Smuggler Class

Watching game of thrones I was inspired to create a smuggler class (inspired by Sir Davos).  I considered changing evasion to 'Urban Evasion", but it works as Wilderness Evasion as well. In place of diplomacy, I choose a 'fast talk' skill (inspired by 'TOON' the RPG and every bugs bunny cartoon ever made) instead of regular diplomacy. 

Proficiences as a thief.  I didn't get around to templates.  Please let me know what you think:

 

Smuggler (Fighter 1b, Thief 3, HD 0) – d4 HD – DEX, CHA

Smugglers have a range of unique skills associated with their profession that make them very handy companions in adventures. A smuggler will usually have to forfeit a portion of his earnings to a Syndicate Guild from the character’s local town.  In return, he receives protection, information, and mercantile opportunities between adventures.

Smugglers are trained combatants, although not as skilled as fighters. At first level, smugglers hit an unarmored foe (AC 0) with an attack throw of 10+. They advance in attack throws and saving throws by two points every four levels of experience. Because of their need for stealth and quick escapes, smugglers cannot wear armor heavier than leather, and cannot use shields or exclusively two-handed melee weapons such as great axes or polearms. They may use any missile weapons and any one-handed melee weapons. They may fight with a one-handed weapon in each hand, or wielding a one-handed weapon with two hands.

A smuggler develops an underground network of contacts, fences, and peddlers through their travels. Whenever smugglers buy and sell equipment, hire retainers, and engage in mercantile ventures in a market they have previously visited, they treat the market as if it were one market class larger than its actual size. (Class I markets remain Class I markets.)

Smugglers are savvy bargainers who get the best deals available for goods, services, and information. Any items the venture purchases cost 10% less than the listed price and any items he sells go for 10% more than the listed price (as per the Bargaining proficiency). If trading with another merchant, or a character with the Bargaining proficiency, the opposed bargainers should make reaction rolls. Whichever character scores the higher result gets the discount. A smuggler may select Bargaining proficiency to improve his skills. Each time the proficiency is selected, the character receives a +2 bonus on his reaction roll when negotiating with other bargainers.

Smugglers are experts in reading languages. On a proficiency throw of 5+ on 1d20, the smuggler can decipher a document (including ciphers, treasure maps, and dead languages, but not magical writings). If the roll does not succeed, the smuggler may not try to read that particular piece of writing until he reaches a higher level of experience.

Smugglers often need to enter markets with their cargo unseen.  They may move silently, hide in shadows as a thief of equal level. 

Smugglers may hear noises as a thief of equal level and are always on the Lookout for danger and discovery.  They gain advantage to any proficiency throws to hear noises and detect secret doors. With a proficiency throw of 18+ he can notice secret doors with just casual observation. He gains a +1 bonus to avoid surprise.

Smugglers have learned to fast talk their way out of trouble using quick wits and a silver tongue to confound, confuse and charm those they meet.  The character gains a +2 bonus to reaction rolls with creatures he speaks to. If this bonus results in a total of 12 or more, the subjects act as if charmed while in his presence. Creatures with a WIS greater than the character’s CHA are immune to this power (and the character will know they are immune).  This effect only lasts for a number of turns equal to the smuggler’s level/2 (round up).  After that time, the charmed individual(s) will realize what happened and all future interactions with that individuals will be at -2 to reaction rolls.

Smugglers are masters at using bribery to get what they want.  Offering a bribe permits an additional reaction roll during encounters, with the throw modified by the size of the bribe. As a general rule, a bribe equal to one day’s pay for the target provides a +1 bonus, a week’s pay provides a +2 bonus, and a month’s pay provides a +3 bonus. Only one bribe can be attempted per target in any given situation.

A smuggler is also skilled at evasion, quickly moving their goods from the road to avoid discovery.  In any terrain except clear and grassland terrain, the character’s party receives a +5 bonus to proficiency throws to evade. A party guided by the character can evade wilderness encounters even when surprised on a skill roll of 19+.  A smuggler also gets a +2 bonus to smuggling hijinks.

When a Smuggler attains 9th level (Master Smuggler), he can establish a hideout, and 2d6 smuggler apprentices of 1st level will come to work with the character. If hired, they must be paid standard rates for ruffians. A successful character might use these followers to start a syndicate. Additional rules for hideouts are detailed in the Campaign chapter.

 

Experience

Title

Lvl

Hit Dice

BTH

0

Runner

1

1d4 (6)

0

1250

Crook

2

2d4 (9)

0

2500

Dealer

3

3d4 (12)

+1

5000

Operator

4

4d4 (15)

+1

10000

Trafficker

5

5d4 (18)

+2

20000

Fence

6

6d4 (21)

+2

40000

Fixer

7

7d4 (24)

+3

80000

Smuggler

8

8d4 (27)

+3

180000

Master Smuggler

9

9d4 (30)

+4

280000

Master Smuggler 10th level

10

9d4+2 (32)

+4

380000

Master Smuggler 11th level

11

9d4+4 (34)

+5

480000

Master Smuggler  12th level

12

9d4+6 (36)

+5

580000

Master Smuggler 13th level

13

9d4+8 (38)

+6

680000

Boss

14

9d4+10(40)

+6

 

 

This is a very fun class. I actually like it more than the Venturer.

What is the reference to "advantage" - is that imported from 5E?

I think advantage, or the section that it's in, references Alertness; the generic bonus of 5E's advantage is +5, pretty close to Alertness' +4, though it varies over the spread of target values.

I dig the fast talk redo of Magical Aura. It seems like that particular effect pops up often enough that it might be useful to mechanically define it as more than "acts as charmed". Not sure.

Difficult To Spot would also be a candidate for a power - quickly slipping into cover...not sure if the reverse of it (giving the better roll to "dungeon" environments) would be balanced, but might work better as far as an "urban" version?

Only other observation: it would be right and proper to somehow hide the Davos/Stannis "less -> fewer" meme in the writeup somewhere.

 

Overall I think it's a great class.

Overall I think it's a great class.