WARRIOR-FIGHTER KIT

Convict

Description:  Whether convicted of a crime or merely accused by some noble or 
jurist, the result is the same for a Convict--he or she has been branded a 
criminal, the consequences for which are imprisonment and often slavery.  The 
unfortunate Convict therefore either spends the rest of his or her life at hard 
labor or else manages to break free and learn to survive by their strength and 
skill in combat.  Convicts often take up careers fighting in legal and illegal 
gladiatorial arenas even while still under the thumb of their masters or 
captors, having little or nothing to lose and potentially much to gain, 
including time to plan for the day they achieve their freedom and exact revenge 
upon their captors (or simply slink away glad to be free).  Convicts who take 
the arena fighter road know full well that their only purpose is to provide as 
much entertainment as possible before they die for their masters and their 
associates.  In many areas, combat in such arenas is used for carrying out death 
sentences (in hopeless matches against impossible odds) or simply for sentences 
that cover a particular amount of time or number of matches that a Convict must 
survive in order to discharge his or her sentence.  A PC Convict is assumed to 
have discharged his or her debt and lived to tell the tale or else to have 
somehow managed to bribe or break their way out of captivity and are now on the 
run from those who imprisoned them.

Requirements:  Convicts are very jaded by their experience and eschew all 
extreme alignments; thus they must have some neutral component to their 
alignments.  They must also be strong, swift, and (most of all) very hardy to 
survive their grueling imprisonment, and thus a Convict must have Strength and 
Dexterity of at least 12 and Constitution of at least 14.  Humans, half-elves, 
half-orcs, half-ogres, and dwarves are the only races able to survive long 
enough in rough captivity to become Convicts.

Weapons & Armor:  Convicts spend a great deal of their time among thieves, and 
their selection of weapons reflects this.  Thus, they are limited to selecting 
proficiency in the following weapons:  blowgun, bolas, bow (short), club (any), 
crossbow (hand, light), dagger/knife (any), dart, garrote, lasso, net, sap, 
sling, staff, sword (short), whip, and wrist razor.

Convicts can wear any armor and use any type of shield.

Special Benefits:  Convicts can use the usual specialization rules for Fighters, 
but they cannot begin play specialized in a weapon.  They do, however, have a 
number of special kit abilities that reflect their unique start to their 
adventuring career.

Attacks of Opportunity:  As a standard Fighter, save that Convicts make rear 
attacks at a +4 to bonus hit.

Continuous Conditioning:  As a standard Fighter.

Dirty Tricks:  This ability represents the opportunities a Convict has had to 
learn how to fight dirty against an opponent.  Although the exact methods vary 
from character to character, the ability allows a Convict to distract an 
opponent must long enough to get away with something not otherwise possible.  
The method of trickery must necessarily vary depending on terrain, the opponent, 
and numerous other factors.  Even weather can have a serious effect on the 
tricks a character can play.  

A successful Dirty Trick requires a description of the action by the player and 
a Charisma check with a +1 bonus for every three levels of the Convict (rounding 
up).  If successful, Dirty Tricks give a +1 bonus to the Convict's attack rolls, 
damage rolls, or initiative.  The Convict can also choose to apply the bonus as 
a penalty to his or her opponent's die rolls of the same type.  The type of 
Dirty Trick being attempted must be announced before initiative is rolled.  A 
failed roll negates the use of Dirty Tricks that round, though the Convict can 
try again in the next round.

Note that the Convict's opponent is entitled to a Wisdom check with a -1 bonus 
for every three levels of the Convict (rounded up) to detect the use of Dirty 
Tricks; if successful, he or she is alert to such tricks and will not fall prey 
to them later in the same combat.  Each Dirty Trick used by the Convict against 
the same enemy gives a +2 cumulative bonus on the enemy's Wisdom check, unless 
it can be reasonably expected that the foe would not remember the PC (DM's 
discretion).  This also applies if the PC has a reputation for using Dirty 
Tricks and is facing someone who would know of this reputation, as well as other 
characters involved in a battle who could reasonably have seen the Convict's 
Dirty Tricks used on another.

Dirty Tricks generally work only once or twice against any given opponent, no 
matter what forms are used.  They remember those who engage in such tricks 
against them, usually with negative overtones.  Only those with Average or lower 
Intelligence will succumb to a Dirty Trick played twice unless it is 
exceptionally clever.  Players are encouraged to think of the tricks themselves, 
rather than simply rolling the dice.  Sample Dirty Tricks include throwing sand 
in a foe's eyes, playing dead to lure an enemy into striking distance, clouting 
a foe in sensitive areas, and so forth.

Heroic Fray:  As a standard Fighter.

Improvised Weapons:  All Convicts have found themselves in dangerous situations 
where ready weapons were not available, and so they have become masters of 
taking whatever they find near at hand and using it as a weapon.  Thus, they 
gain free proficiency in Weapon Improvisation, and this proficiency improves by 
1 for every three levels of the Convict (rounded up).  In addition, when 
fighting with such a weapon a Convict gains a +1 bonus to hit and damage, though 
as usual such a weapon has a high chance of breakage each time it is used.  A 
Convict can attempt a Weapon Improvisation check once per round in order to 
scrounge around for items usable as weapons (often to replace a temporary weapon 
that has broken).

Shady Skills:  As noted, Convicts spend a great deal of time around people of 
very seedy backgrounds and larcenous skills, and while imprisoned they have a 
chance to learn a number of these skills.  Thus, Convicts can select 
proficiencies from the Rogue list without penalty, and all Convicts learn to 
speak Thieves' Cant.  In addition, all Convicts can choose any three thieving 
abilities (e.g., Move Silently, Open Locks, Pick Pockets) at 1st level.  Normal 
adjustments apply for high ability scores, race, and the like, but a Convict 
never gains any more thieving abilities.  At every level of experience after 
1st, a Convict gains 10 discretionary points, which must be applied to a single 
skill that he or she has used during the previous level.

Although a Convict cannot select the Backstab ability, he or she does receive a 
+4 bonus to hit when attacking from surprise, as a Thief does.  A Convict also 
gains a +1 bonus to surprise others and a +1 bonus to avoid surprise.

Finally, because a Convict spends so much time around rogues of all types and 
learns their habits, his or her saving throws will be as for the Rogue or 
Warrior class, whichever is more favorable.

Specialization:  As a standard Fighter, save that a Convict cannot begin play 
specialized in a weapon.

Style Specialization:  As a standard Fighter, save that a Convict cannot begin 
play with any form of mounted Style Specialization.

Special Hindrances:  A Convict's largest hindrance is his or her highly 
questionable position in the eyes of the law.  Convicts are often branded or 
tattooed before being placed in captivity and especially if they are put in the 
ring as pit fighters.  In the latter case, very gaudy markings or hair dyes are 
often used, often of a color or pattern that symbolizes the crime of the 
Convict.  Since such brands and tattoos are permanent and since many law 
enforcement officials can recognize a Convict's markings for what they are even 
if they are from a foreign land, it can be very difficult for a Convict who has 
won his or her freedom to find employment or even acceptance, even if they were 
released after serving their 'debt to society'.  Their markings often make them 
easy to spot in a crowd, and free Convicts always stand the risk of being 
arrested or at least 'brought in for questioning' if they happen to be nearby 
when a crime is committed.

In a similar vein, a Convict will never gain the acceptance necessary to 
establish a lordly Stronghold and attract men-at-arms to follow his or her 
banner.  Convicts also begin play very poor, often having had their former 
possessions impounded or stolen or having to spend all they were able to scrimp 
together in order to bribe their way out of prison.  As a result, a Convict is 
able to begin play with only 6d6 g.p.

Bonus Proficiencies:  Jumping, Weapon Improvisation
Preferred Proficiencies: Drinking, Endurance, Gaming, Immovability, Instant 
Stand, Leatherworking, Prone Fighting, Street Fighting, Tactics, Tumbling, 
Tattooing, Torture, Venom Handling