Grimoire Rogue (3.5e Alternate Class Feature)

Grimoire Rogue
Summary::An alternate rogue who's a bit more customizable and stands out compared to other rogues.

Class: ]]

Level: 1st

Replaces: If you select this class feature, the usual rogue abilities are replaced with the following rogue abilities.

Benefit: You gain the following abilities and feats:

You gain Weapon Focus with that weapon.

 (Ex): If a rogue can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, he can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

The rogue's attack deals extra Precision-based damage anytime he targets a creature within 30' or within the range in which he could use Point Blank Shot (whichever is greater) who is Helpless, flat-footed, or whom he flanks, and uses a manufactured weapon (including a monk's unarmed strike) but not one that deals splash damage or is a grenade-like weapon. Sneak attacks may only be dealt with attacks derived from the rogue's BAB (normal and iterative attacks), those gained via the two-weapon fighting rules, those gained from spells such as Haste, and those gained from Attacks of Opportunity (but not, for example, ones gotten from your other class abilities such as a monk's Flurry of Blows, natural attacks, or similar abilities). This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and increases by 1d6 every two rogue levels thereafter.

Should the rogue score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied. With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (like a sap, whip, or an unarmed strike), a rogue can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. He cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty. Creatures that are normally immune to critical hits only take 1/2 damage from Sneak Attack. Sneak attack is not impeded by concealment or the size of your target.

Finding a nonmagical traps has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic traps has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. Rogues (and only rogues) can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A magic traps generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. A rogue who beats a trap’s DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with his party) without disarming it.

At second level, the rogue gains the Shielded in Life feat with either Intelligence or Charisma.



 (Ex): As he gains in knowledge and experience, the rogue learns to use an ally's distraction to fool an enemy into forgetting about him completely. At third level, the rogue counts as flanking for the purpose of Sneak Attack whenever he and an ally both threaten the same foe, though the ally is not considered flanking unless they are on opposite sides. This only applies for the purpose of Sneak Attacks and for nothing else, so unless the rogue and the ally are on opposite sides, neither get the +2 flanking bonus to attack even if both threaten the same opponent.

 (Ex): The rogue learns to calculate the enemy's movements, and often sticks his weapon right between the chinks of a creature's armor at just the right moment. At fourth level, the rogue gains a +1 competence bonus to attacks against enemies which he sneak attacks. This bonus increases by one every four levels afterwards, up to a maximum of +5 at level 20. This competence bonus stacks with any competence bonus granted by any class, but not one granted from feats or other abilities.

A rogue gains a single Rogue Trick at level 4, and another every two levels afterwards from the following list. These count as extraordinary abilities unless otherwise specified.


 * Acrobat: A rogue with this ability may use his Dexterity modifier instead of his Strength modifier on Climb and Jump checks. Furthermore, he gains the Up the Walls feat, but does not need to be psionically focused in order to use it.
 * Bleeding Attack: A rogue with this ability can cause opponents to bleed by hitting them with a sneak attack. Once per round upon hitting a creature with a sneak attack, a rogue with this trick can cause the creature to take one damage per sneak attack die they possess (e.g., 4d6 equals 4 points of bleed) at the beginning of the creature's turn every round. At the end of the creature's turn every round, the creature may make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 class level + Dexterity modifier) to end the effect, but continues to take damage until the save is successful. Bleeding damage from this ability does not stack with itself, and bypasses any damage reduction the creature might possess.
 * Defensive Roll: The rogue gains the Defensive Roll feat.
 * Distract the Eye: A rogue with this trick may feint against an opponent as a swift action, and any foe who the rogue successfully feints against is treated as flat-footed rather than simply denied his Dexterity bonus to AC.
 * Evasion: If the rogue makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the rogue is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless rogue does not gain the benefit of evasion.
 * Fast Stealth: This ability allows a rogue to move at full speed using the Hide or Move Silently skill without penalty, though he still suffers the normal -20 penalties to hide and move silently for running or fighting if he performs those actions.
 * Find Any Weak Spot: The rogue gains the Penetrating Strike feat.
 * Grapple Line: The rogue becomes a master of using grapples and grappling lines. By firing a missile weapon designed as a grappling weapon at an unoccupied square and doing at least 1 point of damage to an object filling that square (wall, ceiling, statue, etc) or a securely affixed object (ceiling post, small statue affixed to floor, etc), the rogue can run a rope from his current position to that location as a full round action. He may then use this rope to make Balance or Climb checks as normal.
 * Heightened Senses: When within 10' of a trap or secret door, the DM may roll a secret search check for the rogue to find the hidden object even if the rogue is not actively searching.
 * Ledge Walker: This ability allows a rogue to move along narrow surfaces at full speed using the Balance skill without penalty. In addition, a rogue with this talent is not flat-footed when using Balance to move along narrow surfaces.
 * Magic Trick: Choose a single level 0 spell from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. You may use this spell once every five minutes as a spell-like ability that requires a swift action. This trick may be taken multiple times, choosing a different level 0 spell each time. This ability has an effective caster level equal to one-half the rogue's class levels.
 * Poison Use: A rogue with this trick may prepare, apply, and use poison without any chance of poisoning himself.
 * Quick Disable: It takes a rogue with this ability half the normal amount of time to disable a trap using the Disable Device skill (minimum is a swift action). (Full action becomes a standard action, standard action becomes a move action, and a move action becomes a swift action.)
 * Slip Free: When making an Escape Artist check to free himself from a grapple, a rogue with this trick may treat an opponent who is larger than him as being one size smaller on opposed checks to escape. Furthermore, he may make the Escape Artist check and free himself as a move action.
 * Speedster: The rogue gains the Dash feat.
 * Suprise Attack: During a surprise round, a rogue is considered flanking all enemies even if he is not adjacent to them, even if they have already gone during the surprise round.
 * Trap Sense: The rogue gains a bonus to AC against attacks made by traps, and Reflex saves made against traps equal to the bonus to attack he gets from Deft Blade.
 * Tunnel Rat: While prone, a rogue with this ability can move at half speed. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. A rogue with this talent can take a 5-foot step while crawling.
 * Wall Crawler: The rogue gains a climb speed equal to one-half his base speed.
 * Wrong Place, Right Time: The rogue has the ability to catch an opponent in mid-stride, getting underfoot just at the right moment to move them in just the wrong way. A rogue with this trick gains the ability to substitute his Dexterity modifier (rather than Strength) for Bull Rush and Trip attempts.
 * Uncanny Dodge: A rogue can react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. he retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

As he becomes a journeyman at his craft, the rogue picks up new tricks that dazzle the eye and confuse the mind. At level 10, the rogue's list of tricks is expanded and he may choose one instead from the following list.


 * Been There, Done That, Seen it All: A rogue with this trick is never caught surprised, and may always act during a surprise round.
 * Distract the Eye, Improved: This ability allows the rogue to make two feint attempts on his turn, each as a free action, though an attack must have been made between the two (can't use them immediately after one-another). The rogue must have taken Distract the Eye as a Rogue Trick to gain this trick.
 * Evasion, Improved: This ability works like Evasion, except that while the rogue still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks henceforth he takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless rogue does not gain the benefit of Improved Evasion. The rogue must have taken Evasion as a Rogue Trick to gain this trick.
 * Magic Trick, Improved: Choose a single level first-level spell from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. You may use this spell once every five minutes as a spell-like ability that requires a swift action. This trick may be taken multiple times, choosing a different level 1 spell each time. Only a rogue who has taken Magic Trick as a Rogue Trick may take this trick. This ability has an effective caster level equal to one-half the rogue's class levels.
 * Nondetection: A rogue with this trick is protected by a constant Nondetection effect, with a caster level equal to his character level.
 * Opportunist: Once per round, the rogue can make an attack of opportunity against an opponent who has just been struck for damage in melee by another character. This attack counts as an attack of opportunity for that round. Even a rogue with the Combat Reflexes feat can't use the opportunist ability more than once per round.
 * Poison Use, Improved: A rogue with this trick may apply poison to his weapon as a move action. The rogue must have taken Poison Use as a Rogue Trick to gain this trick.
 * Power Slide: If a rogue with this trick takes damage from an attack, he may allow himself to be flung backwards, thereby lessening the impact. When successfully attacked by a melee or ranged non-touch attack, he may make a Balance check with a DC equal to the damage inflicted as an Immediate action, and if he succeeds he suffers only half damage. This is a skill check, not a Saving Throw, so abilities such as Evasion do not apply. He is moved away from the source of damage by 5' for every 5 points of damage (or part there of) negated in this way. If there is not enough space for him to move, he suffers a d6 of damage for each square not moved. If he ends up in the same square as another creature he falls prone. The rogue must have taken Defensive Roll as a Rogue Trick to gain this trick.
 * See Me Not: Magical sensors and traps (such as Alarm, Explosive Runes, Glyph of Warding, or Symbol of Pain) automatically do not register, threaten, or harm a rogue with this trick unless triggered by another creature.
 * Skill Mastery: The rogue becomes so confident in the use of certain skills that he can use them reliably even under adverse conditions. Upon gaining this ability, he selects three skills; when making a skill check with one of these skills, he may take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent him from doing so. A rogue may gain this special ability multiple times, selecting additional skills for skill mastery to apply to each time.
 * Slip Free, Improved: When making an Escape Artist check to free himself from a grapple, a rogue with this trick may treat an opponent who is larger than him as being the same size as he on opposed checks to escape (negating all bonuses to grapple based on size). Furthermore, he may now escape from a grapple using Escape Artist as a swift action. The rogue must have taken Slip Free as a Rogue Trick to gain this trick.
 * Slippery Mind: This ability represents the rogue's ability to wriggle free from magical effects that would otherwise control or compel him. If a rogue with Slippery Mind is affected by an effect that requires a Will save and fails his saving throw, he can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. He gets only this one extra chance to succeed on his saving throw.
 * Tumbling Contortionist: The rogue gains additional flexibility, allowing him to be more mobile as he moves about. A rogue with this trick may move at full speed while tumbling (rather than at half speed).
 * Uncanny Dodge, Improved: A rogue with this trick can no longer be flanked. This defense denies another rogue the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target does. The rogue must have taken Uncanny Dodge as a Rogue Trick to gain this trick.





All of his work, his sneakiness, and his cunning allow the rogue to surpass all others in his field, gaining the title of Master Rogue. At level 20, the rogue may choose one of the tricks on the following list.


 * Foil Magic: Once per round, a rogue with this trick who successfully hits an enemy may force that enemy to make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 class level + Dexterity modifier) or be unable to use any spells, supernatural abilities, spell-like abilities, or anything similar for one round. Furthermore, the strike strips the target of their magical defenses (treat this as a targeted Greater Dispel Magic cast by a level 20 caster).
 * Ignore Defenses: A rogue with this trick ignores all Damage Reduction and Hardness that creatures possess.
 * Invisible Blade: This ability allows the rogue to make a feint attempt before every attack he takes during his turn as a free action (though only once per attack). The rogue must have taken Improved Distract the Eye as an Improved Rogue Trick to gain this trick.
 * Mobile Flurry: This trick allows a rogue to make a full attack as a standard action.
 * Poison Master: A rogue with this trick may poison his weapon as a swift action, and may have poison affect enemies who would normally be immune to poisons. (However, dealing Constitution damage to a creature undead, for example, would still have no effect since undead don't have a Constitution score. However, a poison that deals Dexterity damage would still work since Undead have a Dexterity score.) The rogue must have taken Improved Poison Use as an Improved Rogue Trick to gain this trick.