Specialist (3.5e Class)

This material is published under the OGL 1.0a.

Specialist

A specialist is a powerful assassin, evolved from poor living conditions and having to learn the best way to survive. They are good warriors, have enough abilities to do almost everything that other classes know, and can use arcane spells. However, they can specialize in certain fields of experience, giving them heightened abilities in those fields. Powerful specialists usually can take down several enemies at once, sneak into a heavily-guarded fortress , or assassinate a government agent surrounded by balors.

Making a Specialist

Specialists are very strong when they fight either from the shadows or from surprise, and weak in front-line combat. Most lawful classes distrust specialists and rogues view them as unnecessary competition. All other classes tend to work well with specialists, especially after seeing their combat skills.

Abilities: Dexterity is needed for a specialist to avoid blows because of their armor restrictions, Intelligence helps them cast more powerful spells, and Strength makes their attacks more powerful.

Races: Any race

Alignment: Any.

Starting Gold: 3d6 * 10

Starting Age: Moderate.

Table: The Specialist

Hit Die: d10

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	1st Favored Enemy, Track, Trapfinding
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+0	Combat Style, Quick Draw
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+1	Dodge
4th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Evasion, Poison Use
5th	+3	+1	+4	+1	2nd Favored Enemy
6th	+4	+2	+5	+2	Improved Combat Style
7th	+5	+2	+5	+2	Improved Disarm
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+2	Swift Tracker
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+3	Improved Trip
10th	+7/+1	+3	+7	+3	3rd Favored Enemy
11th	+8/+2	+3	+7	+3	Combat Style Mastery
12th	+9/+3	+4	+8	+4	Improved Poison Use
13th	+9/+3	+4	+8	+4	Urban Camouflage
14th	+10/+4	+4	+9	+4	Hundred Faces
15th	+11/+5	+5	+9	+5	4th Favored Enemy
16th	+12/+6/+1	+5	+10	+5
17th	+12/+6/+1	+5	+10	+5	Hide in Plain Sight
18th	+13/+7/+2	+6	+11	+6
19th	+14/+8/+3	+6	+11	+6
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+6	5th Favored Enemy
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex)

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the specialist.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A specialist is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with light armor.

Favored Enemy: At 1st level, a specialist may select a type of creature from among those given on Table: Specialist Favored Enemies. The specialist gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against creatures of this type. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against such creatures.

At 5th level and every five levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th level), the specialist may select an additional favored enemy from those given on the table. In addition, at each such interval, the bonus against any one favored enemy (including the one just selected, if so desired) increases by 2.

If the specialist chooses humanoids or outsiders as a favored enemy, he must also choose an associated subtype, as indicated on the table. If a specific creature falls into more than one category of favored enemy, the specialist's bonuses do not stack; he simply uses whichever bonus is higher.

Table: Specialist Favored Enemies

Type (Subtype)	Type (Subtype)
Aberration	Humanoid (reptilian)
Animal	Magical beast
Construct	Monstrous humanoid
Dragon	Ooze
Elemental	Outsider (air)
Fey	Outsider (chaotic)
Giant	Outsider (earth)
Humanoid (aquatic)	Outsider (evil)
Humanoid (dwarf)	Outsider (fire)
Humanoid (elf)	Outsider (good)
Humanoid (goblinoid)	Outsider (lawful)
Humanoid (gnoll)	Outsider (native)
Humanoid (gnome)	Outsider (water)
Humanoid (halfling)	Plant
Humanoid (human)	Undead
Humanoid (orc)	Vermin

Track: At 1st level a specialist gains Track as a bonus feat.

Beginning at 8th level, a specialist can move at his normal speed while following tracks without taking the normal –5 penalty. He takes only a –10 penalty (instead of the normal –20) when moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking.

Trapfinding (Ex): At 1st level, a specialist is able to use Search to find traps with a DC 20 or higher. The DC to find a magic trap is 25 + spell’s level. The specialist can also use the Disable Device skill to disarm traps.

Combat Style: At 2nd level, a specialist must select one of two combat styles to pursue: archery or two-weapon combat. This choice affects the character’s class features but does not restrict his selection of feats or special abilities in any way.

If the specialist selects archery, he is treated as having the Rapid Shot feat, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.

If the specialist selects two-weapon combat, he is treated as having the Two-Weapon Fighting feat, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.

At 6th level, a specialist's aptitude in his chosen combat style (archery or two-weapon combat) improves. If he selected archery at 2nd level, he is treated as having the Manyshot feat, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.

If the specialist selected two-weapon combat at 2nd level, he is treated as having the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.

At 11th level, a specialist's aptitude in his chosen combat style (archery or two-weapon combat) improves again. If he selected archery at 2nd level, he is treated as having the Improved Precise Shot feat, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.

If the specialist selected two-weapon combat at 2nd level, he is treated as having the Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.

The benefits of the specialist's chosen style apply only when he wears light or no armor. He loses all benefits of his combat style when wearing medium or heavy armor.

Quick Draw: At 2nd level a specialist gains quick draw as a bonus feat.

Dodge: At 3rd level a specialist gains dodge as a bonus feat.

Evasion: At 4th level, a specialist 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 specialist is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless specialist does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Poison Use: Beginning at 4th level, the specialist becomes proficient at applying poison to his weapons.

When the specialist reaches 10th level, he can use poison with near inhuman quickness. The specialist can apply poison to a weapon as a move action (instead of as a standard action).

The specialist never risks injuring himself while applying poison to a weapon.

Improved Disarm: At 7th level a specialist gains improved disarm as a bonus feat.

Improved Trip: At 9th level a specialist gains improved trip as a bonus feat.

Urban Camouflage: A specialist of 13th level or higher can use the Hide skill in any sort of urban terrain, even if the terrain doesn’t grant cover or concealment.

Hundred Faces: Beginning at 14th level, the specialist may transform himself as if under the effect of a disguise self spell for 1 minute once per day. Using hundred faces counts as a swift action that does provoke an attack of opportunity.

Hide in Plain Sight: While in any sort of urban terrain, a specialist of 17th level or higher can use the Hide skill even while being observed.

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