Spyglass Scout (3.5e Class)

Spyglass Scout
"Stay close, stay quiet, and do exactly as I say."

This class combines some skills of the rogue and the ranger, with new abilities that support the entire party in combat. Spyglass Scouts can help the whole party sneak up on the enemy, survey the battlefield to give their companions an advantage, and they have the skills to help out in most situations. Having a Spyglass Scout on the team means that you are prepared for most situations.

Making a Spyglass Scout
Abilities: DEX will be a critical skill for most builds, but a high INT is also desirable since the class is skill-based.

Races: Any

Alignment: Any

Starting Gold: 4d4 x 10

Starting Age: Simple

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Spyglass Scout.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: all simple and martial weapons, and with light armor

She does not have to pay for it.





The Spyglass Scout’s attack deals extra damage any time her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the Spyglass Scout flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and it increases by 1d6 every two Spyglass Scout levels thereafter. Should the player score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied.

Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

With a sap (blackjack) or an unarmed strike, a Spyglass Scout can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty.

A Spyglass Scout can sneak attack only living creatures with discernible anatomies—undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to sneak attacks. The player must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A Spyglass Scout cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.



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.

She 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 player 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 her party) without disarming it.



 (Ex): At 2nd level, a Spyglass Scout gains an intuitive sense that alerts her to danger from traps, giving her a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. This bonus increases one point every two levels.

 (Ex): While scouting ahead, a second level Spyglass Scout can leave marks for her companions. Anyone following in her footsteps gets a +4 bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks.

 (Ex): At level 3, the Spyglass Scout can use Know Direction (as the spell) to find North, at will. This requires one full action.

 (Ex): At level 3, the Spyglass Scout gains the ability to spend one standard action disentangling himself, or another party member, from any natural type of entanglement (thorns, web, etc.), even if the snare was summoned by a spell.

 (Ex): At 4th level and higher, a Spyglass Scout can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Spyglass Scout can be used only when wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless Spyglass Scout does not gain the benefit of evasion.

 (Ex): A fourth level Spyglass Scout can use a standard action to survey the battlefield and give her companions advice, through shouts or visible cues, to help them against their foes. For one round, all ranged attacks from the party get a +2 circumstance to attack and no one in the party can be flanked. (This only benefits characters who could reasonably benefit from the Spyglass Scout's advice. For example, a character who is stunned could still be flanked.)

This only affects characters/enemies that are visible to the Spyglass Scout.

 (Ex): At level 4, the Spyglass Scout no longer leaves tracks where she walks. Does not apply when running.

 (Ex): At level 5, the Spyglass Scout can use Calm Animals (as the spell) at will.

 (Ex): Beginning at 5th level, a Spyglass Scout can use the hide skill in any sort of terrain, whether natural or not, even if the terrain doesn't grant cover or concealment. She loses this benefit when wearing medium or heavy armor or carrying any more than a light load.(See the Ranger class feature on page 48 of the Players Handbook).

 (Ex): At Level 6, the Spyglass Scout has learned to help his team coordinate an attack by observing the enemy. If the Spyglass Scout can spend at least one full round observing an opponent (or opponents, if they are in a group) without being detected and report back to her team, then the entire party can engage the enemy with a +4 bonus to initiative rolls.

 (Ex): While in any sort of natural terrain, a Spyglass Scout of 7th level or higher can use the Hide skill even while being observed.

She gets a +4 bonus to all of her knowledge skills that are part of the Spyglass Scout class (nature, geography, history, local).

 (Ex): Level 8 - The Spyglass Scout may now use her Unentangle ability as a swift action.

 (Ex): At 9th level a Spyglass Scout gains Improved Evasion. This ability works like evasion, except that while the player still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks henceforth she henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless Spyglass Scout does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

 (Ex) : While using this ability, the Spyglass Scout can hide her entire party. To do this, the entire party must move at half-speed (using the slowest party member's movement speed). During this time, the Spyglass Scout's Hide and Move Silently checks apply to every member of the party she is leading.

Playing a Spyglass Scout
Religion: Any

Other Classes: Works well in a group that lacks skill-based members. The Spyglass Scout is a support class that is intended to be the "Swiss Army Knife" of the party.

Combat: In most fights, the Spyglass Scout will want use their Sneak Attack ability. Out of combat, they will have access to most of the skills that a party needs.

Spyglass Scout Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Local) can research Spyglass Scouts to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.