WARRIOR-RANGER KIT Outlaw Description: Outlaws live on the fringes of society, usually one step ahead of the law, operating in opposition to the local ruling regime. They may be black- hearted brigands or they may be criminals only the technical sense, following their own personal code that compels them to wage war against greedy aristocrats and unjust rulers. While the powers that be tend to view Outlaws as dangerous troublemakers, the commoners tend to view them as heroes, perhaps their best hope for a fair shake against the wealth and influence of the upper class. Constantly on the move, Outlaws live by their wits and have learned to make do with minimal resources. They excel in combat and stealth even above normal rangers and are formidable opponents when they are in their element. Ever active and brimming with self-confidence, and with an undeniable roguish charm, Outlaws delight in harassing authority figures, particularly the pompous and well-to-do. Outlaws can join an adventuring party for nearly any reason, from acquiring treasure to repay some old outstanding debt to simply desiring to drop out of sight for a while. In a sense, Outlaws are 'anti-Rangers' and need not be of good alignment, though because of their disrespect for authority and established order, they may not be of lawful alignment; hence, an Outlaw can be of any non-lawful alignment. Outlaws have the normal racial restrictions of Rangers, save that no aasimar and only an extremely rare gold elf will become an Outlaw. In addition to standard Ranger ability score requirements, an Outlaw must have Charisma and Intelligence scores of at least 12. Weapon Proficiencies: Outlaws must begin play with proficiency in quarterstaff, hand axe, dagger or knife, and a bow, crossbow, or firearm. In addition, one bonus slot is gained that may be used at the player's discretion, including for specialization, though an Outlaw cannot be specialized at the beginning of his or her career (i.e., the slot can be left open and then used to train in specialization at the Outlaw's earliest opportunity). Outlaws may not wear armor heavier than studded leather and they may not use a shield. Special Benefits: Outlaws are experts in missile weapons and gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls with any missile weapon. In addition, they gain a number of other benefits, as described below: Ambush: Outlaws are very skilled at setting up an Ambush in the wilderness. If they are able to study an enemy or group of enemies in secret for a full turn prior to engaging in combat, an Outlaw has a 5% chance per level (doubled if in his or her Primary Terrain to assess the weaknesses and preparedness of the creatures being observed and will be able to maximize the timing and effectiveness of an attack from Ambush. If the Outlaw and his or her allies the Ambush plan, they will automatically gain surprise on their enemies and will automatically gain initiative on the first round of combat after surprise. This advantage can obviously be gained only once per combat encounter. Evaluate Target: Outlaws have an uncanny ability to assess the general power of an opponent through observation of subtle body language and other cues. Likewise, they can take complete inventory of an individual's belongings (especially weapons) with just a few moments of examination, checking especially for concealed items, the better to evaluate their value as a potential mark for later larceny. The ability to Evaluate Target can generally only be used with respect to humanoid targets (others at DM's option), and it requires a Thief to spend a full round of uninterrupted observation, though this may be done while conversing with the potential mark or appearing to engage in other tasks. The chance of success of this ability is 10% + 5% per level of the Outlaw. A successful roll allows the Outlaw to check for one of the following things that round: - Character class (including subclass and kit) - Character level (this will be correct to within +/-2 levels, though exact information is not revealed) - Character race/nationality/place of origin (culture, nation, and sometimes even city of origin) - Concealed items (including general size, location, and type of hidden weapons or caches of stuff on a person (e.g., hidden within or beneath clothing, stashed within easy reach beneath a table nearby), though not contents of a container (e.g., a scroll case hidden in the lining of a backpack might be noted, but not what is inside the main section of the backpack nor what is inside the scroll case)) - Hostile intentions (general level of hostility--low, medium, or high--toward the Ranger and any allies) - Social class/occupation (general profession, though not place of employment or specific title) Additional checks can be made with further time spent observing the mark, with an additional piece of information gained with each successful roll. Note that further attempts to recheck for the same piece of information will always give the same result as the original check. If the check is failed, no information is gained. If a natural 96 or higher is rolled, the Outlaw has badly misjudged the mark in some way. If the Outlaw attempts to assess a disguised target, the skill roll is penalized by 25% (50% for a magical illusion), but a successful check indicates that the Outlaw sees through the disguise and gets a true assessment. If the roll would have succeeded but for the penalty, then the Outlaw is able to determine only the fact that the subject is disguised. Missile Mastery: As a standard Ranger, save that an Outlaw can also choose to specialize in the use of a firearm. Primary Terrain: As a standard Ranger. Priestly Powers: As a standard Ranger, but Outlaws are treated as one level lower than their actual level for determining their level of magical ability. In addition, an Outlaw gains no access to the Animal or Plant spheres. Reputation: An Outlaw's reputation is such that in his or her homeland or in any land where his or her reputation is known, he or she can count on food and shelter at no charge for him- or herself and any companions from supportive (or fearful, if the Outlaw is evil) common folk. Outlaws receive a +1 bonus to reactions with lower class folk of all cultures. Outlaws also have the ability to inspire and rally their allies, requiring 1d4+1 rounds of cheering on his or her allies with rousing tales of bandit glories of the past and expressions of confidence for the future. The Outlaw can affect a number of companions equal to his or her level, granting a +2 bonus to morale and saves vs. fear and charm-based spells and effects and a +1 bonus to their attack rolls. This inspiring speech does not affect animals, other Outlaws, or the Outlaw him- or herself. It must be undertaken before battle is joined and cannot be interrupted by other activity without wasting the effect. Roguish Repertoire: As a standard Ranger, but in addition Outlaws are used to associating with the rougher and less upstanding elements of society. In the course of their association with such elements, Outlaws gain a free proficiency slot at 1st level that must be spent on a Rogue proficiency (player's choice). In addition, Outlaws learn some skill at sleight-of-hand, often used to conceal small weapons for quick use on an unsuspecting traveler, allowing them to Pick Pockets in addition to their normal thieving skills. Because of their increased practice of the thieving arts, they gain 35 discretionary points to spend on their thieving skills at 1st level, no more than 15 of which can be spent on any single skill. When advancing in level Outlaws gain the usual +5 increase to each thieving skill, but they also gain 5 discretionary points at each level after 1st to distribute as they wish. Because of their focus on stealth, Outlaws also gain a +5 bonus to Move Silently and Hide in Shadows, doubled to +10 in rural or wilderness settings; this is cumulative with the bonus received in their Primary Terrain. In addition to their enhanced thieving abilities, Outlaws are good at finding contacts among local thieves. Given an hour to spend in a seedy tavern or similar locale and 1d10 g.p. to spend on bribes, an Outlaw can find a thief contact, typically an NPC thief of level 1-4, who can lead him or her to other rogues, take him or her to the local thieves' guild, exchange information about 'jobs', or even arrange to fence stolen goods. Sense Danger: Outlaws are always alert to danger and attuned to their immediate surroundings. As a result, they have a 5% per level (doubled if in their Primary Terrain) chance to receive a 'warning tingle' or sense that things are somehow amiss whenever they are about to be confronted with a surprise situation. This chance is doubled if the creatures in question are not Rogues, Rangers, or similar very stealthy creatures or are not using magical or other extraordinary means to mask their presence (e.g., invisibility, silence 15' r., cloak or boots of elvenkind). If the check is successful, the Outlaw gains a +2 bonus to avoid surprise, and if not surprised he or she also gains a -2 bonus to initiative for the first round of combat. This 'warning tingle' can even awaken a Outlaw from normal (but not magical) sleep, and thus if the check is made a sleeping Outlaw is entitled to a normal surprise roll as if awake, with the bonuses described above. The ability to Sense Danger is cumulative with all normal bonuses for race, high Dexterity, and the Outlaw's Roguish Repertoire. Species Enemy: As a standard Ranger, but an Outlaw can also choose the soldiers of a particular nation (generally the nation where he or she became an Outlaw) as a Species Enemy, and an Outlaw might also choose to select enemies that represent the regime he or she opposes (e.g., the pet of a tyrannical king, an evil race or creature with which the government has allied itself, or a creature used as a heraldic symbol by the government. Superior Conditioning: As a standard Ranger. Tracking: As a standard Ranger, but in addition their woodcraft and careful stealth increase the usual penalty for following a Ranger's tracks by 1 for every three levels of the Outlaw (rounding up). Special Hindrances: An Outlaw's major hindrance is that he or she is wanted by the law, essentially preventing the Outlaw from developing any sort of close relationship with NPCs with political power except in unusual circumstances. An Outlaw suffers a -3 reaction penalty with upper class NPCs (-1 with middle class NPCs) who are aware of his or her identity. Additionally, Outlaws run a constant risk of arrest by authorities of his or her homeland (or possibly bounty hunters, if he or she has fled to another land). Law-enforcement authorities of various kinds may well plague the Outlaw throughout his or her entire career, and finding NPCs willing to train the Outlaw can be particularly difficult, as reputable trainers will shy away from associating with such an individual. An Outlaw will find it nearly impossible to attract henchmen (save for perhaps an Outlaw or Thief) or Followers, though they can retain hirelings once they reach 8th level, as normal for Rangers. In addition to this generic persecution and recrimination, at some time after reaching 4th level an Outlaw will acquire a personal nemesis. This is an NPC of a level of approximately equal level to the Outlaw whose goal in life is to capture or kill the Outlaw. It should be noted that an Outlaw will always be regarded as a somewhat suspicious and untrustworthy character even if at some point during his or her adventuring career he or she manages to clear his or her name of connection to whatever wrongdoing resulted in his or her Outlaw status to begin with. An Outlaw who has cleared his or her name still suffers the same reaction penalties, and he or she also does not necessarily rid him- or herself of any personal enemies who pursued him or her when he or she was officially considered a criminal; in fact, such absolution may only enrage and inflame the hatred of his or her nemesis even more. Outlaws spend so much time on the lam that they do not have the opportunity to develop the same affinity for nature that other Rangers enjoy. Their spell selection is limited as noted above under Priestly Powers, and Outlaws also do not possess Animal Empathy as other Rangers do. Likewise, an Outlaw has little interest in guiding others through the wilderness and so never develops the ability at Pathfinding enjoyed by a standard Ranger. Finally, an Outlaw cannot specialize in any weapon except for a bow, crossbow, or firearm (as allowed by their Missile Mastery). Bonus Proficiencies: Survival (home terrain), Tracking, plus one slot from the Rogue list Required Proficiencies: Bowyer/Fletcher, Disguise Preferred Proficiencies: Acting, Alertness, Ambush, Appraisal, Awareness, Blacksmithing, Blind-Fighting, Camouflage, Carpentry, Endurance, Fast-talking, Hunting, Leatherworking, Observation, Persuasion, Riding (Land-based), Rope Use, Running, Set Snares, Signaling, Sixth Sense, Swimming, Trail Signs, Trailing, Tumbling, Weaponsmithing