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Just now, I was looking at Ciaran's neat-looking Mercenary base class, and I couldn't help but think...
"I feel like this and the Knave could be tidily combined to make the biggest stinker of the lot."
So here's the Adventurer Base Class Crowdsourcing Project. Let's collaborate and put together a list of potential class features. Be as specific or nonspecific about the mechanics as you like. The one rule (other than the whole bunch we'll be giving them): Adventurers do not have a primary ability score. So don't give them one.
Power comes in many varieties and under many guises. The mighty wizard. The scrappy rogue. The Scrappy summoner. The passionate cleric. But there are some who take a different path. Not everyone wants to limit themselves to one field of power—not everyone wants to take the monk's powerful spiritual abilities if it means they also have to take on silly things like surviving a fall or walking really fast. Who cares if the paladin gets to smite things? The paladin has to deal with people. Disgusting common people who've never chewed their way out of a purple worm's belly nor chewed their way out of an imprisonment spell. And then they have to help them.
The adventurer gets the job done. They don't need a heroic purpose, nor a grand villainous one. They don't even need a shower (technically, there's no statistical pragmatic disadvantage to never bathing as long as you keep a spraybottle of Dungeon Must Cologne around at all times). Sure, nobody likes them. Literally nobody. Even adventurers hate other adventurers. Bards only mention adventurers when they want to talk about the skulls littering the great dragon's lair to show how much danger the real heroes are now in.
But an adventurer has training. A true, professional adventurer knows more about their job than anybody else. And that can go a long way.
1. Starting Gear: An adventurer starts with 8d6x10 gp at first level, but can only spend one tenth of this on individual items worth more than 10 gp. Adventuring professionally is ridiculously expensive when you're not lucky enough to stumble upon some terrifying cult or end-of-the-world plot. You think those gelatinous cubes carry gold in little pouches at their sides for an adventurer to collect?
2. Adventurer's Stench: There's no easy way around it. Adventurers are, indeed, stinkers. It's a combination of poor hygiene habits, poor eating habits (did you know garlic scares away vampires?), the various strange concoctions they keep on their person, and whatever it is they were just wading through to get a few copper pieces stained in otyugh blood. At 2nd level, an adventurer gains a +4 bonus on saves versus disease. As a swift action, she can release a Stench (20 feet, as the monster ability), using her class levels to determine the save DC. Those who fail are sickened for as long as they remain in the area, but anyone who has spent at least 24 hours near her gains a +4 bonus on the save. An adventurer can use this stench for a number of rounds per day equal to her class level. At 9th level, those who fail their saves are nauseated for 1 round in addition to being sickened.
3. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #5: Sometimes Monsters Have Weird Stuff) Adventurers receive one new Rule each even-numbered level. An adventurer with Rule #5 knows that every now and then, a gelatinous cube does have a pouch of gold at its side. By spending a minute examining a monster that has been dead for less than an hour, the adventurer can make a Survival check. The DC is equal to 15 + the creature's hit dice. If successful, the adventure can find/cut out an item of her choiceweighing no more than 5 lbs (this number is doubled for every size category past Medium, but is not decreased for smaller sizes) and worth an equivalent of no more than 5 gp per monster hit die. After the minute is up, or if the adventurer is interrupted during her strange and vile process, the monster's body rapidly dissolves into the floor and is gone after 1 round (along with the item, if not taken).
4. Wait, This Campaign Uses The Carrying Capacity Rules? Adventurer Tipping Is Animal Cruelty: At 5th 2nd* level, an adventurer always halves her carried weight for the purposes of determining ACP, Max Dex, and base movement rate. If the adventurer ever falls prone while carrying anything beyond her maximum load, she must make a Strength check (DC 5+ 1 per ten pounds of gear carried) to get back up.
5. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #12: Poor Hygiene Is Occasionally Hazardous For Your Health) Although all adventurers hate baths, they do recognize that monsters with good noses can smell people who never take baths quite easily. As such, they have learned to concoct a special cologne that smells just like a musty, uninteresting old dungeon. This can be applied as a standard action and lasts for 1 hour, or until the adventurer goes and does something gross again. While under the effects of this cologne an adventurer cannot use her Stench ability, but she also cannot be detected or tracked through Scent. Additionally, in combat, if there are available targets other than the adventurer, monsters with Scent must make Will saves (DC 10 + Adventurer's level) or be affected as though the adventurer had a Sanctuary spell in effect. She just does not smell very interesting to them. This is not broken by the adventurer attacking, but it is broken by the adventurer attacking the monster in particular. If there are no other targets remaining, this effect is useless. Monsters motivated solely by hunger will never attack the adventurer unless given a new reason (or unless she gets cocky and starts eating a cheeseburger in front of them).
6. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #2: NOPENOPENOPE:) An adventurer with Rule #2 gains Run as a bonus feat. She never has her run multiplier decreased by items carried or armor worn. She does not need to move in a straight line (picking her way as she goes) as long as she ends her move at least 20 feet, or out of line of sight, from any enemies she saw at the beginning of her move.
7. Trapfinding: Nothing special here. Of course they get trapfinding. I guess they could get a +4 bonus on Disable Device checks against really f~$&ing ridiculous traps that seem to exist for no reason and are really, really impractically elaborate. Watch out, Grimtooth!
8. 'Door-Able: At 3rd level, an adventurer can open an unlocked door as a free action. This does not provoke an attack of opportunity. This is definitely worth a whole ability.
9. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #23: Paladins Are A Real Pain) Once per week, an adventurer with Rule #23 can perform one good-aligned act. This causes her alignment to register as "Chaotic Neutral" to divinations for the rest of the week.
*Screw it. Nobody uses these rules anyways.
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9b. Murder Hobo: Real adventurers know that anything placed on the combat mat - as opposed to being drawn on - has an astronomically higher chance of having a turn during combat, and of having treasure. Beginning at 1st level, an adventurer can add his or her level to all damage rolls. Creatures posessing meta-knowledge that the adventurer is a PC are immune to this additional damage.
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10: Adventurer's rule : (Rule #19: When uncertain, rely on Dumb luck) It is an established fact that any adventurer loitering somewhere dingy is going to accidentally lean on something important sooner or later. An adventurer can make a perception roll against any hidden doors, illusions, traps or concealed creatures once a turn, or after any amount of movement outside of combat.
11: Adventurer's rule : (Rule #42: Staying in character is not a free action) On any occasion where an Adventurer fails a will or perception roll to perceive a threat clearly shown on the game mat, their player may make a second will or perception roll in their stead at half the difficulty but with none of the adventurer's bonuses.
12: Adventurer's rule : (Rule #38: Fake it til you make it) An Adventurer may take 5 at any skill, including under pressure and in untrained skills. This does not take any longer than usual.
13: Attack the weak spots, they glow: From 6th level, Adventurers gain the bonuses of the critical focus and improved critical feats against enemies at least two size categories larger than them, even if they do not meet the prerequisites for these feats. This ability does not stack with similar effects or the feats themselves.
This is cute and funny.
14. Restless: An adventuring life is not easy, and it comes with certain habits which are hard to break. Adventurers can heal the same amount from a full night's rest in half as much time (so, an adventurer would heal her character level in 4 hours rather than 8). However, the adventurer cannot benefit from long-term care. The adventurer gains a +2 bonus on Will saves against sleep effects.
The adventurer can "sleep light", allowing her to not take penalties to Perception checks while sleeping. She can also partake in fairly immobile activities such as preparing spells, standing watch, or tending a fire and still be considered to be sleeping for the purposes of recovery.
15. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #4: Sleep Standing Up) The adventurer can sleep standing up, even when affected by magical sleep. If knocked unconscious, she can avoid falling prone as long as there is something adjacent for her that's tall and sturdy enough to lean on. Regardless, she can make a Dexterity check, DC 20, when knocked unconscious by any effect. Success indicates she's able to avoid dropping her weapon.
16. Spells: The adventurer gains a 4th-level spell progression, starting at 1st level. The spell list contains spells like "Detect Traps" and "Detect Metal", taking primarily from bard, ranger and assassin lists. Alternatively, the bard gets to pick one new spell-like ability every 3rd level or so. Good idea? Bad idea?
17. Lucky: Though not quite as fortunate as the bold and daring archaeologist, adventurers have a knack for surviving "off-screen". At 5th level, the adventurer can choose to reroll any one roll of the d20 and take the better result. She can use this ability a number of times per day equal to half her level. If sentient creatures (Int > 3) are deliberately observing her, using any of their senses (but typically sight), she can't use this ability.
Does anyone have an entry inspired by any of the infamous "internet rules?"
I think I smudged my soul just by skimming that page. The writer of that page was the sort of guy adventurers roll their eyes at and go, "'Chaotic Neutral'? Yeah, and I'm Lawful Good."
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18. Fuzzy Math: Once per day, whenever an adventurer rolls a natural 1 on a d20 or fails a d20 roll by 10 or more, she may reroll it. She gains a bonus on this roll equal to the number of modifiers added to or subtracted from the original roll. (Those modifers apply to the reroll as normal.) She must take the new result, even if it worse, and can not combine this ability with any other ability that grants rerolls.
19. Cheat Code: Adventurers are highly accustomed to different types of traps, and every now and then recognize one even as it's about to hit them. Once per day at 5th level, the adventurer can attempt to "recognize" a trap—and therefore know how to avoid it—by substituting her Knowledge (dungeoneering) bonus in place of any saving throws the trap requires (including saves against poison. This does not benefit anyone else caught in the trap's area.
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20. Mule's Stubbornness: Adventurers might occasionally lack convictions, but if there's anything they're utterly against, it's being told what to do by other people. At 6th level, whenever an enchantment affecting the adventurer contains caveats about commands that are contrary to the adventurer's point of view, the adventurer treats all directions as being as unacceptable as possible without negating the order entirely. For instance, a suggestion will never seem reasonable enough to impose a penalty on the save, but cannot be outright ignored. Meanwhile, dominate person grants the adventurer a new save with a +2 bonus whenever a new command is issued, even if the order is as innocuous and agreeable as "Stab the paladin in the shin."
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"Stab the Paladin in the shin" is something I would do willingly, domination be damned!
21 - Detect Everything: Gained at Level 12, you may use this ability a number of times per day equal to one quarter your number of levels + your Int/Wis modifier (whichever is higher, but not both). This ability serves as every Detect spell rolled into one (including Detect/Read Magic, Detect Psionics and Technomancy), but only for the purposes of anything that directly affects you or your party, such as the presence of a powerful enemy, a conveniently placed Magic/Psionic/Technological item, or nearly-unavoidable hazards like pockets of radiation.
22. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #6: Any Port In A Storm) An adventurer knowing Rule #6 does not need a tent, a bedroll, a campfire, or any sort of shelter, nor a suitable camping space (trees, swamps and a city sidewalk are all fair game), to make comfortable livable camp. Only the adventurer can use this space. She may make a Survival check to hide this space, countered by seekers' Perceptions as though she were using Stealth. This camp gives her a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves against environmental effects (such as rain or cold) while she lurks within.
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23. Adventurer's Rule:Rule #43: There is no cow tipping) An adventurer knowing rule 6 cannot be knocked prone, instead moving five feet from the source of the effect responsible without provoking attacks of opportunity. To select this rule the Adventurer must already rule 4 and be at least 6th level.
24. Adventurer's Rule:Rule #44: Threats. Why did it have to be Threats?) An adventurer knowing rule 44 gains the ranger's favoured enemy class feature as if their ranger level was equal to their Adventurer level, with the focus reset each time the adventurer rests and changing the first time the Adventurer is subject to an attack or effect to the source of that effect. In essence, the first threat the Adventurer encounters becomes his favoured enemy for the rest of the day.
25. Obligatory filth: An Adventurer of 2nd level or higher has already amassed a covering of grave-dirt, bone-dust, and other, stranger things that don't bear repeating. Because this is both overbearingly common among adventurers and fairly abhorrent to the general populace, an Adventurer gets +20 on disguise rolls to hide his or her specific identity but a -10 on disguise rolls to appear as any individual without levels in adventurer. These modifiers are discounted in the ten minutes directly following the adventurer being thoroughly doused in pure water.
25. Polite company and civil behaviour: An adventurer of 8th level or higher gains the improved unarmed strike feat and automatically scores a critical hit against any enemy he attacks with a natural or hidden weapon during the surprise round of combat.
26. Resourceful: At 10th level and every two levels after, the Adventurer gains one of the catch off guard, quick draw, improved dirty trick and improvised weapon mastery feats, even if they do not meet the prerequisites. In addition, he or she may drop an equipped armored coat as an immediate action to escape any ongoing grapple they did not initiate.
I really like the "NOPENOPENOPE" ability.
I think I'm gonna increase the required distance to 60 feet, just to prevent archers abusing it to skirt around battlefields.
27. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #67: Nobody Gets Left Behind) On the most rare of occasions, adventurers have been known to show the strangest sort of courage. Once per day, an adventurer knowing Rule #67 can lift a helpless or dead creature as a swift action during movement (including during a run). This provokes no attacks of opportunity. While carrying a creature, the adventurer can retrieve items from their back with the same action they would use to draw an item from their belt. Due to the tremendous discomfort the carrying style causes, this ability cannot be used on merely willing subjects. While carrying a subject, the adventurer receives a +2 bonus on CMB checks made to overrun.
Of course, less scrupulous adventurers might use this for last-ditch attempts at looting a friend's (or enemy's) corpse. Or even just as short-term battering rams. That's just how adventuring works, though—any seemingly good deed comes with a potential ulterior motive.
25. Obligatory filth: An Adventurer of 2nd level or higher has already amassed a covering of grave-dirt, bone-dust, and other, stranger things that don't bear repeating. Because this is both overbearingly common among adventurers and fairly abhorrent to the general populace, an Adventurer gets +20 on disguise rolls to hide his or her specific identity but a -10 on disguise rolls to appear as any individual without levels in adventurer. These modifiers are discounted in the ten minutes directly following the adventurer being thoroughly doused in pure water.
I really like this one. I also like the idea of an adventurer squirming out of their clothes/armor to escape a grapple.
28. Four-Legged Scamper: An adventurer never treats stairs as difficult terrain. When moving down stairs, the adventurer counts each square as half (so, two squares downwards would equal one square of movement).
29. Harry: Adventurers aren't exactly champions, but they can make it easier for those who are by waving their arms, dual-wielding airhorns, or just being generally obnoxious against specific foes. Whenever the adventurer succeeds on a dirty trick maneuver, she may choose to pass up on the normal effect and instead prevent the target from performing a certain action on its next turn. Examples of "banned actions" include:
- Targeting a subject of the adventurer's choosing with a spell or attack.
- Drinking a potion.
- Casting a specific spell (the adventurer need not make a Spellcraft check, but must have seen it cast by the subject previously).
- Moving in a certain direction.
- Drawing a weapon (targets with Quick Draw are immune to this).
The adventurer takes a -4 penalty to her Armor Class while using this ability and cannot make Attacks of Opportunity against anyone but the subject.
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30. Mercantile Savvy: For all the disparaging talk about their people skills, adventurers are experts at dealing with merchants, caravaneers, couriers, and the independently wealthy. An adventurer treats every settlement as though it were one size category larger for the purposes of whether magic items are available for sale in that settlement. In addition, she adds her adventurer level to Survival checks made to navigate to a settlement for the purpose of buying or selling merchandise, to Appraise and Sense Motive checks made during bargaining, and to any Bluff, Diplomacy, Sense Motive, and Knowledge checks made to convince someone to employ her or offer her work.
31. Adventurer's Rule:Rule #14: I can have that special ordered. Starting at 7th level, an adventurer who knows Rule #14 can name any item of value not more than 50% of her recommended WBL and announce her intention to purchase it. That item becomes available for purchase in the settlement she is currently in after 2d10 days. She must still pay the full value of the item, and must remain in the settlement until the item arrives or is custom-made. Alternatively, the adventurer can spend 2d4 days traveling in order to meet a courier on the road. Any Survival checks made while traveling in this way benefit from her Mercantile Savvy bonus. Either way, if she does not purchase the item upon arrival, it is immediately lost and the adventurer may not use this ability again for 30 days or until she has gained a level in adventurer.
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32. Adventurer’s Rule: (Rule #1: Don’t Panic) Adventurers routinely experience unusual and terrifying situations and can gain significant ability to overcome fear. An Adventurer knowing this rule can add their Adventurer level as a bonus to Will saves made against fear effects. This bonus stacks with their current Wisdom score bonus, even if their Wisdom is magically or otherwise enhanced, however it does not stack with any other bonuses to Will saves. The bonus only works against fear effects specifically. Possession of a towel in the Adventurer’s inventory gives an extra +1 to the bonus.
33. Adventurer’s Rule: (Rule #65: OK, It IS Time To Panic) An Adventurer knowing Adventurer’s Rule #2 (NOPENOPENOPE) may move as if affected by the Haste spell for a number of rounds equal to their Adventurer level, but ONLY for purposes of running away from or otherwise evading a stronger opponent. The opponent does not have to be specifically targeting the Adventurer, but it must be capable of (or the Adventurer must believe it is capable of) defeating the Adventurer.
During rounds this Rule is in effect, the Adventurer may act to aid others who are fleeing the opponent, but may not aid anyone attacking the opponent. They may not make attacks themselves, or perform attack actions such as Combat Maneuvers or casting direct damage or AOE attack spells. Also, any spell casting during rounds the Rule is in effect require a Concentration check for “Extremely violent motion while casting” (20 + spell level).
Bonuses to AC and Reflex saves, but not to attack rolls (which cannot be made during rounds this Rule is in effect), apply as per Haste.
34. Been Around the Block a Few Times: An Adventurer’s life experience and grit give them a +2 Class bonus to the following skills starting at level 8:
- Bluff
- Intimidate
- Knowledge (dungeoneering)
- Stealth
- Survival
35. Of Course I Already Have It Out: An adventurer of 11th level is always considered to have her weapon drawn right before combat starts, except in surprise rounds. If she has Quick Draw, she has her weapon drawn even in surprise rounds.
36. Trap Sensor: At 13th level, an adventurer automatically receives a Perception check to spot traps within 30 feet. She does not need to be able to see or hear to spot traps on this one check—even when blind or deaf, she always receives this free check.
37. Ceiling Watcher: At 2nd level, the adventurer gains a +4 bonus on Perception checks made to spot things hiding above them as long as they are indoors (including traps that come from above, like falling blocks). She gains a +4 Dodge bonus to AC against creatures that have elevation against her.
38. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #7: If You Can Swallow It, It's Edible) An adventurer with this trick can derive nutrients from anything she can consume nonfatally, including inorganic matter. This means that soft rocks, pieces of wood, dead gorgon and grass are all fully consumable for the skilled adventurer. Poisonous and diseased substances are as well, though they have their own problems. An adventurer can safely digest meat from creatures that deliver venom as long as they are not explicitly toxic throughout their bodies (so pufferfish is perfectly safe; Poison Golem is not).
39. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #11: When In Doubt, Stall) Possessing little interest in the dramatic, an adventurer knowing this rule is an expert on stalling. She can still take AoOs when on total defense. Whenever an enemy is attempting to speak during combat, she may immediately make a Bluff check opposed by the enemy's Sense Motive to "troll" the enemy into a rambling rant. If she succeeds, that enemy must expend a move action if she wants to say anything more. This does not affect verbal spellcasting or non-oratory verbal performance.
40.Adventurer's Rule(Main Character) Radiation will make peasants drop like flies, but adventurers get slightly ill while their mutation grows in. Likewise a fall from the moon will put them in a coma for half a day.
41. Camouflage: After an adventurer of 13th level has spent at least one night in a location (such as a dungeon, a castle, or a forest), she gains the benefits of Hide In Plain Sight within that area. She can only be camouflaged for one area at a time. When not actively attempting to sneak, the DC to see her is 1 + her Stealth bonus. She must deliberately wave her arms or otherwise behave very obviously (a standard action) if she wishes to save onlookers the Perception check. The DC to resist her Stench ability is increased by two while camouflaged.
42. Understanding: At 17th level, the adventurer's awareness reaches a new level. As a standard action, she may make a Perception check to identify all effects of the (figment) subschool within 15 feet, or a single potential figment she can sense of her choosing. Her check is opposed by the spell's save DC. If she succeeds, she knows it is an illusion and can see through it if she chooses.
43. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #8: When In Doubt, Be Difficult) Once per day, the adventurer may substitute her Perception bonus for her Will save against a single mind-affecting effect. The adventurer must be at least 14th level to select Rule #8.
44. Rotten Maneuvers: An adventurer treats her base attack bonus from her adventurer class levels as being equal to her adventurer level when making combat maneuvers against an opponent denied its Dexterity bonus to AC and CMD, as well as whenever she gains a flanking bonus against that target.
46. One adventure off retirement: Any Adventurer of 19th level or who is explicitly aware of being in the penultimate session of a campaign has been around more than long enough to know that then more than ever, an adventurer cannot afford to let their guard down. The adventurer gains a +10 dodge bonus, can never be caught flatfooted, always acts in a surprise round and automatically disbelieves all illusions. However, if the adventurer is killed, no effect short of divine intervention may return him or her to life.
47. Even I don't know how I did it: An adventurer of 20th level is considered immortal and gains a +10 Innate bonus to all attributes. However, if the Adventurer should ever gain experience for any reason, they are reduced back to 19th level and lose all benefits of that level, including this ability. This effect does not count as level drain and cannot be prevented.
Adventurers' rule (Rule #44:If it works, don't question it) An adventurer knowing this rule may score critical hits against creatures normally immune or resistant to them, and is considered to have rolled a modified total of 50 on any skill roll in which they roll a 20.
46. One adventure off retirement: Any Adventurer of 19th level or who is explicitly aware of being in the penultimate session of a campaign has been around more than long enough to know that then more than ever, an adventurer cannot afford to let their guard down. The adventurer gains a +10 dodge bonus, can never be caught flatfooted, always acts in a surprise round and automatically disbelieves all illusions. However, if the adventurer is killed, no effect short of divine intervention may return him or her to life.
47. Even I don't know how I did it: An adventurer of 20th level is considered immortal and gains a +10 Innate bonus to all attributes. However, if the Adventurer should ever gain experience for any reason, they are reduced back to 19th level and lose all benefits of that level, including this ability. This effect does not count as level drain and cannot be prevented.
48.Adventurers' rule (Rule #44:If it works, don't question it) An adventurer knowing this rule may score critical hits against creatures normally immune or resistant to them, and is considered to have rolled a modified total of 50 on any skill roll in which they roll a 20.
49. Everything Nailed Down: At 16th level, the adventurer gains the ability to take a room to pieces, kicking up a virtual storm of junk and debris around her as she searches. By moving at half speed, the adventurer can render every square she steps into difficult terrain. She may as a free action pick up anything within the squares she steps into. She gains soft cover during her movement. She is considered to be Taking Ten on all Perception, Appraise and Disable Device checks for treasure, locks, traps or monsters.
If the adventurer attempts to take something that is not physically easy to take (such as an adamantine door), she must expend a full move action in the square. If she would be able to take the object on the best possible d20 roll, be it for a Disable Device check to break some hinges or a Strength check to put a statue in a portable hole, she automatically succeeds. This benefit does not apply to hazards associated with retrieving the item such as traps—only to the physical act of taking it.
The difficult terrain can be removed by spending one full-round action per square to "clear it off".
50. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #10: Cant Talk Right Now) An adventurer knowing Rule #10 learns Adventurer's Cant, a secret language known only to certain adventurers. This language can be communicated verbally, visually, through taps or knocks, through smell bursts, or through strategically left marks in the dust on a dungeon's ceiling. Usually, a mix is used. A DC 25 Linguistics check is required for anyone who does not speak the language to even realize a language is being used. The spoken portion of the language largely consists of inside references and disparaging remarks about people or things nearby, and is therefore almost impossible for outsiders to understand. Even adventurers who know it sometimes express uncertainty, and one outright said, while heavily intoxicated "Yeaaaah...I got no f#!+in' idea what I just said, Martin. I was jus', like...kinda b#+!#+~$ting, like? Y'know, Martin?" The person he was talking to was named Sarah.
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51. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #39: Okay, Okay, Now Here's The Next Rule. Hold My Beer. Okay. See That Economy Over There? Watch This.) An adventurer knowing Rule #39 can imbue any item she holds worth less than 10 gp with a negative value. This takes a full-round action. She must roll 2d6 per level. This is the amount of negative gold pieces the item is now worth. She can only have one such item in her own possession at once—throwing it away does not work (someone always shows up to return it), but convincing someone to take it, or sneaking it onto someone's person, does. At 10th level, the negative value is measured in platinum pieces, and she can apply it to an item worth up to 1,000 gp. At 20th level, she can use it on an item worth up to 10,000 gp, and she can have as many of these items active as she likes. Go nuts, man.
52. To Battor with it!: The GM has declared that WBL is only for generating high level PCs. Most nobels will look like walking jewelry stores, even at first level.
53. No Big Deal: At 15th level, the adventurer can choose, once per day, to "Take Ten" on a saving throw. This operates identically to the Take Ten option for skill checks, but the adventurer is never considered rushed or threatened for the purposes of this check.
54. Trained Professional: At 12th level, the adventurer can always Take Ten on skill checks, even when rushed or threatened.
55. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #13: Don't Touch The Merchandise) An adventurer who knows this trick is never at risk of allowing held items to be damaged by rolling a 1 on a Reflex save. Against effects that specifically target carried, worn or wielded items, she gains a +4 bonus on any relevant saves.
56. Dragon's Greed: An adventurer of at least 4th level can instinctively tell if something she owns has been taken from her possession. Each round she interacts with wherever the item originally was (the trousers containing the relevant pocket, her backpack, a huge treasure chest), there is a 25% chance she spots the discrepancy. This chance applies even if the interaction is fully passive, such as simply wearing the backpack the item was taken from. The adventurer can also tell if items have been tampered with since their acquisition, but the chance is only 10%, and she may only check if she can physically sense the object through sight, touch, or the like.
57. Oh, No, It's One Of Those: At 7th level, an adventurer knows the exact Challenge Rating and Hit Dice of any monster she successfully identifies with a Knowledge check. If she succeeds by at least 5 points above the DC, she can ask for one of the following pieces of information from the GM:
- Its highest ability score, or what its score in a particular ability is.
- Whether it has a specific feat.
- Its creature type.
- Its speed and movement types.
- Whether it, when hitting on all of its strikes in a full attack, could knock unconscious a partymember of the adventurer's choosing.
58. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #3: Hold Together Or Fall Apart) The dungeons are dangerous, and not every adventurer has a "pocket medic" handy. An adventurer knowing this rule can, once per day, make a Heal check to bind her wounds together. This takes 1 minute. Upon completion, she heals herself hit points equal to the amount she rolled. This healing lasts 1 hour per level—when this time elapses, the temporary solution collapses and all her damage returns. She can only use this ability on herself.
59. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #3.5: FALL APART MEANS YOU DIE.) An adventurer knowing Rule #3.5 can bind her wounds together, as per Rule #3, to heal double the amount rolled. She can use this ability on others (any given subject can only be healed in this manner once per day), but they only heal an amount equal to the Heal check. As before, all damage returns after the given time (1 hour/level) has expired. The adventurer must know Rule #3 to learn Rule #3.5, and must be at least 12th level.
60. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #3.7: You Really Should Hire A Pocket Medic You Know) An adventurer knowing Rule #3.7 can use her healing ability, as per Rule #3, to remove ability damage or penalties. Instead of healing hit point damage, she heals 1 point of ability damage in any stat per 10 points in her Heal roll. She can heal multiple abilities in this manner (so, a Heal check of 20 could heal 1 point of Strength and 1 point of Dexterity). She may still only use this on herself once per day, and cannot later in the day use it to cure hit point damage, but if she knows Rule #3.5 she can use it on others. The ability healing is halved (rounding up). This ability damage returns later as normal. The adventurer must know Rule #3 to learn Rule #3.5.
61. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #16: Adventurer Knows This One Weird Trick That Could Save Your Life!) An adventurer knowing Rule #16 gains one new class skill of her choosing. The adventurer may take Rule #16 more than once, learning a new class skill every time.
62. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #21: There's Always A Way Out) If the adventurer knows this rule, she never takes circumstance penalties for using improvised tools in skill checks. She may always attempt to escape from bindings, even if the DC to escape from these bindings is higher than 20 + her CMB (in other words, she can benefit from a natural 20, or from her Escape Artist bonus ). If she is manacled, she may choose to substitute her Disable Device in place of Escape Artist checks.
63. Tooth and Nail: Adventurers do not like being contained. At all. At 8th level, the adventurer may as part of an Escape Artist or CMB check to escape a grapple also make an attack roll with a light or natural weapon, if she has access to such a weapon. If she hits, she gets a bonus on her check equal to her damage dealt. This extra attack is a swift action and is subject to standard penalties for being grappled. If the adventurer is pinned or otherwise cannot use natural or light weapons, she can choose instead to bite and scratch. This is treated as a natural attack that deals 1d3 damage (1d2 if small, 1d4 if large). She can use this even if she is otherwise prevented from using her bite or claw attacks, if any, but only as part of an attempt to escape. Any creature bit in such a way has a 10% chance of being exposed to filth fever, blinding sickness, or a similar disease (See Afflictions).
64. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #0: Fight-or-Flight.) Adventurers are often as seen as slightly less than human. If this is an true, it explains how dangerous it is to back one into a corner. If adventurer suffering from a fear effect compelling her to flee is prevented from fleeing the source, she enters a berserk rage. She is no longer treated as frightened and gains the benefits of Ferocity (as per the Bestiary ability), +4 Constitution and +4 Strength, but takes a –2 penalty to her AC. She must attack anyone attempting to stop her, including allies. She cannot end this rage voluntarily, and will flee if given an escape route free of AoOs. This route is solely designed to extricate her from the current fight and/or the source of her fear, and can potentially lead her into other dangerous situations. The rage ends when she is out of danger or dead. If she is no longer being pursued but would die if her rage ended, she may choose whether or not to continue fleeing as if still in danger. She may hold still for no more than one full round, then must either end the rage or continue fleeing.
65. Knack for Living: At 20th level, the adventurer becomes almost impossible to passively kill. She automatically succeeds at Constitution checks made to stabilize, regain consciousness, and heal from negative hit points. Any damage-dealing effect not delivered by a spell or attack with her as the primary target (such as weather, a fireball, or a monster's aura) always deals nonlethal damage. If it already deals nonlethal damage, she instead takes no damage. Whenever making a save against disease, poison, or negative levels, she rolls twice and takes the better result. Traps do not trigger for the adventurer. Swarms lacking hive minds and and mindless creatures always target the adventurer last unless directed to do otherwise by a sentient controller.
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66. Surgeon with the Hands of a God:They can convert someone's lethal damage to subdual if they beat DC20(30 if in the field) with their heal check. Sewing their own wounds does not cause a penalty but being in a threatened space adds 5 to the DC. They can just as easily prepare a corpse for raising or animating.
67. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #20: Take The Friends You Can Get) An adventurer knowing Rule #20 must choose one variety of creature from the following list: Land Birds, Air Birds, Felines, Canines, Burrowing Mammals, Spiders, Worms, Bats, Amphibians, Eusocial Animals, Flying Bugs That Don't Sting People, Other Bugs, Snakes, Lizards, Urban Pests (animals that have explicitly adapted to urban centers, that is), Herd Animals, Cephalopods, Fish, Monkeys (and lemurs and sloths, but not apes), Apex Predators, Carnivorous Dinosaurs, Non-Carnivorous Dinosaurs, or Marsupials. She gains a sort of "empathy" with this animal, as per Animal Empathy, except using her Wisdom bonus + her adventurer level. Animals of the chosen type are always initially one attitude step higher towards her than normal. If she knows "Cant Talk Right Now", these creatures can understand her cant as though she had cast speak with animals. If there is doubt over whether an animal qualifies for a particular group, Google is not a permitted method of ascertaining the truth, nor can the other players help the GM.
68. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #15: Trust The Recipe Book!) The adventurer knowing Rule #15 maintains a small pouch full of strange, magical, and/or extremely hazardous cooking ingredients and additives. When she learns this rule, she must choose three first-level alchemist extracts. By spending one round tinkering with a prepared food dish, the adventurer can apply the effects of one of those extracts to the food. Whoever eats it gains the benefits of the extract. The adventurer can use this ability once per week, as it takes time to recover new ingredients and properly "age" old ones. The adventurer can take this rule more than once, adding three new extracts to her recipe book and one more usage per week each time.
69. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #22: Don't Put Your...Just Don't Fool Around On The Job, Kid) The adventurer knowing this rule gains a +4 bonus on saves against effects that explicitly target based on attraction or the user's beauty (including a nymph's Blinding Beauty and a succubus kiss's suggestion, but not the kiss itself), as well as (charm) effects from subjects attempting to seduce her. She is never considered to be attracted to any gender—or, rather, is always considered to be attracted to the gender that is not currently attempting to manipulate her. She takes a -4 penalty on all Charisma-based checks except Intimidate towards anyone she is legitimately interested in, since an adventurer knowing this rule has essentially walled off those types of feelings.
70. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #25: You Can Never Be Too Careful!) An adventurer knowing Rule #25 can choose a single skill. When using this skill, she can choose to "Take 25". This functions identically to Take Twenty, taking roughly twenty-five times as long as a normal skill check, except that it allows the adventurer to assuming an impossible roll of 25 rather than 20.
71. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #24: Never Trust Anyone In Hostile Territory. Unless You Do) An adventurer knowing Rule #24 gains a +10 bonus on Sense Motive checks to gain a hunch on someone when in immediate danger, or when otherwise determined by the GM to be in a dangerous area. She can only determine with this hunch whether or not the subject is likely to be a danger to the adventurer's immediate goals within the area—any plans the subject has once out of danger are unknown. So, the adventurer would know if the "damsel" was in reality a vampire plotting to turn them all when their backs are turned, but not if the "damsel" was in reality a vampire with more long-term goals.
72. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #26: Remember the Golden Rule) An adventurer knowing Rule #26 can wield a burning object with only half the regular penalty for improvisation. Anything or anyone she strikes with a burning object that can burn must make a Reflex save, DC 15 (unattended nonmagical objects get no save), or catch on fire. An adventurer knowing this rule can light a torch or very flammable object with a tindertwig as a swift action, or anything else as a standard action. Using a flint and steel or magnifying glass to light a fire is a standard action and requires only one hand.
73. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #27: Waste Not, Want Not) An adventurer knowing Rule #27 can, as a full-round action, remove all gear (including clothing and up to light armor) from a corpse or helpless creature. By spending one minute, she may also take all armor, any "trophy" body parts, and one day's worth of meat. Holy s%~*. What is wrong with her?
74. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #28: Take My Love, Take My Land, Take My Life, Don't Touch My Stuff Please) An adventurer knowing Rule #28 absolutely abhors the damaging of her gear. Whenever an item in her possession would normally take damage, she may make a Reflex save with a DC equal to 5 + the damage dealt. If she succeeds, she takes the damage in her item's stead.
75. Busy Business: At 4th level, the adventurer must choose a terrain type (as per the ranger's Favored Terrain ability). If the adventurer later dies, a new character of the adventurer class can be introduced as soon as 1d4 rounds later—as long as they are currently within that terrain (even if the terrain is "Urban" and they're in a maximum security prison). If they are not, the new character is introduced as soon as they enter the terrain type. This new character can be almost indistinguishable from the original adventurer, and can at any point choose to walk out to be replaced with a different character should the player be dissatisfied with them or wish to play a class other than adventurer. At 12th level, the adventurer can extend this "replacement" option to a number of allied PCs equal to 1/4 her class level. The adventurer can choose another terrain type at 6th level, 11th level, 16th level, and so on.
76. Sniffer: At 8th level, the adventurer gains Scent, as the monster ability. She can use Scent to detect the presence of nearby precious metals, and can always make Perception checks to find traps, even while blinded.
Do you guys think I should move the "Adventurer Base Class Crowdsourcing Project" to the next stage? Posting has definitely slowed down, and even I'm having trouble thinking of new ideas. The next stage will involve collecting all these potential features and picking the best of the lot, probably by presenting them for comparison by other posters.
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77. That's just not possible: The adventurer has a healthy sense of the metanature of the environment and can apply a Greater Dispel Magic at his adventurer level as a full round Bluff Action. In short, he can enforce the laws of physics on a magical effect for a short time by convincing the universe it can't happen.
78, It's a magical world: The adventurer has a healthy sense of the absurdity sometimes inherent in the rules, and can overrule any protests that something is violating the laws of physics with a disparaging remark and successful Intimidation check (DC 20) against the quavering laws of Physics, arguing that a mundane effect that is clearly impossible under natural laws is nonetheless successful because 'magic, duh.' "Are you an idiot? Of course I can jump fifty feet without a problem, run a mile in two minutes, and punch through a brick wall with my pinkie. It's a magical world, duh! Why would I need a spell?"
==Aelryinth
77. That's just not possible: The adventurer has a healthy sense of the metanature of the environment and can apply a Greater Dispel Magic at his adventurer level as a full round Bluff Action. In short, he can enforce the laws of physics on a magical effect for a short time by convincing the universe it can't happen.
Free to Abjurationists and lawful characters.
78, It's a magical world: The adventurer has a healthy sense of the absurdity sometimes inherent in the rules, and can overrule any protests that something is violating the laws of physics with a disparaging remark and successful Intimidation check (DC 20) against the quavering laws of Physics, arguing that a mundane effect that is clearly impossible under natural laws is nonetheless successful because 'magic, duh.' "Are you an idiot? Of course I can jump fifty feet without a problem, run a mile in two minutes, and punch through a brick wall with my pinkie. It's a magical world, duh! Why would I need a spell?"
==Aelryinth
Free to Wild Mages, Savage Mages, and chaotic characters.
79. Crushing Charge: At 15th level, the adventurer becomes so accustomed to walking with massive amounts of gear that she can use it to crush her foes. As a full-round action, she can move up to triple her speed in a straight line toward one target and make a CMB check. If she is carrying what would for a non-adventurer be a light load, she takes a -2 on this check. If she is carrying what would be a Medium load, she gains a +2 on this check. If she is carrying what would be a Heavy load, she gains a +4 on this check. This maneuver provokes an attack of opportunity. If she succeeds, both she and her target are knocked prone, and she begins pinning her target. On future rounds, the target can attempt to escape as normal, and the adventurer must maintain the pin as normal. The adventurer adds the +2 or +4 to her CMB and CMD, if she has them, but the -2 for a light load no longer applies. The adventurer cannot use this attack on a creature more than one size greater than her.
80.Spike!When wearing armor spikes or spines, the sharp things auto attack anyone or thing that tries to grab, bite, or grapple them without wearing armor. The person, hedgehog, or cactus need not attack or even be conscious.
81. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #29: Waste Not, Want Not!) Adventurers often do not afford the dead the respect they deserve. An adventurer knowing this rule can as a full-round action convert an actual dead corporeal creature into one of the following items:
- A tower shield
- A backpack that can hold 1 foot of cubic material (this doubles on itself for every size category above Medium, but does not decrease for smaller entities)
- One day's worth of food for 1 subject per adventurer level (THIS IS NOT OKAY YOU CAN'T KEEP DOING THIS)
- An improvised two-handed bludgeoning weapon dealing 1d8 damage (2d6 if they were armored or made of metal, and likewise increased by size categories as normal). If they wore spikes or had an ability like the barbed devil's barbs, this damage is also applied.
- Alternatively, the adventurer can spend this action to render the body ineligible for raise dead, animate dead, and similar spells that require an intact corpse. She can also make the body inedible—any creature that attempts to partake must make a Fortitude save, DC equal to 10 + 1/2 adventurer level + her Int modifier, or be affected as if by poison.
A creature used as a weapon or shield can withstand 3d4 hits before breaking. This item otherwise lasts 1d4 days before breaking down.
82. Bonus Feat: The adventurer gains Endurance as a bonus feat at first level. At 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th and 20th level, the adventurer gains a new bonus feat. She must meet the prerequisites of this feat unless otherwise stated. The feats come from the following list:
Alertness
Athletic
Blind-Fight
Bloody Assault
Catch Off-Guard
Dirty Fighting
Combat Reflexes
Critical Feats (Critical Focus/Bleeding Critical/Crippling Critical/Sickening Critical/Tiring Critical/Exhausting Critical; BAB from adventurer levels is treated as equal to adventurer level for prerequisites)
Dastardly Finish (sneak attack replaced with 10 ranks in Sleight of Hand)
Deceitful
Deepsight
Defensive Combat Training
Deft Hands
Dodge
Eclectic
Elven Accuracy (elf not required, yeah f$*% you elves)
Extra Adventurer's Rule (can be taken once every four levels)
Fast Healer
Field Repair
Flanking Foil
Fortified Armor Training
Fleet (has effect no matter what armor is worn)
Gang Up
Go Unnoticed
Great Fortitude
Greater Blind-Fight
Improved Blind-Fight
Improved Critical
Improved Dirty Trick
Improved Drag
Improved Initiative
Improved Stonecunning
Improved Trip
Improvised Weapon Mastery
Intimidating Prowess
Iron Will
Keen Scent
Landing Roll
Lightning Reflexes
Light Step (f!%% you elves, you and your advanced ancient wise culture just got APPROPRIATE'D)
Low Profile (race requirement waived)
Magical Aptitude
Nimble Moves
Quick Dirty Trick
Quick Draw
Run
Self-Sufficient
Sharp Senses (keen senses waived in place of having Alertness or Skill Focus: Perception)
Siege Engineer
Skill Focus
Smash
Splintering Weapon
Stand Still
Stealthy
Step Up
Strong Comeback
Sure Grasp
Throw Anything
Toughness
Whirlwind Attack (Spring Attack and Mobility are waived, but adventurer must choose one combat maneuver that can be substituted for an attack: this is the only attack she can make with Whirlwind Attack)
83. Do You Have To Let It Linger?: An adventurer can keep something running long after it should have died off or moved on. Not unlike how I run this thread. An adventurer takes no penalty for fighting with broken weapons. If an enemy successfully sunders and destroys the adventurer's weapon, the adventurer may gain an immediate attack of opportunity with the destroyed weapon. She takes a -2 penalty to this attack roll, and rolls damage dice as if the weapon were two sizes smaller. After this, the weapon is broken as normal and considered to be embedded within the target creature. If the adventurer has the Splintering Weapon or Disposable Weapon feats, she always considers her weapons to be fragile (her AoO treats the weapon as breaking during the attack for the purposes of these feats).
84. Skills: Just a list of class skills for the adventurer.
The adventurer's class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (engineering), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha). The adventurer gains 1 additional class skill of her choice, and gains another one at 5th, 9th, 13th and 17th level.
85. Skill Ranks per Level: 8 + Int modifier.
86. Roguelike: At 10th level, the adventurer may choose either Climb, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Knowledge, Perception, Stealth, Swim or Use Magic Device. She gains skill unlocks with this skill as though she possessed Rogue's Edge, but is always treated as never having more ranks in the skill than her hit dice -5.
87. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #30: Metagame) The adventurer is always treated as having the most optimized combination of features for the task at hand. Once per day, she may sacrifice a number of skill points equal to her adventurer level to place half that amount in another skill. For instance, a sixth level adventurer could take up to six skill points from anywhere else on her sheet (say, 4 from Climb and 2 from Acrobatics) to place 3 skill points in Disable Device. This effect lasts for at least one hour, after which the adventurer can voluntarily terminate the effect whenever she pleases. This swap and the termination are both swift actions.
88. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #31: 'Cause a Rock Feels No Pain and a Biohazard Never Dies) The adventurer knowing this rule can bolster her stench to deadly levels. Once per day when using her Adventurer's Stench ability, she can choose to allow her full odor to emit. On the first round, the Stench merely sickens. On the second round, the Stench nauseates as normal. On the third round, however, those within the area are affected as if by cloudkill (the DC and bonuses for familiarity are unchanged). Those who were sickened or nauseated are considered to be outside the cloud now for the purposes of their condition durations. Nothing will ever grow naturally in the area where the adventurer triggered this ability. The adventurer must be at least 11th level to learn this rule.
89. Adventurer's Rule: (Rule #32: There's More Than One Way To Disable A Trap!) Whenever an adventurer triggers a trap she was aware of, she may immediately make a Disable Device check against the base DC +5. If she succeeds, the trap instead targets a subject in an adjacent square of her choosing. This trap functions even if the trap is something stationary, like a pit trap (though the trap does not physically move). The adventurer must be at least 8th level to learn this rule.
83B. Dead on it's feet. A summoned creature takes a few rounds to die so it threatens for a few rounds at negative hits before it falls down and vanishes.
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90 Secret handshake
The adventurer automatically recognizes other adventurers upon sight, and gains an instinctive awareness of which non-adventurers must be accepted at face value in order to achieve some greater purpose.
In the event that such a non-adventurer betrays them, the adventurer is immune to precision damage, critical hits, and gains a +4 to any Will save originating from the betrayer, but these bonuses only apply if the adventurer had previously voiced suspicion of impending betrayal.