a patrol “rescues” a gnome arbalestier
Prime Requisite: DEX, CON
Requirements: INT 9, CON 9
Hit Dice: 1d6
Maximum Level: 13
To many, “gnome” and “warrior” are two concepts that do not go together. However, gnomes and kobolds have been locked in war for as long as the two races remember. The gnomish arbalestier may be the pinnacle of gnomish warrior tradition to arise out of that conflict.
Gnomish arbalestiers are highly trained combatants. At first level, arbalestiers hit an unarmored foe (AC 0) with an attack throw of 10+. Like fighters, they advance in attack throws and saving throws by two points every three levels of experience. Gnomish arbalestiers gain an accuracy bonus of +1 to all attack throws with missile weapons. In addition, arbalestiers increase their base damage roll from successful missile and melee attacks by +1 at 1st level and by an additional +1 at 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th level. A gnomish arbalestier may make precision strikes with an arbalest or crossbow. On an attack throw scoring an unmodified 20 when using an arbalest or crossbow, the arbalestier inflicts double normal damage. A gnomish arbalestier that selects the Weapon Focus(crossbows) proficiency inflicts double normal damage on an attack throw scoring an unmodified 19 or 20. Experienced arbalestiers are renowned for the unbelievable, withering hail of fire they can produce. Beginning at 3rd level, a gnomish arbalestier’s following fire adds +1 to the cleave maximum of 2 with an arbalest or crossbow, for a maximum of 3. At level 7, this bonus increases to +2, and at level 13 it increases to +3.
Arbalestiers may only wear chain mail or lighter armor. Due to their short height, gnomish arbalestiers cannot use human-sized two-handed weapons, such as two-handed swords or pole arms, or longbows. They are trained to fight wielding a weapon and shield, wielding a weapon two-handed and wielding a weapon in each hand. The arbalestier can wield a broad selection of weapons, including the arbalest, battle axe, crossbow, dagger, dart, hand axe, short sword, spear, sword and war hammer.
Gnomish arbalestiers advocate stillness as the key to accuracy, and this same stillness can make an arbalestier difficult to spot, having the ability to seemingly disappear into woods and underbrush with a proficiency throw of 3+ on 1d20. In dungeons, an arbalestier who is motionless and quiet in cover can escape detection with a proficiency throw of 14+ on 1d20.
Gnomish arbalestiers may use any magic item usable by fighters.
Like all gnomes, arbalestiers have a nose for potions. They may make a proficiency throw of 11+ to determine the magical properties of a potion or oil on taste. Starting at 5th level, gnomish arbalestiers may brew potions as if mages of their class level. The gnomish tendency to underground life has granted them extended infravision to 90’. Gnomes speak the tongues of Dwarves, Elves, Goblins and Kobolds. In addition, gnomish arbalestiers can speak with animals (as the spell) at will. A lifetime spent in the company of illusionists leaves gnomish arbalestiers resistant to illusions made by others. They receive a +4 bonus on saving throws to disbelieve magical illusions.
A gnomish arbalestier who achieves enough fame and fortune from his adventures may build a gnomish vault when he reaches 9th level. Gnomes usually live in clans, so gnomes of the character’s clan will be the first to live under his roof, but gnomes from other clans will also come and live nearby to be ruled by the character. A total of 3d6x10 1st level NPCs of the same race will move in to help maintain and defend the vault at no cost to the character. A gnomish arbalestier is expected to employ only soldiers of gnomish descent, but may hire members of other races for other tasks.
Gnomish Arbalestier Proficiency List (29): Alertness, Ambushing, Beast Friendship, Blind Fighting, Caving, Combat Reflexes, Combat Trickery (disarm, sunder), Command, Eavesdropping, Endurance, Fighting Style, Goblin-Slaying, Intimidation, Leadership, Manual of Arms, Military Strategy, Mountaineering, Mystic Aura, Passing Without Trace, Precise Shooting, Running, Siege Engineering, Skirmishing, Sniping, Swashbuckling, Trapping, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus
Experience
|
Level
|
Title
|
Hit Dice
|
Damage Bonus
|
0
|
1
|
Sentry
|
1d6
|
+1
|
2,250
|
2
|
Warden
|
2d6
|
+1
|
4,500
|
3
|
Quarrelbearer
|
3d6
|
+2
|
9,000
|
4
|
Defender
|
4d6
|
+2
|
18,000
|
5
|
Sentinel
|
5d6
|
+2
|
36,000
|
6
|
Guardian
|
6d6
|
+3
|
72,000
|
7
|
Champion
|
7d6
|
+3
|
144,000
|
8
|
Arbalestier
|
8d6
|
+3
|
279,000
|
9
|
Vaultlord
|
9d6
|
+4
|
414,000
|
10
|
Vaultlord, 10th lvl
|
9d6+2*
|
+4
|
549,000
|
11
|
Vaultlord, 11th lvl
|
9d6+4*
|
+4
|
684,000
|
12
|
Vaultlord, 12th lvl
|
9d6+6*
|
+5
|
819,000
|
13
|
Vaultlord, 13th lvl
|
9d6+8*
|
+5
|
*Hit point modifiers from constitution are ignored
Hit Dice
|
Fighting
|
Thievery
|
Divine
|
Arcane
|
Gnome
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Armor from Unrestricted to Broad for 1 custom power
Weapons from Unrestricted to Broad for 1 custom power
XP Calculation: 500 + 1300 + 200 + 250 = 2250 at 2nd level
Gnomish Arbalestier Templates
3d6
Roll
|
Template
|
Proficiencies
|
Starting Equipment
|
3-4
|
Artful Dodger
|
Swashbuckling,
Gambling
|
Discarded crossbow, case with 20
bolts, dagger, threadbare tunic and pants, leather belt, low boots, backpack,
tinderbox, 12 torches, 1 week’s iron rations
|
5-6
|
Hair-trigger Quarreler
|
Combat Reflexes,
Intimidation
|
Balky crossbow, case with 20 bolts, war
hammer, hide armor, cheap wool tunic and pants, leather belt, low boots,
backpack, tinderbox, 12 torches, 1 week’s iron rations, 2gp
|
7-8
|
Tunnel Runner
|
Ambushing,
Caving
|
Spear, darts(10), 2 hand axes, short
sword, leather armor, wooden target shield, wool tunic and pants, leather
belt, low boots, backpack, tinderbox, 12 torches, 2 flasks of military oil, 2
week’s iron rations, 2gp
|
9-10
|
Kobold Trapper
|
Trapping,
Tracking
|
Crossbow, case with 20 bolts, war hammer,
ring mail armor, wool tunic and pants, leather belt, low boots, backpack, frayed
wool blanket, tinderbox, lantern, 2 flasks of common oil, 50’ rope, 1 week’s
iron rations
|
11-12
|
Kobold Slayer
|
Goblin-Slaying,
Endurance
|
Crossbow, case with 20 bolts, battle
axe, 2 hand axes, chain mail armor, steel target shield painted with vault
insignia, military cloak, wool tunic and pants, leather belt, low boots, backpack,
wool blanket, tinderbox, 12 torches, 1 flask of military oil, 2 week’s iron
rations, 2gp
|
13-14
|
Sharpshooter
|
Fighting Style (missile weapon),
Craft (weaponsmith)
|
Arbalest, case with 20 bolts, war
hammer topped by a rest for supporting an arbalest for long distance shots, short
sword, chain mail armor, steel buckler, hooded cloak, wool tunic and pants,
leather belt, low boots, backpack, wool blanket, tinderbox, lantern, 2 flasks
of common oil, 1 week’s iron rations
|
15-16
|
Alpine Scout
|
Mountaineering,
Survival
|
Arbalest, case with 20 bolts, pickaxe,
hand axe, dagger, chain mail armor, hooded wool cloak, wool tunic and pants, wool
suspenders, low boots, backpack, wool blanket, tinderbox, lantern, 2 flasks
of common oil, grappling hook, 50’ rope, small hammer, iron spikes(12), 1
week’s iron rations
|
17-18
|
Highborn
|
Command,
Riding
|
Arbalest, case with 20 bolts, war
hammer carved with clan emblem, spear with clan emblem pennant, sword, dagger,
chain mail armor, steel shield painted with clan emblem, embroidered hooded
cloak, wool tunic and pants, leather belt, low boots, wool blanket, tinderbox,
12 torches, 1 week’s iron rations, mule, riding saddle and tack, saddlebags, 6gp
|
Notes: The artful dodger’s discarded crossbow is -1 to attacks and damage. The hair-trigger quarreler’s balky crossbow is -1 to initiative. The alpine scout’s pickaxe is a type of battle axe.