Arkhandus
First Post
This is a prestige class I worked up last week, but haven't gotten around to typing up a full description for it's background and purpose yet. I'll have that part done soon, but for now would like to post what I have and see if it's something that could be put into the revised setting guide. Unfortunately, the beta version of the guide didn't really have many organizations described within, and they were largely focused on just a few nations and professions, leaving little room for most PCs to become part of a suitable organization.
The following prestige class is basically an adventurer's adventurer, a diehard explorer, relic hunter, scholar of ancient lore, and dungeon-delver. This prestige class is basically open to many types of adventurer, as long as they have the drive. I have a new organization in mind for the prestige class, but as noted above, I haven't yet typed up all the background. The Guild Adventurer belongs to the Freelance Adventuring League (I could use some suggestions on better names, of course), a relatively small organization spread out across Aerde over the last few decades probably, not particularly well-known yet. Guild Adventurers uncover lost relics and ancient lore, delving into the ruins of old castles, tombs, and reliquaries to recover lost knowledge and historic items for their collection, and to share with the world at some point when the Guild gains some widespread public reputation and doesn't need to hide its headquarters any longer.
GUILD ADVENTURER OF THE FREELANCE ADVENTURING LEAGUE
(background description to follow soon)
Hit Dice: d8.
REQUIREMENTS
In order to become a Guild Adventurer, a character must meet the following prerequisites.
Base Attack Bonus: +3 or higher.
Knowledge (either Arcana or Religion): 4+ ranks.
Knowledge (either Dungeoneering or History): 4+ ranks.
Knowledge (either Geography or Nature): 4+ ranks.
Listen or Spot: 7+ ranks.
Search: 4+ ranks.
Feats: One of the following - Great Fortitude, Iron Will, or Lightning Reflexes; as well as one of the following - Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse, or Weapon Focus; and also one of the following - Alertness, Endurance, or Skill Focus (any one skill from the above prerequisites).
Special: Must become a member of the Freelance Adventuring League and visit their headquarters before acquiring this prestige class, and must donate one historic item that is not already in the collection of the League, be it a relic, important literary work, permanent magic item, ancient map, or other significant find.
The Guild Adventurer
Level__Base Attack___Fort__Ref___Will__Special
1_______+0_________+0___+2___+0___Trapfinding, Trap Sense +1, Professional Effort
2_______+1_________+0___+3___+0___Wily Fighter, Bonus Language
3_______+2_________+1___+3___+1___Fearless
4_______+3_________+1___+4___+1___Evasion, Trap Sense +2
5_______+3_________+1___+4___+1___Bonus Feat, Bonus Language
6_______+4_________+2___+5___+2___Stonecunning
7_______+5_________+2___+5___+2___Slippery Mind, Trap Sense +3
8_______+6_________+2___+6___+2___Bonus Feat, Bonus Language
9_______+6_________+3___+6___+3___Awareness
10______+7_________+3___+7___+3___Mettle, Trap Sense +4
CLASS FEATURES
The following are class features of the Guild Adventurer.
Class Skills: The class skills of a Guild Adventurer (and the key ability for each) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Speak Language, Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex). Guild Adventurers come from a variety of backgrounds and pursue various methods of acquiring the ancient lore, relics, and treasure they seek, which often takes them into dangerous situations where they must tread carefully or move quickly.
Skill Points Per Level: 6 + Intelligence modifier.
Weapon And Armor Proficiency: The Guild Adventurer gains proficiency in all simple weapons, all light armors, and all shields, including tower shields. They often must defend themselves or fight their way through uncooperative natives to reach their goals, or to at least escape with their lives, and Guild Adventurers all learn how to effectively defend themselves with the best equipment they can acquire. However, they also tend to need mobility to escape dangerous situations like a collapsing cavern or tomb, so they generally prefer armor that doesn't hinder in those situations, especially since they need quick reflexes more often than not.
Trapfinding: Guild Adventurers often have to bypass or disarm traps in the ancient tombs, dungeons, catacombs, fortresses, forsaken temples, and abandoned mage towers that they visit to recover ancient relics and lore. Thus, all Guild Adventurers learn to find and handle traps in the same manner as a Rogue.
Trap Sense (Ex): As they must frequently get around ancient traps, Guild Adventurers hone their instincts and reflexes in order to evade such dangers, for those occasions when the Guild Adventurer fails to discover and disarm the trap beforehand. At 1st-level in this prestige class, the character gains a +1 bonus on Reflex saves to avoid traps, and a +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class against attacks by traps. These bonuses increase to +2 at 4th-level as a Guild Adventurer, then improve to +3 at 7th-level, and increase again to +4 at 10th-level. Trap Sense bonuses from multiple classes stack, and all dodge bonuses stack when applicable. Dodge bonuses stack, unlike most other types, and are normally lost whenever the character is being denied a Dexterity bonus to AC, whether or not their Dexterity modifier is positive. Trap Sense is an extraordinary ability.
Professional Effort (Ex): The Guild Adventurer is a professional at what they do, so danger and desperation are their bread and butter. Guild Adventurers always try to stay calm under pressure, and master this with certain skills they are particularly experienced with. Professional Effort is an extraordinary ability. A Guild Adventurer chooses a number of skills at 1st-level in this class, up to 3 + their Intelligence modifier, but the Guild Adventurer must choose skills with which they have at least 5 ranks. They may take 10 on checks with the chosen skills regardless of threats, distractions, stress, or the like. In addition, as a special function useable once per day, the Guild Adventurer can focus their minds so clearly on a task that they can apply their best effort to it. Using this function does not take any action in and of itself, it is merely part of the action this is applied to. The Guild Adventurer can apply this use of Professional Effort to any single skill check, attack roll, or saving throw each time, and that roll gains a competence bonus equal to the Guild Adventurer's level in this prestige class plus his or her highest ability modifier between Intelligence and Wisdom.
Wily Fighter (Ex): Using their canny minds and adventuring experience, Guild Adventurers are often able to puzzle their way out of situations or analyzing things to find a momentary advantage. After achieving 2nd-level in this prestige class, the Guild Adventurer adds their Intelligence or Wisdom modifier, whichever is highest, to Armor Class as a dodge bonus. Dodge bonuses stack, unlike most other types, and are normally lost whenever the character is being denied a Dexterity bonus to AC, whether or not their Dexterity modifier is positive. Alternatively, at the beginning of the Guild Adventurer's turn in combat, he or she may choose to apply the bonus from Wily Fighter to their attack rolls instead of Armor Class, or they may instead choose to apply the bonus to their damage rolls with weapons, unarmed strikes, and natural weapons. When doing so, the bonus from Wily Fighter applies to such rolls until the Guild Adventurer's next turn, and the bonus can only be applied to one of these three options at any given time. If applying the bonus of Wily Fighter to damage rolls, then it does not apply beyond two range increments if using a ranged weapon, and regardless, the bonus damage is only effective against creatures that are subject to critical hits and who do not have any degree of concealment against the Guild Adventurer's attacks currently. Also, the bonus damage is not multiplied on a critical hit. Wily Fighter does not apply when the Guild Adventurer wears medium or heavy armor, nor when carrying more than a light load, as it demands very quick reaction. Also, the bonus from Wily Fighter at any given time will not exceed one-half the character's current level in the Guild Adventurer prestige class, rounded down.
Bonus Languages: As the Guild Adventurer must travel far and wide to unearth relics and lore, they also must deal with a variety of people and cultures across the world. To converse with all these different people, as is often necessary to find rumors, supplies, guides, and support, the Guild Adventurer learns new languages frequently. At 2nd-level the character learns one new language, and he or she learns another at 5th-level, and one more at 8th-level. These can be any non-restricted languages that the Guild Adventurer can learn from the people he meets and the libraries he studies in. However, the Guild Adventurer can learn a restricted language if he can find a willing teacher that knows the desired language thoroughly.
Fearless (Ex): A Guild Adventurer steels themselves against the vast dangers they must face in this line of work, training themselves to ignore their fear and shed it. Thus, all Guild Adventurers of 3rd-level and higher are immune to fear, as an extraordinary ability.
Evasion (Ex): Guild Adventurers must be nimble and wary to avoid all the dangers inherant to their lifestyle, from dodging traps to avoiding Fireball spells and more. By 4th-level in this prestige class, the character has accumulated a good deal of experience and training in such maneuvers, so they take no damage on a successful Reflex save against any effect that would normally allow a Reflex save for half damage. If the character already possessed Evasion from another source beforehand, then instead they gain Improved Evasion at 4th-level in this class. Improved Evasion means that the Guild Adventurer suffers only half damage when he or she fails a Reflex saving throw against any effect that would normally deal half damage on a successful Reflex save. Regardless, this is an extraordinary ability, and does not apply when helpless, immobilized, carrying more than a light load, or wearing medium or heavy armor.
Bonus Feats: A Guild Adventurer must learn many skills and techniques to complete their dangerous quests, so each Guild Adventurer acquires a bonus feat at 5th-level in this prestige class. They gain another bonus feat at 8th-level. These are in addition to the feats gained from standard character level progression, and these can be any feats the character qualifies for.
Stonecunning (Ex): By 6th-level in this class, a Guild Adventurer is as familiar with underground areas and stonework structures as most dwarves. If they're a dwarf themselves, then they have developed an especially keen sense for these things after much delving and exploring. This is an extraordinary ability. If the character did not already possess the Stonecunning ability, they now gain it exactly like a dwarf's racial ability of the same name, except that the bonuses are competence rather than racial in type. This means the character gains a +2 competence bonus Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn't stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A Guild Adventurer of at least 6th-level who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he or she were actively searching. A Guild Adventurer of 6th-level or higher can also intuit depth, sensing his or her approximate depth underground as naturally as anyone can sense which way is up. If the character already possessed the Stonecunning ability prior to gaining 6th-level in this prestige class, then they instead gain a +3 competence bonus on the Search checks mentioned above, and they are entitled to Search checks whenever they pass within 15 feet of unusual stonework.
Slippery Mind (Ex): Experienced members of the Freelance Adventuring League are particularly willful when enemies attempt to control their mind. As an extraordinary ability, the Guild Adventurer gains Slippery Mind at 7th-level in this prestige class if they did not already possess the ability. Slippery Mind allows the character a second saving throw against any enchantment effect if they fail their first save. This second save comes one round after the Guild Adventurer is affected, and the character only gets one chance to slip free after being affected.
Awareness: Keen senses are a Guild Adventurer's best tools, and over time he or she will hone their senses to superior acuteness. At 9th-level the Guild Adventurer gains a +1 competence bonus on all Appraise, Listen, Search, and Spot checks.
Mettle (Su): Once they've reached 10th-level in this prestige class, a Guild Adventurer is skilled enough in shrugging off magical effects to put up a phenomenal resistance to them. If a Guild Adventurer of 10th-level or higher makes a successful Fortitude or Will saving throw that would normally reduce the effect of a magical spell, spell-like ability, or supernatural ability, then then the Guild Adventurer suffers no effect at all from that spell or ability. Only magical spells and abilities with a saving throw of "Will partial", "Fortitude half", or similar entries can be negated through this ability. Mettle itself is a supernatural ability.
The Freelance Adventuring League: All Guild Adventurers belong to the Freelance Adventuring League, who teaches the basic methods and techniques of this prestige class. In order to gain this class, the character must first gain admittance to the Freelance Adventuring League organization. The prerequisites of this prestige class reflect the entrance test and trial that a petitioning would-be member must undergo, which demands certain skills, talents, and combat abilities in order to pass. The test and trial must be undertaken at the organization's headquarters, which is a small and well-fortified complex hidden somewhere in the wilderness between Mittendien, Ceomyr, and Paludosus. Only members of the League know the location of its headquarters, which is camouflaged against the forest, so a prospective member must find an existing member of the League somewhere. They must then convince that member somehow that they are a worthy applicant for the League, and be brought to the headquarters blind-folded by that member to undergo the test and subsequent trial. Those who fail are returned blind-folded, while those who succeed must donate a suitable item to the museum collection of the headquarters.
Members of the League must each donate guild dues of 5 gold pieces per month, except when working at the headquarters, or donate the equivalent in other coinage, gems, or precious stones. Guild dues are used primarily to pay for the modest living expenses of members working at headquarters, and also to pay out minor incentives for them. With the guild's membership totaling around 120 most of the time, this provides ample support for the continual maintenance and administration of the headquarters complex. The complex generally requires around 100 to 200 gp worth of maintenance each month, from making copies of old manuscripts that are falling apart, to replacing crumbling masonry, to painting the camouflage anew, to replacing broken or overly-old weapons and armor, to fixing damage caused by the training and practice of members, and so on. An additional 50 to 100 gp of the guild dues are spent each month to pay resident members working at the headquarters, and to provide them with food and drink, amongst other supplies. Usually around a dozen members work at the headquarters complex at any given time, performing the maintenance, training and testing prospective and new members, updating records and ledgers, organizing and maintaining contact between members far afield, cooking and cleaning for themselves, and defending the headquarters. Generally, the headquarters has one or two prospective or new members undergoing tests and training, typically characters of between 3rd and 8th level, as well as around half a dozen members of 8th to 12th level for defense and maintenance, plus one or two members of higher level handling administration and defense, in addition to perhaps three or four miscellaneous members handling minor tasks and researching in the libraries and museum.
The headquarters complex of the Freelance Adventuring League consists of four buildings and a large, walled-in yard where applicants undergo the entrance trial, using wilderness skills, scholarly lore, and the like. The main building consists of several offices, dorm-rooms, and other living amenities for resident and visiting members, but members are expected to spend no more than a year living in the complex, constantly cycling previous librarians, administrators, and defenders with new ones coming in from quests abroad. Thus, each resident member serves only a one-year term in defending the complex and maintaining its services. Occasionally a wandering monster, warband, or explorer will chance upon the complex, at which point the defenders must either slay them, make them join the League (if they pass the test and trial), or make them forget they found the place and move on. For these reasons the defenders typically include an experienced bard or two who is capable of minor memory-altering spells, or a skilled illusionist who can keep the place hidden with mirages. The second building is the largest, a long, low museum filled with various trinkets, relics, statues, carvings, and other items of some historic or scholarly significance, including some magic items, and it is the most heavily-warded structure. The third building is somewhat smaller but still second-largest, a vast study and library filled with rare scrolls and texts, some of which are magical, but most of which are just detailed historical and geographical records. The fourth and smallest building is mostly just a large storage room and a smaller trophy room.
The following prestige class is basically an adventurer's adventurer, a diehard explorer, relic hunter, scholar of ancient lore, and dungeon-delver. This prestige class is basically open to many types of adventurer, as long as they have the drive. I have a new organization in mind for the prestige class, but as noted above, I haven't yet typed up all the background. The Guild Adventurer belongs to the Freelance Adventuring League (I could use some suggestions on better names, of course), a relatively small organization spread out across Aerde over the last few decades probably, not particularly well-known yet. Guild Adventurers uncover lost relics and ancient lore, delving into the ruins of old castles, tombs, and reliquaries to recover lost knowledge and historic items for their collection, and to share with the world at some point when the Guild gains some widespread public reputation and doesn't need to hide its headquarters any longer.
GUILD ADVENTURER OF THE FREELANCE ADVENTURING LEAGUE
(background description to follow soon)
Hit Dice: d8.
REQUIREMENTS
In order to become a Guild Adventurer, a character must meet the following prerequisites.
Base Attack Bonus: +3 or higher.
Knowledge (either Arcana or Religion): 4+ ranks.
Knowledge (either Dungeoneering or History): 4+ ranks.
Knowledge (either Geography or Nature): 4+ ranks.
Listen or Spot: 7+ ranks.
Search: 4+ ranks.
Feats: One of the following - Great Fortitude, Iron Will, or Lightning Reflexes; as well as one of the following - Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse, or Weapon Focus; and also one of the following - Alertness, Endurance, or Skill Focus (any one skill from the above prerequisites).
Special: Must become a member of the Freelance Adventuring League and visit their headquarters before acquiring this prestige class, and must donate one historic item that is not already in the collection of the League, be it a relic, important literary work, permanent magic item, ancient map, or other significant find.
The Guild Adventurer
Level__Base Attack___Fort__Ref___Will__Special
1_______+0_________+0___+2___+0___Trapfinding, Trap Sense +1, Professional Effort
2_______+1_________+0___+3___+0___Wily Fighter, Bonus Language
3_______+2_________+1___+3___+1___Fearless
4_______+3_________+1___+4___+1___Evasion, Trap Sense +2
5_______+3_________+1___+4___+1___Bonus Feat, Bonus Language
6_______+4_________+2___+5___+2___Stonecunning
7_______+5_________+2___+5___+2___Slippery Mind, Trap Sense +3
8_______+6_________+2___+6___+2___Bonus Feat, Bonus Language
9_______+6_________+3___+6___+3___Awareness
10______+7_________+3___+7___+3___Mettle, Trap Sense +4
CLASS FEATURES
The following are class features of the Guild Adventurer.
Class Skills: The class skills of a Guild Adventurer (and the key ability for each) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Speak Language, Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex). Guild Adventurers come from a variety of backgrounds and pursue various methods of acquiring the ancient lore, relics, and treasure they seek, which often takes them into dangerous situations where they must tread carefully or move quickly.
Skill Points Per Level: 6 + Intelligence modifier.
Weapon And Armor Proficiency: The Guild Adventurer gains proficiency in all simple weapons, all light armors, and all shields, including tower shields. They often must defend themselves or fight their way through uncooperative natives to reach their goals, or to at least escape with their lives, and Guild Adventurers all learn how to effectively defend themselves with the best equipment they can acquire. However, they also tend to need mobility to escape dangerous situations like a collapsing cavern or tomb, so they generally prefer armor that doesn't hinder in those situations, especially since they need quick reflexes more often than not.
Trapfinding: Guild Adventurers often have to bypass or disarm traps in the ancient tombs, dungeons, catacombs, fortresses, forsaken temples, and abandoned mage towers that they visit to recover ancient relics and lore. Thus, all Guild Adventurers learn to find and handle traps in the same manner as a Rogue.
Trap Sense (Ex): As they must frequently get around ancient traps, Guild Adventurers hone their instincts and reflexes in order to evade such dangers, for those occasions when the Guild Adventurer fails to discover and disarm the trap beforehand. At 1st-level in this prestige class, the character gains a +1 bonus on Reflex saves to avoid traps, and a +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class against attacks by traps. These bonuses increase to +2 at 4th-level as a Guild Adventurer, then improve to +3 at 7th-level, and increase again to +4 at 10th-level. Trap Sense bonuses from multiple classes stack, and all dodge bonuses stack when applicable. Dodge bonuses stack, unlike most other types, and are normally lost whenever the character is being denied a Dexterity bonus to AC, whether or not their Dexterity modifier is positive. Trap Sense is an extraordinary ability.
Professional Effort (Ex): The Guild Adventurer is a professional at what they do, so danger and desperation are their bread and butter. Guild Adventurers always try to stay calm under pressure, and master this with certain skills they are particularly experienced with. Professional Effort is an extraordinary ability. A Guild Adventurer chooses a number of skills at 1st-level in this class, up to 3 + their Intelligence modifier, but the Guild Adventurer must choose skills with which they have at least 5 ranks. They may take 10 on checks with the chosen skills regardless of threats, distractions, stress, or the like. In addition, as a special function useable once per day, the Guild Adventurer can focus their minds so clearly on a task that they can apply their best effort to it. Using this function does not take any action in and of itself, it is merely part of the action this is applied to. The Guild Adventurer can apply this use of Professional Effort to any single skill check, attack roll, or saving throw each time, and that roll gains a competence bonus equal to the Guild Adventurer's level in this prestige class plus his or her highest ability modifier between Intelligence and Wisdom.
Wily Fighter (Ex): Using their canny minds and adventuring experience, Guild Adventurers are often able to puzzle their way out of situations or analyzing things to find a momentary advantage. After achieving 2nd-level in this prestige class, the Guild Adventurer adds their Intelligence or Wisdom modifier, whichever is highest, to Armor Class as a dodge bonus. Dodge bonuses stack, unlike most other types, and are normally lost whenever the character is being denied a Dexterity bonus to AC, whether or not their Dexterity modifier is positive. Alternatively, at the beginning of the Guild Adventurer's turn in combat, he or she may choose to apply the bonus from Wily Fighter to their attack rolls instead of Armor Class, or they may instead choose to apply the bonus to their damage rolls with weapons, unarmed strikes, and natural weapons. When doing so, the bonus from Wily Fighter applies to such rolls until the Guild Adventurer's next turn, and the bonus can only be applied to one of these three options at any given time. If applying the bonus of Wily Fighter to damage rolls, then it does not apply beyond two range increments if using a ranged weapon, and regardless, the bonus damage is only effective against creatures that are subject to critical hits and who do not have any degree of concealment against the Guild Adventurer's attacks currently. Also, the bonus damage is not multiplied on a critical hit. Wily Fighter does not apply when the Guild Adventurer wears medium or heavy armor, nor when carrying more than a light load, as it demands very quick reaction. Also, the bonus from Wily Fighter at any given time will not exceed one-half the character's current level in the Guild Adventurer prestige class, rounded down.
Bonus Languages: As the Guild Adventurer must travel far and wide to unearth relics and lore, they also must deal with a variety of people and cultures across the world. To converse with all these different people, as is often necessary to find rumors, supplies, guides, and support, the Guild Adventurer learns new languages frequently. At 2nd-level the character learns one new language, and he or she learns another at 5th-level, and one more at 8th-level. These can be any non-restricted languages that the Guild Adventurer can learn from the people he meets and the libraries he studies in. However, the Guild Adventurer can learn a restricted language if he can find a willing teacher that knows the desired language thoroughly.
Fearless (Ex): A Guild Adventurer steels themselves against the vast dangers they must face in this line of work, training themselves to ignore their fear and shed it. Thus, all Guild Adventurers of 3rd-level and higher are immune to fear, as an extraordinary ability.
Evasion (Ex): Guild Adventurers must be nimble and wary to avoid all the dangers inherant to their lifestyle, from dodging traps to avoiding Fireball spells and more. By 4th-level in this prestige class, the character has accumulated a good deal of experience and training in such maneuvers, so they take no damage on a successful Reflex save against any effect that would normally allow a Reflex save for half damage. If the character already possessed Evasion from another source beforehand, then instead they gain Improved Evasion at 4th-level in this class. Improved Evasion means that the Guild Adventurer suffers only half damage when he or she fails a Reflex saving throw against any effect that would normally deal half damage on a successful Reflex save. Regardless, this is an extraordinary ability, and does not apply when helpless, immobilized, carrying more than a light load, or wearing medium or heavy armor.
Bonus Feats: A Guild Adventurer must learn many skills and techniques to complete their dangerous quests, so each Guild Adventurer acquires a bonus feat at 5th-level in this prestige class. They gain another bonus feat at 8th-level. These are in addition to the feats gained from standard character level progression, and these can be any feats the character qualifies for.
Stonecunning (Ex): By 6th-level in this class, a Guild Adventurer is as familiar with underground areas and stonework structures as most dwarves. If they're a dwarf themselves, then they have developed an especially keen sense for these things after much delving and exploring. This is an extraordinary ability. If the character did not already possess the Stonecunning ability, they now gain it exactly like a dwarf's racial ability of the same name, except that the bonuses are competence rather than racial in type. This means the character gains a +2 competence bonus Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn't stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A Guild Adventurer of at least 6th-level who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he or she were actively searching. A Guild Adventurer of 6th-level or higher can also intuit depth, sensing his or her approximate depth underground as naturally as anyone can sense which way is up. If the character already possessed the Stonecunning ability prior to gaining 6th-level in this prestige class, then they instead gain a +3 competence bonus on the Search checks mentioned above, and they are entitled to Search checks whenever they pass within 15 feet of unusual stonework.
Slippery Mind (Ex): Experienced members of the Freelance Adventuring League are particularly willful when enemies attempt to control their mind. As an extraordinary ability, the Guild Adventurer gains Slippery Mind at 7th-level in this prestige class if they did not already possess the ability. Slippery Mind allows the character a second saving throw against any enchantment effect if they fail their first save. This second save comes one round after the Guild Adventurer is affected, and the character only gets one chance to slip free after being affected.
Awareness: Keen senses are a Guild Adventurer's best tools, and over time he or she will hone their senses to superior acuteness. At 9th-level the Guild Adventurer gains a +1 competence bonus on all Appraise, Listen, Search, and Spot checks.
Mettle (Su): Once they've reached 10th-level in this prestige class, a Guild Adventurer is skilled enough in shrugging off magical effects to put up a phenomenal resistance to them. If a Guild Adventurer of 10th-level or higher makes a successful Fortitude or Will saving throw that would normally reduce the effect of a magical spell, spell-like ability, or supernatural ability, then then the Guild Adventurer suffers no effect at all from that spell or ability. Only magical spells and abilities with a saving throw of "Will partial", "Fortitude half", or similar entries can be negated through this ability. Mettle itself is a supernatural ability.
The Freelance Adventuring League: All Guild Adventurers belong to the Freelance Adventuring League, who teaches the basic methods and techniques of this prestige class. In order to gain this class, the character must first gain admittance to the Freelance Adventuring League organization. The prerequisites of this prestige class reflect the entrance test and trial that a petitioning would-be member must undergo, which demands certain skills, talents, and combat abilities in order to pass. The test and trial must be undertaken at the organization's headquarters, which is a small and well-fortified complex hidden somewhere in the wilderness between Mittendien, Ceomyr, and Paludosus. Only members of the League know the location of its headquarters, which is camouflaged against the forest, so a prospective member must find an existing member of the League somewhere. They must then convince that member somehow that they are a worthy applicant for the League, and be brought to the headquarters blind-folded by that member to undergo the test and subsequent trial. Those who fail are returned blind-folded, while those who succeed must donate a suitable item to the museum collection of the headquarters.
Members of the League must each donate guild dues of 5 gold pieces per month, except when working at the headquarters, or donate the equivalent in other coinage, gems, or precious stones. Guild dues are used primarily to pay for the modest living expenses of members working at headquarters, and also to pay out minor incentives for them. With the guild's membership totaling around 120 most of the time, this provides ample support for the continual maintenance and administration of the headquarters complex. The complex generally requires around 100 to 200 gp worth of maintenance each month, from making copies of old manuscripts that are falling apart, to replacing crumbling masonry, to painting the camouflage anew, to replacing broken or overly-old weapons and armor, to fixing damage caused by the training and practice of members, and so on. An additional 50 to 100 gp of the guild dues are spent each month to pay resident members working at the headquarters, and to provide them with food and drink, amongst other supplies. Usually around a dozen members work at the headquarters complex at any given time, performing the maintenance, training and testing prospective and new members, updating records and ledgers, organizing and maintaining contact between members far afield, cooking and cleaning for themselves, and defending the headquarters. Generally, the headquarters has one or two prospective or new members undergoing tests and training, typically characters of between 3rd and 8th level, as well as around half a dozen members of 8th to 12th level for defense and maintenance, plus one or two members of higher level handling administration and defense, in addition to perhaps three or four miscellaneous members handling minor tasks and researching in the libraries and museum.
The headquarters complex of the Freelance Adventuring League consists of four buildings and a large, walled-in yard where applicants undergo the entrance trial, using wilderness skills, scholarly lore, and the like. The main building consists of several offices, dorm-rooms, and other living amenities for resident and visiting members, but members are expected to spend no more than a year living in the complex, constantly cycling previous librarians, administrators, and defenders with new ones coming in from quests abroad. Thus, each resident member serves only a one-year term in defending the complex and maintaining its services. Occasionally a wandering monster, warband, or explorer will chance upon the complex, at which point the defenders must either slay them, make them join the League (if they pass the test and trial), or make them forget they found the place and move on. For these reasons the defenders typically include an experienced bard or two who is capable of minor memory-altering spells, or a skilled illusionist who can keep the place hidden with mirages. The second building is the largest, a long, low museum filled with various trinkets, relics, statues, carvings, and other items of some historic or scholarly significance, including some magic items, and it is the most heavily-warded structure. The third building is somewhat smaller but still second-largest, a vast study and library filled with rare scrolls and texts, some of which are magical, but most of which are just detailed historical and geographical records. The fourth and smallest building is mostly just a large storage room and a smaller trophy room.
