Rogue Subclass:
Venturer
Description:
Venturers are roguish individuals who, like bards, possess a natural curiosity about the world around them. Unlike bards they are not performers. They travel as knowledgeable and skilful allies using their abilities to aid companions and themselves in all manner of pursuits. Like bards, Venturers must have an alignment that is somewhat neutral. Characters who wish to be Venturers must have minimum scores of 14 dexterity, 13 intelligence and 9 in Strength. The prime requisites of a Venturer are both dexterity and intelligence. Like other rogues they roll 1d6 to determine hit points per level.
Proficiencies:
Like other rogues, Venturers receive 2 weapon and 3 non-weapon proficiency slots at 1st level. They gain one weapon and one non-weapon slot every 4 levels.
Weapons Allowed:
Any.
Armour allowed:
Venturers may wear any armour, up to and including chainmail.
Shields:
Venturers may use small or buckler shields.
Special Benefits:
1.Being more militant than bards or thieves, Venturers receive a +1 to hit with their primary melee weapon after reaching 2nd level.
2.Venturers have the same base thieving abilities as bards; PP, HN, CW, RL, which improve under the same rules as detailed for bards.
3.Venturers gain the Reading/Writing, plus Local History proficiency skills as a bonus.
4.Venturers cast spells using the same spell table as bards.
5.At 10th level Venturers can attempt to read scrolls in the same manner as outlined for bards.
Special Hindrances:
None.
Druidic Bard
Description:
Druidic Bards are the rural equivalent of the Bard. They are objectively interested in the natural world and druidic magic whilst also retaining a strong interest in their own communities. They are both performers, general storytellers, and collectors of lore concerning nature. Like bards, the Druidic Bard must have an alignment that is partly neutral. They must also have minimum scores of 12 in Wisdom and Dexterity, and 15 in Charisma. Their prime requisites are wisdom and charisma. Like other rogues they roll 1d6 for hit points per level.
Proficiencies:
Like other rogues they receive 2 weapon and 3 non-weapon proficiency slots at 1st level and gain one every 4 levels respectively. Non-weapon proficiencies are selected as if the character were a Druid (priest). Unlike Druids, the Druidic Bard gains the Reading/Writing, plus Local History proficiency skills as a bonus. Recommended: Animal Lore, Direction Sense, Healing, Herbalism, Set Snares, Weather Sense. Note: Druidic Bards are not privy to the secret druidic language and do not start play with such knowledge.
Weapons:
Any.
Armour:
Druid Bards may wear armour up to and including Chainmail.
Shields:
They may use any type of shield.
Special Benefits:
1. Druidic Bards are granted spells as a priest, through meditation, using the same spells per level table as bards. They are restricted to spheres in the same way as Druids with major access to All, Animal, Elemental, Healing, Plant and Weather with minor access to Divination. Like priests they may cast additional spells per level for having high wisdom scores.
2. Druidic Bards have the same base thieving abilities as bards; PP, HN, CW, RL, which improve under the same rules as detailed for bards.
3. Druidic Bards have the same musical and charisma related abilities as bards.
4. At 10th level they can attempt to read priest scrolls in the same manner as outlined for bards.
Special Hindrances:
None.
Assassin
Description:
Assassins are individuals who specialise in killing other humanoid creatures through the use of poison and sneak attack forms. In other respects Assassins commonly operate as spies or saboteurs. Assassin characters cannot have a Lawful alignment and most are evil although there are exceptions to this general rule. Assassins must have minimum scores of 12 in Dexterity, 12 in Strength and 11 in Intelligence. Their prime requisites are Dexterity and Strength. Like other rogues they roll 1d6 to determine hit points per level.
Proficiencies:
Assassins gain as a bonus the non-weapon proficiency of Herbalism which allows them to concoct poisons. It is recommended they also choose the Disguise and Acting proficiencies. Like other rogues, Assassins receive 2 weapon and 3 non-weapon proficiency slots at 1st level. They gain one weapon and one non-weapon slot every 4 levels.
Weapons Allowed:
Assassins are restricted to those light and easily concealed weapons used by thieves.
Armour allowed:
Assassins may wear any armour, allowable by thieves.
Shields:
Assassins do not use shields- as per thieves.
Special Benefits:
1. Assassins can perform the Backstab manoeuvre at the same level as a thief. However, Assassins gain a +1 damage bonus to this attack which is added before the Backstab multiplier is applied. At levels 1-4 the Assassin gains a +1 bonus, at levels 5-9 the bonus rises to +2, at levels 10-13 the bonus is +3 and for levels 14 and above it is +4.
2. Assassins may wield two small weapons at once with no attack roll penalty.
3. Assassins have the same base thieving scores as thieves but they receive only 30 points to distribute at 1st level. Thereafter they add 20 points each level, two thirds the rate of a thief.
4. 1st level Assassins may brew thistle/plant-based poisons that last one week (0/10 with a +2 bonus to saves, onset time of 2 rounds), at 5th level they may brew poisons used by Witches (0/15, onset time of 2d4 rounds/ingested 5/10 with a +2 bonus to saves), at 8th level they may concoct paralytic poisons that render opponents immobile for 1hour or 4d4 damaging poison, while at 11th level they may concoct death dealing poisons that do 8d4 damage. Every two levels of the Assassin, after reaching the level needed to produce a poison, allows them to concoct enough material to coat one more weapon, with half fractions rounded up (at 5th level they may produce plant based poisons doing 0/10 that can coat 3 weapons or enough 0/15 poison to coat one weapon).
Special Hindrances:
* Assassins do not gain the read scrolls ability until 12th level.
* Assassins are generally targets of ruthless attack in most humanoid settlements where their profession has been revealed. Most will claim they are members of a thieves guild if caught and not in the business of full time assassination.
Special notes on Poisons:
Preparing the ingredients and brewing the most basic poison takes time. Plant based poison that lasts one week can take up to one week to produce. Other poisons that cause paralysis may require exotic ingredients that are difficult or impossible to source, or cannot be realised without the right equipment. Types of ingested poison may simply come down to finding toxic plants or fruits that cause penalties to physical attributes (halving base ability score numbers) or will inflict varying levels of damage. The availability of these plants is wholly left to the DM's discretion.
[DM option: Some Assassin's guilds may teach an additional skill to those already listed. Assassin kits may include the use of warrior weapon proficiencies (but not THACO) in relation to short bladed weapons or minor magics (cantrips) that may compliment equipment such as smokepowder bombs and poisons.]