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Unorthodox Rogues
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<blockquote data-quote="Ace" data-source="post: 2490344" data-attributes="member: 944"><p>Disclaimer: I received a copy for doing this review.</p><p> </p><p>Unorthodox Rogues is a unique expansion with a mix of core classes, prestige classes, magic items and a few feats all for only $6.</p><p></p><p>Appearance:</p><p>Unorthodox Rogues comes in a zip file just under 4 megabytes in size.. The main PDF is 65 pages long with a nice color cover by Ronin Arts. It has good layout as do all of the Unorthodox line.</p><p>In addition to the main PDF, the product includes an .rtf version for easy content extraction and an onscreen version. </p><p></p><p>Content:</p><p>This PDF has 5core classes, The Fabricator, The Lay About, The Seductress, The Shroud, and the Skulker. It also has 3 prestige classes, the Backstabber, the Saintly Thief and the Ward Boss.</p><p>The PDF also has a selection of Baubles and Uzras Diablo 2 mini artifacts </p><p></p><p>The Fabricator core class is an interesting trap specialist rogue with trap sense, a slower sneak attack progression and a wide range of mechanical and trap related abilities. </p><p>The class also gains a nifty bonus feat that allows the use of scroll to create magically traps. Pretty spiff. My minor complaint is the "repeating slingshot" which is essentially a hand crossbow that doesn't require a move action to reload is given 3 class abilities. I think the weapon is poorly thought out and more interesting, fitting and useful abilities would have improved the class.</p><p></p><p>The next class is the Lay About. It is basically Kato Kaelin for your D&D game, a get something for nothing and get out of work specialist. It has a wide range of abilities including favors, patrons, the ability to mooch off groups the ability to "save vs. work!" called Charmed Life . There is also a combat oriented “Backstab” which is sneak attack that only works with a bladed weapon. I find this method of balancing the class by giving limited sneak attack to be a mediocre design decision that is unfortunately used on several classes in this PDF. Still it is an easy thing to fix if desired. Minus the backstab ability this class might be fun in a Dude Where’s Cart silly campign</p><p></p><p>The next class is the Seductress. Just as the title the class has a wide range of seduction related abilities, poison use and accounting related abilities for gold digging I presume. Oh yeah and there are addictive pleasure related powers as well. </p><p>This class is followed by three feats, Poison Adaptation allowing immunity to single ingested poison (say Iocane powder) a Crushing Embrace ability (think Ivana Onnatop from the James Bond Movies) and an exhausting sex feat. </p><p>Personally I think this class and most of the aforementioned feats are better suited for the type of game that would benefit from Book of Erotic Fantasy or the like. Its a decent class, just not for most games</p><p></p><p>The Shroud is a creepy grave robber class with a limited (1d4) sneak attack, a speed boost on graveyards, speak with dead, and a more few additional grave related abilities. It is a very strange class but it looks perfectly playable especially if the DM is flexible enough to allow the same abilities to be used in tombs. </p><p></p><p>The Skulker is a very cool class. It is ultra specialized in hiding and stealth related abilities that can make this class very hard to find by any means, magical or non magical. It would be a perfect class for that Thief: Dark Project type of one on one game or for a fugitive type character. It is my favorite in the book as it has plenty of nice abilities and a good solid niche.</p><p></p><p>Now for the prestige classes:</p><p></p><p>The Backstabber is poorly named. It is not sneak attack specialist as might be expected but an expert dagger fighter. It has an odd ability to make really effective wooden dagger, a little sneak attack, a shadow jump borrowed from a friendly shadow dancer and a horde of dagger related abilities to choose from. Other than the shadow jump ability and the poor name this is a decent PRC.</p><p></p><p>The Saintly Thief is meant to be a Simon Templar "good guy thief class". Instead it is a disguise specialist class with an unusual 7 level progression. The disguise abilities are really nice if a bit underpowered. It does look fun to play although I would drop the Chaotic Good alignment requirement before using myself. </p><p></p><p>The Ward Boss is supposed to be a kind of mob go between with the commoners. It mostly flops on this end as it has few real class abilities to support this roll. Instead it has "Shank Strike", a dagger bonus if he is not flanking, the decent ability to call for help and get more money, a bleeding wounds ability and a bonus to diplomacy checks to buy and sell illegal goods. I think this class is nothing but a hodgepodge of only tangentially relayed abilities and it needs a bit of work. </p><p></p><p>Lastly are the baubles and Uzras</p><p></p><p>Unlike several other books I have reviewed before quite a few of these are related to the class featured in the book. </p><p></p><p>The baubles are</p><p></p><p>Action</p><p>Backstabbing</p><p>Cancellation</p><p>Cavernous Shelter</p><p>Cold Immunity</p><p>Free Movement</p><p>Hiding</p><p>Ladder Action</p><p>Mass Strike</p><p>Missile Defense/Reflection</p><p>Music</p><p>Nutrition </p><p>Pertification</p><p>Thieving</p><p></p><p>The Urus are</p><p>Assassination</p><p>Cats</p><p>Dwarven Smite </p><p>Eleven Fury</p><p>Goblin Killer</p><p>Luck</p><p>Piercing </p><p>Screaming </p><p>Second Chance </p><p>Sexual Imbalance</p><p>Spit</p><p></p><p>Next there is a handy index of rogue abilities, a reprint of the rogue class from the SRD, the Speak with Dead Spell and their fairly daffy repeating slingshot thingy all neatly stated up.</p><p></p><p>The last page is the SRD</p><p></p><p>I find this book to be a mixed bag but there is enough material in it to justify the $6 price tag. If you need or want a few new rogue types give it a try.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ace, post: 2490344, member: 944"] Disclaimer: I received a copy for doing this review. Unorthodox Rogues is a unique expansion with a mix of core classes, prestige classes, magic items and a few feats all for only $6. Appearance: Unorthodox Rogues comes in a zip file just under 4 megabytes in size.. The main PDF is 65 pages long with a nice color cover by Ronin Arts. It has good layout as do all of the Unorthodox line. In addition to the main PDF, the product includes an .rtf version for easy content extraction and an onscreen version. Content: This PDF has 5core classes, The Fabricator, The Lay About, The Seductress, The Shroud, and the Skulker. It also has 3 prestige classes, the Backstabber, the Saintly Thief and the Ward Boss. The PDF also has a selection of Baubles and Uzras Diablo 2 mini artifacts The Fabricator core class is an interesting trap specialist rogue with trap sense, a slower sneak attack progression and a wide range of mechanical and trap related abilities. The class also gains a nifty bonus feat that allows the use of scroll to create magically traps. Pretty spiff. My minor complaint is the "repeating slingshot" which is essentially a hand crossbow that doesn't require a move action to reload is given 3 class abilities. I think the weapon is poorly thought out and more interesting, fitting and useful abilities would have improved the class. The next class is the Lay About. It is basically Kato Kaelin for your D&D game, a get something for nothing and get out of work specialist. It has a wide range of abilities including favors, patrons, the ability to mooch off groups the ability to "save vs. work!" called Charmed Life . There is also a combat oriented “Backstab” which is sneak attack that only works with a bladed weapon. I find this method of balancing the class by giving limited sneak attack to be a mediocre design decision that is unfortunately used on several classes in this PDF. Still it is an easy thing to fix if desired. Minus the backstab ability this class might be fun in a Dude Where’s Cart silly campign The next class is the Seductress. Just as the title the class has a wide range of seduction related abilities, poison use and accounting related abilities for gold digging I presume. Oh yeah and there are addictive pleasure related powers as well. This class is followed by three feats, Poison Adaptation allowing immunity to single ingested poison (say Iocane powder) a Crushing Embrace ability (think Ivana Onnatop from the James Bond Movies) and an exhausting sex feat. Personally I think this class and most of the aforementioned feats are better suited for the type of game that would benefit from Book of Erotic Fantasy or the like. Its a decent class, just not for most games The Shroud is a creepy grave robber class with a limited (1d4) sneak attack, a speed boost on graveyards, speak with dead, and a more few additional grave related abilities. It is a very strange class but it looks perfectly playable especially if the DM is flexible enough to allow the same abilities to be used in tombs. The Skulker is a very cool class. It is ultra specialized in hiding and stealth related abilities that can make this class very hard to find by any means, magical or non magical. It would be a perfect class for that Thief: Dark Project type of one on one game or for a fugitive type character. It is my favorite in the book as it has plenty of nice abilities and a good solid niche. Now for the prestige classes: The Backstabber is poorly named. It is not sneak attack specialist as might be expected but an expert dagger fighter. It has an odd ability to make really effective wooden dagger, a little sneak attack, a shadow jump borrowed from a friendly shadow dancer and a horde of dagger related abilities to choose from. Other than the shadow jump ability and the poor name this is a decent PRC. The Saintly Thief is meant to be a Simon Templar "good guy thief class". Instead it is a disguise specialist class with an unusual 7 level progression. The disguise abilities are really nice if a bit underpowered. It does look fun to play although I would drop the Chaotic Good alignment requirement before using myself. The Ward Boss is supposed to be a kind of mob go between with the commoners. It mostly flops on this end as it has few real class abilities to support this roll. Instead it has "Shank Strike", a dagger bonus if he is not flanking, the decent ability to call for help and get more money, a bleeding wounds ability and a bonus to diplomacy checks to buy and sell illegal goods. I think this class is nothing but a hodgepodge of only tangentially relayed abilities and it needs a bit of work. Lastly are the baubles and Uzras Unlike several other books I have reviewed before quite a few of these are related to the class featured in the book. The baubles are Action Backstabbing Cancellation Cavernous Shelter Cold Immunity Free Movement Hiding Ladder Action Mass Strike Missile Defense/Reflection Music Nutrition Pertification Thieving The Urus are Assassination Cats Dwarven Smite Eleven Fury Goblin Killer Luck Piercing Screaming Second Chance Sexual Imbalance Spit Next there is a handy index of rogue abilities, a reprint of the rogue class from the SRD, the Speak with Dead Spell and their fairly daffy repeating slingshot thingy all neatly stated up. The last page is the SRD I find this book to be a mixed bag but there is enough material in it to justify the $6 price tag. If you need or want a few new rogue types give it a try. [/QUOTE]
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