aimlessPolymath
2017-09-21, 04:10 PM
This was a contest entry I put up a while back. I wanted to make a "scrappy underdog" that still functioned at high level. I'm not 100% on how it turned out- I started running out of good abilities for higher levels. Every Tool I Can Use should probably be a Underhanded Maneuver, for example, I'd like more Defensive Tactics, etc. That said, I'm extremely happy with how By The Skin Of Your Teeth turned out.
PEACH!
The Cowardly Hero
Put an optional image of your class here!
I don't have the luxury of strength.
Not all heroes are powerful. Some of them are forced into adventure, despite their unreadiness. Many find a source of strength. Many die. The rest learn how to stack the deck.
Adventures: Cowards are pulled into adventure forcibly, and do their best to escape it. Some are driven by their conscience, and are guilt-tripped into it, others are paid or bribed into it,
Characteristics: A Coward is an expert at stacking a situation in his favor, setting traps, crippling his opponent, and using guile and trickery to prevent themselves from getting pinned down.
Alignment: Cowards can come in all alignments, though most tend to neither be lawful or chaotic. They're often just trying to get by, but trouble comes looking for them.
Religion: A Coward is relatively opportunistic religion-wise; they tend to follow whatever deity responds best at this particular time (or all deities at once, in a general cry for help)
Background: Nobody tries to become a Coward- it's forced upon them by the situation around them.
Races: Every race has Cowards
Other Classes: Cowards dislike most classes except for monks and wizards- they understand the appeal of secluding onesself in study. Safe, boring study. They dislike paladins and clerics in particular for their tendency to pull them into trouble.
Role: A Coward fulfills some of the same roles as a rogue- they attempt to disable key opponents. However, where a Rogue fights offensively, a Coward fights defensively, attempting to find an opportunity to destroy his foe decisively.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Cowards's have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Dexterity, Constitution, and Intelligence- the first two to survive the situations they're dragged into, the third to think of a way out.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d6
Starting Age: As barbarian
Starting Gold: As rogue.
Class Skills
Bluff, Climb, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Hide, Jump, Listen, Sense Motive, Slight of Hand, Spot, Survival, Swim.
Move Silently intentionally omitted.
Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier
CCoward
Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
1st
+0
+0
+2
+0
Every Advantage +1d6, Skin of your Teeth+4
2nd
+1
+0
+3
+0
Defensive Tactics
3rd
+1
+1
+3
+1
Every Advantage+2d6, Pragmatic Maneuvers
4th
+2
+1
+4
+1
Evasion
5th
+2
+1
+4
+1
Every Advantage +3d6, Trap Sense +1
6th
+3
+2
+5
+2
Gotten Used To It, Defensive Tactics
7th
+3
+2
+5
+2
Every Advantage +4d6,Danger Sense
8th
+4
+2
+6
+2
Pragmatic Maneuvers
9th
+4
+3
+6
+3
Every Advantage +5d6, Brutal Tactics, Trap Sense +2
10th
+5
+3
+7
+3
Defensive Tactics, Get Back Up
11th
+5
+3
+7
+3
Every Advantage +6d6, Gotten Used to It
12th
+6/+1
+4
+8
+4
Please Please Please Please I'll Never Ask For Anything Else Ever
13th
+6/+1
+4
+8
+4
Every Advantage +7d6, Trap Sense +3, Underhanded Maneuvers
14th
+7/+2
+4
+9
+4
Flight or Flight
15th
+7/+2
+5
+9
+5
Every Advantage +8d6, Improved Evasion
16th
+8/+3
+5
+10
+5
Gotten Used to It
17th
+8/+3
+5
+10
+5
Every Advantage +9d6, Trap Sense +4, Underhanded Maneuvers
18th
+9/+4
+6
+11
+6
Saw It Coming
19th
+9/+4
+6
+11
+6
Every Advantage +10d6, Class Ability
20th
+10/+5
+6
+12
+6
Favored By Fortune
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Coward
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A Coward is proficient in light armor and simple weapons.
Every Advantage(Ex):: A Coward recognizes his lack of combat skill from the beginning, and learns to capitalize on every advantage available to them. Against creatures who are shaken, sickened, fatigued, dazed, staggered, exhausted, frightened, nauseated, entangled, prone, grappled, panicked, unarmed, or denied their Dexterity bonus to AC, the Coward adds half their level to their attack rolls, and deals +1d6 damage. This bonus increases by 1d6 points every odd level.
Unarmed? For the purposes of this ability, having a weapon or natural attack of any kind makes you count as armed- even a bow. Improved Unarmed Strike gives you protection as a result.
Skin of your Teeth: A Coward is difficult to pin down in combat, but in a sustained fight, they find themselves flagging quickly. While wearing light or no armor, as a free action which can be taken outside of their own turn or in response to attacks against them, a Coward can grant themselves a +4 dodge bonus to AC against the next attack made against them. However, each time they do so, they must accept one of the following penalties. They cannot accept a penalty if they are already affected by the given condiiton, or if they are immune to it:
-Sickened for 1 round
-Nauseated for 1 round
-Fatigued for 1d4 minutes
-Exhausted for 1d4 minutes
They can accept multiple penalties, commensurately multiplying the dodge bonus.
Furthermore, they may fall prone as an immediate action. The bonus this ability grants increases by 1 at 6th level and every four thereafter.
Balance notes: Yes, a level 1 Coward can conceivably dodge the strikes of a 20th level fighter almost automatically- once. It's balanced roughly around dodging one attack easily, a second attack by sacrificing your next action (a "full defense" which you pay for later), and then having two last resorts if you're in trouble.
Defensive Tactics: At 2nd level, at 6th level, and at 10th level, a Coward gains either Oh Jeez I Don't Want to Die; I Should Probably Dodge That; Run Like the Wind; or La La La I Can't Hear You Talking In My Head as a bonus feat (all listed below). If they already have all of those feats, they may instead pick another general feat which has no prerequisites as a bonus feat.
Pragmatic Attacks: Starting at 3rd level, a Coward gains a bonus equal to half their level to checks made to grapple, trip, feint, and disarm their opponents, and can use their Dexterity bonus instead of their Strength for the purpose of such checks. Furthermore, they may begin learning more unusual combat techniques, vying lower and lower in their attempts to gain an advantage. They learn one at 3rd level, and another at 8th level.
Bluffing Threat: Rather than intimidating their foes through martial might, the Coward can simply lie through their teeth. Whenever the Coward could make an Intimidate check, they can instead bluff their skill. This requires a Bluff check, and is opposed by both a Sense Motive check and the normal level check. However, the Coward can choose to adjust the believability of his lie, applying a penalty of any size to one of the opposed rolls at the expense of granting an equal bonus to the other. Furthermore, a creature who made the Sense Motive check may as a free action give all creatures which can understand him a second Sense Motive roll; no creature can reroll the skill check more than once. When this is used to demoralize creatures, the effect lasts for 1d4 minutes or until the Coward is reduced below half health.
Crippling Blow: This maneuver acts as a trip attempt, except that the creature is sickened for 2d4 rounds instead if the attempt succeeds. Improved Trip and similar feats do not affect this maneuver.
Kicking Up Dust: This maneuver acts as a trip attempt, except that the creature is blinded for 1 round instead if the attempt succeeds. Improved Trip and similar feats do not affect this maneuver.
Hit 'em where it Hurts: The Coward gains the Stunning Fist feat, and may bypass the normal prerequisites; however, they specifically do not gain the Improved Unarmed Strike feat. Each two Coward levels count as a monk level for the purposes of uses of Stunning Fist.
Explicitly called out not gaining Imp. Unarmed Strike because it matters- this provokes attacks of opportunity, since you count as unarmed. I consider this fair, because other combat maneuvers also need a feat to avoid provoking.
Make Them Sweat For It: When an enemy misses the Coward at least two times consecutively within two rounds, they become fatigued for 1d4 rounds. If they continue to miss attacks in following rounds, they continue to be fatigued.
Swift Moves: Whenever the Coward takes the full defense action, they add half their Skin of your Teeth bonus to their AC.
Evasion: At 4th level, a Coward gains evasion, as the rogue ability. At 15th level, this improves to improved evasion.
Trap Sense: Starting at 5th level, a Coward develops a finely-tuned sense for danger. They gain the Trap Sense ability, as the rogue class feature, with the bonus increasing by 1 at 9th level and every 4 thereafter.
Gotten Used To It: A Coward of at least 6th level may use Skin of your Teeth once per round without accepting a penalty. At 11th level, they may do this twice per round, and at 16th level, they may do it three times per round.
Danger Sense(Ex): Starting at 7th level, a Coward has developed a finely tuned sense for when things are about to become violent. They no longer lose their Dexterity bonus to AC when surprised; furthermore, they may make a Sense Motive check opposed by a Bluff check automatically to avoid being surprised when a creature they can see attacks them.
Brutal Tactics: Starting at 9th level, whenever they attack a creature who is exhausted, frightened, nauseated, helpless, or panicked, the Coward deals an additional 1d6 damage per four levels, in addition to the bonus from Every Advantage. Alternatively, if they are under the effects of at least two of the conditions listed under Every Advantage other then Denied Dexterity Bonus to AC, they can deal this extra damage.
Alternative formulation: pretend that being nauseated counts as being sickened also, exhausted also counts as fatigued, and so on. Thus, each of them counts for two conditions.
Also, "denied Dexterity bonus to AC" is not a discrete condition.
Get Back Up: At 10th level, the Coward starts to take better care of himself. Ability damage and burn heals at twice the normal rate. Hit point damage is fully restored over a full rest, no matter how battered the Coward is.
Underhanded Maneuvers: At 13th level, the Coward no longer provokes attacks of opportunity for combat maneuvers, or for making attacks unarmed. Furthermore, you have learned never to scorn a tool, and become proficient with improvised weapons. Finally, you learn a new twist on the maneuvers you already know, and another at level 17:
Hunker Down: Whenever you take the full defense action, you gain half your Skin of your Teeth bonus to all saving throws.
Scare Off: When you succeed on an Intimidate check to demoralize creatures, they become frightened for 1d6 rounds.
Take To The Ground: Whenever you succeed on a grapple check against a creature, you can pull them to the ground, rendering both them and you prone.
Gut Punch: You gain the Pain Touch feat. It also nauseates the target in the round where you stun the target. Requirements: Stunning Fist feat.
Outlast: When a creature who is fatigued misses you with an attack, they become exhausted for 1 round.
Into The Wall: When you trip a creature who is adjacent to a wall, you may make an attack against them as though you were using the wall against them, as though it were an improvised weapon. If this attack hits, they are staggered for 1 round, but take no damage.
A Close Shave: When you attack a creature no more than a size category larger than you with a slashing weapon, you can give up 3d6 of your Every Advantage damage to blind them for 1d6 rounds, or until they receive at least 1 point of healing or a DC 15 Heal check.
Stop That, You: Once per round, when a creature attacks you and misses, you may make a disarm attempt against them as an attack of opportunity.
Look Over There: When you succeed on a feint attempt against a creature, they are unable to make attacks of opportunity against you until their next turn.
Every Tool I Can Use: You learn how to tweak and modify your tools to get the most out of them. You can craft alchemical items as though you were a spellcaster. Furthermore, by spending 1 minute working with a poison, up to three sets of caltrops or alchemical item, you may modify it for your use, making any number of the following changes to it:
-If it has a saving throw DC, that DC is increased to 10 + 1/2 the Coward's level if it is lower, then increased by his Intelligence bonus regardless. An item can only gain this modification once.
-If it is an item which is used to deal damage, the Coward increases that damage to 1d6 per four Coward levels. This applies to all forms of damage dealt other than ability damage/drain, including splash damage from alchemical fire, caltrops, and so on.
-If it is some number of sets of caltrop of some kind, the Coward may place them in a quick-release bag- as a swift action, he can release the bag, automatically dropping caltrops in up to that many adjacent squares. Caltrops placed this way gain a bonus to the attack roll equal to half the Coward's level.
-If it is a splash weapon (such as an inhaled poison, alchemical fire or acid, thunderstone or smokestick), he can convert it into a trap which occupies one square. When a creature steps on it, the weapon detonates automatically, as though it had been activated and struck the ground in that square (and so affecting adjacent squares as appropriate for the item). A trap can be dropped in a square as a swift action, or placed carefully as a full-round action. In the first case, the process of dropping the trap can be disguised with a Sleight of Hand check opposed by all who can see the Coward, but has a Search DC of 15; in the second case, the process of dropping the trap cannot be disguised, but the Search DC to find the trap is increased to 15 + the Coward's level + his Intelligence bonus.
Please Please Please Please I'll Never Ask For Anything Else Ever: But you will. Once per day, a Coward of at least level 12 can replicate the effect of any Cleric spell of spell level up to half their Coward level; they do not have to provide expensive spell components for this. Once used, this ability cannot be used again (in addition to the daily limit) until a donation of cost equal to that of a scroll of the cast spell is made to a church of the appropriate deity petitioned.
Flight or Flight: At 14th level, a Coward can ready two actions with the same standard action, setting a different triggering condition for each. When the first of them is triggered, the other readied action is discharged.
DODGE: At 16th level, whenever an attack misses the Coward, if he'd used Skin of his Teeth against the attack, he may take a 5 ft step as an immediate action.
Saw It Coming (Ex): At 18th level, the Coward can see trouble coming from a mile away. They are continuously affected by the foresight spell.
Favored By Fortune(Ex): At 20th level, the Coward gains a special place in the books of the god of luck- as a favored toy. Once per round, the Coward can cause any attack against them or saving throw they make to be rerolled once, and choose which roll is used. If any abilities which could cause those dice to be rerolled are used, the Coward chooses which roll is used.
New Feats:
Oh Jeez I Don't Want to Die[General]:
You can push your body beyond its normal limits when needed to save your life.
Prerequisites: None
Benefits:
You may deal yourself 2 points of Strength damage to reroll a Fortitude save; if you do, you gain a +3 bonus to the rerolled save. You must do this after you made the roll, but before the DM has announced the results.
I Should Probably Dodge That[General]:
By pushing your mind, you recognize the need to dodge before others do.
Prerequisites: None
Benefits:
You may deal yourself 2 points of Intelligence damage to reroll a Reflex save; if you do, you gain a +3 bonus to the rerolled save. You must do this after you made the roll, but before the DM has announced the results.
La La La I Can't Hear You Talking In My Head[General]:
You can push people out of your head by force of sheer personality.
Prerequisites: None
Benefits:
You may deal yourself 2 points of Charisma damage to reroll a Will save; if you do, you gain a +3 bonus to the rerolled save. You must do this after you made the roll, but before the DM has announced the results.
Run like the Wind[General]
Or like Rincewind, at least.
Prerequisites: None
Benefits: You gain a bonus of +20 ft to all your speeds while Frightened or Panicked, and a +4 untyped bonus to AC while panicked. Furthermore, as a free action up to three times per day, a creature with this feat can render himself Frightened or Panicked for 1d4 minutes by a chosen creature he can see. (that is, he must flee that creature).
Happy Feet
Alive feet are happy feet.
Prerequisites: Run like the Wind:
Benefits: As an immediate action that can only be taken between initiative counts, you can move up to your speed. Movement made this way does not provoke attacks of opportunity. After doing so, you take 2 Dex burn, and lose your next move action.
Special: You can use this ability as you roll initiative.
Survive[General]
You have mastered an incredibly dangerous technique which allows you to dodge with incredible skill, at the cost of killing yourself very, very, quickly.
Prerequisites: Con 13, Skin of your Teeth:
"Benefits": You may take 2 Con burn as a cost to use Skin of your Teeth. You may do so even if you are already suffering Con burn.
Improved Crippling Blow:
Prerequisites: Crippling Blow, Dex 13, Combat Reflexes
Benefits: You gain a +4 bonus to the Strength check for Crippling Blow, and it no longer provokes an attack of opportunity. Furthermore, whenever you succeed on a Crippling Blow against a creature, you can immediately make a free attack against the creature using a light weapon you hold.
Improved Kick Up Dust:
Prerequisites: Kick Up Dust, Int 13, Combat Expertise
Benefits: You gain a +4 bonus to the Strength check for Kick Up Dust, and it no longer provokes an attack of opportunity. Furthermore, whenever you succeed on a Crippling Blow against a creature, you can immediately make a free attack against the creature using a light weapon you hold.
Notes: I'm considering making these feats deal ability burn.
PEACH!
The Cowardly Hero
Put an optional image of your class here!
I don't have the luxury of strength.
Not all heroes are powerful. Some of them are forced into adventure, despite their unreadiness. Many find a source of strength. Many die. The rest learn how to stack the deck.
Adventures: Cowards are pulled into adventure forcibly, and do their best to escape it. Some are driven by their conscience, and are guilt-tripped into it, others are paid or bribed into it,
Characteristics: A Coward is an expert at stacking a situation in his favor, setting traps, crippling his opponent, and using guile and trickery to prevent themselves from getting pinned down.
Alignment: Cowards can come in all alignments, though most tend to neither be lawful or chaotic. They're often just trying to get by, but trouble comes looking for them.
Religion: A Coward is relatively opportunistic religion-wise; they tend to follow whatever deity responds best at this particular time (or all deities at once, in a general cry for help)
Background: Nobody tries to become a Coward- it's forced upon them by the situation around them.
Races: Every race has Cowards
Other Classes: Cowards dislike most classes except for monks and wizards- they understand the appeal of secluding onesself in study. Safe, boring study. They dislike paladins and clerics in particular for their tendency to pull them into trouble.
Role: A Coward fulfills some of the same roles as a rogue- they attempt to disable key opponents. However, where a Rogue fights offensively, a Coward fights defensively, attempting to find an opportunity to destroy his foe decisively.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Cowards's have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Dexterity, Constitution, and Intelligence- the first two to survive the situations they're dragged into, the third to think of a way out.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d6
Starting Age: As barbarian
Starting Gold: As rogue.
Class Skills
Bluff, Climb, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Hide, Jump, Listen, Sense Motive, Slight of Hand, Spot, Survival, Swim.
Move Silently intentionally omitted.
Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier
CCoward
Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
1st
+0
+0
+2
+0
Every Advantage +1d6, Skin of your Teeth+4
2nd
+1
+0
+3
+0
Defensive Tactics
3rd
+1
+1
+3
+1
Every Advantage+2d6, Pragmatic Maneuvers
4th
+2
+1
+4
+1
Evasion
5th
+2
+1
+4
+1
Every Advantage +3d6, Trap Sense +1
6th
+3
+2
+5
+2
Gotten Used To It, Defensive Tactics
7th
+3
+2
+5
+2
Every Advantage +4d6,Danger Sense
8th
+4
+2
+6
+2
Pragmatic Maneuvers
9th
+4
+3
+6
+3
Every Advantage +5d6, Brutal Tactics, Trap Sense +2
10th
+5
+3
+7
+3
Defensive Tactics, Get Back Up
11th
+5
+3
+7
+3
Every Advantage +6d6, Gotten Used to It
12th
+6/+1
+4
+8
+4
Please Please Please Please I'll Never Ask For Anything Else Ever
13th
+6/+1
+4
+8
+4
Every Advantage +7d6, Trap Sense +3, Underhanded Maneuvers
14th
+7/+2
+4
+9
+4
Flight or Flight
15th
+7/+2
+5
+9
+5
Every Advantage +8d6, Improved Evasion
16th
+8/+3
+5
+10
+5
Gotten Used to It
17th
+8/+3
+5
+10
+5
Every Advantage +9d6, Trap Sense +4, Underhanded Maneuvers
18th
+9/+4
+6
+11
+6
Saw It Coming
19th
+9/+4
+6
+11
+6
Every Advantage +10d6, Class Ability
20th
+10/+5
+6
+12
+6
Favored By Fortune
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Coward
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A Coward is proficient in light armor and simple weapons.
Every Advantage(Ex):: A Coward recognizes his lack of combat skill from the beginning, and learns to capitalize on every advantage available to them. Against creatures who are shaken, sickened, fatigued, dazed, staggered, exhausted, frightened, nauseated, entangled, prone, grappled, panicked, unarmed, or denied their Dexterity bonus to AC, the Coward adds half their level to their attack rolls, and deals +1d6 damage. This bonus increases by 1d6 points every odd level.
Unarmed? For the purposes of this ability, having a weapon or natural attack of any kind makes you count as armed- even a bow. Improved Unarmed Strike gives you protection as a result.
Skin of your Teeth: A Coward is difficult to pin down in combat, but in a sustained fight, they find themselves flagging quickly. While wearing light or no armor, as a free action which can be taken outside of their own turn or in response to attacks against them, a Coward can grant themselves a +4 dodge bonus to AC against the next attack made against them. However, each time they do so, they must accept one of the following penalties. They cannot accept a penalty if they are already affected by the given condiiton, or if they are immune to it:
-Sickened for 1 round
-Nauseated for 1 round
-Fatigued for 1d4 minutes
-Exhausted for 1d4 minutes
They can accept multiple penalties, commensurately multiplying the dodge bonus.
Furthermore, they may fall prone as an immediate action. The bonus this ability grants increases by 1 at 6th level and every four thereafter.
Balance notes: Yes, a level 1 Coward can conceivably dodge the strikes of a 20th level fighter almost automatically- once. It's balanced roughly around dodging one attack easily, a second attack by sacrificing your next action (a "full defense" which you pay for later), and then having two last resorts if you're in trouble.
Defensive Tactics: At 2nd level, at 6th level, and at 10th level, a Coward gains either Oh Jeez I Don't Want to Die; I Should Probably Dodge That; Run Like the Wind; or La La La I Can't Hear You Talking In My Head as a bonus feat (all listed below). If they already have all of those feats, they may instead pick another general feat which has no prerequisites as a bonus feat.
Pragmatic Attacks: Starting at 3rd level, a Coward gains a bonus equal to half their level to checks made to grapple, trip, feint, and disarm their opponents, and can use their Dexterity bonus instead of their Strength for the purpose of such checks. Furthermore, they may begin learning more unusual combat techniques, vying lower and lower in their attempts to gain an advantage. They learn one at 3rd level, and another at 8th level.
Bluffing Threat: Rather than intimidating their foes through martial might, the Coward can simply lie through their teeth. Whenever the Coward could make an Intimidate check, they can instead bluff their skill. This requires a Bluff check, and is opposed by both a Sense Motive check and the normal level check. However, the Coward can choose to adjust the believability of his lie, applying a penalty of any size to one of the opposed rolls at the expense of granting an equal bonus to the other. Furthermore, a creature who made the Sense Motive check may as a free action give all creatures which can understand him a second Sense Motive roll; no creature can reroll the skill check more than once. When this is used to demoralize creatures, the effect lasts for 1d4 minutes or until the Coward is reduced below half health.
Crippling Blow: This maneuver acts as a trip attempt, except that the creature is sickened for 2d4 rounds instead if the attempt succeeds. Improved Trip and similar feats do not affect this maneuver.
Kicking Up Dust: This maneuver acts as a trip attempt, except that the creature is blinded for 1 round instead if the attempt succeeds. Improved Trip and similar feats do not affect this maneuver.
Hit 'em where it Hurts: The Coward gains the Stunning Fist feat, and may bypass the normal prerequisites; however, they specifically do not gain the Improved Unarmed Strike feat. Each two Coward levels count as a monk level for the purposes of uses of Stunning Fist.
Explicitly called out not gaining Imp. Unarmed Strike because it matters- this provokes attacks of opportunity, since you count as unarmed. I consider this fair, because other combat maneuvers also need a feat to avoid provoking.
Make Them Sweat For It: When an enemy misses the Coward at least two times consecutively within two rounds, they become fatigued for 1d4 rounds. If they continue to miss attacks in following rounds, they continue to be fatigued.
Swift Moves: Whenever the Coward takes the full defense action, they add half their Skin of your Teeth bonus to their AC.
Evasion: At 4th level, a Coward gains evasion, as the rogue ability. At 15th level, this improves to improved evasion.
Trap Sense: Starting at 5th level, a Coward develops a finely-tuned sense for danger. They gain the Trap Sense ability, as the rogue class feature, with the bonus increasing by 1 at 9th level and every 4 thereafter.
Gotten Used To It: A Coward of at least 6th level may use Skin of your Teeth once per round without accepting a penalty. At 11th level, they may do this twice per round, and at 16th level, they may do it three times per round.
Danger Sense(Ex): Starting at 7th level, a Coward has developed a finely tuned sense for when things are about to become violent. They no longer lose their Dexterity bonus to AC when surprised; furthermore, they may make a Sense Motive check opposed by a Bluff check automatically to avoid being surprised when a creature they can see attacks them.
Brutal Tactics: Starting at 9th level, whenever they attack a creature who is exhausted, frightened, nauseated, helpless, or panicked, the Coward deals an additional 1d6 damage per four levels, in addition to the bonus from Every Advantage. Alternatively, if they are under the effects of at least two of the conditions listed under Every Advantage other then Denied Dexterity Bonus to AC, they can deal this extra damage.
Alternative formulation: pretend that being nauseated counts as being sickened also, exhausted also counts as fatigued, and so on. Thus, each of them counts for two conditions.
Also, "denied Dexterity bonus to AC" is not a discrete condition.
Get Back Up: At 10th level, the Coward starts to take better care of himself. Ability damage and burn heals at twice the normal rate. Hit point damage is fully restored over a full rest, no matter how battered the Coward is.
Underhanded Maneuvers: At 13th level, the Coward no longer provokes attacks of opportunity for combat maneuvers, or for making attacks unarmed. Furthermore, you have learned never to scorn a tool, and become proficient with improvised weapons. Finally, you learn a new twist on the maneuvers you already know, and another at level 17:
Hunker Down: Whenever you take the full defense action, you gain half your Skin of your Teeth bonus to all saving throws.
Scare Off: When you succeed on an Intimidate check to demoralize creatures, they become frightened for 1d6 rounds.
Take To The Ground: Whenever you succeed on a grapple check against a creature, you can pull them to the ground, rendering both them and you prone.
Gut Punch: You gain the Pain Touch feat. It also nauseates the target in the round where you stun the target. Requirements: Stunning Fist feat.
Outlast: When a creature who is fatigued misses you with an attack, they become exhausted for 1 round.
Into The Wall: When you trip a creature who is adjacent to a wall, you may make an attack against them as though you were using the wall against them, as though it were an improvised weapon. If this attack hits, they are staggered for 1 round, but take no damage.
A Close Shave: When you attack a creature no more than a size category larger than you with a slashing weapon, you can give up 3d6 of your Every Advantage damage to blind them for 1d6 rounds, or until they receive at least 1 point of healing or a DC 15 Heal check.
Stop That, You: Once per round, when a creature attacks you and misses, you may make a disarm attempt against them as an attack of opportunity.
Look Over There: When you succeed on a feint attempt against a creature, they are unable to make attacks of opportunity against you until their next turn.
Every Tool I Can Use: You learn how to tweak and modify your tools to get the most out of them. You can craft alchemical items as though you were a spellcaster. Furthermore, by spending 1 minute working with a poison, up to three sets of caltrops or alchemical item, you may modify it for your use, making any number of the following changes to it:
-If it has a saving throw DC, that DC is increased to 10 + 1/2 the Coward's level if it is lower, then increased by his Intelligence bonus regardless. An item can only gain this modification once.
-If it is an item which is used to deal damage, the Coward increases that damage to 1d6 per four Coward levels. This applies to all forms of damage dealt other than ability damage/drain, including splash damage from alchemical fire, caltrops, and so on.
-If it is some number of sets of caltrop of some kind, the Coward may place them in a quick-release bag- as a swift action, he can release the bag, automatically dropping caltrops in up to that many adjacent squares. Caltrops placed this way gain a bonus to the attack roll equal to half the Coward's level.
-If it is a splash weapon (such as an inhaled poison, alchemical fire or acid, thunderstone or smokestick), he can convert it into a trap which occupies one square. When a creature steps on it, the weapon detonates automatically, as though it had been activated and struck the ground in that square (and so affecting adjacent squares as appropriate for the item). A trap can be dropped in a square as a swift action, or placed carefully as a full-round action. In the first case, the process of dropping the trap can be disguised with a Sleight of Hand check opposed by all who can see the Coward, but has a Search DC of 15; in the second case, the process of dropping the trap cannot be disguised, but the Search DC to find the trap is increased to 15 + the Coward's level + his Intelligence bonus.
Please Please Please Please I'll Never Ask For Anything Else Ever: But you will. Once per day, a Coward of at least level 12 can replicate the effect of any Cleric spell of spell level up to half their Coward level; they do not have to provide expensive spell components for this. Once used, this ability cannot be used again (in addition to the daily limit) until a donation of cost equal to that of a scroll of the cast spell is made to a church of the appropriate deity petitioned.
Flight or Flight: At 14th level, a Coward can ready two actions with the same standard action, setting a different triggering condition for each. When the first of them is triggered, the other readied action is discharged.
DODGE: At 16th level, whenever an attack misses the Coward, if he'd used Skin of his Teeth against the attack, he may take a 5 ft step as an immediate action.
Saw It Coming (Ex): At 18th level, the Coward can see trouble coming from a mile away. They are continuously affected by the foresight spell.
Favored By Fortune(Ex): At 20th level, the Coward gains a special place in the books of the god of luck- as a favored toy. Once per round, the Coward can cause any attack against them or saving throw they make to be rerolled once, and choose which roll is used. If any abilities which could cause those dice to be rerolled are used, the Coward chooses which roll is used.
New Feats:
Oh Jeez I Don't Want to Die[General]:
You can push your body beyond its normal limits when needed to save your life.
Prerequisites: None
Benefits:
You may deal yourself 2 points of Strength damage to reroll a Fortitude save; if you do, you gain a +3 bonus to the rerolled save. You must do this after you made the roll, but before the DM has announced the results.
I Should Probably Dodge That[General]:
By pushing your mind, you recognize the need to dodge before others do.
Prerequisites: None
Benefits:
You may deal yourself 2 points of Intelligence damage to reroll a Reflex save; if you do, you gain a +3 bonus to the rerolled save. You must do this after you made the roll, but before the DM has announced the results.
La La La I Can't Hear You Talking In My Head[General]:
You can push people out of your head by force of sheer personality.
Prerequisites: None
Benefits:
You may deal yourself 2 points of Charisma damage to reroll a Will save; if you do, you gain a +3 bonus to the rerolled save. You must do this after you made the roll, but before the DM has announced the results.
Run like the Wind[General]
Or like Rincewind, at least.
Prerequisites: None
Benefits: You gain a bonus of +20 ft to all your speeds while Frightened or Panicked, and a +4 untyped bonus to AC while panicked. Furthermore, as a free action up to three times per day, a creature with this feat can render himself Frightened or Panicked for 1d4 minutes by a chosen creature he can see. (that is, he must flee that creature).
Happy Feet
Alive feet are happy feet.
Prerequisites: Run like the Wind:
Benefits: As an immediate action that can only be taken between initiative counts, you can move up to your speed. Movement made this way does not provoke attacks of opportunity. After doing so, you take 2 Dex burn, and lose your next move action.
Special: You can use this ability as you roll initiative.
Survive[General]
You have mastered an incredibly dangerous technique which allows you to dodge with incredible skill, at the cost of killing yourself very, very, quickly.
Prerequisites: Con 13, Skin of your Teeth:
"Benefits": You may take 2 Con burn as a cost to use Skin of your Teeth. You may do so even if you are already suffering Con burn.
Improved Crippling Blow:
Prerequisites: Crippling Blow, Dex 13, Combat Reflexes
Benefits: You gain a +4 bonus to the Strength check for Crippling Blow, and it no longer provokes an attack of opportunity. Furthermore, whenever you succeed on a Crippling Blow against a creature, you can immediately make a free attack against the creature using a light weapon you hold.
Improved Kick Up Dust:
Prerequisites: Kick Up Dust, Int 13, Combat Expertise
Benefits: You gain a +4 bonus to the Strength check for Kick Up Dust, and it no longer provokes an attack of opportunity. Furthermore, whenever you succeed on a Crippling Blow against a creature, you can immediately make a free attack against the creature using a light weapon you hold.
Notes: I'm considering making these feats deal ability burn.