New Prestige Class: Yellow-Bellied Coward

[ivocaliban]

I'm about to collapse, but here's what I'm look at now:

LV   BAB  Fort   Ref  Will   Special
1    +0    +0    +2    +0    Panic Attack 1/day, Run Away!, Skittish
2    +1    +0    +3    +0    Get ‘Em Off Me!, Left For Dead 
3    +1    +1    +3    +1    Hasty Retreat, Improved Speed +10, Panic Attack 2/day
4    +2    +1    +4    +1    Distract Opponent, Slippery Fighter 
5    +2    +1    +4    +1    Improved Speed +20, Lucky Bastard, Panic Attack 3/day

Let's see, switched Left for Dead with Lucky Bastard. Luck ability seems more appropriate for a crowning acheivement. Left for Dead is more flavor-oriented and needed to be lower so it can improve as you gain levels.


Yep, Tonguez, that's the version I found when I looked it up. Adapted a couple of your ideas. Good stuff all around. Maybe we can make some combination of the two? I don't care for the good Will saves, but there's a lot of good stuff there. Unfortunately, I'm too exhausted to think straight.

 

[Sigurd]

I like left for dead earlier, but I think I'm sticking to my easier entry requirements and the negative bab at first level. Thematically I have visions of this class being pushed on an NPC. Pcs can (and will) do as the will.

My image is that a character like worm-tongue from LOTR would be cursed with this class after he was discovered. Thats why I'd never use a 10 level class. He'd actually loose two feats to get dodge & run.

Branded Coward - Anyone familiar with a YBC's past will know that he is a craven coward. This will affect all his dealings for the life of his character.


sigurd

 

[paradox42]

How about NO base attack progression? Too heavy-handed?

Interesting proposal even if it is.

And yes, being able to dimension door once per day is pretty powerful, I admit. But being able to wild shape into a Tiny animal is something that druids don't get to do until they are 11th level...

Consider the Warlock. The minimum character level a YBC could do this DD once/day is 8th, since even with Sigurd's lowered BAB requirement the absolute minimum qualifying level is 3rd. At 8th level, a Warlock has access to Lesser Invocations, and could potentially have been Dimension Dooring (via Flee the Scene) at will with no daily limit, for two full levels. Admittedly the Warlock can only go about 40 feet each time, but still- at will.

The Wild Shape is significantly more powerful (in its own weird way), but IMO balanced by (a) not being able to select the shape one changes into, and (b) well... it's a freakin' chicken! Come on!

...oh well. I thought it was balanced, anyway. If we keep the qualifications for this class at around 6th-8th level, by the time the YBC gets to use Vanish, he will be about an 11th level character. Dimension door or Tiny wild shape 1/day seems to be about par for that level.

Yes, at that level I'd personally consider letting the character Vanish more often than just once/day, myself. If I used Vanish over Chicken- it's a tough choice.

 

[the Jester]

This is a work of art.

 

[ivocaliban]

I keep moving things around for my own version, but I'm never quite satisfied. Latest version:

LV   BAB  Fort   Ref  Will   Special
1    +0    +0    +2    +0    Left For Dead, Panic Attack 1/day, Skittish
2    +1    +0    +3    +0    Get ‘Em Off Me!, Run Away!
3    +1    +1    +3    +1    Hasty Retreat, Improved Speed +10, Panic Attack 2/day
4    +2    +1    +4    +1    Fade Into Violence, Slippery Fighter
5    +2    +1    +4    +1    Improved Speed +20, Lucky Bastard, Panic Attack 3/day

1. Left For Dead moved to 1st level.

2. Added the follow to Skittish: "Furthermore, a Yellowbellied Coward must succeed on a Willpower saving throw DC 15 to return to a battle or other dangerous environment from which he has recently fled. A remove fear or similar spell makes the Willpower saving throw unnecessary (although the Yellowbellied Coward may not readily admit this)."

3. Run Away! moved to 2nd level.

4. Improved Speed +10/+20 now has the additional condition (simply modified from the Hasty/Slippery Retreat ability): "To receive the benefits of Improved Speed, the Yellowbellied Coward must be trying to escape a battle or dangerous environment to the best of his ability. He may not use this ability simply to improve his position, and he may not take any other action while fleeing." I didn't use the "must be moving at (maximum) run speed" bit because it would make this fairly useless in a dungeon, forest, or anywhere else where you couldn't move in a straight line.

5. Distract Opponent replaced with Fade Into Violence feat from PHB II. Similar in concept to Distract Opponent except: "Foe strikes ally, not you, if your Bluff check succeeds." Seemed appropriate in theory...and perhaps hilarious in practice. Also added this to the end: "If the Yellowbellied Coward already has the Fade Into Violence feat, he increases his opposed Bluff check by +4."

 

[trav_laney]

The Wild Shape is significantly more powerful (in its own weird way), but IMO balanced by (a) not being able to select the shape one changes into, and (b) well... it's a freakin' chicken! Come on!

That's right, a chicken! Fear my eleven original herbs and spices!

Honestly it would be a very plucky ability to have, if you are getting henpecked and need to fly the coop. It's also a handy way to heal a few hit points, without getting your feathers ruffled by drinking a potion in melee. And if you ever need to cross a particularly dangerous-looking road, well...

 

[Thurbane]

I normally don't like "joke" classes, but this one is exceptionally well done!

 

[Sigurd]

Respect and thanks to Trav for starting this - I really like the class. Definite addition to my DM's bag o tricks.


Sigurd

 

[Phlebas]

I4. Improved Speed +10/+20 now has the additional condition (simply modified from the Hasty/Slippery Retreat ability): "To receive the benefits of Improved Speed, the Yellowbellied Coward must be trying to escape a battle or dangerous environment to the best of his ability. He may not use this ability simply to improve his position, and he may not take any other action while fleeing." I didn't use the "must be moving at (maximum) run speed" bit because it would make this fairly useless in a dungeon, forest, or anywhere else where you couldn't move in a straight line.

would it be simpler to say the improved speed only works while performing a full withdrawal (ie no action allowed other than movement, can't re-enter threatened squares) ? I suppose you could use it to re-position yourself, but the inability to take another action means its the spirit of the original.

I'm already considering this for my next BBEG's lackey - I can almost see the expression on the PC's face when he makes his last chance transformation into chicken...

 

[ivocaliban]

would it be simpler to say the improved speed only works while performing a full withdrawal (ie no action allowed other than movement, can't re-enter threatened squares) ? I suppose you could use it to re-position yourself, but the inability to take another action means its the spirit of the original.

It might be at that! I'll have to check into it. Trav was right in saying that there are a lot of special abilities crammed into five levels, but with Skittish (few prestige classes actually give you penalities) and all the conditional modifiers, poor BAB, I think it pretty much evens out.

I'm already considering this for my next BBEG's lackey - I can almost see the expression on the PC's face when he makes his last chance transformation into chicken...

*hehe* Yes, the Chicken ability is hilarious. I'll certainly be using that if I run a game where magic and humour is central.


I still can't find satisfactory prerequisites/requirements, though. I'm still having a hard time seeing how a PrC that is basically about running away has a BAB +4 entry requirement. That fighters, barbarians, rangers, and swashbucklers make "better" cowards than bards and rogues...something just doesn't sit right with me there.