Torleen

For three years the hamlet of Torlynn was locked in a curse of eternal winter.  During this time they sent out for aid from their neighbors, but either the people of the Rift could do nothing, or chose to do nothing, to help them.  Even the Quadrial would not assist them, nor did the elves -- who supposedly claim the Gauntlin Forest as their land -- lift a finger to put an end to the curse.  It became very apparent that the people of Torlynn were on their own.

     After three years of never ending winter, the curse was broken thanks to the efforts of one of their own, a ranger who went out and sought the aid of a handful of adventurers.  After the curse was lifted, Burgomaster Gustovan began the rebuilding of his town, his peoples' town.  The citizens of Torlynn accepted they were on their own and could rely on no one from the outside.  Hence the Torleen were created.

     The Torleen are a group of rangers that are dedicated to the protection and preservation of Torlynn and its people.  They are as dedicated and loyal to Torlynn and Gustovan as any knight is to their land and lord.  They are fiercely loyal to citizens of Torlynn and wary of outsiders.

Hit Die: d8

Requirements

To qualify to become a Torleen, a character must fulfill the follow criteria.

Alignment: Any good

Skills: Wilderness Lore 8 ranks

Special: Must have the Weather Sense class ability.

Special: Must have Favored Terrain (temperate forest) class ability.

Special: Must be a native of Torlynn and must have remained in the hamlet for at least two of the three years of the curse of winter.

Class Skills

The Torleen's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Animal Empathy (Cha, exclusive), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Int, Geography), Knowledge (Int, Nature),  Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Signaling (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), Transportation (Wis, exclusive), Use Rope (Wis), and Wilderness Lore (Wis).

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Torleen.

     Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Torleen is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, as well as light armor and shields (but not tower shields).  Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble.  Also, Swim checks suffer a -1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armor and equipment carried.

     Spells per Day/Spells Known: Beginning at 1st-level, a Torlee gains new spells per day (and spells known) as if he had also gained a level in his ranger class (and only his ranger class, if he had more than one spellcasting class).  He does not, however, gain any other benefits that the ranger class would have gained.

     Weather Intuition (Su): Living under the cold shadow of eternal winter for three years or more, the rangers of Torlynn began to grow accustomed to the arcane aura of the cursed weather.  At 1st-level, the Torleen may use his Weather Sense class ability to determine if weather patterns are natural or magical in nature.  This not only includes weather such as rain and snow and winds, but any outdoor phenomenon such as an earthquake, an erupting volcano, and even the Mist of Ravenloft.

     A Torleen cannot predict magical weather, like he normally can with mundane weather (see the ranger's Weather Sense ability).  He must be standing in the weather or phenomenon as it is happening to be able to discern the mundane from the magical.  The Torleen must concentrate on the it for one full round and make a successful Wilderness Lore check (DC 20).

     Bonus Terrain (Cold Forest) (Ex): Three years of constant winter have given the Torleen experience in an environment that was no normally their own   They learned how to survive in constant winter not through training but out of necessity.  At 1st-level, the Torleen receive the bonus favored terrain of Cold Forest.  This gives the Torleen a +2 class bonus to Animal Empathy, Handle Animal, Hide, Move Silently, Perception, Transportation, and Wilderness Lore checks.  Unlike the Favored Terrain class ability, this bonus terrain does not increase the bonus to Favored Terrains the ranger already has.  However, if the Torleen increases his ranger level to the point of being able to gain a new Favored Terrain after the Bonus Terrain, it will increase the bonus to this Bonus Terrain.

     So, a ranger 5/Torleen 1 would have one Favored Terrain and his Bonus Terrain for bonuses of +2/+2.  But should he increase his levels to ranger 7/Torleen 1, he will have two Favored Terrains plus the Bonus Terrain for bonuses of +4/+4/+2.

     Thick Skin (Ex): At 1st-level, the Torleen is naturally tough and resilient to damage.  He receives a natural armor bonus equal to his Constitution modifier (if any).

     Cold Resistance (Su): At 2nd-level, the Torleen has developed a resistance to cold and cold-based attacks.  At 2nd-level this resistance is 5 and increases to cold resistance 10 at level 6, and 15 at level 10.  This resistance does not stack with similar effects.

     Hereditary Enemy (Ex): The cause of the curse was a wererate named Keshut.  Following him was a tribe of creatures known as ratlings (apparently no relation to the eastern race known as the nezume, despite the surface similarities).  To this day, scattered groups of ratlings still stalk the Gauntlin Forest near and around the hamlet of Torlynn.  At 2nd-level the Torleen gain a +4 class bonus to attack and damage rolls against all things rat.  This includes rats, dire rats, ratlings, nezume, wererats and the like.  It does not include any rat-like creature with the undead or outsider type.

     The Hereditary Enemy class ability does not stack with the Favored Enemy class ability.  However the Torleen can choose which bonus he wishes to use if an enemy crosses over both class abilities.

     Archery Feat: At 3rd and 8th-level the Torleen may choose a bonus archery feat from the following list: Deep Woods Sniper, Improved Critical (bow), Point Blank Shot (Dead Eye, Dead Shot, Disabling Shot, Far Shot, Multishot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run), Weapon Focus (bow).

     Will to Live (Ex): A Torleen has lived through the harshest conditions imaginable within Thunder Rift during the 3 years of the Curse of Eternal Winter.  Because of this, the Torleen has a will to live not found in others.

     Saving Throw Bonus: At 4th-level, if failing a saving throw would be fatal, the Torleen receives a +2 bonus to their roll.

     Remain Standing: At 5th-level, if a damage roll deals enough damage to reduce the Torleen to 0 or less hit points he may make a Fortitude saving throw (DC equal to damage dealt).  If the save succeeds, he is reduced to 1 hit point.  A Torleen cannot use this ability if he only has 1 hit point remaining.

     Fight to the End: At 9th-level, if an encounter results in the death of the Torleen, he may not die immediately.  He may make a Fortitude saving throw, the DC equals either the damage dealt or the DC of the failed saving throw that resulted in the Torleen's death.  If he succeeds he fights on for another 1d4 rounds, or until he suffers negative hit points equal to his Constitution score, whichever occurs first.  He then drops dead.  (A Torleen can still be stabilized through the use of the Heal skill before he drops dead.)

     Survivalist (Ex): Having survived the cold horrors of the eternal winter, the Torleen fears few wilderness threats.  At 7th-level the Torleen may take a 20 on non-combat skill checks related to survival in the wilderness, even those that involve a penalty for failure.  Unlike the normal rules for taking a 20, this does not increase the amount of time required to perform the task.

     Deadly Strike (Ex): At 10th-level, the Torleen gains the ability to execute a deadly strike with any weapon he wields (including ranged weapons).  Making a deadly strike requires a full-round action.  The Torleen uses his normal base attack bonus (including all relevant modifiers), with an additional +4 competence bonus on the attack.  The threat range for a critical hit is doubled, and the attack deals maximum damage (regardless of whether it is a normal or critical hit).