DM with a vengence
First Post
This PrC is for the Dragonstar campaign setting, however it can be modified for use with any game with rifles or possibly crossbows.
Snipers are the master marksmen of the Dragon Empire. While the lack the sheer combat prowess of fighters and rangers, the sniper can deal serious damage at extreme ranges. Trained to operate singly or in pairs, snipers focus on skills that allow them to get to a perch safely, remain undetected, shoot, and then leave before enemy patrols can close on their position. With all of the high-tech energy weaponry available, one might ask why the traditional weapon of the sniper continues to be a high-powered semi-automatic rifle. The reason for this is stealth. A slug gun has a spot DC of 10, or 20 if flash suppressed (-10 at night), and this is modified by distance, which is often over 300 feet, and with -1 per 10’ of distance, spotting a sniper can be well nigh impossible. On the other hand, an energy weapon has a spot DC of 10, or 0 at night, and this can be spotted from anywhere along the beam length. Any sniper brave enough to use an energy weapon will get one very devastating shot, and then will have his position shot to shreds by the target’s bodyguards. This also the reason why snipers use single shots. While a burst of automatic fire can have withering effects, it effectively triples your chance of getting spotted.
The Sniper.
Hit Die: d6
Requirements.
BAB 5+
Skills: Hide, Spot, 8+ ranks
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Crack Shot, Technical Proficiency.
Abilities.
BAB: ½ level (As Wizard)
Saves: Fortitude Good, Reflex Poor, Will Poor, (As Fighter)
Skill Points: 4+Int mod
Class Skills: Balance(Dex), Climb (Str), Hide (Dex), Intuit Directiom (Wis), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Navigate (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Wilderness Lore (Wis).
Special.
1 Marksman +1
2 Pinpoint Accuracy 1d6
3 Marksman +2
4 Lock In
5 Marksman +3, Pinpoint Accuracy 2d6
6 No Such Thing as Luck 1/day
7 Marksman +4, Perfect Shot 1/day
8 Pinpoint Accuracy 3d6
9 Marksman +5, No Such Thing as Luck 3/day
10 Head Shot 1/day
Marksman: The sniper’s constant training with his favored weapon gives him amazing accuracy. When using a sniper rifle or other long-arm he gains the listed competence bonus to his attacks. This bonus applies only as long as he is firing single shots, he does not gain the bonus when firing bursts or suppressive fire, or using pistols or other weapons. This bonus also counts as BAB for the purposes of feat perquisites relating to long-arms, but does not confer additional attacks or any other benefit. Effectively, this allows the sniper to gain and use feats such as Improved Critical or Called Shot (see below) for his sniper rifle as if he had a Fighter’s BAB.
Pinpoint Accuracy: The sniper gains the listed bonus to damage when using a long arm against an unaware target. This is similar to Sneak Attack in many ways, as Uncanny Dodge and Fortification work against it, and it is not multiplied by critical hits, but it has several important differences. First, it only applies to unaware or surprised targets when the sniper is using long-arms, and second it is effective out to one range increment of the weapon, modiefied by Farshot or the Distance enhancement and similar abilities. This improves by +1d6 at 5th and 8th levels.
Lock In. Each round that a sniper spends a full round action studying a target, his critical threat range against that target is increased by one, to a maximum equal to his class levels. If, at any point during the process he fails to study the target for a round, he loses the increased threat range. This bonus is applied against his first attack against the target and then lost until he can study it again.
No Such Thing as Luck: Once a day, the sniper can reroll one of the follow. An attack roll with a long-arm, a critical confirmation roll with a long-arm, or a damage roll with a long-arm. He can accept either one of the results. He can do this 3 times a day at 9th level. This ability can be used more than once a round, but cannot be applied more than once to the same roll.
Perfect Shot: Once a day the sniper can make a single attack roll with a long-arm that gains a +20 insight bonus to attack as the True Strike spell.
Head Shot: Once a day, a 10th level sniper can make one attack that does maximum damage to a target. Effectively, it’s like he rolled the highest for all damage rolls, including critical damage, Pinpoint Accuracy, energy enhancements, and so on. This is the pinnacle of a sniper’s power and often triggers a save for massive damage. This ability does not automatically score a critical, but Lock In and No Such Thing as Luck will almost assure success.
New Feat:
Called Shot [General]
Prequisites: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Dex 13+, BAB +1.
Benefit: As a full round action, you may make a single ranged attack that deals extra damage. You subtract a number from your BAB, up to your BAB, and add half this number to damage. In addition, if the weapon you are using has a specific effect for which there is a save (Arrow of Slaying) then the save DC is increased by two. This ability has no effect on any other attacks you make that round, such as those from haste. In most respects, this is very similar to Power Attack.
Snipers are the master marksmen of the Dragon Empire. While the lack the sheer combat prowess of fighters and rangers, the sniper can deal serious damage at extreme ranges. Trained to operate singly or in pairs, snipers focus on skills that allow them to get to a perch safely, remain undetected, shoot, and then leave before enemy patrols can close on their position. With all of the high-tech energy weaponry available, one might ask why the traditional weapon of the sniper continues to be a high-powered semi-automatic rifle. The reason for this is stealth. A slug gun has a spot DC of 10, or 20 if flash suppressed (-10 at night), and this is modified by distance, which is often over 300 feet, and with -1 per 10’ of distance, spotting a sniper can be well nigh impossible. On the other hand, an energy weapon has a spot DC of 10, or 0 at night, and this can be spotted from anywhere along the beam length. Any sniper brave enough to use an energy weapon will get one very devastating shot, and then will have his position shot to shreds by the target’s bodyguards. This also the reason why snipers use single shots. While a burst of automatic fire can have withering effects, it effectively triples your chance of getting spotted.
The Sniper.
Hit Die: d6
Requirements.
BAB 5+
Skills: Hide, Spot, 8+ ranks
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Crack Shot, Technical Proficiency.
Abilities.
BAB: ½ level (As Wizard)
Saves: Fortitude Good, Reflex Poor, Will Poor, (As Fighter)
Skill Points: 4+Int mod
Class Skills: Balance(Dex), Climb (Str), Hide (Dex), Intuit Directiom (Wis), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Navigate (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Wilderness Lore (Wis).
Special.
1 Marksman +1
2 Pinpoint Accuracy 1d6
3 Marksman +2
4 Lock In
5 Marksman +3, Pinpoint Accuracy 2d6
6 No Such Thing as Luck 1/day
7 Marksman +4, Perfect Shot 1/day
8 Pinpoint Accuracy 3d6
9 Marksman +5, No Such Thing as Luck 3/day
10 Head Shot 1/day
Marksman: The sniper’s constant training with his favored weapon gives him amazing accuracy. When using a sniper rifle or other long-arm he gains the listed competence bonus to his attacks. This bonus applies only as long as he is firing single shots, he does not gain the bonus when firing bursts or suppressive fire, or using pistols or other weapons. This bonus also counts as BAB for the purposes of feat perquisites relating to long-arms, but does not confer additional attacks or any other benefit. Effectively, this allows the sniper to gain and use feats such as Improved Critical or Called Shot (see below) for his sniper rifle as if he had a Fighter’s BAB.
Pinpoint Accuracy: The sniper gains the listed bonus to damage when using a long arm against an unaware target. This is similar to Sneak Attack in many ways, as Uncanny Dodge and Fortification work against it, and it is not multiplied by critical hits, but it has several important differences. First, it only applies to unaware or surprised targets when the sniper is using long-arms, and second it is effective out to one range increment of the weapon, modiefied by Farshot or the Distance enhancement and similar abilities. This improves by +1d6 at 5th and 8th levels.
Lock In. Each round that a sniper spends a full round action studying a target, his critical threat range against that target is increased by one, to a maximum equal to his class levels. If, at any point during the process he fails to study the target for a round, he loses the increased threat range. This bonus is applied against his first attack against the target and then lost until he can study it again.
No Such Thing as Luck: Once a day, the sniper can reroll one of the follow. An attack roll with a long-arm, a critical confirmation roll with a long-arm, or a damage roll with a long-arm. He can accept either one of the results. He can do this 3 times a day at 9th level. This ability can be used more than once a round, but cannot be applied more than once to the same roll.
Perfect Shot: Once a day the sniper can make a single attack roll with a long-arm that gains a +20 insight bonus to attack as the True Strike spell.
Head Shot: Once a day, a 10th level sniper can make one attack that does maximum damage to a target. Effectively, it’s like he rolled the highest for all damage rolls, including critical damage, Pinpoint Accuracy, energy enhancements, and so on. This is the pinnacle of a sniper’s power and often triggers a save for massive damage. This ability does not automatically score a critical, but Lock In and No Such Thing as Luck will almost assure success.
New Feat:
Called Shot [General]
Prequisites: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Dex 13+, BAB +1.
Benefit: As a full round action, you may make a single ranged attack that deals extra damage. You subtract a number from your BAB, up to your BAB, and add half this number to damage. In addition, if the weapon you are using has a specific effect for which there is a save (Arrow of Slaying) then the save DC is increased by two. This ability has no effect on any other attacks you make that round, such as those from haste. In most respects, this is very similar to Power Attack.
