Shadow (Rogue Kit)[]
Shadows are humanoid assassins. They have made their way in the world by killing others for profit. While many have private codes, others hire themselves out to the highest bidder. Shadows have a reputation for being competent, cold-blooded, and extremely efficient. Thus, when they no longer actively take commissions, they tend to drift into related activities: spying, bounty hunting, and the like.
Shadow player characters are extremely rare, but they might join adventuring parties with similar interests and goals. They are loners by nature, however, and seldom stay with a group for long.
Requirements: Shadows can be of the following races: bugbears, bullywugs, gnolls, flinds, goblins, hobgoblins, kobolds, lizard men, mongrelmen, ogre magi, orcs, or half-orcs. Either gender may become shadows. The character must have minimum Strength and Dexterity scores of 12, and a minimum Intelligence of 11 to choose this kit. Shadows can be of any non-good alignment.
Role: Shadows are spies, assassins, and enforcers. Most leave their tribes to practice their profession in the outside world. Shadows earn their name from the way they live. Most are unseen until they strike, maintaining a low profile even when not on a job.
Most assassin guilds have at least one humanoid shadow on their rolls. They are saved for special assignments and for specific clients who favor their dark ways. Active shadows are proficient at stealth and killing, and spend much of their time honing their fighting skills to a fine edge in anticipation of the next assignment. Most are cool, calculating killing machines, and display a frightening lack of emotion when accomplishing their jobs.
Player character shadows are nearly always of neutral alignment and have often retired to general adventuring. Those still active as assassins often see themselves as agents of the forces of justice, the balance, tribal law, or some other principle. They consider the deaths they cause as justifiable evils, and only take commissions that fall into this category.
Weapon Proficiencies: Shadows may select any one-handed weapon, any weapon available to thieves, plus others appropriate to their profession (e.g.: blowgun, etc.).
Nonweapon Proficiencies:
- Bonus Proficiencies: Disguise.
- Recommended, General: Acting, alertness, begging, danger sense, hiding, observation, voice mimicry.
- Recommended, Warrior: Hunting, intimidation, tracking.
- Recommended, Priest: Reading/writing.
- Recommended, Wizard: None.
- Recommended, Rogue: Blind-fighting, close-quarter fighting, information gathering, jumping, tumbling.
- Forbidden: None.
Equipment: Shadows can use all types of deadly equipment, but they are limited to the armor types available to other thieves, plus shields. Shadows do not make use of poison. They prefer to eliminate their targets with weapon and combat skills.
Special Benefits: When attacking with surprise, a shadow kills the victim if a hit is scored and the victim fails a saving throw vs. death; provided the victim has hit dice less than or equal to the shadow's. Otherwise, damage equal to a backstab is inflicted.
Special Hindrances: All thief abilities except backstabbing are rated two levels less than those of a thief of equal level. This means that all initial thief abilities except hear noise have an additional -10% penalty.
Wealth Options: Each shadow begins play with 2d6 x 10 gp. This sum represents all that remains of a shadow's last pay.