Echelon: Archetypes

Archetypes determine a character’s Hit Die, as well as applying bonuses to Attack and Saving Throws.  Archetypes also provide bonus ranks to certain associated Skills, are able to purchase their own Archetype Feats cheaper, and each provide a unique special ability that are considered Extraordinary abilities.  A character’s Base Attack Bonus and Base Saving Throws are equal to one-half his Experience Rank (XPR).  At creation (XPR 1) a character’s Hit Points are equal to the maximum value of his Hit Die plus their Constitution rank.  At each additional XPR a character gains a number of Hit Points equal to the maximum value of his Hit Die.  A character chooses an Archetype at character creation.  At each Experience Tier, the character may choose a new base Archetype or advance an existing Archetype to its next tier.

Adventurer

The Adventurer is the standard Archetype of Echelon.  The Adventurer offers an even distribution of Hit Die, Base Attack bonus, Saving Throw bonuses, and Skill bonuses.  The Adventurer also provides an additional rank to any Power chosen when the Adventurer Archetype is selected.  The additional rank is not used when calculating the cost of purchasing the next rank in that Power.

Hit Die: d10
Base Attack: +2
Saving Throws: Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +1
Skill Bonuses: Athletics +1, Dungeoneering +2, Nature +2, and Perception +2
Special: +1 rank to any Power�

Brute

Brutes are stronger than ordinary specimens of their races.  They tend to be excellent athletes and warriors.   Brutes can push the limits of their Strength or Constitution once a day with their Power Surge special ability.  As a free action, a Brute can invoke Power Surge and apply +2 bonus ranks to either their Strength or Constitution for a number of rounds equal to his XPR.

Hit Die: d12
Base Attack: +3
Saving Throws: Fort +2
Skill Bonuses: Athletics +3, Endurance +2, and Intimidate +2
Special: Power Surge 1/day�

Devout

The Devout allow their faith to guide them in all things.  Whether it is faith in a god, a cause, or themselves, the Devout use their faith to help them triumph in the face of impossibility.  A Devout character may treat one d20 roll per day as a natural 20 by invoking their Guided by Faith special ability.

Hit Die: d8
Base Attack: +1
Saving Throws: Will +3
Skill Bonuses: Diplomacy +2, Heal +2, Insight +2, Religion +2
Special: Guided by Faith 1/day

Intellectual

Intellectual characters prefer brains over brawn in any confrontation.  They use their superior intellect to discover opponent’s weaknesses and strategies and exploit them.    Once per encounter, an Intellectual can invoke Achilles’ Heel by studying an opponent for at least one round.  If the Intellectual succeeds on his next attack, all damage related to that attack is maximized.  If the attack also happens to be a critical hit, then it does an additional multiplier of damage (i.e. X2 becomes X3).  For each consecutive round an Intellectual spends studying his target, he gains an additional +1 bonus per Intelligence rank in damage.  If the attack fails, the Intellectual must study his opponent all over again.  Achilles’ Heel can only be applied to targets that are normally susceptible to critical hits.  To study an opponent, the character can only perform move actions on his turn and must be able to see the target.

Hit Die: d6
Base Attack: +0
Saving Throws: Reflex +2, Will +2
Skill Bonuses: Arcana +2, Dungeoneering +1, History +2, Nature +2, Religion +1
Special: Achilles’ Heel 1/encounter

Scoundrel

Scoundrels make their living on deception and misdirection.  They are natural smugglers, thieves, and rogues but they be found in all sorts of professions.  Scoundrels are elusive targets on the battlefield and may invoke their Sidestep special ability once per encounter as a move action.  Sidestep allows the Scoundrel to move half his speed without provoking attacks of opportunity, ignoring non magical terrain, and may pass through spaces occupied by enemies.  This does not allow a Scoundrel to move through solid objects such as walls and closed doors.

Hit Die: d8
Base Attack: +1
Saving Throws: Reflex +2
Skill Bonuses: Acrobatics +1, Bluff +2, Stealth +2, Streetwise +2, Thievery +2
Special: Sidestep 1/encounter

Survivor

Survivors are often the only living citizens of villages pillaged and slaughtered by raiders, or former soldiers left for dead on the battlefield, or perhaps once infected by plague or other diseases.  Whatever their misfortunes, they have survived insurmountable odds and overcame events many would perish in.  A Survivor may re-roll any failed Saving Throw twice a day by invoking his Elude Fate special ability as a free action.  A Survivor must choose one of the following skills to apply their +2 bonus ranks on: Dungeoneering, Heal, or Nature.  This choice reflects the circumstances of their survival.

Hit Die: d10
Base Attack: +2
Saving Throws: Fortitude +2, Reflex +2, Will +2
Skill Bonuses: Endurance +2, (Dungeoneering, Heal, or Nature) +2
Special: Elude Fate 2/day

Listening to: Darkseed – Ultimate Darkness – Save Me

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