Drannor Hawksley's page

I try to find something engaging for every character in the party at every session, even if it involves some solo play for a short while.

I prefer sandbox games, and try to implement them where it makes sense and not use it in every situation. I also like puzzles for my PCs to solve, but I've found most players do not like that, and have had to cut them out.

I also go into a session with descriptions already done for things, but I do not have specific scripts or events written up. I let the players decide where they want to go, then start building the story in that direction. Sometimes it involves making a lot of stuff up on the spot, then once the session is over, fleshing that out more for next time.

Encounters end thematically, not mathematically, most of the time.

I like to, on occasion, give heroic descriptions during fights, of precisely what a character did that round (some groups much more than others). I like to give the same to how badly an enemy hurt them.

Lastly, every NPC is a bad guy, until the PCs treat them nicely, then maybe they are a good guy :P

Assault Leader (Ex): A rogue with this talent can, on a successful Feint, forego denying the target's dexterity bonus to cause the target to provoke an attack of opportunity from any allies that threaten the target. She must declare she is using this ability before rolling their Bluff check. The rogue does not benefit from the Attack of Opportunity. This talent can be used a number of times per day equal to the Rogue's Charisma modifier (Minimum 1). A rogue can use this ability one additional time per day for every 5 rogue levels she possesses.

Cunning Trigger (Ex): A rogue with this talent can use a swift action to set off any traps within 30 feet that she constructed.

Clean Getaway (Ex): After successfully making a sneak attack or Sleight of Hand check, a rogue with this talent can spend a move action without provoking any attacks of opportunity until the end of their turn. She can move no more than her speed during this movement.

Hidden Weapons (Ex): A rogue with this ability can easily conceal weapons on her body, even while being observed. The rogue adds her level on opposed Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal a weapon. In addition, she can draw hidden weapons as a move action, instead of as a standard action. If she also has the Quick Draw feat, she can draw hidden weapons as a free action, instead of as a move action.

Lasting Poison (Ex): A rogue with this talent can apply poison to a weapon in such a way that it is effective for two successful attacks instead of one. The poison has a reduced effect, however, and saves made against the poison receive a +2 circumstance bonus. Applying poison in this way requires a full-round action, or a standard action if the rogue has the swift poison talent.

Quick Trapsmith (Ex): As a full-round action, a rogue with this talent can set a simple trap with a CR no greater than 1/2 her rogue level. To do this, she must purchase the components, spend the required time constructing the trap in advance, and have its components at hand. The type of trap that can be constructed in this way is subject to GM discretion.

Resiliency (Ex): Once per day, a rogue with this ability can gain a number of temporary hit points equal to the rogue's level. Activating this ability is an immediate action that can only be performed when she is brought to below 0 hit points. This ability can be used to prevent her from dying. These temporary hit points last for 1 minute. If the rogue's hit points drop below 0 due to the loss of these temporary hit points, she falls unconscious and is dying as normal.

Prone Maneuvers (Ex): While prone, a rogue with this ability can move at half speed. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. A rogue with this talent can take a 5-foot step while crawling. She can also stand up from a prone position as a free action, but this still provokes attacks of opportunity for standing up while threatened by a foe.

Sideswipe (Ex): When a rogue with this talent hits a creature with a melee attack, she can move up to 30 feet without provoking attacks of opportunity. The movement must end in a space adjacent to the creature hit with the melee attack. The rogue can use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Dexterity modifier (Minimum 1). A rogue can use this ability one additional time per day for every 5 rogue levels she possesses.

Snap Shot (Ex): A rogue with this talent may treat her intitiative roll as a 20 for a surprise round, regardless of her initiative, but she may only take an attack action with a ranged weapon. Her normal initiative roll is used in subsequent rounds. If two or more rogues possess this talent, their initiative determines the order in which they act, but they all go before any other creature. If a rogue is prevented from acting in the surprise round, this talent has no effect.

Sniper's Eye (Ex): A rogue with this talent can apply her sneak attack damage on ranged attacks at close range (25 feet + 5 feet per level), instead of 30 feet.

Surprise Attack (Ex): During the surprise round, opponents are always considered flat-footed to a rogue with this ability, even if they have already acted. In addition, a rogue with this talent always acts in a surprise round.

Swift Poison (Ex): A rogue with this talent can apply poison to a weapon as part of a move action, instead of a standard action.

Adept Pickpocket (Ex): A rogue with this talent gains two abilities: First, she can use her Sleight of Hand skill instead of the Profession skill to determine the gold piece value she can earn by pickpocketting. This check can be made after a single day's worth of work, instead of a week. Second, the difficulty to take something from a creature is reduce to DC 15, and she gains a +2 bonus to Sleight of Hand when used to steal.

Athleticism (Ex): A rogue with this talent rolls twice when making Climb or Swim checks and takes the better result. If she already rolls twice while making a Climb or Swim check because of another ability or effect, she gains a +2 insight bonus on both of those rolls instead. If the rogue is under the effect of a spell or ability that forces her to roll two dice and take the worse result, she only needs to roll 1d20 while making Climb or Swim checks.

Camouflage (Ex): Once per day, a rogue with this talent can craft simple but effective camouflage from the surrounding area. The rogue needs 1 minute to prepare the camouflage, but once she does, it is good for the rest of the day or until the rogue fails a saving throw against an area effect spell that deals fire, cold, or acid damage, whichever comes first. The rogue gains a +4 bonus on Stealth checks while within terrain that was used to make the camouflage.

Canny Observer (Ex): When a rogue with this talent makes a Perception check to hear the details of a conversation or to find concealed or secret objects (including doors and traps), she gains a +4 bonus.

Combat Trick: A rogue that selects this talent gains a bonus combat feat that she qualifies for (See feats). This trick can be taken multiple times. A rogue taking this talent can ignore Combat Expertise as a prerequisite for the purposes of selecting a feat.

Esoteric Scholar (Ex): A rogue with this talent may attempt a Knowledge check, even when she is not trained in that Knowledge skill, a number of times per day equal to her Intelligence modifier (Minimum 1). She must choose to use this talent before making the Knowledge check. A rogue can use this ability one additional time per day for every 5 rogue levels she possesses

Expert Leaper (Ex): When making jump checks, the rogue is always considered to have a running start. Also, when the rogue deliberately falls, a DC 15 Acrobatics check allows her to ignore the first 20 feet fallen, instead of the first 10 feet.

Fast Fingers (Ex): A rogue with this talent can roll two dice while making a Sleight of Hand check, and take the better result, a number of times per day equal to her Dexterity modifier (Minimum 1). She must choose to use this talent before making the Sleight of Hand check. A rogue can use this ability one additional time per day for every 5 rogue levels she possesses.

Fast Stealth (Ex): This ability allows a rogue to move at full speed using the Stealth skill without penalty.

Follow Clues (Ex): A rogue with this talent can use Perception to follow tracks as per the Survival skill.

Getaway Artist (Ex): A rogue with this talent adds Fly, Handle Animal, and Ride to her list of class skills, and gains a +2 bonus on all driving and escape artist checks.

Grit (Ex): A rogue with this talent gains the Amateur Gunslinger feat and one grit feat of her choice. She must fulfill the prerequisites of the grit feat in order to choose it. A rogue must have the firearm training talent before choosing this one.

Iron Guts (Ex): A rogue with this talent has a cast-iron stomach or has trained herself to withstand poisons, especially ingested ones. She gains a +1 bonus on all saves against ingested poisons as well as a +4 bonus on saves against all spells and effects that cause the rogue to be nauseated or sickened.

Ki Pool (Ex): A rogue with this talent gains a small ki pool. This ki pool is similar to a ninja's ki pool, but the rogue's ki pool does not grant any extra attacks. The rogue gains a number of ki points equal to her Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). These ki points replenish at the start of each day. If she already has a ki pool, or gains a ki pool later, she gains half her Wisdom bonus (minimum 1) as bonus ki points to her ki pool. She can spend a ki point to gain a +10-foot bonus to movement until the end of her turn.

Major Magic (Sp): A rogue with this talent gains the ability to cast two 1st-level spell from the sorcerer/wizard spell list two times a day each as a spell-like ability. The caster level for this ability is equal to the rogue's level. The save DC for these spells is 11 + the rogue's Intelligence modifier. The rogue must have an Intelligence of at least 11 to select this talent. A rogue must have the minor magic rogue talent before choosing this talent.

Minor Magic (Sp): A rogue with this talent gains the ability to cast three 0-level spell from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. Each of these spells can be cast three times a day as a spell-like ability. The caster level for this ability is equal to the rogue's level. The save DC for these spells is 10 + the rogue's Intelligence modifier. The rogue must have an Intelligence of at least 10 to select this talent.

Nimble Maneuver (Ex): This ability allows a rogue to move at normal speed along surfaces that would require an Acrobatics or Climb check, instead of half speed. In addition, a rogue with this talent is not flat-footed when using Acrobatics or Climb to move along these surfaces. Surfaces that are impossible to traverse through Acrobatics or Climb, remain impossible. This ability does not allow full movement in difficult terrain.

Ninja Trick (Ex): A rogue with this talent can choose a trick from the ninja trick list. The rogue can choose but cannot use talents that require ki points, unless she has a ki pool. A rogue can pick this talent more than once.

Peerless Maneuver (Ex): A rogue with this talent can roll two dice while making an Acrobatics check, and take the better result, a number of times per day equal to her Dexterity modifier (Minimum 1). She must choose to use this talent before making the Acrobatics check. A rogue can use this ability one additional time per day for every 5 rogue levels she possesses.

Quick Disable (Ex): This ability allows a rogue to spend a full round action to use disable device, regardless of difficulty. In addition, the rogue may also spend a standard action using disable device at a penalty of -5.

Quick Disguise (Ex): A rogue with this talent can spend a 30 minute period to design a disguise that is concealed under their normal clothing that is startlingly quick to change into. Only one disguise can be hidden on her person at a time in this manner, but changing back and forth between her regular self and her disguise is a full round action. The disguise roll is made during creation, and is only rerolled when the diguise is recreated (See the disguise skill for check modifiers). A rogue can have multiple disguises, and switching which one is currently on her person takes 10 minutes.

Survivalist: A rogue with this talent adds Heal and Survival to her list of class skills, and gains a +2 to each.

Terrain Mastery (Ex): A rogue with this talent gains a favored terrain as the ranger ability of the same name, though the favored terrain ability does not increase with her level as the ranger's ability does. A rogue can take this ability multiple times, each time applying it to a new terrain, and granting all other favored terrains a +2 increase to the favored terrain bonus.

Trap Spotter (Ex): Whenever a rogue with this talent comes within 10 feet of a trap, she receives an immediate Perception skill check to notice the trap. This check should be made in secret by the GM.

Befuddling Strike* (Ex): When the rogue deals sneak attack damage against an opponent, that opponent takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls for 1 round.

Bleeding Attack* (Ex): A rogue with this ability can cause living opponents to bleed by hitting them with a sneak attack. This attack causes the target to take 1 additional point of damage each round for each die of the rogue's sneak attack (e.g., 4d6 equals 4 points of bleed). Bleeding creatures take that amount of damage every round at the start of each of their turns, and it bypasses DR. The bleeding can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal check or the application of any effect that heals hit point damage. Bleeding damage from this ability does not stack with itself.

Distracting Attack* (Ex): A rogue with this talent can make sneak attacks with subtle flourishes that disorient and distract her enemy. When she hits a creature with a melee attack that deals sneak attack damage, she can forgo the additional damage to cause the creature to become flat-footed to everyone but the rogue until the beginning of her next turn. Creatures with uncanny dodge are immune to distracting attack.

Offensive Defense* (Ex): When a rogue with this talent hits a creature with a melee attack that deals sneak attack damage, the rogue gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC for each sneak attack die rolled for 1 round.

Powerful Sneak* (Ex): Whenever a rogue with this talent takes a full attack action, she can elect to take a -2 penalty on all attack rolls until the start of her next turn. If an attack during this time is a sneak attack, she treats all 1s and 2s on the sneak attack damage dice as 3s.

Slow Reactions* (Ex): Opponents damaged by the rogue's sneak attack can't make attacks of opportunity for 1d3 rounds.

Underhanded* (Ex): A rogue with this talent gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal a weapon. Furthermore, if she makes a sneak attack during the surprise round using a concealed weapon that her opponent didn't know about, she does not have to roll sneak attack damage, and the sneak attack deals maximum damage.

Adopt Personality (Ex): The rogue learns to study others and adopt a personality that compliments them, making them feel more at ease when the rogue speaks with them. When a rogue with this talent spends 3 rounds studying a target in conversation that speaks the same language as the rogue, they will receive a +2 to all diplomacy, bluff, sense motive and intimidate checks for the next 24 hours. These bonuses become penalties should the rogue not be able to adopt the personality when speaking with the target, but only after the bonuses have been in use.

Black Market Connections (Ex): A rogue with this talent can spend an 8 hour period to discover the black market in any town (if one exists). During this period, she also develops a network of contacts and gains a +2 insight bonus on any gather information checks made in town. She also finds a fence, who will buy and sell her illicit goods that would otherwise draw attention at normal vendors. Should the rogue leave town for longer than a week, she has lost her connection and must spend another 8 hours to rediscover them.

Charmer (Ex): The rogue can roll two dice while making a Diplomacy check, and take the better result, a number of times per day equal to her Charisma modifier (Minimum 1). She must choose to use this talent before making the Diplomacy check. A rogue can use this ability one additional time per day for every 5 rogue levels she possesses.

Coax Information (Ex): A rogue with this talent can use Bluff or Diplomacy in place of Intimidate to force an opponent to act friendly toward her.

Guileful Polyglot (Ex): A rogue with this talent who has at least one rank in Linguistics gains four additional languages. A rogue with this talent who does not have any ranks in Linguistics gains two additional languages. If the rogue later gains ranks in Linguistics, she gains two additional languages, to a total of four additional languages above those granted by the Linguistics skill itself.

Hard to Fool (Ex): The rogue with this talent can roll two dice while making a Sense Motive check, and take the better result, a number of times per day equal to her Charisma modifier (Minimum 1). She must choose to use this talent before making the Sense Motive check. A rogue can use this ability one additional time per day for every 5 rogue levels she possesses.

Honeyed Words (Ex): Once per day, the rogue can roll two dice while making a Bluff check, and take the better result, a number of times per day equal to her Charisma modifier (Minimum 1). She must choose to use this talent before making the Bluff check. A rogue can use this ability one additional time per day for every 5 rogue levels she possesses.