Viking, Variant (3.5e Class)

Viking

Warriors who hail from the lands of the north, Vikings are masters of combat and forging. They retain a high religious style and are known for their rules of honor and tradition.

Making a Viking

Description

Abilities: Strength and Dexterity are the most important abilities, even Constitution is also important. Wisdom, Intelligence and Charisma can make for more cunning Vikings.

Races: This class is mostly for Æskmann, even if Hyborians, and rare seafaring Dwarves, Picts and Nadir can be possible as well.

Alignment: any non Lawful.

Starting Gold: 5d4×10 gp (120 gp).

Starting Age: Simple.

Table: The Viking

Hit Die: d12

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Defense Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
			Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+4	+2	+0	+0	Sea Legs, Improved Feint
2nd	+2	+4	+3	+0	+0	Uncanny Dodge
3rd	+3	+4	+3	+1	+1	1/day Rage
4th	+4	+4	+4	+1	+1	Evasion. plus 1 to ac if wearing light or med armor
5th	+5	+4	+4	+1	+1	Low Blow +1d6
6th	+6/+1	+6	+5	+2	+2	Improved Uncanny Dodge. plus 1D4 to damage when she is useing any type of axe or war axe
7th	+7/+2	+6	+5	+2	+2	2/day Rage
8th	+8/+3	+6	+6	+2	+2	Trap Sense +1
9th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+3	+3	Raven Battle cry
10th	+10/+5	+6	+7	+3	+3	Low Blow +2d6
11th	+11/+6/+1	+8	+7	+3	+3	3/day Rage
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+8	+4	+4	Acrobatic Charge, Trap Sense +2
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+8	+4	+4	Damage Reduction 3/—, Greater Rage
14th	+14/+9/+4	+8	+9	+4	+4	Indomitable Will
15th	+15/+10/+5	+8	+9	+5	+5	4/day Rage, Low Blow +3d6
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+10	+5	+5	Improved Evasion, Trap Sense +3
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+5	+5	Improved Low Blow
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+10	+11	+6	+6	Tireless Rage
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+12	+11	+6	+6	Damage Reduction 5/—, 5/day Rage
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+6	+6	Low Blow +4d6, Trap Sense +4
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Profession (Wis), Speak Language (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Rope (Dex).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Viking.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Vikings are proficient with all Simple and Martial weapons, with Light and Medium armor (hide), and with shields excluding tower shields.

Sea Legs (Ex)

At 1st level, a Viking has spent so much time on a rocking boat that she gets a +3 inherent bonus to balance checks and a +2 on saves to avoid being knocked prone or to stay upright on an undulating surface.

Improved Feint

At 1st level, Vikings gain Improved Feint as the feat, even if they do not meet the requirements. This allows characters to feint in combat as a move action rather than a standard action.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

Starting at 2nd level, a Viking can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If a Viking already has uncanny dodge from a different class she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.

Rage (Ex)

A Viking can fly into a rage a certain number of times per day. In a rage, a Viking temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Strength, a +4 bonus to Constitution, and a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, but he takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class. The increase in Constitution increases the Viking’s hit points by 2 points per level, but these hit points go away at the end of the rage when his Constitution score drops back to normal. (These extra hit points are not lost first the way temporary hit points are.) While raging, a Viking cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except for Balance, Escape Artist, Intimidate, and Ride), the Concentration skill, or any abilities that require patience or concentration, nor can he cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger (such as a wand), or spell completion (such as a scroll) to function. He can use any feat he has except Combat Expertise, item creation feats, and metamagic feats. A fit of rage lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character’s (newly improved) Constitution modifier. A Viking may prematurely end his rage. At the end of the rage, the Viking loses the rage modifiers and restrictions and becomes fatigued (–2 penalty to Strength, –2 penalty to Dexterity, can’t charge or run) for the duration of the current encounter (unless he is a 18th-level Viking, at which point this limitation no longer applies; see below).

A Viking can fly into a rage only once per encounter. At 3rd level he can use his rage ability once per day. At 7th level and every four levels thereafter, he can use it one additional time per day (to a maximum of five times per day at 19th level). Entering a rage takes no time itself, but a Viking can do it only during his action, not in response to someone else’s action.

Evasion (Ex)

At 4th level and higher, a Viking can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the viking is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless viking does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Low Blow

At 5th level or higher, if a Viking successfully feints against an opponent, any attacks she makes in the same round deal an extra 1d6 damage. This damage increases by 1d6 every five levels. If a Viking can attack multiple times in the same round, the damage is applied to each attack separately.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

A Viking of 6th level or higher can no longer be flanked. This defense denies an enemy the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target does Viking. If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.

Trap Sense (Ex)

Starting at 8th level, a Viking gains a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. These bonuses rise by +1 every four Viking levels thereafter (12th, 16th, and 20th level). Trap sense bonuses gained from multiple classes stack.

Raven (Ex)

At 9th level or higher, a Viking can summon a raven that scouts for him.

Battle cry

A player may use a battle cry as a standard action to try to make enemies within 50ft run as though feared. Enemies must make a will save of ten plus the player's level to not be affected. For example enemy must get a 19 or more to beat the battle cuy when the player is level 9

Greater Rage (Ex)

At 13th level, a Viking’s bonuses to Strength and Constitution during his rage each increase to +6, and his morale bonus on Will saves increases to +3. The penalty to AC remains at –2.

Improved Evasion (Ex)

Starting at 16th level, this ability works like evasion, except that while the Viking still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks henceforth she henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless Viking does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Improved Low Blow

At 17th level and higher, a Viking can feint as a free action once per round. This means, among other things, that a viking can make a full attack action and apply her low blow damage to every attack involved.

Tireless Rage (Ex)

At 18th level and higher, a Viking no longer becomes fatigued at the end of his rage.

Ex-Vikings

A Viking who becomes lawful in alignment cannot progress in levels as a Viking, though he retains all his Viking abilities.

Epic Viking

Table: The Epic Viking

Hit Die: d12

Level	Special
21st	Mighty Rage
22nd	Greater Low Blow
23rd	6/day Rage
24th	Trap Sense +5
25th	Low Blow +5d6, Bonus eat
26th
27th	6/day Rage
28th	Trap Sense +6
29th
30th	Low Blow +6d6, Bonus Feat
6 + Int modifier skill points per level.

Mighty Rage (Ex)

At 21st level, a Viking’s bonuses to Strength and Constitution during his rage each increase to +8, and his morale bonus on Will saves increases to +4. The penalty to AC remains at –2.

Greater Low Blow

Beginning at 22nd level, when a Viking uses low blow with a full attack action, the additional damage dealt by the low blow is increased by 2d6 for each attack that is part of that action.

Other Features

Rage: +1 every 4 levels, starting from 23rd.

Trap Sense: +1 every 4 levels, starting from 24th.

Low Blow: +1 every 5 levels, starting from 25th.

Bonus Feats: The epic Viking gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic Viking bonus feats) every 5 levels after 20th.

Epic Viking Bonus Feat List: <-list of bonus epic feats->.

Human (Æskmann) Viking Starting Package

Weapons: Battle Axe.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 6 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty
Climb	4	Str	−2
Swim	4	Str	−2
Jump	4	Str	−2
Use Rope	4	Dex	—
Knowledge (Geography)	4	Int	—
Spot	4	Wis	—

Feat: Weapon Focus (Battle Axe).

Bonus Feats: Improved Feint, Toughness.

Gear: Hide, Large Wooden Shield.

Gold: 50 gp.

Campaign Information

Playing a Viking

Religion: they worship the Æsir Pantheon, but most of all Njordr and Ægir (marine gods), as well as Thor and Freyr.

Other Classes: Vikings fit most with Skalds, who are their faithful companions of adventures and the recorders of their feats. They appreciate Healers and even Ranger or Rogues, for their peculiar ability. Barbarians and Fighters are as well valuable allies. They tend to mistrust arcane classes and even divine classes, for their powers..

Combat: They can fit nearly all roles, from Assault (with Rage), to Sneak (with Low Blow), however they are best in melee.

Advancement: Some level of Skald or Healer can be useful. Authoritative Vikings can take the prestige class Legendary Leader, or if they wish, they can try enter the elite troops of Jomsviking or the Variag Guard in Basilea.

Viking Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Geography) can research Vikings to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (Geography)

DC	Result
5	Vikings are terrible and merciless pirate in the North Sea.
10	Vikings can sail quickly and arrive unexpected with their Drakkar ships, so that they favour surprise attacks.
15	Vikings are cunning navigators and they can reach also very far lands, in search for booty or revenge.
20	Vikings are divided in several warbands, chiefdoms and fiefs, so that it can be possible to take advantage of this.

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