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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mike Sullivan" data-source="post: 617339" data-attributes="member: 9824">I got inspired to do some swamp-based classes from seasong's excellent "Black Healer" PrC.  This class probably needs balance/review.  This PrC uses "Blackwater" as a gneneric name for a big swamp that exists somwhere in the campaign world -- slot in a different name as appropriate.Blackwater GuerillaTo those living on the edge of the Blackwater, the enormous swamp has a poor reputation.  Disease rolls off its stagnant waters, crocodiles lurk waiting for the unobservant to stray too near, and, and any number of fell creatures prowl its interior.But there are those who live within Blackwater, who have made, if not peace, then a fragile truce with the swamp, living off its riotous explosions of life.  The Blackwater tribes are defended from physical threats by the Blackwater Guerillas, tribal warriors well-versed in the hit and run tactics of the densely covered swamp.RequirementsThe secrets of the Blackwater Guerilla are not written anywhere, not taught by any large, monolithic organization.  Traditionally, a promising young hunter will apprentice with an existing Guerilla and learn the ways of the swamp gradually, over the course of many years.The Blackwater tribes are fairly xenophobic, and are not likely to teach their secrets to outsiders.  However, it has happened before that a patient foreigner who has lived with the Blackwater tribes for some time has gained enough trust to be taught a few of the Guerilla's secrets.Game Requirements:+5 or better BAB, 4 Ranks each of Hide, Swim, and Wilderness Lore, plus find an existing Blackwater Guerilla willing to teach them.StatisticsAlignment: AnyHit Die: D8Class Skills: Craft (Int), Climb (Str), Hide (Dex), Intuit Direction (Wis), Knowledge (Nature), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Wilderness Lore (Wis).  They get 4 + Int bonus skill points per level.Arms & Armor:  If they were not already, a Blackwater Guerilla becomes proficient in Light Armor, Shields, Simple Weapons, Shortswords, and the Blowpipe.  They have no restrictions on what weapons they may use.[CODE][color="limegreen"]Lvl BAB     Fort    Ref     Will    Special1   +1      +2      +0      +0      Poison Use, Slowing Poison2   +2      +3      +0      +0      Poison Resistance3   +3      +3      +1      +1      At Home in the Swamp4   +4      +4      +1      +1      Spring Attack5   +5      +4      +1      +1      Damaging Poison6   +6      +5      +2      +2      Sleeping Poison7   +7      +5      +2      +2      8   +8      +6      +2      +2      Improved Damaging Poison9   +9      +6      +3      +3      Ambush10  +10     +7      +3      +3      Paralytic Poison[/color][/CODE]Poison UseBlackwater Guerillas can safely apply poison to any appropriate weapon without having a chance to poison themselves.PoisonsBlackwater Guerillas learn to make poisons of the sort that can be applied to any bladed (slashing or piercing) weapon.  None of the poisons are particularly effective when ingested (eaten or drunk.  +10 circumstance bonus to the victim's Fort save).  Making a batch of poison (ten doses) takes the Guerilla an hour of cooking and careful measuring.  The materials necessary to make the poison can be purchased for 5 gp at a well-supplied herbalist's shop, or can be improvised with a Wilderness Lore check.  The DC of the Wilderness Lore check is 10 in the Blackwater, and subject to the DM's discretion elsewhere.The Fort save to resist all of the Blackwater Guerilla's poisons is 10 + Blackwater Guerilla class level + the guerilla's Int bonus.Slowing PoisonAt first level, a Blackwater Guerilla learns to make a lethargy-inducing poison.  Victims hit by such a weapon who fail a Fort save suffer a -2 penalty to their to-hit rolls and AC for the next hour.Damaging PoisonAt fifth level, a Blackwater Guerilla learns to make a conventional damaging poison.  Victims of the poison must make a Fort save, or take 3d6 damage.  Even a succesful save causes 1d6 points of damage.  Victims who fail their initial save are subject to a secondary effect five rounds later -- a save at the same DC, or take 1d6 additional damage.Sleeping PoisonAt sixth level, a Blackwater Guerilla learns to make a soporific poison.  It has an onset time of five rounds.  If someone is hit by a weapon poisoned with the sleeping poison, they must make a Fort save, or fall unconscious.  The poisoned sleep lasts only ten minutes.Improved Damaging PoisonAt eighth level, a Blackwater Guerilla can make a more potent version of the damaging poison.  It is like the damaging poison in all ways, except that the the damage is 5d6 if the subject fails the save, 2d6 if they make it, and the secondary damage is 2d6 as well.Paralytic PoisonAt tenth level, a Blackwater Guerilla learns to make a powerful poison which seizes up the target's muscles.  Victims of the poison must make a Fort save, or take 4d6 damage and be paralyzed for two hours.  Even those who succeed in making their saving throw take 2d6 damage, and suffer a -2 to their attack rolls and armor class for the next ten rounds.  Multiple doses of the Paralytic Poison do not accumulate in their attack and armor penalties, nor does Paralytic Poison and Slowing Poison "stack."Poison ResistanceAt 2nd level, the Blackwater Guerilla gets a +4 bonus to all saving throws versus poison of any kind.At Home in the SwampAt 3rd level, the Blackwater Guerilla gets a +4 familiarity bonus to Spot, Listen, Hide, and Move Silently rolls while in swampy environments.  In addition, the guerilla gains Free Action when dealing with natural impediments of any kind -- even magically animated natural impediments like the spell Entangle.Spring AttackBlackwater Guerillas are masters of making hit and run attacks.  At 4th level, they gain the benefits of the feat "Spring Attack" when wearing light or no armor, even if they have not satisfied its prerequisites.AmbushAt 9th level, the Blackwater Guerilla becomes a master of attacking from surprise.  Whenever the Guerilla gets an action during a surprise round, he gets a full action instead of a partial.* * *So.  Any comments?  Overpowered?  Underpowered?  It's meant to be a fairly simple fighter/ranger-variant, less-oriented on brute force and more on hit and run tactics and, of course, poison use.LOTS OF EDITS:  Getting a color that worked.</blockquote>

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