trav_laney
First Post
Are you bored with bravery? Are you sick and tired of being kicked around by big beasties while the rest of the party looks on from a safe distance? Are you looking for a prestige class that will overturn the stereotyped notion that all fighters are, well, fighters? Then look no further!
I wrote this prestige class more as a joke than anything else, when a member of my gaming group made fun of another for being a coward. "Did you take levels of COWARD?" she taunted. And it set into motion that special group of gears in my brain that controls demented humor and D20 stats.
And all joking aside, I think this class would be excellent for an NPC villain, or perhaps his sniveling henchmen.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Prestige Class: Yellowbellied Coward
“Forget this…I’m out of here!”
Every party has one…the trembling, stuttering, weak-at-the-knees character who is terrified of everything. For every valiant hero who fearlessly challenges his foe, there is at least one punk in the group who will never go into battle willingly, never get within melee range of an ugly-looking monster, and will always flee after taking the slightest amount of damage.
But even among this lackluster group, there are those who excel. When it comes to an outright retreat, the Yellowbellied Cowards are the unchallenged masters. Nobody can run, hide, or scream quite as well as they can.
Yellowbellied Cowards are fighters and warriors with a distinct lack of courage. They tend to prefer social scenes and banquets over the fearsome lairs of monsters, and are experts at getting themselves out of trouble in a hurry. Whether fleeing on foot or talking his way out of danger, a Yellowbellied Coward is an artist.
Prerequisites
The following are the prerequisites for the Yellowbellied Coward Prestige Class:
Alignment: Chaotic (any)
Base Attack Bonus: +4
Skills: Escape Artist (5 ranks)
Feats: Run, Dodge
Special: The character must be susceptible to fear and fear-based attacks.
Class Features
The following are the class features of the Yellowbellied Coward Prestige Class:
Class Skills
The Class Skills (and the key ability for each) of the Yellowbellied Coward Prestige Class are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Ride (Dex), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points per level: 4 + Intelligence modifier
Hit Dice: d6
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The Yellowbellied Coward is proficient with all simple weapons, as well as light armor and all shields (including the tower shield).
Run Away! (Sp): When it comes to an outright retreat, the Yellowbellied Coward has perfected it into an art form. At 1st level, the character may cast expeditious retreat as a spell-like ability, as a sorcerer of equal hit dice. The character may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier.
Panic Attack (Su): When the Yellowbellied Coward perceives that he is in danger (which happens quite often), he can temporarily boost his speed and stamina at the cost of his Strength. Once per day, the character may choose to go into a Panic Attack as a free action. While in a panic attack, the Yellowbellied Coward gains phenomenal speed and durability but becomes reckless and less able to fight. He temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Dexterity and Constitution, but immediately becomes shaken (-2 penalty to attack rolls, save throws, skill checks, and ability checks).
This increase in Constitution increases the Yellowbellied Coward’s hit points by 2 points per level, but these hit points go away at the end of the Panic Attack when his Constitution score drops back to normal. (These extra hit points are not lost the way temporary hit points are; see the Barbarian class description in the SRD for more information.) While in a Panic Attack, the Yellowbellied Coward cannot use any action or ability that requires patience or concentration, nor can he cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger, or spell completion to function.
A Panic Attack lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character’s (newly-improved) Constitution modifier. The Yellowbellied Coward may not choose to end the Panic Attack prematurely; however, a remove fear spell cast on the Yellowbellied Coward will end the Panic Attack immediately (Will save negates). At the end of the Panic Attack, the Yellowbellied Coward loses the Panic Attack modifiers and becomes fatigued (-2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity, cannot charge or run) for the duration of the encounter.
A Yellowbellied Coward may have a Panic Attack only once per encounter. At 1st level, he can use his Panic Attack ability once per day. At 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter, he can use it one additional time per day (to a maximum of 3 times per day at 5th level). Entering a Panic Attack takes no time itself, but a Yellowbellied Coward can only do it during his own action.
Skittish (Ex): Yellowbellied Cowards are known for their lack of bravery. The character suffers a -2 competence penalty to all save throws against fear and fear-based attacks.
Get ‘Em Off Me! (Ex): When a Yellowbellied Coward is grappled by another creature, he goes into a fear-induced frenzy. By flailing his arms and legs about and screaming like a little girl, he can often improve his chances for breaking another creature’s hold. At 2nd level, the Yellowbellied Coward gains a +4 competence bonus to all opposed grapple checks or Escape Artist checks made to prevent or escape a grapple.
Slippery Retreat (Ex): The Yellowbellied Coward, through much practice, has gained the ability to duck and dodge blows when trying to escape danger. At 3rd level, the Yellowbellied Coward gains a +4 dodge bonus to his Armor Class against attacks of opportunity made while moving through hostile opponents’ threatened areas. This dodge bonus will stack with other dodge bonuses to Armor Class (such as the +4 bonus granted by the Mobility feat).
To gain the benefit of this ability, the Yellowbellied Coward must be wearing light armor or no armor, and must not be carrying any load greater than “light.” Furthermore, the character must be moving at his maximum (run) speed and trying to escape combat to the best of his ability. He may not use this ability simply to improve his position, and he may not take any other action while fleeing.
Improved Bull Rush (Ex): In combat, it often becomes necessary to push opponents out of the way to make an escape. At 4th level, the Yellowbellied Coward gains the Improved Bull Rush feat for free as a bonus feat, regardless of whether or not he meets any of the prerequisites for the feat.
Slippery Fighter (Ex): Yellowbellied Cowards trip, stumble, and fall down so many times in a day that they become quite accustomed to the prone position. At 4th level, the Yellowbellied Coward no longer takes a -4 penalty to his armor class, and no longer suffers a -4 penalty to melee attacks, while in the prone position.
The Yellowbellied Coward must be wearing light armor or no armor to use this ability, and must not be carrying any load greater than “light.”
Improved Speed (Ex): As he advances in level, the Yellowbellied Coward gains phenomenal speed. The base movement rate for a 5th level Yellowbellied Coward increases by 10 feet per round. The character must be wearing light armor or no armor to use this ability, and must not be carrying any load greater than “light.”
Chicken (Su): At 5th level, the Yellowbellied Coward gains the supernatural ability to change his form into that of a chicken once per day. This ability works like a 5th level druid’s wild shape ability, except that the Yellowbellied Coward may only assume the form of a chicken. If the character already has the wild shape ability (such as a Yellowbellied Coward with previous levels of Druid), he gains one more use of the wild shape ability but may only use it to assume chicken form.
Chicken (Tiny Animal)
Hit Dice: 1d4 (2 hp) Initiative: +4, Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares), fly 20 ft. (clumsy), Armor Class: 17 (+2 size, +3 Dex, +2 natural), Base Attack/Grapple: +0/–10, Attack: Talons +5 melee (1d4–2), Full Attack: Talons +4 melee (1d3–3), Space/Reach: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft., Special Attacks: --, Special Qualities: Low-light vision, Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +2, Abilities: Str 4, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6, Skills: Listen +5, Spot +5 Feat: Alertness, Challenge Rating: 1/3
In combat, chickens generally flee. If cornered and forced to fight, they combine both talons into a single attack.
I wrote this prestige class more as a joke than anything else, when a member of my gaming group made fun of another for being a coward. "Did you take levels of COWARD?" she taunted. And it set into motion that special group of gears in my brain that controls demented humor and D20 stats.
And all joking aside, I think this class would be excellent for an NPC villain, or perhaps his sniveling henchmen.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Prestige Class: Yellowbellied Coward
“Forget this…I’m out of here!”
Every party has one…the trembling, stuttering, weak-at-the-knees character who is terrified of everything. For every valiant hero who fearlessly challenges his foe, there is at least one punk in the group who will never go into battle willingly, never get within melee range of an ugly-looking monster, and will always flee after taking the slightest amount of damage.
But even among this lackluster group, there are those who excel. When it comes to an outright retreat, the Yellowbellied Cowards are the unchallenged masters. Nobody can run, hide, or scream quite as well as they can.
Yellowbellied Cowards are fighters and warriors with a distinct lack of courage. They tend to prefer social scenes and banquets over the fearsome lairs of monsters, and are experts at getting themselves out of trouble in a hurry. Whether fleeing on foot or talking his way out of danger, a Yellowbellied Coward is an artist.
Prerequisites
The following are the prerequisites for the Yellowbellied Coward Prestige Class:
Alignment: Chaotic (any)
Base Attack Bonus: +4
Skills: Escape Artist (5 ranks)
Feats: Run, Dodge
Special: The character must be susceptible to fear and fear-based attacks.
Class Features
The following are the class features of the Yellowbellied Coward Prestige Class:
Class Skills
The Class Skills (and the key ability for each) of the Yellowbellied Coward Prestige Class are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Ride (Dex), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points per level: 4 + Intelligence modifier
Hit Dice: d6
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The Yellowbellied Coward is proficient with all simple weapons, as well as light armor and all shields (including the tower shield).
Run Away! (Sp): When it comes to an outright retreat, the Yellowbellied Coward has perfected it into an art form. At 1st level, the character may cast expeditious retreat as a spell-like ability, as a sorcerer of equal hit dice. The character may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier.
Panic Attack (Su): When the Yellowbellied Coward perceives that he is in danger (which happens quite often), he can temporarily boost his speed and stamina at the cost of his Strength. Once per day, the character may choose to go into a Panic Attack as a free action. While in a panic attack, the Yellowbellied Coward gains phenomenal speed and durability but becomes reckless and less able to fight. He temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Dexterity and Constitution, but immediately becomes shaken (-2 penalty to attack rolls, save throws, skill checks, and ability checks).
This increase in Constitution increases the Yellowbellied Coward’s hit points by 2 points per level, but these hit points go away at the end of the Panic Attack when his Constitution score drops back to normal. (These extra hit points are not lost the way temporary hit points are; see the Barbarian class description in the SRD for more information.) While in a Panic Attack, the Yellowbellied Coward cannot use any action or ability that requires patience or concentration, nor can he cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger, or spell completion to function.
A Panic Attack lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character’s (newly-improved) Constitution modifier. The Yellowbellied Coward may not choose to end the Panic Attack prematurely; however, a remove fear spell cast on the Yellowbellied Coward will end the Panic Attack immediately (Will save negates). At the end of the Panic Attack, the Yellowbellied Coward loses the Panic Attack modifiers and becomes fatigued (-2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity, cannot charge or run) for the duration of the encounter.
A Yellowbellied Coward may have a Panic Attack only once per encounter. At 1st level, he can use his Panic Attack ability once per day. At 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter, he can use it one additional time per day (to a maximum of 3 times per day at 5th level). Entering a Panic Attack takes no time itself, but a Yellowbellied Coward can only do it during his own action.
Skittish (Ex): Yellowbellied Cowards are known for their lack of bravery. The character suffers a -2 competence penalty to all save throws against fear and fear-based attacks.
Get ‘Em Off Me! (Ex): When a Yellowbellied Coward is grappled by another creature, he goes into a fear-induced frenzy. By flailing his arms and legs about and screaming like a little girl, he can often improve his chances for breaking another creature’s hold. At 2nd level, the Yellowbellied Coward gains a +4 competence bonus to all opposed grapple checks or Escape Artist checks made to prevent or escape a grapple.
Slippery Retreat (Ex): The Yellowbellied Coward, through much practice, has gained the ability to duck and dodge blows when trying to escape danger. At 3rd level, the Yellowbellied Coward gains a +4 dodge bonus to his Armor Class against attacks of opportunity made while moving through hostile opponents’ threatened areas. This dodge bonus will stack with other dodge bonuses to Armor Class (such as the +4 bonus granted by the Mobility feat).
To gain the benefit of this ability, the Yellowbellied Coward must be wearing light armor or no armor, and must not be carrying any load greater than “light.” Furthermore, the character must be moving at his maximum (run) speed and trying to escape combat to the best of his ability. He may not use this ability simply to improve his position, and he may not take any other action while fleeing.
Improved Bull Rush (Ex): In combat, it often becomes necessary to push opponents out of the way to make an escape. At 4th level, the Yellowbellied Coward gains the Improved Bull Rush feat for free as a bonus feat, regardless of whether or not he meets any of the prerequisites for the feat.
Slippery Fighter (Ex): Yellowbellied Cowards trip, stumble, and fall down so many times in a day that they become quite accustomed to the prone position. At 4th level, the Yellowbellied Coward no longer takes a -4 penalty to his armor class, and no longer suffers a -4 penalty to melee attacks, while in the prone position.
The Yellowbellied Coward must be wearing light armor or no armor to use this ability, and must not be carrying any load greater than “light.”
Improved Speed (Ex): As he advances in level, the Yellowbellied Coward gains phenomenal speed. The base movement rate for a 5th level Yellowbellied Coward increases by 10 feet per round. The character must be wearing light armor or no armor to use this ability, and must not be carrying any load greater than “light.”
Chicken (Su): At 5th level, the Yellowbellied Coward gains the supernatural ability to change his form into that of a chicken once per day. This ability works like a 5th level druid’s wild shape ability, except that the Yellowbellied Coward may only assume the form of a chicken. If the character already has the wild shape ability (such as a Yellowbellied Coward with previous levels of Druid), he gains one more use of the wild shape ability but may only use it to assume chicken form.
Chicken (Tiny Animal)
Hit Dice: 1d4 (2 hp) Initiative: +4, Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares), fly 20 ft. (clumsy), Armor Class: 17 (+2 size, +3 Dex, +2 natural), Base Attack/Grapple: +0/–10, Attack: Talons +5 melee (1d4–2), Full Attack: Talons +4 melee (1d3–3), Space/Reach: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft., Special Attacks: --, Special Qualities: Low-light vision, Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +2, Abilities: Str 4, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6, Skills: Listen +5, Spot +5 Feat: Alertness, Challenge Rating: 1/3
In combat, chickens generally flee. If cornered and forced to fight, they combine both talons into a single attack.
Code:
LV BAT For Ref Will Special
1 +1 +0 +2 +0 Run Away!, Panic Attack 1/day, Skittish
2 +2 +0 +3 +0 Get ‘Em Off Me!
3 +3 +1 +3 +1 Panic Attack 2/day, Slippery Retreat
4 +4 +1 +4 +1 Improved Bull Rush, Slippery Fighter
5 +5 +1 +4 +1 Panic Attack 3/day, Improved Speed, Chicken
Last edited:
Hilarious.
