The Gnomish Shadowslayer

"Don't be afraid of the dark. Be afraid of what's in the dark."

Pitch Black, 2000

Prime Requisite: DEX and CON

Requirements: INT 9, CON 9

Hit Dice: 1d6

Maximum Level: 11

Somewhere between the darkness and the light stalks the gnomish shadowslayer. Combining the prowess of the gnomish arbalestier with the illusion of the gnomish trickster, shadowslayers are a living nightmare to the enemies of gnomish kind.

Gnomish shadowslayers are highly trained combatants. At first level, shadowslayers 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 shadowslayers gain an accuracy bonus of +1 to all attack throws with missile weapons. In addition, shadowslayers increase their base damage roll from successful missile and melee attacks by +1 at 1st level and by an additional +1 at 3rd, 6th and 9th level.

Shadowslayers may only wear chain mail or lighter armor. Due to their short height, gnomish shadowslayers 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 shadowslayer can wield a broad selection of weapons, including dagger, short sword, spear, sword, war hammer and any missile weapon.

Gnomish shadowslayers may backstab as a thief. Note that the shadowslayer must be in leather armor or lighter, and be free of a shield to do so. When eligible to backstab his opponent, the gnomish shadowslayer may do so by sniping using ranged weapons at up to short range.

Once per hour, gnomish shadowslayers can cast chameleon, faerie fire, silent step and ventriloquism. Each of these spells takes one round to cast, and otherwise functions like a normal spell cast by a mage of his class level. As they advance, gnomish shadowslayers progress into very limited casting of arcane spells. Starting at 3rd level, they will learn and cast spells as mages of one-third their level, using the same spell list and the same rules for learning and casting spells. Unlike (human) mages, gnomish shadowslayers can also cast spells while wearing armor.

Gnomish shadowslayers may use any magic item usable by fighters.

Like all gnomes, shadowslayers 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 shadowslayers 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 shadowslayers can speak with animals (as the spell) at will. A lifetime spent in the company of illusionists leaves gnomish shadowslayers resistant to illusions made by others. They receive a +4 bonus on saving throws to disbelieve magical illusions.

A gnomish shadowslayer 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 shadowslayer is expected to employ only soldiers of gnomish descent, but may hire members of other races for other tasks.

Gnomish Shadowslayer Proficiency List (31): Alertness, Arcane Dabbling, Bargaining, Beast Friendship, Blind Fighting, Bribery, Caving, Climbing, Combat Reflexes, Combat Trickery (disarm, incapacitate), Contortionism, Disguise, Eavesdropping, Familiar, Fighting Style, Goblin-Slaying, Intimidation, Magical Engineering, Mystic Aura, Passing Without Trace, Precise Shooting, Prestidigitation, Quiet Magic, Running, Skirmishing, Swashbuckling, Trapping, Unflappable Casting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus

Experience	Level	Title	Hit Dice	Damage Bonus	Backstab	1	2
0	1	Gnomish Apprentice	1d6	+1	x2
3,075	2	Gnomish Assistant	2d6	+1	x2
6,150	3	Gnomish Shadowslayer	3d6	+2	x2	1
12,300	4	Gnomish Shadowslayer	4d6	+2	x2	1
24,600	5	Gnomish Shadowslayer	5d6	+2	x3	1
49,200	6	Gnomish Shadowslayer	6d6	+3	x3	2
100,000	7	Gnomish Shadowslayer	7d6	+3	x3	2
200,000	8	Gnomish Shadowslayer	8d6	+3	x3	2
335,000	9	Gnomish Vaultlord	9d6	+4	x4	2	1
470,000	10	Gnomish Vaultlord, 10th lvl	9d6+2*	+4	x4	2	1
605,000	11	Gnomish Vaultlord, 11th lvl	9d6+4*	+4	x4	2	1

*Hit point modifiers from constitution are ignored

Custom Class Build Information

Hit Dice	Fighting	Thievery	Divine	Arcane	Gnome
1	2	1	0	0	2

Trade-Offs

Armor from Unrestricted to Broad for 1 custom power

Weapons from Unrestricted to Broad for 1 custom power

XP Calculation: 500 + 1300 + 200 + 1075 = 3,075 at 2nd level

ACKS Surprise and Sneaking

There is a school of thought in roleplaying game design that once you define something as a “skill”, you restrict that action to only characters that have that skill. Designers and Judges have wrestled with this issue over the years, with a general trend toward unified mechanics, comprehensive skill lists and defined, default “everyman” use of certain skills. The weight of this approach can become quite heavy.

The Adventurer, Conqueror, King System core rules on Surprise and Sneaking demonstrate how we can have our cake and eat it too. The Thief Skills of Hide in Shadows and Move Silently are just one, additional approach to sneaking. A Barbarian’s bonuses to surprise are another path to effective sneaking, and even the Fighter in plate armor can sneak up on an inattentive monster.

When I first read this handful of paragraphs on Surprise and Sneaking in the core rules, I was struck by how simple the approach was to understand. However, it can be difficult to explain to a new player without saying “read this”. I wanted to be able to reference the process quickly. I re-wrote the descriptive text of the core rules into a series of Yes|No questions and answers, to lead a new player through the process. I fear it comes out looking more complicated than it is really is in play, but I hope the use of color and indentation improves the presentation.

Is(are) target(s) attentive?

    Yes

        Is concealment applicable?

            Yes

                Hide in Shadows (or similar) successful?

                    Yes

                        Move Silently (or similar) successful?

                            Yes

                                Surprise! Or sneak by (move for one round).

                            No

                                Target(s) Hear Noise successful?

                                    Yes

                                        Target(s) surprise roll successful?

                                            Yes

                                                Initiative ...

                                            No

                                                Surprise! Or sneak by (move for one round).

                                    No

                                        Surprise! Or sneak by (move for one round).

                    No

                        Target(s) surprise roll successful?

                            Yes

                                Initiative ...

                            No

                                Surprise! Or sneak by (move for one round).

            No

                Target(s) surprise roll successful?

                    Yes

                        Initiative ...

                    No

                        Surprise! Or sneak by (move for one round).

    No

        Target(s) Hear Noise successful?

            Yes

                Target(s) surprise roll successful?

                    Yes

                        Initiative ...

                    No

                        Surprise! Or sneak by (move for one round).

            No

                Surprise! Or sneak by (move for one round).