Jumper (3.5e Class)

Jumper
Jumpers are beings who were born with the inherent ability to fold their bodies into the cracks in space, and seemingly teleport across great distances. Jumpers also seem to become steadily more and more mobile on the battlefield, eventually completely ignoring detriments that would normally stop anyone else in their tracks, and slipping between their enemies blows with ease. A jumper is a fleeting being that can be found anywhere on a battlefield at any given point in time.

Making a Jumper
Upon the battlefield, a jumper is an insanely mobile combatant, who can avoid problems that would catch others unaware, with relative ease. This is due to the versatility of their jump class feature. Also, due to this class feature, jumpers are prone to charging with each attack they make in battle, and landing as many blows as they can in a given stretch of time.

Abilities: Dexterity is the key ability score for jumper, seeing as it grants them AC, high initiative, and good Reflexes, which are all key mechanics for the jumper. Next in order of importance to a jumper are Strength, so that they can deal decent damage, and Intelligence, so they can utilize better use of their skill points. Thirdly, Constitution is a good ability for jumpers, seeing as it grants higher hit points, and one can never have enough of them. Lastly, Charisma and Wisdom are the least important ability scores for a jumper, but are each useful in their own way in a particular situation.

Races: Any.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Gold: 4d8&times;10 gp (180 gp).

Starting Age: "Moderate" or "As fighter"

Epic Jumper
Jump (Ex): The distance a jumper can jump across via the jump class feature increase by 10 feet every even level after 20th level (22nd, 24th, 26th, 28th, etc.).

Nimble Strike: An epic jumper’s nimble strike damage increases by +1d6 every three levels after 18th level.

At 27th level, a jumper is no longer subject to attacks of opportunity made against him from any source while he is charging. Additionally, the jumper also doesn't take the usual –2 penalty to his AC that they would recieve due to charging. His charge move still ends as soon as he threatens his target.

 (Ex): Jumpers actually manage to, eventually master their physical prowess to the degree that they become utterly uncatchable upon the battlefield. At 30th level, a jumper gains a swim speed and a climb speed equal to his base land speed, and can switch between any of these three speeds any number of times during a round, though they still cannot move any farther than they would without these extra modes of movement. Additionally, the jumper gains an inherent +6 bonus to his Dexterity.



Epic Jumper Bonus Feat List: Blinding Speed, Dire Charge, Epic Dodge, Epic Endurance, Epic Prowess, Epic Speed, Fast Healing, Improved Combat Reflexes, Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting, Superior Initiative, Two-Weapon Rend

Human Jumper Starting Package
Armor: Leather Armor

Weapons: Heavy Flail.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 6 + Int modifier.

Feat: Improved Initiative.

Bonus Feats: Combat Reflexes.

Gear: Backpack, Bedroll, Winter Blanket, Fishhook, Flint and Steel, 6 oz. of Ink, Inkpen, Hooded Lantern, 5 pints of Oil, Belt Pouch, 1 lb. of Soap, Tent, Waterskin.

Gold: 24 gp.

Playing a Jumper
Religion: A particular jumper is capable of following any religion they so choose, no matter how obscure or distant. As a rule of thumb though, jumpers are only ever rarely inclined to follow a particular religion because of their abilities. Although, if the case arises where a jumper is so inclined, they tend to be directly drawn to gods of travel or combat, seeing that these two things are most directly connected to the jumpers abilities.

Other Classes: Jumpers tend to vary in who they get along with depending on their own personal way of behaving. Though, while this is true, they seem to be likely to get along with rogues, barbarians or monks more than others, considering that they share styles of fighting upon the battlefield with each of these three classes. At the same time, a jumper who seeks to discover the reason they can move through the world in such an odd way, they may be quicker to befriend wizards, sorcerers, or psions than others.

Combat: In battle, a jumper may seem to be everywhere, constantly moving, always dodging, and almost impossible to catch unawares. A jumper hardly ever stays away from the battle, instead charging through it, striking enemies with unavoidable dexterity and finesse. A jumper can be a vexing opponent at times, managing to slip through what would otherwise be a fullproof plan, and dodging attacks made by the most weathered veterans.

Advancement: Jumpers have many avenues open to them in regards to advancement. One particular jumper may seek other ways of moving across the world, plunging into the darkest reaches of it, and would be inclined to take a few levels in shadowdancer to see how far they could actually go. On the other hand, a jumper could view his power as a gift that allows him to be everywhere at once, and that this gift makes him greater than everyone else. These jumpers may be enticed to taking a level or two in assassin, as to make sure those who disagreed with him did not live. On yet another note, a jumper could view their ability as a enticing thing that allows him many different pathways upon the battlefield, and would be interested in taking a couple of levels in duelist to heighten his combat skill.

Jumpers in the World
"Do they actually think a wall is going to stop me?"

Jumpers tend to be find themselves, most commonly, in the position of messengers, scouts, and assassins. In as much, they can usually be found most commonly in large towns or small military regiments, where speed and finesse are both very necessary. It is not uncommon however, for a jumper to take to a life of crime, since it is exceedingly difficult to catch them, and they can get access to places that others couldn't even imagine of reaching.

Daily Life: The life of a jumper as they live from day to day is mostly the same as any others, respectively. Though, their lives will be subtlely changed due to the fact that they can view a problem that would stump most others, such as a a 20 foot thick adamantine wall, as a mere inconvenience. They also have the ability to cover much more ground in a single day than other living creatures, and so, may tend to be rather flighty, moving from town to town every now and then, and not remaining in any one place for longer than a few weeks.

Notables: Lucian Tora, Male Human Jumper: single-handedly fought an invasion force away from his home.

Eliza Whisper, Female High Elf Jumper: killed 27 kings during her career in the elven army.

Art Otica, Female Gargoyle Jumper: evaded capture by 8 different countries for over 230 years.

Organizations: A jumper is rarely inclined to go out and enter into a particular organization solely due to their nature. Though, it isn't uncommon for a particular jumper to find themselves being persuaded to join into a battle-based organization, or enticed to form an organization all their own, based around crime. Both of these situations sprout from the same source, and that source is the simply fact that a jumper is a difficult person to catch.

NPC Reactions: Jumpers are difficult to notice whenever they aren't in battle or using their jump ability for whatever reason. Though, whenever they actually do use the ability, they can be instantly spotted, since their manner of travel is so unique. When a person actually realizes someone is a jumper, they usually regard that person with different degree's of respect, depending on the person in question.

Jumper Lore
Characters with ranks in gather information can research jumpers to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Jumpers in the Game
Jumpers can find themselves in nearly any location imaginable, from the grandest of the outer planes, to the narrowest back alley in a city. A paticular fact about jumpers is that they tend to manage to get to places that few others could ever dream of getting to, such as the top of mountians that have been deemed unclimbable, or an island in the middle of a reef that ships cannot navigate. This fact often leads a jumper to be an adventerous type, always looking to see what new places they can get to, or what new events to witness.

Adaptation: The jumper class can be molded to fit any grand scheme within a campaign. For example, the case could arise that all living beings have some kind of latent ability similar to a jumper, though, they simply need to train themselves to bring out that ability. In another situation, it could be that there is only one jumper in existance, and he puts on a show as a magician on the streets in a large city.

Sample NPC: Rethar Battle was once a powerful man, he owned an entire fleet of ships that went out to all corners of the world, trading anything from exotic spices and foods to parchments and colorful inks. He remained at his home though, communicating to his ships via a diviner he had hired himself, telling them where to go, who to see, or what to say to a leader of a small country when they met them for the first time. His life was wonderful. Then a strange thing happened: his maps all went blank, and his diviner died in the night. Rethar was scared, there was obviously something out there that had specifically targeted him and was attempting to sever his connections with the world, why else would all of his ships disappear from his tracking map the same night that his only connection to those ships died? Though, Rethar wasn't afraid of someone trying to cut him off from the world, he was afraid that something that had the power to succeed was targeting him. Rethar spent the next few weeks waiting, for he wasn't a stupid man, he knew that something that could wash a fleet of ships, each individual one thousands of miles away from the others, off of the globe in a single night, wouldn't let him contact anyone else in the world, and so, he wouldn't let it harm anyone else. Then one night came, and the air outside was perfectly still. Rethar was sitting on his bed, wearing a simple linen shirt and pair of pants, starring at the wall. For some reason, he felt something was coming, that tonight was the night it would come for him. He sat there for several hours, starring at that point on the wall, just waiting. Then he felt it, a gentle breeze, and he turned his head to look at the entrance to his room. There was a thin man standing there, one who looked as though he hadn't eaten in years. As their eyes met, Rethar blinked. This man was his father! That couldn't be, his father was dead, and never had had that kind of power. This was a trick! Rethars eyes narrowed, and he lept up from the bed, thinking of nothing but getting away from the zombie who had been his father, he wouldn't fight his kin. Luckily his father was too slow to react to his motion, and Rethar had jumped out of the window in an instant. The fall should have at least wounded him, though, for some reason, in his adrenaline rush from leaping out of the window, he had shrugged off the fall. Little did he know that he had just "jumped" for the first time in his life. Rethar just ran that night, and he's still running, and searching. Searching for the entity that hates him so, and that would disrespect his family in such a way.

EL 15: