Rogue
The Sea Rat
No one knows the Sea Rat's real name. Surely his Sencliffe forms are forged, as they all are. He's been traced to at least a dozen different origins, all of which are inconclusive and wrong. He's held at least fifty different names in his time, and as many faces, and as many ambitions, and once he had the latter he quickly discarded the former two.
They say he broke into an impregnable vault by picking the pocket of the drunk apprentice in charge of guarding it. They say he started a war and then collected a brokerage fee for negotiating its conclusion. They say he once shanked a chancellor over a bar tab, and later the chancellor apologized. They say giving him some of your gold is better than giving him all of your gold. They say his childhood friend died of exposure while trying to find him in hide and seek. They say he can dance on a swaying ship better than the most courteous aristocrat on solid ground. They say he once tricked a sentient staff into thinking he was the most powerful arch-wizard in the land, and used it to blast the most powerful arch-wizard in the land out of this very plane.
They say everyone who spreads these rumors is really the Sea Rat playing up his own legend for fun. You trust me, don't you?
Overview:
Those who master skillfulness in all things become Rogues. Artful fencing, deceitful diplomacy, common ambush brigandry, cat-burglars prowling the night, scouts, spies, hired killers, investigators, and insurance fraud con-artists are all examples of what it can mean to be a Rogue.
While they tend to share an agile fighting style and a knack for subverting whatever defenses lie between them and where they're going, rogues are one of the most versatile classes in terms of what kinds of people take it up.
Whether subtle or dramatic, canny or greedy, honest or 'honest,' rogues strive to be the best at what they do, and master an incredible variety of skills to have tools to deal with whatever opposition lies between themselves and their desire.
Key Mechanics:
Sneak Attack - When rogues attack an opponent that isn't directly targeting them in combat, they deal scaling bonus damage as long as the target has a discernible anatomy. Constructs, oozes, undead and the like aren't affected.
Weapon Finesse - Rogues receive Weapon Finesse for free.
Evasion - Rogues have a knack for dodging out of harm's way. Whenever they succeed on a reflex save against an effect for half damage, they take no damage. At higher levels if they fail they take half damage.
Uncanny Dodge - Rogues cannot be caught flat-footed and gain bonuses on reflex saves to avoid the effects of traps.
Bonus Feats
At higher levels rogues gain access to a suite of powerful bonus feats as they level up, as follows:
Crippling Strike - Deal 2 Strength damage with sneak attacks.
Defensive Roll - Make a reflex save vs fatal damage once per day to avoid death.
Improved Evasion - Take half damage from failed reflex saves.
Opportunist - Gain a +4 bonus to attack rolls for attacks of opportunity.
Skill Mastery - The rogue always rolls 20 on Disable Trap, Open Lock, and Set Trap, no matter what.
Slippery Mind - The rogue rerolls failed will saves against mind-affecting spells once.
Stealth Bonuses:
High-level rogues move faster while stealthed and gain bonus attack immediately after leaving stealth.
Detection: High level rogues are always in detect mode and gain bonuses to Spot and Listen.
Specialty Weapons: High level rogues gain bonus attack when using rogue proficiency weapons except the quarterstaff, which can overcome damage reduction effects.
Lightly Armored: Rogues wearing light armor retain some of their dexterity bonus to armor class over the cap of their armor, scaling with rogue level.
Sword and Dagger: High level Rogues who have Ambidexterity will receive a copy of any weapon focus, specialization, or improved critical feat in rapier (medium size) or short sword (small size) for dagger, and the other way around with dagger and the larger weapon.
Grenades
As rogues reach high levels they gain the ability to use specialty grenades that allow them to escape sticky situations or harm creatures otherwise immune to sneak attack.
They also get the ability to pay gold with the -rogue command to requisition grenades they are high enough level to use.
The DC of all grenades used by rogues scales with their rogue level and dexterity modifier, even normal grenades like alchemist fire.
Blinding Speed - If a rogue takes the Blinding Speed feat in epic levels, the eight minute cooldown on use is reduced by one minute for every six rogue levels. At rogue level 30 the rogue can have the effect on permanently.
Key Mechanics at Level 20:
BAB: 15/10/5
HP: 160+20x Constitution
- Saves: +6 Fort, +12 Reflex, +6 Will
- Skills: 160 + 20xIntelligence: appraise, bluff, craft armor, craft trap, craft weapon, disable trap, heal, hide, intimidate, listen, lore, move silently, open lock, parry, persuade, pick pocket, search, set trap, spot, tumble, use magic device