Building "Scouts" -- a few questions for SW/Deadlands fans

[Forrester]

Howdy all. I'm not a Star Wars/Deadlands player, but I *am* a 3E DM looking to build a "Scout" class for 3E. Right now it's looking much like a ranger/rogue (surprise surprise), and I'm looking to give it a little more individuality.

Some who have looked at it have suggested that I check out the SW Scout (specifically, the "Skill Mastery" ability, but also a few other things), and someone else mentioned that my initial version of the scout looked a lot like the Deadlands d20 scout.

I have books for neither system, and it seems a bit of a waste to buy both of them to work on this one class idea.

So I was wondering if I could ask a favor:

Could someone give me a definition of the "Skill Mastery" ability? Also, are there feats/abilities that the Deadlands/SW Scouts have that would translate well into a 3E setting?

I would *much* appreciate it. By the way, here's the most recent version of my scout -- I want to switch out the sneak-attack ability and a couple of feats for some Scouty abilities:

Thanks much!

------------------------------------------------------
THE SCOUT.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d8.

Good Saves: Fort & Reflex

BAB: As ROGUE (very important difference – most alt.rangers progress as fighters).

Class Skills: Very rangery, but a touch of rogue:

Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Local)(Int), Knowledge (Nature)(Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex), and Wilderness Lore (Wis).

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int. modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int. modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Scouts are proficient with a weapon-set similar to that of rogues/bards. They are proficient with light and medium armor and shields.

Feat/Special Ability Progression:

1st level: Alertness, Bonus Feat
2nd level: Bonus Feat
3rd level: Sneak Attack (d6)
4th level: Uncanny Dodge (no dex loss when flat-footed)
5th level: Bonus Feat
6th level: Sneak Attack (2d6)
7th level: *Heightened Alertness* (Additional +2 to Spot, Listen)
8th level: Bonus Feat
9th level: Sneak Attack (3d6)
10th level: Uncanny Dodge (can’t be flanked)
11th level: Bonus Feat
12th level: Sneak Attack (4d6)
13th level: *Heightened Alertness* (Additional +2 to Spot, Listen)
14th level: Bonus Feat
15th level: Sneak Attack (5d6)
16th level:
17th level: Bonus Feat
18th level: Sneak Attack (6d6)
19th level: *Heightened Alertness* (Additional +1 to Spot, Listen)
20th level: Bonus Feat

 

[trancejeremy]

Can't help you with Star Wars, but whoever said it is right, your scout is almost exactly like the Deadlands scout. The difference being the special abilities

-----------------------
1 Bonus Language;Track
2 Alertness +2
3 Sixth Sense
4 Sneak Attack +1d6
5 Alertness +3; Bonus Language
6 Skill Focus
7
8 Alertness +4; Sneak Attack +2d6
9 Skill Focus
10 Bonus Language
11 Alertness +5
12 Sneak Attack +3d6
13 Skill Focus
14 Alertness +6
15 Bonus Language
16 Sneak Attack +4d6
17 Alertness +7
18 Skill Focus
19
20 Alertness +8;Bonus Language;Sneak Attack +5d6
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The Sixth Sense ability gives the scout an improved chance with his spot check when getting ambushed...a bonus of half his level (presumably scout level). And in cases of getting ambushed (or running into a trap) when he normally wouldn't get to make a spot roll, he now gets to make one (but without the bonus), with the DC either up to the DM or as an opposed roll of the ambushers's hide skill.



The Weird War 2 rulebook also offers a scout. It's more like a Ranger (probably too much for your taste), but at 3rd level it offers the 'Pathfinder' ability

Basically, when travelling in rough or poor conditions, he makes a wilderness lore check with a dc of 15, and if he's successful, total travel time is reduced by 25%. If it's 25 or higher, it's reduced by 50%.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Skill Mastery: Look under the Rogue Special Abilities. There you`ll find the description.

Pathfinder seems very similar to Trailblazing from StarWars...

 

[Voneth]

It depends on your purpose for a scout.

The Deadlands scout seemed more to be a military point man. He can detect ambushes and is a light sleeper (ironicly, this came in handy in a city once. With a liberal tranlsation of that abiltity, the DL scout was able to avoid city patrols when the party had to sleep on the streets on night.)

The Star Wars scout is more like a native guide and path finder.

 

[Forrester]

Thanks, guys. Skill Mastery was staring me in the face all along! Shees.

It's pretty damn good, though. I mean, take it in Spot & Listen & Hide -- if they can take 10 in each, all the time . . . wow.

Does the SW Scout get to apply it to 3+Int skills, too? At what level does he get it? Or is it more gradual -- like, he gets to use Skill Mastery with one skill every four levels, say?

Someone asked me the purpose of the Scout. It's really supposed to be a multi-purpose class.

It should work for those wanting to play a non-magical ranger.

It should work for NPC military scouts -- "warrior" and "fighter" don't work because of the lousy skill points/lack of Spot & Listen as class skills. And Rogue doesn't really work either. (Unless you think the scouts should be tumbling and sneak-attacking and Evading all over the place)

It should work for sentries of all kinds -- I had in mind, at first, goblin sentries (who really should start with both Alertness and some sort of Exotic Weapon Proficiency for that heavy ballista they've got in back), but really *any* sentry that isn't a lame-ass warrior mercenary should look something like this.

I also would like it to work for the woodsman/archers out there who want to get some archery feats, but want to have some *skills* as well. I suppose they could dual-class, and get 8 skill points one level, 2 skill points the next, but that just seems too choppy for such a pure character concept.

The only thing *all* of these have in common is that they need Alertness-like abilities, and perhaps/probably some sort of Endurance-type feat/ability.

In any case, as soon as I find out more about the SW Scout Skill Mastery (is it staggered, do they get it all at once, etc.), and whether he gets any other nifty abilities/feats, I'll work on Version 2.0.

Thanks for all the help so far -- but if someone can post the SW Scout abilities like someone posted the Deadlands Scout, I would be *greatly* appreciative!!

EDIT -- someone just sent me a detailed list of abilities for the SW Scout. Wow, they do get full Skill Mastery -- several times, meaning that by the time they're 20th level they can pretty much "Take 10" on *EVERYTHING*. Pretty cool!