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PhantomBread
2007-04-05, 12:17 AM
"We had held off their attacks for a full tenday, weathering their siege with relative ease. There where times when murmers would go around the men, strange clicking and chipping noises very so often, though never long enough to assertain just where it was coming from. It wasn't until the middle of the night on the eleventh day we discovered why. A massive explosion rocked the castle, and the bastards came flooding up from the courtyard. They'd dug right up under us, through twenty feet of granite, quartz, and marble. The leader of the miners broke right through the captain's armor. Adamantium armor." - Trakas Tumblebelly, Gnomish Guard at Castle Silvershaper; only survivor of a Kobold siege.

The Kobold race is one of the most industrious and efficent in all of creation. Surpassing even the Dwarves and Gnomes in raw output, a group of Kobolds are the consumate mining race. It is this skill that has allowed them to corner the mined resources market, a fact that isn't widely known but to those who know where to ask. A kobold warminer combines the race's natural skill as miners with combat prowess, allowing the warminer to break through any defense. He spends his time mastering the art of mining, learning exactly how, when, and where to strike, focusing his strength and skill into a single spot. And with a strike to that single spot, he can shatter the whole defense.

Becoming a Kobold Warminer
Most Kobold Warminers come from the ranks of Fighters, and they usually have the most to gain from such a class. It is not unheard of for a Cleric to take up the Warminer mantle, though doing such comes at the cost of their spellcasting ability. Rogues and Barbarians taking up the mantle of the warminer are not unheard of, but are extremely rare in any case. All other classes are effectively unheard of.

Requirements
To qualify to become a Kobold Warminer, you must fulfill all the following criteria.
Race: Kobold
Skills: Profession (Miner) 8 ranks
Feats: Skill Focus (Miner), Kobold Endurance
Special: Must have defeated an opponent one size larger then you with a light pick, heavy pick, dire pick, or greatpick.

Kobold Warminer
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+1|
+2|
+2|
+0|Tunnel Defense, Mining Expertise

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+0|Miner's Sunder

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+1|Improved Darkvision, Blindsense

4th|
+4|
+4|
+4|
+1|Master Miner

5th|
+5|
+4|
+4|
+1|Miner's Felling Pierce, Improved Darkvision[/table]

Class Skills:

The Kobold Warminers’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Escape Artist (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Miner) (Wis), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex)

Skill Points per Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features:

Tunnel Defense (Ex): At 1st level, a kobold warminer uses confined spaces to their advantage in melee combat. A kobold warminer is treated as a Medium opponent when using or resisting any special attack (for example, bull rush, disarm, grapple) but only when fighting in a location no wider than their combat space (5-ft. wide). In addition, a kobold warminer retains their Dexterity bonus to AC even if caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker in these confined conditions.

If a kobold warminer has uncanny dodge from a different class, the character automatically gains the benefits of improved uncanny dodge, but only when fighting in confined conditions (as above).

Mining Expertise (Ex): A kobold paragon may add their class level as a bonus on Profession (mining) checks.

Miner's Sunder (Ex): At 2nd level, a kobold warminer learns how utilize a pick to break through an enemies defenses. When wielding a pick weapon and wearing no or light armor, you are treated as having the Improved Sunder feat, even if you do not meet the prerequisites. Pick weapons include the light pick, heavy pick, dire pick, and greatpick.

In addition, you have learned how to apply the expertise honed from your mining experience into striking at precisely the right spot. As a full round action you can make a special sundering attempt with a pick weapon aganst an opponent's shield or armor (this is an exception to the rule on sundering another character's armor). You make a single attack at your highest attack bonus, as normal. If this attack hits, you may make a Profession (Miner) check aganst DC 15 + the objects Hardness. If your succeed, you ignore the items hardness. You must be unarmored or wearing light armor to use this ability.

Improved Darkvision (Ex): At 3nd level, a kobold warminer's darkvision range increases by 30 feet. At 5th level this increases by another 30 feet.

Blindsense (Ex): At 3nd level, a kobold warminer has learned how to hone his senses to allow him to effectively work in total darkness. He gains a blindsense out to 30 feet.

Master Miner (Ex): At 4th level, a kobold warminer has learned the secrets to mining through any material. He no longer counter penalties for mining through igneous or metamorphic rock. In addition, he may use aid another grant this ability to all allies that can hear him and that is working within 30 feet of him.

In addition, if the kobold warminer has 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (Dungeoneering) or Knowledge (Geography) he may add a +2 synergy bonus to all Profession (Miner) checks, and to any allies he grants his Master Miner ability to.

Miner's Felling Pierce (Ex): At 5th level, a kobold warminer learns how to utilize a pick weapon to strike not only objects, but beings in such a way that his attacks break through even the stoutest defenses. As a full round action, you may make a special attack with a pick weapon aganst an opponent at your highest attack bonus. If you hit, you may make a Profession (Miner) check aganst DC 15 + the opponents damage reduction. If you succeed, you ignore the opponents damage reduction. For every point you exceed the check, you deal an additional point of damage. You may only make this special attack on the opponent if it is not wearing any armor. If the opponent is wearing armor, you must sunder it before you can use this special attack. You may make this special attack on an opponent that does not have damage reduction. You must be unarmored or wearing light armor to use this ability. A kobold warminer may use this ability 1/day per class level + his Wisdom modifier (minimum 1)

Notes:
I've always loved Kobolds, and felt their mining side was something I'd like to play off. Coming soon, I'm going to make a special 'mining monster' and a Kobold Bombardie: a kobold who has mastered the art of utilizing ditherbombs and other alchemical goodies, likely with some crossbow skill too.

Eldritch_Ent
2007-04-05, 02:32 AM
Hah, very nice- I once tried to make a Kobold mining PRC, however it was a 10 level PRC (Which I'm a fan of), and featured things like increased Digging speed, improved weight capacity, Increased protection from helmets, Expertise bonuses against traps (+2 against all traps, +4 against fallings rocks, cave ins, floods, poison gas- AKA common mining hazards)...

And most importantly expertise with high explosives for their combat ability. :D

Bryn
2007-04-05, 03:44 AM
That... is a beautiful PrC, and I would like to use it if I get the chance. There is a <br> at the top of the BaB column that probably shouldn't be there though: apart from that, I can't see anything wrong with it (although I don't know too much about game balance).

Which book is Kobold Endurance from?

Haruspex
2007-04-05, 06:48 AM
1. Short
2. Simple
3. For Kobolds

For the reasons stated above, I really like this class. It makes a decent match with the kobold fighter substitution levels in Races of the Dragon. One thing though. Under the Master Miner ability, you refer to the class as Master Miner and not Kobold Warminer.

PhantomBread
2007-04-05, 11:10 AM
Ah, I'll have to fix that. And while I was thinking of throwing in something about ditherbombs, I felt that over complicating things wasn't the best route. I'll make another five or ten level one, likely, based around utilizing the double crossbow and ditherbombs, among other things.

Thanks for the reviews.

Realms of Chaos
2007-04-06, 11:46 AM
It is sooo obvious that you stole from the Kobold Paragon for your 1st level.

Hell, you use the words Kobold Paragon for your Mining Expertise ability.

Even so, I like it.

PhantomBread
2007-04-06, 12:06 PM
Actually, I did. Directly lifted it from that. Which wouldn't be the first time a prestige class has utilized the same things. It fit with the class, so I used it, xD