Grimoire Rogue (3.5e Alternate Class Feature)
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Grimoire Rogue
An alternate rogue who gets all that a rogue needs to get... and then a little more.
Class: Rogue
Level: 1st
Replaces: If you select this class feature, the usual rogue abilities are replaced with the following rogue abilities.
Benefit: You gain the following abilities and feats:
Weapon Focus: Choose a single light weapon with which you are proficient. You gain Weapon Focus with that weapon.
Sneak Attack: If a rogue can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, he can strike a vital spot for extra damage.
The rogue's attack deals extra damage anytime he flanks his target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and increases by 1d6 every two rogue levels thereafter. Should the rogue score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied. With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (like a sap, whip, or an unarmed strike), a rogue can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. He cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty. Creatures that are normally immune to critical hits only take 1/2 damage from Sneak Attack.
Trapfinding: Rogues can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a DC higher than 20. Finding a nonmagical traps has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic traps has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. Rogues (and only rogues) can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A magic traps generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. A rogue who beats a trap’s DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with his party) without disarming it.
Shielded in Life: At second level, the rogue gains the Shielded in Life feat.
Two-Weapon Fighting: At second level, the rogue gains the Two-Weapon Fighting feat, even if he doesn't meet the prerequisites for it.
Cloak and Dagger (Ex): As he gains in knowledge and experience, the rogue learns to use an ally's distraction to fool an enemy into forgetting about him completely. At third level, the rogue counts as flanking whenever he and an ally both threaten the same foe, though the ally is not considered flanking unless they are on opposite sides.
Deft Blade (Ex): The rogue learns to calculate the enemy's movements, and often sticks his weapon right between the chinks of a creature's armor at just the right moment. At fourth level, the rogue gains a +1 competence bonus to attacks against enemies which he threatens. This bonus increases by one every four levels afterwards, up to a maximum of +5 at level 20.
Rogue Trick: Over his blossoming career, the rogue has learned a number of tricks that stand him by in times of trouble. A rogue gains a single Rogue Trick at level 4, and another every four levels afterwards from the following list. These count as extraordinary abilities unless otherwise specified.
- Acrobat: A rogue with this ability may use his Dexterity modifier instead of his Strength modifier on Climb and Jump checks.
- Bleeding Attack: 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. 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. Bleeding damage bypasses any damage reduction the creature might possess.
- Evasion: If the rogue makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the rogue is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless rogue does not gain the benefit of evasion.
- Fast Stealth: This ability allows a rogue to move at full speed using the Hide or Move Silently skill without penalty, though he still suffers the normal -20 penalties to hide and move silently for running or fighting if he performs those actions.
- Find Any Weak Spot: The rogue gains the Penetrating Strike feat.
- Grapple Line: The rogue becomes a master of using grapples and grappling lines. By firing a missile weapon designed as a grappling weapon at an unoccupied square and doing at least 1 point of damage to an object filling that square (wall, ceiling, statue, etc) or a securely affixed object (ceiling post, small statue affixed to floor, etc), the rogue can run a rope from his current potion to that location as a full round action. He may then use this rope to make Balance or Climb checks as normal.
- Heightened Senses: When within 10' of a trap or secret door, the DM may roll a secret spot check for the rogue to find the hidden object even if the rogue is not actively searching.
- Ledge Walker: This ability allows a rogue to move along narrow surfaces at full speed using the Balance skill without penalty. In addition, a rogue with this talent is not flat-footed when using Balance to move along narrow surfaces.
- Magic Trick: Choose a single level 0 spell from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. You may use this spell three times per day as a spell-like ability that requires a swift action. This trick may be taken multiple times, choosing a different level 0 spell each time.
- Poison Use: A rogue with this trick may prepare, apply, and use poison without any chance of poisoning himself.
- Quick Disable: It takes a rogue with this ability half the normal amount of time to disable a trap using the Disable Device skill (minimum is a swift action).
- Slip Free: The rogue gains a bonus to Escape Artist checks equal to the bonus to attacks he gets from Deft Hands.
- Speedster: The rogue gains the Dash feat.
- Suprise Attack: During a surprise round, a rogue is considered flanking all enemies even if he is not adjacent to them.
- Trap Sense: The rogue gains a bonus to Reflex saves made against traps equal to the bonus to attack he gets from Deft Blade.
- Tunnel Rat: 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.
- Wall Crawler: The rogue gains a climb speed equal to one-half his base speed.
- Uncanny Dodge: A rogue can react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. he retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.
Wrong Place, Right Time (Ex): The rogue has the ability to catch an opponent in mid-stride, getting underfoot just at the right moment to move them in just the wrong way. At sixth level, the rogue gains the ability to substitute his Dexterity modifier (rather than Strength) for Bull Rush and Trip attempts.
Improved Two-Weapon Fighting: At eighth level, the rogue gains the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat, even if he doesn't meet the prerequisites for it.
Improved Rogue Trick: As he becomes a journeyman at his craft, the rogue picks up new tricks that dazzle the eye and confuse the mind. A rogue gains a single Improved Rogue Trick at level 10, and another every four levels afterwards from the following list. These count as extraordinary abilities unless otherwise specified.
- Defensive Roll: The rogue gains the Defensive Roll feat.
- Improved Evasion: This ability works like Evasion, except that while the rogue still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks henceforth he henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless rogue does not gain the benefit of Improved Evasion. The rogue must have taken Evasion as a Rogue Trick to gain this trick.
- Improved Magic Trick: Choose a single level first-level spell from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. You may use this spell three times per day as a spell-like ability that requires a swift action. This trick may be taken multiple times, choosing a different level 0 spell each time. Only a rogue who has taken Magic Trick as a Rogue Trick may take this trick.
- Improved Uncanny Dodge: A rogue with this trick can no longer be flanked. This defense denies another rogue the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target does. The rogue must have taken Uncanny Dodge as a Rogue Trick to gain this trick.
- Nondetection: A rogue with this trick is protected by a constant Nondetection effect, with a caster level equal to his character level.
- Opportunist: Once per round, the rogue can make an attack of opportunity against an opponent who has just been struck for damage in melee by another character. This attack counts as an attack of opportunity for that round. Even a rogue with the Combat Reflexes feat can't use the opportunist ability more than once per round.
- Power Slide: If a rogue with this trick takes damage from an attack, he may allow himself to be flung backwards, thereby lessening the impact. He may make a Balance check with a DC equal to the damage inflicted and if he succeeds, he suffers only half damage. This is a skill check, not a Saving Throw, so abilities such as Evasion do not apply. He is moved away from the source of damage by 5' for every 5 points of damage (or part there of) negated in this way. If there is not enough space for him to move, he suffers a d6 of damage for each square not moved. If he passes through an occupied square, the rogue would have to make a tumble check to avoid attacks of opportunity, and falls prone if he ends up in the same square as another creature.
- See Me Not: Magical sensors and traps (such as Alarm, Explosive Runes, Glyph of Warding, or Symbol of Pain) automatically do not register, threaten, or harm a rogue with this trick unless triggered by another creature.
- Skill Mastery: The rogue becomes so confident in the use of certain skills that he can use them reliably even under adverse conditions. Upon gaining this ability, he selects five skills; when making a skill check with one of these skills, he may take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent him from doing so. A rogue may gain this special ability multiple times, selecting additional skills for skill mastery to apply to each time.
- Slippery Mind: This ability represents the rogue's ability to wriggle free from magical effects that would otherwise control or compel him. If a rogue with Slippery Mind is affected by an effect that requires a Will save and fails his saving throw, he can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. He gets only this one extra chance to succeed on his saving throw.
Greater Two-Weapon Fighting: At eighth level, the rogue gains the Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat, even if he doesn't meet the prerequisites for it.
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Character Options → Alternate Class Features
| Article Balance | High + |
| Author | Ghostwheel + |
| Class | Rogue + |
| Identifier | 3.5e Alternate Class Feature + |
| Rated By | Aarnott + and Leziad + |
| Rating | Rating Pending + |
| Summary | An alternate rogue who gets all that a rogue needs to get... and then a little more. + |
| Title | Grimoire Rogue + |
