dnd-setting-TheNewWorld/classes/Gnomish Recon Agent - 1E.txt

THE GNOMISH RECON AGENT ("RECON")

	The gnomish recon agent is the jack-of-all-trades of the
gnomish military; their elite shock troops and infiltrators. Gnomish
recon often is left to survive for weeks or months behind enemy
lines, gathering intelligence and charting unknown areas. Their
missions may also include the assassination of enemy leaders; the
ambush and elimination of large or small enemy units in their own
back yard; demolition of structural targets of military value; 
disrupting lines of communication and supply behind enemy lines; etc.
The gnomish high command selects only the most fit, the most bright,
and the most technically skilled soldiers for entrance into the 
recon program. Gnomish recon agents are easily recognised in any
military camp by their distinctive camouflage uniforms, high tech
weaponry and armor, small unit sizes, general disdain for authority
and conventional infantry troops, and - most of all - the coveted 
"RECON" patch on their shoulder. To some, they are "a scruffy crew
of cocky scofflaws"; to others, they are the ideal of military
prowess, the most deadly hunter/killer teams in the known world.

	The principal attribute of a gnomish recon agent is intelligence.
To become a gnomish recon agent, the character must first - obviously -
be gnomish. Secondly, the character must possess the following minimum
abilities: dexterity 14, strength 12, wisdom 15, intelligence 15, con-
stitution 14. The candidate must also already have at least 1 level of
Fighter or Thief, and one level of magic user, illusionist or druid.
The candidate must also be actively enlisted in the gnomish military,
and be selected by gnomish high command, for the program. Note that
it is not unusual for gnomish high command to send otherwise qualified
soldiers to their Arcana or Infantry schools to pick up a level of the
requisite classes before sending them to Recon training.

	Recon agents have six sided dice for hit point determination.
Recon agents are not as strong as other fighters, but they fight
with their brains and their wits as much as they do with their bodies.
If the recon agent has entered a situation where his hit points
will not suffice, then a horrible mistake has probably been made.
In fact, the measure of a recon agent is not how much damage he
can soak, but how much information he can soak up without the enemy
ever knowing he was there to get a shot at him in the first place.

	Recon training is a full year long, and any character that 
begins taking levels in this class *must* be removed from play
for that period of game time (unless the player wants to role play it
for whatever reason). Further, any time the recon agent achieves the
necessary experience point total for his next level, he must return 
to his unit in order to claim his new rank. He will get only the
additional hit points of his new level until he does. When he returns
and claims his new rank/level there is a short amount of re-training
for the new rank that must be done, which takes 1d8 days, during which
the recon agent is non-deployable. After that, however, he will
achieve all the benefits of his new level, and be ready to go to
the field again.

	Benefits of the Gnomish Recon Agent class:

	1. Gnomish recon agents can use the following thief skills
as a thief of 2 levels lower than the gnomish recon agent's class
level: Find/Remove Traps, Open Locks, Move Silently, Hide in Shadows,
Climb Walls, Hear Noise. The recon agent also backstabs as a thief of
2 levels lower.
	2. Gnomish recon agents get automatic proficiency at first level
with gnomish explosive devices, gnomish weapons, gnomish vehicles
and gnomish communications equipment. Many gnomish magic items are
specific to the gnomish recon class.
	3. Gnomish recon agents can track as a Ranger. Further, they
surprise enemies 50% of the time, and are themselves only surprised
25% of the time.
	4. Recon agents can survive off the land as a Barbarian. They
know how to collect plant foods, hunt, fish and trap; build shelters
from native materials; build a fire from nothing; and how to 
care for wounds. (See Unearthed Arcana for more info on the
Barbarian's survival ability; the gnomish recon agent is identical,
except that they will have often cross-trained for survival in multiple
environments.) They are also trained in the construction and usage of
foxholes, observation positions, and sniper hides.
	4. Recon agents are trained in the use of camouflage techniques.
In natural surroundings, the gnomish recon can use native materials,
and pigmented body paints, to help his body and equipment blend into
the native environment. The activity requires at least five turns to
properly camouflage their person, and a further half hour to properly
camouflage their equipment. But once this has been done to person
and equipment (both, not just one!), it gives the agent a 20%
bonus to Hide in Shadows checks, as well as all surprise checks. This
also gives the recon agent a significant chance of being perfectly
hidden in plain sight.
	5. Gnomish recon agents also have limited spell ability.
THe gnomish recon agent gains bonus spells as clerics do, but for
a high intelligence, instead of a high wisdom (treat their intelligence
score as a wisdom score for determination). They can cast spells from 
the following list of druidic and arcane spells:
		I. Change Self (I1), Charm Person (MU1), Comprehend 
Languages (MU1), Dancing Lights (MU1), Detect Magic (MU1), Pass 
Without Trace (D1), Predict Weather (MU1), Sleep (MU1), Spider 
Climb (MU1), Tenser's Floating Disc (MU1), Wall of Fog (I1)
		II. Audible Glamer (MU2), Fog Cloud (I2), Hypnotic 
Pattern (I2), Identify (MU2), Invisibility (MU2), Misdirection (I2),
Knock (MU2), Locate Object (MU2), Pyrotechnics (MU2)
	6. At 2nd level, the gnomish recon agent is automatically silent
in natural surroundings, regardless of their nature, so long as he is
wearing light armor and unencumbered, and moving at no more than 1/4 of
his base movement speed. If any of these conditions are broken, normal
Move Silently checks apply.
	7. At 3rd level the gnomish recon agent gains an additional
attack per round.
	8. At 5th level, the recon agent gains the ability to secure an
automatic hit against an enemy, regardless of the enemy's armor class.
The recon agent must prepare for the attack for a full turn. During 
this turn:
	- the target must not leave the recon agent's sight 
	- he must not be aware of the agent, or be aware
		that he is in immediate danger (e.g. enemies already 
		involved in combat are immune to the ability)
	- the target must be within the maximum range increment of 
		the weapon the gnome is using
	- the agent must be able to locate some sort of steady rest 
		on which to place his weapon in order to take the shot,
		or be allowed to lay prone with his weapon
	- the agent must remain totally focused on the target for the 
		duration, forsaking all other actions
	- the agent must take no damage or engage in any combat or
		distraction outside of the target
	If all these requirements are met, then on the tenth round,
the agent can take a shot and be guaranteed a hit, regardless of armor
class. (Note that magical protections, e.g. monsters only hit by magical
weapons, still apply.) The agent only gets one attack this round and can
take no other actions. The agent can still roll to check for a critical
hit or maximum damage. Taking the full turn to prepare also negates the
possibility of a botch (simply ignore a 1 if it turns up when checking
for a critical). This ability does NOT negate the effectiveness of
100% cover or concealment; the recon agent MUST be able to clearly
see the vital areas of the enemy, for the full turn, in order to
use this ability.
	9. At 6th level, the recon agent gains pass without trace
at will; but this is not a magical ability, and thus will not leave the
telltale magical trail behind them. The restrictions on this ability
are the same as the silent movement ability at 3rd level.
	10. At 8th level, the gnomish recon agent's abilities to leave
no trace and to move silently will function even if the agent is
encumbered OR if he is moving at up to full movement rate, but not
both.
	11. At 10th level, the recon agent's ability to guarantee a hit
if he focuses no longer takes a full turn, but only five rounds. If he
focuses for the full turn, however, he can not only guarantee a hit,
but he is also automatically granted maximum damage for the shot. The
agent must still roll for a critical hit.

GNOMISH RECON AGENT TABLE 1.: THE GNOMISH RECON AGENT

					6-sided
					Dice for
Experience		Experience	Accumulated		Level
Points		  Level*	Hit Points**	Title
-------------------------------------------------------------------
0 - 2,000		   1		1			Private
2,001 - 4,500	   2		2			Private First Class
4,501 - 9,000	   3		3			Corporal
9,001 - 18,000	   4		4			Specialist
18,001 - 36,000	   5		5			Sergeant
36,001 - 72,000	   6		6			Sergeant First Class
72,001 - 144,000	   7		6+2			Sergeant Major
144,001 - 288,000	   8		6+4			First Lieutenant
288,001 - 576,000	   9		6+6			Second Lieutenant
576,001 - 1,152,001  10		6+8			Captain

*Progression past 10th level is not usually possible in this class.
When it is, each additional level is 300,000 XP.
**Gnomish recon agents gain 2 hit points per level after the 6th.

GNOMISH RECON AGENT TABLE 2.: THAC0 AND SAVING THROWS

Level		THAC0		PPD	PP	RSW	BW	S
--------------------------------------------------
1		20		13	12	14	16	15
2		19		13	12	14	16	15
3		18		13	12	14	16	15
4		17		13	12	14	16	15
5		17		12	11	12	15	13
6		16		12	11	12	15	13
7		15		12	11	12	15	13
8		14		12	11	12	15	13
9		14		11	10	10	14	11
10		13		11	10	10	14	11


GNOMISH RECON AGENT TABLE 3.: SPELLS PER DAY

		Spells Per 
		Level Per Day*
Level		1		2
-------------------------
1		0		-
2		0		-
3		0		-
4		1		0
5		1		0
6		1		0
7		2		1
8		2		1
9		2		1
10		3		2
* A 0 in this column indicates that the agent may cast spells of this
level if he is granted bonus spells for a high wisdom.