ROGUE - BARD Acrobat Kit Description: As entertainers, most Acrobats are typically found accompanying carnivals or circuses, although a troupe of Acrobats can put on a remarkable show all by themselves. The often perform in large taverns or in clubs, using their arts to draw in the crowd and captivate them long enough for the proprietor to drain their purses. Acrobats are flashy and love to show off their skills; whatever they do, they like to do with a sense of style and a flair for the dramatic. Acrobats sometimes become cat burglars extraordinaire, and they are also useful adventuring allies, as they can squeeze into places where others cannot go without the aid of magic. Their skill at avoiding traps and other dangers also makes them excellent scouts. Requirements: As a standard Bard, save that any race except half-ogres can produce Acrobats. An Acrobat must have scores of at least 13 in Charisma, Strength, and Constitution and 15 in Dexterity. Because of their excellent level of physical conditioning and rigorous training regimen, Acrobats gain 1d6+1 hit points per level (+3 per level after 10th). Weapons & Armor: As a standard Bard, save that at least half of an Acrobat's weapon proficiencies must be used to learn the following weapons: axe (hand), chain, dagger/knife (any), dart, hammer (throwing), lasso, spear (any), staff, whip. Thief Abilities: Climb Walls, Escape Bonds, Hide in Shadows, Move Silently, Pick Pockets Special Benefits: Acrobats can use their tremendous agility and athletic skill to perform a wide array of special abilities: Defensive Dodging: Acrobats are extremely adept at dodging attacks on their person, and whenever an Acrobat is targeted with a missile weapon or an area- effect attack that can be dodged, he or she can substitute a save vs. petrification, modified positively by his or her Dexterity Defensive Adjustment, to avoid the effects of the attack completely. A failed save indicates normal damage from the attack unless an Acrobat is 9th level or higher, in which case even a failed save results in only half normal damage being taken. Note that this save is taken in lieu of any normal saving throw allowed--it is not an extra saving throw. Entertainment: As a standard Bard. Gymkata: Because of their practice in using gymnastic moves in unarmed combat, Acrobats are able to ignore the 'weapons in defense' rule when fighting unarmed against armed enemies. When attacking unarmed, an Acrobat gains a +2 bonus to hit (increased to +4 if a special Tumbling result has been gained that round) as well as multiple attacks as a warrior of his or her level. Each unarmed combat 'attack' by an Acrobat actually reflects a whole series or routines of punches, kicks, head butts, and so on that inflicts 1d4 points of damage, plus one point per two levels of the Acrobat (rounding up). Note that creatures of size L or H or with a natural AC of 2 or better suffer only half damage from such attacks, while size G creatures cannot be harmed at all. In addition to the unarmed combat skill of Acrobats, their mastery of juggling and thrown objects of all sizes, shapes, and types grants them the ability to hurl any melee weapon as a short-range missile (range as a dagger, one attack per round), inflicting half normal damage (rounding down) and with no non- proficiency penalty. At the DM's option, Acrobats can also hurl non-weapon objects (e.g., chairs, dishes, pots and pans) as effective missile weapons, though such weapons should rarely inflict more than a 1d2 or 1d3 points of damage. Acrobats are also exceptionally skilled at using normal hurled weapons, being able to hurl double the normal number of such weapons per round. Gymnastics: Acrobats are absolute masters of the Juggling, Jumping, Tightrope Walking, and Tumbling proficiencies. As with other bards, their skill at Entertainment allows them to boost certain proficiencies as they advance in level, and they have a special degree of talent and expertise within the four above-mentioned skills. An Acrobat's proficiency score with any of these skills can exceed 20, and although a natural roll of 20 indicates automatic failure, excess skill above 20 can counteract penalties that may be imposed by environmental conditions (e.g., high winds while Tightrope Walking). In addition, a proficiency check is made by a margin of 10 or more results in a special result, as described below: Juggling: The standard Juggling proficiency allows an Acrobat to attempt to catch small weapons hurled at him or her by making a successful attack roll vs. AC 0, and a special result allows an Acrobat add his or her level to this attack roll. If such an item is caught, the Acrobat can immediately and without penalty to any of his or her other actions in the round hurl the weapon or item just caught at any target within range (including its originator). In addition, hurled weapons too large to be caught (e.g., javelins, spears) can be deflected harmlessly away with a successful attack roll vs. AC 0, as long as they are hurled by a creature of size L or smaller. Large hurled missiles and device- launched missiles cannot be caught or deflected with Juggling. Jumping: A special result with this proficiency increases the distance (or height) of an Acrobat's jumps by 50%. In addition, encumbrance penalties, both for jumping and vaulting, are reduced by 5 percentage points per encumbrance level. When pole vaulting, an Acrobat can use a pole up to 20 feet longer than he or she is tall, and can execute a vault with only a run of 20 feet. Further, a special result or a second successful normal proficiency check will enable the Acrobat to avoid dropping the pole, if desired. Tightrope Walking: Acrobats reduce the normal penalties for Tightrope Walking checks by one for every two levels of experience (rounding up); further, a special result indicates automatic success, regardless of negative conditions or penalties that might apply. This includes the ability to make missile or melee attacks while Tightrope Walking with no chance of falling. In addition, an Acrobat who gains a special result gains his or her full normal Dexterity bonuses when engaging in combat while Tightrope Walking. Being struck by any attack still requires a check to see if the Acrobat has been knocked off balance. Tumbling: Acrobats gain the usual +4 bonus to AC in any round in which initiative is won when Tumbling is used (successful proficiency check required). In addition, a special result allows an Acrobat to take his or her full allotment of attacks (either unarmed or with a weapon) in the same round without penalty. In addition, when falling, an Acrobat who obtains a special result can double the usual benefit from Tumbling (i.e., no damage from a fall up to 20 feet and half damage from a fall up to 120 feet). Leadership & Influence: As a standard Bard. Special Hindrances: Acrobats can wear only leather armor and may not use shields. In addition, an Acrobat carrying more than his or her maximum unencumbered weight allowance cannot gain any special results when performing Gymnastics. An Acrobat must exercise, stretch, and practice for at least one hour each day in order to keep his or her body limber and prepared for the marvelous feats of agility that are their trademark. An Acrobat can miss one day of training without ill effect, but for each day after the first that he or she is unable to complete a training regimen (including having to spend time at bed rest to recover from disease, being reduced to negative hit points, poisoning, being raised from the dead, etc.), he or she temporarily loses one level of effectiveness from all class-related abilities. This loss can be regained by spending one full week in hard-core training (1d4+1 hours per day), plus one additional day of extra training for each day that was missed. Once this extra training time has been made up, the Acrobat's class abilities will be restored to their full normal level. In addition to this stringent regimen, it must be stressed that Acrobats focus on the sheer physicality of their profession and do not invest their time in the study of ancient lore and magical knowledge. Likewise, since their physical performance transcends language barriers, they do not bother venturing deeply into the study of language. As a result of this focus on physical training, Acrobats lack the Language Lore and Rumor & Legend abilities of a standard Bard, and in addition they have no ability whatsoever to use Performance Magic. Bonus Proficiencies: Juggling, Jumping, Tightrope Walking, Tumbling Preferred Proficiencies: Blind-fighting, Contortionist, Direction Sense, Endurance, Fleet-footed, Instant Stand, Lightning Reflexes, Luck, Rope Use, Running ***DISCLAIMER*** As with all postings by me of classes or races, it should be noted that portions of the information contained herein were inspired by or derived from information in published works of TSR, Inc., and may contain references to those works, quotations or passages of text (especially in the area of 'Character Description', where applicable sections from TSR works were often carried over more or less intact into my campaign world), or particular powers or abilities invented by TSR staff writers. No relationship with TSR, Inc., is to be implied by this use, nor is any attempt being made to solicit profit or remuneration of any kind. I have read the TSR Online Policy document, and have tried to accommodate the stipulations contained therein. In instances where I have lifted an essentially complete class or race without significant alteration, I have not included these in my postings but instead have inserted a reference to the appropriate D&D sourcebook for those curious in including it in their campaign. Only variations that include a significant component of original work, alteration, or reformulation (including the compositing elements from various TSR sources into new combinations) of have been included in this set of postings. Jason Eric Nelson < tjaden@u.washington.edu >