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Rogue

Life is an endless adventure for those who live by their wits. Ever just one step ahead of danger, rogues bank on their cunning, skill, and charm to bend fate to their favor. Never knowing what to expect, they prepare for everything, becoming masters of a wide variety of skills, training themselves to be adept manipulators, agile acrobats, shadowy stalkers, or masters of any of dozens of other professions or talents. Thieves and gamblers, fast talkers and diplomats, bandits and bounty hunters, and explorers and investigators all might be considered rogues, as well as countless other professions that rely upon wits, prowess, or luck. Although many rogues favor cities and the innumerable opportunities of civilization, some embrace lives on the road, journeying far, meeting exotic people, and facing fantastic danger in pursuit of equally fantastic riches. In the end, any who desire to shape their fates and live life on their own terms might come to be called rogues.

Role: Rogues excel at moving about unseen and catching foes unaware, and tend to avoid head-to-head combat. Their varied skills and abilities allow them to be highly versatile, with great variations in expertise existing between different rogues. Most, however, excel in overcoming hindrances of all types, from unlocking doors and disarming traps to outwitting magical hazards and conning dull-witted opponents.


Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d8

Starting Wealth: 4d6 × 10 gp (average 140 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills
The rogue's class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise(Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis),Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks per Level: 8 + Int modifier.

Table: Rogue
Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
1st
+0
+0
+2
+0
Sneak attack, Trapfinding, Finesse
2nd
+1
+0
+3
+0
EvasionRogue Talent
3rd
+2
+1
+3
+1
Trap Sense, Sneak attack +2d6
4th
+3
+1
+4
+1
Rogue talentUncanny Dodge
5th
+3
+1
+4
+1
Cunning Strike, Sneak attack +3d6
6th
+4
+2
+5
+2
Rogue talent, Bonus Feat
7th
+5
+2
+5
+2
Sneak attack +4d6
8th
+6/+1
+2
+6
+2
Rogue Talent, Improved Uncanny Dodge
9th
+6/+1
+3
+6
+3
Sneak attack +5d6
10th
+7/+2
+3
+7
+3
Advanced talentsrogue talent
11th
+8/+3
+3
+7
+3
Sneak attack +6d6
12th
+9/+4
+4
+8
+4
Rogue talent, Bonus Feat
13th
+9/+4
+4
+8
+4
Sneak attack +7d6
14th
+10/+5
+4
+9
+4
Rogue talent
15th
+11/+6/+1
+5
+9
+5
Sneak attack +8d6
16th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+5
Rogue talent
17th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+5
Sneak attack +9d6
18th
+13/+8/+3
+6
+11
+6
Rogue talent, Bonus Feat
19th
+14/+9/+4
+6
+11
+6
Sneak attack +10d6
20th
+15/+10/+5
+6
+12
+6
Master strikeRogue Talent

Class Features
The following are class features of the rogue.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Rogues are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, and short sword. They are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

Sneak Attack
If a rogue can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

The rogue's attack deals extra damage anytime her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks her 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. Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

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. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty.

The rogue must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A rogue cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment.

Trapfinding
A rogue adds 1/2 her level to Perception skill checks made to locate traps and to Disable Device skill checks (minimum +1). A rogue can use Disable Device to disarm magic traps.

Finesse
At 1st level the rogue gains the feat Weapon Finesse.

Evasion (Ex)
At 2nd level and higher, a rogue can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she 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.

Rogue Talents
As a rogue gains experience, she learns a number of talents that aid her and confound her foes. Starting at 2nd level, a rogue gains one rogue talent. She gains an additional rogue talent for every 2 levels of rogue attained after 2nd level. A rogue cannot select an individual talent more than once.

Talents marked with an asterisk add effects to a rogue's sneak attack. Only one of these talents can be applied to an individual attack and the decision must be made before the attack roll is made.

(Editor's Note: A complete listing of rogue talents can be found here: Rogue Talents)

Advanced Talents
At 10th level, and every two levels thereafter, a rogue can choose one of the following advanced talents in place of a rogue talent.

(Editor's Note: A complete listing of advanced rogue talents can be found here: Advanced Rogue Talents)

Trap Sense (Ex)
At 3rd level, a rogue gains an intuitive sense that alerts her to danger from traps, giving her a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. These bonuses rise to +2 when the rogue reaches 6th level, to +3 when she reaches 9th level, to +4 when she reaches 12th level, to +5 at 15th, and to +6 at 18th level. Trap sense bonuses gained from multiple classes stack.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
Starting at 4th level, a rogue can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She cannot be caught flat-footed, nor does she lose her Dex bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible. She still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. A rogue with this ability can still lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action (see Combat) against her.

If a rogue already has uncanny dodge from a different class, she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.

Cunning Strike
At 5th level the Rogue gains the feat Cunning Strike regardless if he meets the prerequisites.

Bonus Feat
At 6th level and every 6 levels thereafter the rogue gains a bonus feat which he meets the prerequisites for.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
A rogue of 8th level or higher can no longer be flanked.

This defense denies another rogue the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target does.

If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.

Master Strike (Ex)
Upon reaching 20th level, a rogue becomes incredibly deadly when dealing sneak attack damage. Each time the rogue deals sneak attack damage, she can choose one of the following three effects:

The target can be put to sleep for 1d4 hours, paralyzed for 2d6 rounds, or slain

Regardless of the effect chosen, the target receives a Fortitude save to negate the additional effect. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the rogue's level + the rogue's Intelligence modifier. Once a creature has been the target of a master strike, regardless of whether or not the save is made, that creature is immune to that rogue's master strike for 24 hours. Creatures that are immune to sneak attack damage are also immune to this ability.