Street Thug (3.5e Class)

Summary::An inner city ruffian that uses fists and feet to get what he wants from innocent citizens. Length::20 Minimum Level::1 Base Attack Bonus Progression::Moderate Fortitude Save Progression::Good Reflex Save Progression::Good Will Save Progression::Poor Class Ability::Sneak Attack Class Ability Progression::Partial

Street Thug
Most cities have law and order, but not all residents are keen on following this law. Rather than making a living honestly, thugs roam the street in search of unsuspecting marks in order to "convince" them to hand over their gold. This convincing could come from extorting them into paying protection money, badgering them with threats or simply beating them up. Tough life on the street has made them adept in fighting when unarmed and their unassuming appearance makes it simple for them to blend in with the rest of the populace. A thug’s main motivation is the coin in your purse, although they may also wish to find power or fame within the shady recesses of the city.

Adventures: Street thugs don’t commonly venture outside the safety of their city. That being said, they may adventure to find a new city they haven’t been run out of or maybe in looking for a change of environment. “Reformed” (that is, enlisted) street thugs may be of use to mercenary bands and private military contractors, as they often only care about money and are not driven by any specific cause.

Characteristics: A street thug is at home in secluded city alleys and busy city blocks – anywhere they can find a mark – and they know their environment like the back of their hand. They can be seen as an intermediate between a monk and a rogue. They lack the discipline of a monk, but share their unarmed fighting capabilities from their life of unlawful encounters. Like rogues, they know the ins and outs of a city’s culture and can use that information to figure out where the best marks are or how to escape a sticky situation. They also use rogue-like deception to fool those they encounter or hit them with a crippling first strike.

Alignment: Street thugs don’t care for laws – or people for that matter – and only care about personal gain. The manner in which they conduct themselves and their business is usually considered evil, but some thugs see their methods only as a means to an end, being more neutral. They are more likely to be chaotic than anything else and sway toward evil rather than neutrality.

Religion: Although not noticeably moral or devout, street thugs do revere certain patron deities that might aid them in their search for wealth or infamy. Gods often revered include Kord (god of strength), Olidammara (god of thieves), and even Nerull (god of death).

Background: Street thugs come from people with loose morals that have fallen on hard times and resorted to illegal methods to scrape by. They may have been adventurers who found it to be too tough and instead settled into a gang in a wayward town. Some people join gangs early in life to escape the monotony of commoner life, while others have joined under the prospect of “if you can’t beat 'em, join 'em.”

Races: Races that live among urban populaces and are more inclined to chaos have street thugs wandering their cities. Humans and half-elves are crafty and versatile enough to ambush travelers and half-orcs are brutish enough to get the job done.

Other classes: Because of their chaotic nature, street thugs are in good company with bards and rogues. They respect the battle prowess presented by rangers, fighters and barbarians, but often find fighters to be too ostentatious when it comes to a fight and barbarians are too backwards for city life. Street thugs usually don’t care for clerics, regardless of the god they represent, because of their general apathy for piety. They don’t mind the likes of druids, sorcerers or wizards, respecting their magical capabilities, but again sense the druid’s incompatibility with city life. Street thugs avoid paladins and monks like disease, seeing their adherence to law as a red flag against the street thugs’ everyday activity.

Role: Street thugs can hold their own in a fight but not in the same manner as can a fighter or barbarian. As secondary combatants, they prefer to attack when the opportunity presents itself rather than establishing the opportunity themselves. Outside of combat, a thug is used for gathering information about new environments and relaying what they already know about an area. They may also be the spokesman for the party for this same reason.

Making a Street Thug
Abilities: Street Thugs are secondary fighters so Strength and Constitution are vital to their survival; Strength helps deal out damage and establish grapples while Constitution staves off damage. A high Intelligence is also important for improving their armor class and Charisma is used in deceiving targets.

Starting Gold: 4d4

Starting Age: Simple

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the street thug.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The street thug is proficient with all simple weapons, as well as the sap and hand crossbow, and with light armor, but not shields.

Brawler: Street thugs make their illegitimate living through the use of force and have learned and adapted how to use their bodies at lethal weapons. At 1st level, a street thug gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. Street thugs can use their fists, feet, elbows, knees and head as lethal weapons, but can also pull their punches to inflict non-lethal damage if they so choose.

Combination Strike: Similar to a monks' Flurry of Blows, a street thugs may attempt to sneak in a couple extra hits without regard for accuracy. In doing so, this last attack is at a -4 penalty at 1st level, a -2 penalty at 3rd level and is nullified at 9th level.

Streetwise: Street Thugs live on the streets and are always informed on what is going on around the city. For this, they gain a +2 bonus to Gather Information and Knowlege (Local) checks.

Sucker Punch: Similar to a rogue’s Sneak Attack, street thugs can ambush an unknowing target in a barrage of fists and feet by catching them off guard in order to deal extra damage. At 2nd level, every time a target would be denied their Dexterity bonus to AC, the Street Thug is entitled to a Sucker Punch; this Sucker Punch damage is an extra 1d4 damage and increases by 1d4 every two Street Thug levels thereafter.

Uncanny Dodge: At 3rd level, a street thugs has an intuitive sense to detect danger before her body would normally react. He retains his Dexterity bonus to AC even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if he is immobilized.

Intuitive Defense: When wearing light or no armor and is unencumbered, a street thug gains his Intelligence modifier to his armor class, as he instinctively knows where the blows are coming from and how to better avoid them.

Improved Feint: Street Thugs use deception to turn the odds in their favor. At 4th level, a street thug gets Improved Feint as a bonus feat.

Dodge: A street thug is adept at fighting when the odds are not in his favor. At 5th level, a street thug gets Dodge as a bonus feat to help him single out the most threatening opponent facing him.

Special attack: Beginning at 12th level, a street thug can learn a special attack of their choice from among the following. Every two levels thereafter, the Street Thug can choose another special attack. Only one special attack can be used each round and each special attack can only be used three times an encounter.


 * Concussed: After landing three called shots to an opponents head, the opponent must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/4 total damage dealt) or be dazed (can take no action, no AC penalty) for one round. Additionally, all attacks targeting the head thereafter deal 1.5x damage.


 * Clothesline: The street thug makes a charge attempt against a target. The target may make a Reflex save (DC 15) to get out of the way or the target and street thug make an opposing Strength check; if the street thug wins, the target takes damage equal to the street thugs Strength modifier and is knocked prone; if the target wins, they are entitled to an attack of opportunity on the street thug.


 * Discombobulate: The street thug makes an attack against the side of the opponents head. Once two attacks have successfully hit the opponents ears, they are deafened (-4 initiative, auto fail Listen, 20% spell failure w/ verbal components) for 1d4 rounds and dazed for 1 round unless they make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/3 total damage dealt).


 * Liver Shot: The street thug makes a savage attack to the targets' liver, making them nauseated (can only make move action and free actions) for 1d4 rounds unless they make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 damage dealt).


 * Rabbit Punch: When a street thug catches an opponent flat-footed and has flanking on them, they deliver a brutal hit to the back of the target's neck, dealing 1.5x damage automatically.


 * Shattered socket: The street thug makes an attack targeting the orbital socket. Once two attacks have successfully hit the opponents sockets, they are blinded (-2 AC, no Dex to AC, -4 Search/Spot, 50% miss chance) unless they make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/3 total damage dealt).


 * Spinal Tap: When attacking an opponent from behind, the street thug knees them in the spine. They must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/3 damage dealt) or be stunned (drops everything, can take no action, -2 AC, no Dex to AC) for 1d4 rounds.


 * Submission: After establishing a pin against an opponent, the street thug deals 1d6 points of damage to the opponent and gains a +1 to their grapple every round they keep the pin established.


 * Sweep the leg: A swift kick to the knee snaps the anterior cruciate ligament. The target must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/3 damage dealt) or take 1d6 Dexterity damage until healed and reduce their movement speed to one-fifth its maximum. The target cannot run until the injury is healed.


 * Winded: A vicious blow to the targets' diaphragm knocks the wind out of them. Unless they make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/3 damage dealt), they are treated as if under the spell Slow (take a single move/standard action, not both, -1 on attack rolls, AC, and Reflex, move 1/2 normal speed) for 1d6 rounds.

Ex-Street Thug
If a street thug becomes lawful or good, they cannot advance in Street Thug levels until they are non-lawful and non-good again. They still retain all of their abilities, however.