The Covert Hero

Credits

Author: Fraser Ronald
Publisher: Sword’s Edge Publishing

Open Game Content

Requirements

To qualify to become a Covert Hero, a character must fulfill the following criteria.
Skills: Hide or Move Silently, 4 ranks
Feats: One of the following: Alertness, Deceptive, Nimble, or Stealthy

Class Information

The following information pertains to the Covert Hero dedicated class.

Hit Die: d6
Action Points: Covert Heroes gain a number of action points equal to 6 + one-half their character level, rounded down, at 1st level and every time they attain a new level in this class.

Class Skills
The Covert Hero's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Drive (Dex), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gamble (Wis), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Read/Write Language (None), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Table: The Covert Hero

Level	BABonus	Fort	Ref	Will	Special	Def	Rep
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	Talent	+1	-
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+0	Bonus Feat	+1	-
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+1	Talent	+2	-
4th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Bonus Feat	+2	-
5th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Talent	+3	+1
6th	+4	+2	+5	+2	Bonus Feat	+3	+1
7th	+5	+2	+5	+2	Talent	+4	+1
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+2	Bonus Feat	+4	+1
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+3	Talent	+5	+2
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+3	Bonus Feat	+5	+2

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Covert Hero.

Talents
At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level, the Covert Hero selects a talent from the following talent trees. Some trees have a set order that must be followed, while others provide a list to choose from. As long as the Covert Hero qualifies, he can select freely from any and all talent trees. No talent can be selected more than once unless expressly indicated.

Defensive Talent Tree
The Covert Hero is nimble and quick, aware of his environs and ready to act.

Evasion: Using this talent, a Covert Hero can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he 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 Covert Hero is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless Covert Hero does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Uncanny Dodge: With this talent, a Covert Hero can react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He retains his Dexterity bonus to Defense (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to Defense if immobilized.

Improved Uncanny Dodge: A Covert Hero with this talent can no longer be flanked.

This defense denies another Covert Hero the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more Covert Hero levels (or levels in a class that allows access to the Sneak Attack ability) than the target does.

If the Covert Hero has access to the Sneak Attack ability from another class, that class’ levels stack when determining levels for a sneak attack as per above.

Prerequisite: Evasion, Uncanny Dodge.

Offensive Talent Tree
While not a dedicated combatant, the Covert Hero has learned to take care of himself in a fight, and has a few little surprises for any unwary opponent.

Opportunist: Once per round, the Covert Hero 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 the Covert Hero's attack of opportunity for that round. Even a Covert Hero with the Combat Reflexes feat can't use the Opportunist ability more than once per round.

Sneak Attack: Using this talent, if a Covert Hero can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from his attack, he can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

The Covert Hero's attack deals extra damage any time his target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to Defense (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the Covert Hero flanks his target. This extra damage is 1d6. Should the Covert Hero 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 Covert Hero 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.

A Covert Hero 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 Covert Hero must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot, therefore a Covert Hero cannot sneak attack a creature with concealment or when striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.

A Covert Hero can take this talent multiple times; each time it adds 1d6 to the extra damage inflicted.

Crippling Strike: A Covert Hero with this talent can sneak attack opponents with such precision that his blows weaken and hamper them. An opponent damaged by one of his Sneak Attacks also takes 2 points of Strength damage. Ability points lost to damage return on their own at the rate of 1 point per day for each damaged ability.

Prerequisite: Sneak Attack.

Scout Talent Tree
The Covert Hero has the training and skills necessary to detect dangers.

Skill Mastery: The Covert Hero becomes so certain in the use of certain skills that he can use them reliably even under adverse conditions.

Upon gaining this ability, he selects a number of skills equal to 3 + his Intelligence modifier. 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 Covert Hero may gain this talent multiple times, selecting additional skills for it to apply to each time.

Trapfinding: Covert Heroes can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20. Finding a nonmagical trap generally has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic trap usually has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.

Covert Heroes can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.

A Covert Hero who beats a trap's DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study the trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with his party) without disarming it.

Trap Sense: The Covert Hero gains an intuitive sense that alerts him to danger from traps, giving him a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to Defense against attacks made by traps.

A Covert Hero can take this talent multiple times; each time increasing his bonuses by +1.

Trap sense bonuses gained from multiple classes stack.

Prerequisite: Trapfinding.

Bonus Feats
At 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th level, a Covert Hero gets a bonus feat. The bonus feat must be selected from the following list, and the Covert Hero must meet all the prerequisites of the feat to select it.

Acrobatic, Agile Riposte, Aircraft Operation, Alertness, Blind-Fight, Cautious, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Deceptive, Defensive Martial Arts, Dodge, Elusive Target, Focused, Heroic Surge, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Lightning Reflexes, Meticulous, Mobility, Nimble, Quick Draw, Spring Attack, Stealthy, Surface Vehicle Operation, Trustworthy, Two-Weapon Fighting, Unbalance Opponent, Vehicle Dodge, Vehicle Expert, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus.

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15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Open Game License v 1.0, Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

Modern System Reference Document Copyright 2002-2004, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Charles Ryan, Eric Cagle, David Noonan, Stan!, Christopher Perkins, Rodney Thompson, and JD Wiker, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, Peter Adkison, Bruce R. Cordell, John Tynes, Andy Collins, and JD Wiker.
Covert Hero Specialized Class Copyright 2005, Sword’s Edge Publishing; Author Fraser Ronald
Covert Hero Specialized Class OGC Copyright 2005, Sword’s Edge Publishing; Author Fraser Ronald

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