Lichtouch
2008-01-23, 12:52 PM
Simply put, this is a concept I had for a "vile" rogue-monk hybrid. More specifically, it's going to be used as a person enemy or a DMPC for the PCs to eliminate. So, tear it apart:
The Reaver
Level Base Fort Refl Will Special Unarmed Butcher
Attack Save Save Save Strike
Bonus
1st +0 +0 +2 +0 Butcher +1d6, 1d6 -1/-1
Abomination,
Rending Claws
2nd +1 +0 +3 +0 - 1d6 +0/+0
3rd +1 +1 +3 +1 - 1d6 +1/+1
4th +2 +1 +4 +1 Brutality 1d8 +2/+2
5th +2 +1 +4 +1 Butcher +2d6, 1d8 +4/+4
Abomination Feat
6th +3 +2 +5 +2 - 1d8 +5/+5/+0
7th +3 +2 +5 +2 - 1d8 +6/+6/+1
8th +4 +2 +6 +2 - 1d10 +7/+7/+2
9th +4 +3 +6 +3 Butcher +3d6 1d10 +9/+9/+4
10th +5 +3 +7 +3 Camoflague, 1d10 +10/+10/+5
Abomination Feat
11th +5 +3 +7 +3 - 1d10 +11/+11/+6/+1
12th +6/+1 +4 +8 +4 - 2d6 +12/+12/+7/+2
13th +6/+1 +4 +8 +4 Butcher +4d6 2d6 +13/+13/+8/+3
14th +7/+2 +4 +9 +4 - 2d6 +14/+14/+9/+4
15th +7/+2 +5 +9 +5 Abomination Feat 2d6 +15/+15/+10/+5
16th +8/+3 +5 +10 +5 - 2d8 +16/+16/+11/+6/+1
17th +8/+3 +5 +10 +5 Butcher +5d6 2d8 +17/+17/+12/+7/+2
18th +9/+4 +6 +11 +6 - 2d8 +18/+18/+13/+8/+3
19th +9/+4 +6 +11 +6 - 2d8 +19/+19/+14/+9/+4
20th +10/+5 +6 +12 +6 Abomiantion Feat 2d10 +20/+20/+15/+10/+5
Hide in Plain Sight
Abilities: Strength and Dexterity are most important for a Reaver. Strength in order to hit in melee, and deal more damage in melee and Dexterity in order to hide long enough in order to be able to butcher its target.
Alignment: Any evil.
Hit Dice: d6
Starting Gold: 5d4
Class Skills
The monk's class skills are Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, Swim and Tumble.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int Modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int Modifier
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Reaver.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
Due to the raking claws on the Reaver's hands, it is unable to become proficient with any weapon whatsoever. Also, the Reaver does not start off proficient with any armour, refusing to risk making itself visible.
Abomination and Abomination Feats:
The Reaver is an abomination. It's a hideous creature that was either born or altered for hideous acts. It can choose between two bonus feats at 1st level - Willing Deformity (from the Book of Vile Darkness) and Abberation Blood (from the Lords of Madness sourcebook). At 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th level, you get an Abomination feat. With this feat, you can choose a feat for which the chosen "Abomination" feat at 1st level is a prequisite. (Note: If the "Deformity: Claws" feat is chosen, it raises the Reaver's Unarmed Strike a single category - 2d10 becomes 3d6.)
Butcher:
If you're not careful, then the last thing you will ever see is the Reaver. It is adept at pouncing upon unsuspecting foes and rending them limb from limb with tooth and claw. Butcher comes into effect at any time its target would be denied at Dexterity Bonus to AC, or when the rogue flanks its target. Under these circumstances, it uses a different base attack bonus to usual and deals an extra attack using its highest base attack bonus. Each attack deals an extra 1d6 damage at 1st Level, 2d6 and 5th level, 3d6 at 9th level, 4d6 at 13th level and 5d6 at 17th level. If a Reaver gets a critical while using Butcher, the modifiers are not multiplied. A Reaver's Butcher attacks take a -2 modifier. This modifier lessens to -1 at 5th level and vanishes entirely at 9th level. Unlike Sneak Attack, Butcher affects any creature, despite its anatomy or whether it's dead or alive. A Reaver cannot Butcher using a ranged weapon of any kind.
Rending Claws:
The characteristic that all Reavers carry is lethal-looking claws, whether they are natural or the product of self-mutilation. But the stronger a Reaver gets, the more adept he gets at using his claws. At 1st level, a Reaver gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a Reaver striking unarmed. A Reaver may thus apply its full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all her unarmed attacks. A Reaver must always deal lethal slashing damage with its unarmed attacks. A Reaver's unarmed strike is treated both as a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purposes of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons. A Reaver also deals more damage with its unarmed strikes than a normal person would, as shown on the table above. However, small Reavers deal less damage. Where a medium Reaver deals 1d6, a small Reaver deals 1d4. Where a medium Reaver deals 1d8, a small Reaver deals 1d6. Where a medium Reaver deals 1d10, a small Reaver deals 1d8. Where a medium Reaver deals 2d6, a small Reaver deals 1d10.
Brutality: At 4th level, a Reaver's unarmed attacks aare treated as magic weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction.
Camoflague:
A Reaver of 10th level or higher can use the Hide skill in any sort of terrain, even if the terrain doesn't grant cover or concealment.
Hide in Plain Sight:
A Reaver of 20th level or higher can use the Hide skill even while being observed.
Ex-Reavers
A Reaver who changes its alignment to one other than evil can still take levels in Reaver. However, from then on, it can no longer take any Abomination feats. While it remains a natural weapon and can continue to hone its skills as a living warmachine, it rejects its alien heritage or refuses to maim itself anymore.
PLAYING A REAVER
You most effective in the shadows. Your claws are made for rending the flesh and bone of unsuspecting victims, not for parrying, being parried by and being dodged by opponents who know of your presence. When in the open, you are weak and open to obliteration. You also rely on close combat, unable to efficiently use any ranged weaponry. If you are forced to fight on your enemies' terms, then you are unlikely to survive. However, never forget - if you fight your opponents on your own terms, then your success is promised.
Religion
As a reaver, you can be godless scum, a fanatical zealot or just follow a few basic principles of a god. The most popular choice for creatures such as yourself is Erythnul, the God of Slaughter, a diety that emphasizes the brutal nature of your kind, encouraging and rewarding your butchering of anyone and everyone. A less common choice is Hextor, who you may serve as an agent of tyranny for. Gruumsh is a favourite choice if you're a half-orc, a god who will accept you for your gifts and demand that you put them to good use in the slaughter of his enemies. Vecna is a rather unpopular choice, due to his subtle nature - although you may stalk through the shadows, you are not know for secretive tendancies. If you gained your abilities from your abberant heritage, you might also wish to praise any of the unhuman gods.
Other Classes
You get along extremely well with rogues of evil alignment, both of you usually having similar goals. You respect the combat abilities of fighters, barbarians and some evil clerics and if you're lucky, gain respect in return. However, your relationship of paladins and good clerics is one of absolute hatred and usually results in the death of one of you. Druids can either love you or hate you - good druids will believe you to be a blight on the world and wish your end while evil druids will believe you to be a marvel of nature, especially if your abilities come from aberrant blood. You respect wizards and sorcerors despite their feeble defence, due to the enhancements they can provide to you. In the end, though, you shouldn't expect anything more than disdain from any other classes.
Combat
You may sometimes feel like you lack options in battle because of your lack of use outside of stealth. But as you grow stronger, stealth will become your domain and it shall be on the border of impossible to remove you from it. Hide and Move Silently are possibly your most useful skills. Without then, you will be unable to get close enough to an enemy to strike without them knowing of your presence. Other useful skills include Escape Artist, in order to escape from foes who may try to restrict you and prevent your assault. Another possible skill that you might want to use is Tumble, in order for you to move to another more favourable position in combat. Your greatest friends are going to be arcane spellcasters, who will be casting spells on you to help conceal you, include the Invisibility spells. With your powers combined, you are likely to be unstoppable.
REAVERS IN THE WORLD
"He was all fins 'n claws 'n teeth 'n blood 'n rage... Jumpin' in an' out o' the shadows... Tore off my arm without even flinchin'... He weren't human... He weren't even half orc... Somethin' like tha' don't have a race... It's just hate, death an' pain all wrapped up in one neat lil' package..."
- Jack Ramsey, a mercenary who barely survived an encounter with a reaver.
The chance of finding a non-evil civilization that will tolerate a beast like you is as likely as finding a friendly mind flayer. The only reason why you might not be butchered on sight is because of how valuable you are as a tool. If you're lucky, you might be accepted into a party or even be respected. However, in the end you will be treated as a social pariah.
Daily Life
The life of a reaver is surprisingly simple. At the start of the day, the reaver collects its food - usually killing local wildlife or lower class civilians and eating their corpses raw or cooked, depending on the urgency of the situation. They usually stalk town slums or wilderness roads, robbing passing merchants or citizens of the gold that they may possess and then proceeding to butcher them. Some of them may have specific goals, ranging from total domination to starting a bandit organization. Not all reavers are bandits and murderers, although that is what they often start off as due to their alignment and their rejection from society.
Organizations
There are very rare cases of sects of reavers being created, hordes of depraved assassins who will get the job done despite how many people they will have to kill. Other than that, reavers usually live by themselves, leading solitary lives. There are rare cases where parties will earn the respect of a reaver and the reaver will join them or a party will hire a reaver for particular work. Reavers are surprisingly common in the ranks of slaves for aboleths, mind flayers and neogi, due to the fact that many of them are the product of sick and twisted experiments by the abominations of nature.
NPC Reactions
While assassins and blackguards are respected out of fear, the appearance of the reaver is so degenerated that despite the fear it may cause, it is more likely to a rouse a lynch mob than anything else. For this reason, reavers make themselves at home in the darker, shadier parts of town where either the money they possess is enough to stop them from getting butchered or their skills keep them hidden from the usual men and women. And they are hunted for good reason - their staple food is usually any sort of animal and when they can't get access to that, they chow down on human flesh.
REAVER LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Dungeoneering) can research reavers to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lover DCs.
DC 10: A bunch of deformed freaks that fight with tooth and claw.
DC 15: Clawed, lightly-armoured fighters that rely on the shadows to win a fight.
DC 20: Reavers are weak outside on camoflague but when they are concealed, they reign supreme. Some reavers willingly become what they are through self-mutilation while others are born into their place as reavers due to their aberrant heritage.
The Reaver
Level Base Fort Refl Will Special Unarmed Butcher
Attack Save Save Save Strike
Bonus
1st +0 +0 +2 +0 Butcher +1d6, 1d6 -1/-1
Abomination,
Rending Claws
2nd +1 +0 +3 +0 - 1d6 +0/+0
3rd +1 +1 +3 +1 - 1d6 +1/+1
4th +2 +1 +4 +1 Brutality 1d8 +2/+2
5th +2 +1 +4 +1 Butcher +2d6, 1d8 +4/+4
Abomination Feat
6th +3 +2 +5 +2 - 1d8 +5/+5/+0
7th +3 +2 +5 +2 - 1d8 +6/+6/+1
8th +4 +2 +6 +2 - 1d10 +7/+7/+2
9th +4 +3 +6 +3 Butcher +3d6 1d10 +9/+9/+4
10th +5 +3 +7 +3 Camoflague, 1d10 +10/+10/+5
Abomination Feat
11th +5 +3 +7 +3 - 1d10 +11/+11/+6/+1
12th +6/+1 +4 +8 +4 - 2d6 +12/+12/+7/+2
13th +6/+1 +4 +8 +4 Butcher +4d6 2d6 +13/+13/+8/+3
14th +7/+2 +4 +9 +4 - 2d6 +14/+14/+9/+4
15th +7/+2 +5 +9 +5 Abomination Feat 2d6 +15/+15/+10/+5
16th +8/+3 +5 +10 +5 - 2d8 +16/+16/+11/+6/+1
17th +8/+3 +5 +10 +5 Butcher +5d6 2d8 +17/+17/+12/+7/+2
18th +9/+4 +6 +11 +6 - 2d8 +18/+18/+13/+8/+3
19th +9/+4 +6 +11 +6 - 2d8 +19/+19/+14/+9/+4
20th +10/+5 +6 +12 +6 Abomiantion Feat 2d10 +20/+20/+15/+10/+5
Hide in Plain Sight
Abilities: Strength and Dexterity are most important for a Reaver. Strength in order to hit in melee, and deal more damage in melee and Dexterity in order to hide long enough in order to be able to butcher its target.
Alignment: Any evil.
Hit Dice: d6
Starting Gold: 5d4
Class Skills
The monk's class skills are Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, Swim and Tumble.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int Modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int Modifier
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Reaver.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
Due to the raking claws on the Reaver's hands, it is unable to become proficient with any weapon whatsoever. Also, the Reaver does not start off proficient with any armour, refusing to risk making itself visible.
Abomination and Abomination Feats:
The Reaver is an abomination. It's a hideous creature that was either born or altered for hideous acts. It can choose between two bonus feats at 1st level - Willing Deformity (from the Book of Vile Darkness) and Abberation Blood (from the Lords of Madness sourcebook). At 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th level, you get an Abomination feat. With this feat, you can choose a feat for which the chosen "Abomination" feat at 1st level is a prequisite. (Note: If the "Deformity: Claws" feat is chosen, it raises the Reaver's Unarmed Strike a single category - 2d10 becomes 3d6.)
Butcher:
If you're not careful, then the last thing you will ever see is the Reaver. It is adept at pouncing upon unsuspecting foes and rending them limb from limb with tooth and claw. Butcher comes into effect at any time its target would be denied at Dexterity Bonus to AC, or when the rogue flanks its target. Under these circumstances, it uses a different base attack bonus to usual and deals an extra attack using its highest base attack bonus. Each attack deals an extra 1d6 damage at 1st Level, 2d6 and 5th level, 3d6 at 9th level, 4d6 at 13th level and 5d6 at 17th level. If a Reaver gets a critical while using Butcher, the modifiers are not multiplied. A Reaver's Butcher attacks take a -2 modifier. This modifier lessens to -1 at 5th level and vanishes entirely at 9th level. Unlike Sneak Attack, Butcher affects any creature, despite its anatomy or whether it's dead or alive. A Reaver cannot Butcher using a ranged weapon of any kind.
Rending Claws:
The characteristic that all Reavers carry is lethal-looking claws, whether they are natural or the product of self-mutilation. But the stronger a Reaver gets, the more adept he gets at using his claws. At 1st level, a Reaver gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a Reaver striking unarmed. A Reaver may thus apply its full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all her unarmed attacks. A Reaver must always deal lethal slashing damage with its unarmed attacks. A Reaver's unarmed strike is treated both as a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purposes of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons. A Reaver also deals more damage with its unarmed strikes than a normal person would, as shown on the table above. However, small Reavers deal less damage. Where a medium Reaver deals 1d6, a small Reaver deals 1d4. Where a medium Reaver deals 1d8, a small Reaver deals 1d6. Where a medium Reaver deals 1d10, a small Reaver deals 1d8. Where a medium Reaver deals 2d6, a small Reaver deals 1d10.
Brutality: At 4th level, a Reaver's unarmed attacks aare treated as magic weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction.
Camoflague:
A Reaver of 10th level or higher can use the Hide skill in any sort of terrain, even if the terrain doesn't grant cover or concealment.
Hide in Plain Sight:
A Reaver of 20th level or higher can use the Hide skill even while being observed.
Ex-Reavers
A Reaver who changes its alignment to one other than evil can still take levels in Reaver. However, from then on, it can no longer take any Abomination feats. While it remains a natural weapon and can continue to hone its skills as a living warmachine, it rejects its alien heritage or refuses to maim itself anymore.
PLAYING A REAVER
You most effective in the shadows. Your claws are made for rending the flesh and bone of unsuspecting victims, not for parrying, being parried by and being dodged by opponents who know of your presence. When in the open, you are weak and open to obliteration. You also rely on close combat, unable to efficiently use any ranged weaponry. If you are forced to fight on your enemies' terms, then you are unlikely to survive. However, never forget - if you fight your opponents on your own terms, then your success is promised.
Religion
As a reaver, you can be godless scum, a fanatical zealot or just follow a few basic principles of a god. The most popular choice for creatures such as yourself is Erythnul, the God of Slaughter, a diety that emphasizes the brutal nature of your kind, encouraging and rewarding your butchering of anyone and everyone. A less common choice is Hextor, who you may serve as an agent of tyranny for. Gruumsh is a favourite choice if you're a half-orc, a god who will accept you for your gifts and demand that you put them to good use in the slaughter of his enemies. Vecna is a rather unpopular choice, due to his subtle nature - although you may stalk through the shadows, you are not know for secretive tendancies. If you gained your abilities from your abberant heritage, you might also wish to praise any of the unhuman gods.
Other Classes
You get along extremely well with rogues of evil alignment, both of you usually having similar goals. You respect the combat abilities of fighters, barbarians and some evil clerics and if you're lucky, gain respect in return. However, your relationship of paladins and good clerics is one of absolute hatred and usually results in the death of one of you. Druids can either love you or hate you - good druids will believe you to be a blight on the world and wish your end while evil druids will believe you to be a marvel of nature, especially if your abilities come from aberrant blood. You respect wizards and sorcerors despite their feeble defence, due to the enhancements they can provide to you. In the end, though, you shouldn't expect anything more than disdain from any other classes.
Combat
You may sometimes feel like you lack options in battle because of your lack of use outside of stealth. But as you grow stronger, stealth will become your domain and it shall be on the border of impossible to remove you from it. Hide and Move Silently are possibly your most useful skills. Without then, you will be unable to get close enough to an enemy to strike without them knowing of your presence. Other useful skills include Escape Artist, in order to escape from foes who may try to restrict you and prevent your assault. Another possible skill that you might want to use is Tumble, in order for you to move to another more favourable position in combat. Your greatest friends are going to be arcane spellcasters, who will be casting spells on you to help conceal you, include the Invisibility spells. With your powers combined, you are likely to be unstoppable.
REAVERS IN THE WORLD
"He was all fins 'n claws 'n teeth 'n blood 'n rage... Jumpin' in an' out o' the shadows... Tore off my arm without even flinchin'... He weren't human... He weren't even half orc... Somethin' like tha' don't have a race... It's just hate, death an' pain all wrapped up in one neat lil' package..."
- Jack Ramsey, a mercenary who barely survived an encounter with a reaver.
The chance of finding a non-evil civilization that will tolerate a beast like you is as likely as finding a friendly mind flayer. The only reason why you might not be butchered on sight is because of how valuable you are as a tool. If you're lucky, you might be accepted into a party or even be respected. However, in the end you will be treated as a social pariah.
Daily Life
The life of a reaver is surprisingly simple. At the start of the day, the reaver collects its food - usually killing local wildlife or lower class civilians and eating their corpses raw or cooked, depending on the urgency of the situation. They usually stalk town slums or wilderness roads, robbing passing merchants or citizens of the gold that they may possess and then proceeding to butcher them. Some of them may have specific goals, ranging from total domination to starting a bandit organization. Not all reavers are bandits and murderers, although that is what they often start off as due to their alignment and their rejection from society.
Organizations
There are very rare cases of sects of reavers being created, hordes of depraved assassins who will get the job done despite how many people they will have to kill. Other than that, reavers usually live by themselves, leading solitary lives. There are rare cases where parties will earn the respect of a reaver and the reaver will join them or a party will hire a reaver for particular work. Reavers are surprisingly common in the ranks of slaves for aboleths, mind flayers and neogi, due to the fact that many of them are the product of sick and twisted experiments by the abominations of nature.
NPC Reactions
While assassins and blackguards are respected out of fear, the appearance of the reaver is so degenerated that despite the fear it may cause, it is more likely to a rouse a lynch mob than anything else. For this reason, reavers make themselves at home in the darker, shadier parts of town where either the money they possess is enough to stop them from getting butchered or their skills keep them hidden from the usual men and women. And they are hunted for good reason - their staple food is usually any sort of animal and when they can't get access to that, they chow down on human flesh.
REAVER LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Dungeoneering) can research reavers to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lover DCs.
DC 10: A bunch of deformed freaks that fight with tooth and claw.
DC 15: Clawed, lightly-armoured fighters that rely on the shadows to win a fight.
DC 20: Reavers are weak outside on camoflague but when they are concealed, they reign supreme. Some reavers willingly become what they are through self-mutilation while others are born into their place as reavers due to their aberrant heritage.