-universe than in-game.*
__________________ Paragon Badger (14 HP)
Str 23, Dex 32, Con 30, Int 17, Wis 27, Cha 19
AC: 33, Claw: +29 Melee (1d2+19)
Body by Jake Army. Avatar by Kyace.
Epic. Great idea...I like it. Makes me want to run a peasant rebellion in a campaign somewhere...hmm...
__________________ Quote of the [insert timeframe here]: (Week? Perhaps! Year? Also maybe.)
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-Augusta Ada Lovelace
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