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FireSpark
2007-09-08, 10:01 AM
My second PrC made, and second to be posted. This one however was made almost a year and a half ago, and at a time when I was still new to homebrewing. It's been transcribed word for word, as I made it all that time ago, and thus could probably use a little critique or two to whip into shape.

The UNERRING SNIPER v2.0
An evil warlord steps out of his tent before a great battle, and before he goes two paces, he falls to the ground with an arrow in his chest. A spy peaks over a castle wall, to see that the way is clear to sneak in, but never sees the archer that ends his life with a single bolt. A single, small shaft of wood fired from bow or crossbow. These are the calling cards of the unerring sniper.
Stealthy, silent, and their seemingly unlimited patience make unerring snipers some of the most feared archers in the realms. Dedicating themselves to mastering their ranged weapon of choice, unerring snipers become experts in bringing down their foes without exposing themselves to unnecessary danger or risk. Whether striking from the shadows of an alley, or hiding amongst the foliage of a forest canopy, the sniper will find her target then be gone before anyone knows that she was there.
Snipers are commonly found in the service of kings or lords, working as spies and assassins. Some hire themselves out to the highest bidder as freelance killers. While others find themselves taking up company with adventuring groups, and find themselves welcomed for their ability to eliminate an enemy (or sometimes several enemies) before they ever become a threat.
With their natural skillfulness, and typical dexterity, rogues make excellent snipers. Rangers with their natural preference for bow weapons also find being an unerring sniper is an excellent addition to their tracking abilities.
Hit Die: d8

Requirements
To qualify to become an unerring sniper, must fulfill all the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Skills: Hide 4 ranks, Spot 4 ranks
Feats: Weapon Focus [any bow or crossbow]

Class Skills
The unerring sniper's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis).
Skill Points Each Level: 4 + Int modifier

{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+0|Pin-point accuracy, ranged precision

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+0|Take aim

3rd|
+2|
+1|
+3|
+1|Consistent aim 1/day

4th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+1|Ranged Disarm

5th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+1|Piercing the veil

6th|
+4|
+2|
+5|
+2|Consistent aim 2/day

7th|
+5|
+2|
+5|
+2|Deadly precision

8th|
+6|
+2|
+6|
+2|Ranged Trip

9th|
+6|
+3|
+6|
+3|Consistent aim 3/day

10th|
+7|
+3|
+7|
+3|One shot, one kill[/table]

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the unerring sniper prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Unerring snipers gain no weapon or armor proficiencies.

Pin-point Accuracy(Ex): Any ammunition fired from a bow or crossbow for which the Sniper possesses the Weapon Focus feat, is considered to have the keen weapon property for the purposes of determining the weapon’s critical threat range. This ability does not stack with any other ability that affects a weapons critical threat range.

Ranged Precision (Ex): Beginning at 1st level, the Sniper reduces the penalties due to range on her attack rolls by a number equal to her Sniper class level. Thus a 1st level Sniper, firing into her second range increment takes only a –1 penalty due to range. This ability does not reduce the penalty for firing at range to less than 0.
This ability is only usable with projectile weapons with which the Sniper possesses the Weapon Focus feat.

Take Aim (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, the Sniper may choose to take a full round action to fire a single shot. When she does, she gains a bonus to her attack roll on that single shot equal to one half her Sniper class level.
This ability is usable only with projectile weapons for which the Sniper possesses the Weapon Focus feat.

Consistent Aim (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, once per day a Sniper may re-roll a single attack roll that she has just made with a projectile weapon. She must use the second roll even if it is worse than the first roll. The sniper must declare that she is using this ability before the attack roll is resolved as either a hit or a miss. At 6th level the Sniper may use this ability twice per day, and three times per day at 9th level.
This ability is only usable with projectile weapons with which the Sniper possesses the Weapon Focus feat.

Ranged Disarm: Starting at 4th level, as a standard action, the unerring may attempt to disarm an opponent using a ranged attack. The disarm attempt is resolved as a normal, except that performing a ranged disarm does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the target, unless you are in a space that your target currently threatens.
This ability is only usable with projectile weapons with which the Sniper possesses the Weapon Focus feat.

Piercing the Veil (Su): Beginning at 5th level, when a Sniper fires at a target with less than total concealment, her miss chance is reduced by 20%. This ability does not lower the miss chance of targets that are incorporeal, invisible, or otherwise benefit from total concealment.
This ability is usable only with projectile weapons for which the Sniper possesses the Weapon Focus feat.

Deadly Precision (Ex): Beginning at 7th level the critical damage modifier for any projectile weapon with which the Sniper possesses the Weapon Focus feat increases by 1. Thus a heavy crossbow’s critical modifier would become x3, while a short bow’s critical modifier would become x4.

Ranged Trip: Starting at 8th level, as a standard action the unerring may attempt to trip an opponent using a ranged attack. The unerring sniper uses his Dexterity modifier on this opposed check, and not his Strength modifier. The trip attempt is otherwise resolved as a normal, except that performing a ranged trip does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the target unless you are in a space that your target currently threatens, and your target cannot attempt to trip you in return should your trip attempt fail.
This ability is only usable with projectile weapons with which the Sniper possesses the Weapon Focus feat.

One shot, One kill (Ex): At 10th level, the unerring sniper has learned the ways of felling his foes in a single shot. If the unerring sniper studies and aims at his target for 5 rounds, and then makes a successful attack against that target, the target must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + unerring sniper class level + unerring sniper's Int modifier) or die. If the target succeeds on this saving throw, then the attack is resolved as a normal ranged attack. A target must be flat-footed with regards to the unerring sniper's attack, or otherwise unaware of the unerring sniper's presence for this ability to function.
Once the unerring sniper has completed the 5 rounds of studying and aiming, he must launch his attack within the next 2 rounds. If the target becomes aware of the sniper (or otherwise not flat-footed), or if the target succeeds on its saving throw, or more than 2 rounds pass after the unerring sniper completes his study, the unerring must begin again, and 5 new rounds of study and aiming must be made against the target.
This ability is only usable with projectile weapons with which the Sniper possesses the Weapon Focus feat.



1.2 EDIT: Dropped Spot requirement from 8 to 4, removed Move Silently requirement, and dropped all feat requirements except Weapon focus
2.0 EDIT: Reworked piercing the veil, dropped true strike, dropped old pin-point accuracy, renamed/reworded keen feature, added ranged disarm and ranged trip

Kurald Galain
2007-09-08, 10:21 AM
You should specify whether the truestrike is casting it as a spell, or a swift action, or a simple +20 competence bonus.

I believe this class is overly complex. Apart from the capstone, every ability they get is simply an attack bonus to missile combat, worded in different ways. That means that effectively most of the abilities are overlapping or redundant, and the result is somewhat confusing. It would be better to give a lesser amount of different abilities that are each usable more often. For instance, drop truestrike and simply give more rerolls per day, and drop the Miss Chance reduction and simply allow rerolls to apply to that as well.

Furthermore, I'd suggest reducing the amount of prerequisites (a BAB and two feats and three skills). Note also that the Spot/8 requirement makes entering this presclass very difficult for fighters.

DanielLC
2007-09-08, 12:14 PM
Does Ranged Precision increase the number of range increments you can shoot?

I suggest adding an automatic critical hit while the opponent is flat-footed, allowing the sniper to take a penalty but get an automatic critical on the hit (with the penalty lower when the threat range is higher), or a combination of the two (taking a penalty and only being able to do it when the opponent is flat-footed). Don't add that without taking out some of the other class features first.

Also, how about a special attack to give the opponent certain penalties such as shooting him in the leg to half his speed and dexterity bonus to AC, or shooting him in the arm to give a penalty to attack rolls?

Did they have snipers before guns? If not, you should give them the assasin's poison use (just for ranged weapons) so they have an effectiveness closer to those in real life. If there where snipers that used arrows, do whatever they did.

FireSpark
2007-09-08, 02:03 PM
You should specify whether the truestrike is casting it as a spell, or a swift action, or a simple +20 competence bonus.

I believe this class is overly complex. Apart from the capstone, every ability they get is simply an attack bonus to missile combat, worded in different ways. That means that effectively most of the abilities are overlapping or redundant, and the result is somewhat confusing. It would be better to give a lesser amount of different abilities that are each usable more often. For instance, drop truestrike and simply give more rerolls per day, and drop the Miss Chance reduction and simply allow rerolls to apply to that as well.

I can see what you mean. I, in all honesty, can't even remember what my objective was with this class. Asides from making archers really effing dangerous. But you make many good points, and have given me a place to start my revisions from. Thanks for the input.


Furthermore, I'd suggest reducing the amount of prerequisites (a BAB and two feats and three skills). Note also that the Spot/8 requirement makes entering this presclass very difficult for fighters.

Blergh. I kinda missed that. Again, I chalk it up to inexperience at the time, when I originally made this. Some of that will definitely be changing.



Does Ranged Precision increase the number of range increments you can shoot?

No. It simply reduces the penalties for firing at distant targets. I shall add clarifying text.


I suggest adding an automatic critical hit while the opponent is flat-footed, allowing the sniper to take a penalty but get an automatic critical on the hit (with the penalty lower when the threat range is higher), or a combination of the two (taking a penalty and only being able to do it when the opponent is flat-footed). Don't add that without taking out some of the other class features first.

I'm not quite sure I follow you on this. Could you clarify what you mean?


Also, how about a special attack to give the opponent certain penalties such as shooting him in the leg to half his speed and dexterity bonus to AC, or shooting him in the arm to give a penalty to attack rolls?

Not a bad idea. I will see if maybe I can fiddle with the idea while streamlining everything else.


Did they have snipers before guns? If not, you should give them the assasin's poison use (just for ranged weapons) so they have an effectiveness closer to those in real life. If there where snipers that used arrows, do whatever they did.

I'm sure they did (don't know if they called them snipers though). And as for poisons, I must admit, I had considered it, but I've never been a big fan of poisons. They're really expensive, have DCs that are nearly worthless at higher levels, and are easily circumvented at said higher levels. SO I tend to avoid them.

FireSpark
2007-09-08, 03:13 PM
Mass changes and rewordeds applied. Behold, version two-point-ohh.:smallcool: