Militiaman

Of the two types of soldiers, one gets the fame, glory, and security of a State at their back. The other gets an old rifle with some of the last guy's blood on it, a pair of boots that may or may not be new, and lives or dies on the budget of a village. The former, should he die on the field of battle, will be forgotten unless he has performed some great act of courage. The latter is always rewarded with a hero's funeral, provided the town he protected survived his death.

The wild of Eyom are vast, largely unexplored, and home to many horrifying monsters, devious bandits, and the occasional ancient war machine. All of these and more occasionally enjoy terrorizing towns and villages on the periphery of civilization. Militiamen are the safeguard against these threats.

They are not as well equipped as Army Regulars, nor as well trained, nor even as experienced. Yet, they are far more loved. While Regulars are seen as tools of war which appear only to take away loved ones to die for their country or pillage everything in sight, the humble militiaman is just Jess. She keeps the stirges away from town. Do you want to be attacked by mosquitos the size of cats? Be a dear and go take her this sandwich; she should be on the south side of town right now.

Such sentiments are only held by civilians. The Regulars laugh when they hear of militiamen's exploits out on the frontier. They grimace when their regiment is to be reinforced with the local militia. They complain that putting "half-trained farmers" on the battlefield will stifle their operational effectiveness.

There is truth to their perceptions. Most of the time, they're right. Your humble militiaman has less training. When fighting armed humanoids, a proper professional soldier is always the better choice. Yet, often enough, that soldier cannot be found. Every town in Eyom has a few brave or foolish young adults ready to pick up their third-hand gun and march off with the army to lend a hand.

Because the militia doesn't fight for money. The militia doesn't fight for glory. It doesn't fight for fame, honor, a pension, or anything else a Regular is willing to fight for.

A militiaman fights because there are things that go bump in the night. Things with gnashing teeth and ripping claws. Things that drool with hunger as they gaze upon a farmer's cattle. Things that can be made to bleed by those brave and stupid enough to face them head on.

There are no Regulars in Eyom who badmouth militiamen after seeing one decapitate a displacer beast with their shovel before giving the Regular a hand getting back up.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d12

Starting Wealth: 3d6 × 10 gp. In addition, each character begins play with a single firearm of their choice, a uniform appropriate to their local militia, and a single ordinary entrenching tool.

Class Skills

The Militiaman’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks per Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Militiaman.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: All Regulars are proficient with all firearms, simple and marshal weapons, and light armor.

Militia Training: "When you have next to nothing, you need to learn to create what you need from what you can get." — Sargent Kathren Veil, Abing Militia

Starting at 1st level, Militiamen can use Survival in place of the appropriate skill in order to: create shelter, prepare food, create ammunition, maintain equipment, create traps, and to create fortifications.

They also gain a +2 competence bonus on any check made to track animals or monsters.

Shovel (Ex): Militiamen may not get the best equipment, but one good piece of kit they do get is the humble shovel. More accurately, they are issued a 3 foot long hickory handled, high carbon steel folding-blade spade which can be locked into position to use as either a pick or a shovel. An invention properly referred to as an entrenching tool. There isn't a Militiaman alive who would dare refer to their Mighty Shovel of Problem Solving by such an irreverent name.

At first level, a Militiaman's shovel counts as a Battleaxe for the purposes of feats, attack rolls, critical threshold, and all other intents and purposes, but only for them (In anyone else's hands, it's just a shovel). Their shovel deals damage as per Table: The Militiaman. Regardless of what it may be used for, or what might befall it, the shovel is strangely never damaged more than could be reasonably repaired in the field with a few simple tools or a whetstone. A Militiaman has the uncanny ability to maintain possession of their shovel, such that if lost, it can always be found nearby with a DC 10 perception check.

Woodland Warrior: "I understand your back hurts. Get back out there and do another ten miles. You complain again, I'll put another rock in your bag. Yeah, I know officially you don't have much to carry, but it's mid winter, you and your brothers are stuck out in a drafty watch tower at the ass end of town in a bit of the woods you swear on your mothers grave no one's ever even seen before, you'll be happy you can pack a whole elk out of the woods after shooting it mid patrol. Learn. To. Carry. Shit. Private!" — Sargent Kathren Veil, Abing Militia

Militiamen ignore the first STR * 10 pounds of equipment when calculating their encumbrance. Lastly, their shovel is treated as a +1 magic Battleaxe.

Determination: "We've all lost someone. That pain is fuel. Think about how much it hurts. Think about what you'd do to avoid loosing someone ever again. Meditate on it. Keep a little flame of that pain lit in your heart. Then, next time you're in danger, toss the fule on that fire." — Sargent Kathren Veil, Abing Militia

Starting at second level, Militiamen have endured enough hardships to know that there are few things that one can't overcome with a little determination. This seemingly obvious truism is something of an art for Militiamen, complete with personalized meditative rituals which can be used to bring out a trance-like state of focus on the field of battle.

A Militiaman can call upon this trance to tap into inner reserves of strength and ferocity, granting her additional combat prowess. Starting at 1st level, a Militiaman can trance for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + her Constitution modifier. At each level after 1st, she can trance for 2 additional rounds. Temporary increases to Constitution do not increase the total number of rounds that a Militiaman can trance per day. A Militiaman can enter their trance as a free action. The total number of rounds per day is renewed after resting for 8 hours, although these hours do not need to be consecutive.

While in a trance, a Militiaman gains a +4 morale bonus to her Strength and Constitution, as well as a +2 morale bonus on Will saves. In addition, she takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class. The increase to Constitution grants the Militiaman 2 hit points per Hit Dice, but these disappear when the trance ends and are not lost first like temporary hit points. While in trance, a Militiaman cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration as they are entirely focused on the battle itself.

A Militiaman can end her trance as a free action and is fatigued after trance for a number of rounds equal to 2 times the number of rounds spent in the trance. A Militiaman cannot enter a new trance while fatigued or exhausted but can otherwise enter a trance multiple times during a single encounter or combat. If a Militiaman falls unconscious, her trance immediately ends, placing her in peril of death.

Combat style feat: Starting at 3rd level, a Militiaman must select one combat style to pursue.

The Militiaman’s expertise manifests in the form of bonus feats at 3rd, 7th, 11th, 16th, and 20th level. He can choose feats from his selected combat style, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites.

The benefits of the Militiaman’s chosen style feats apply only when he wears light, medium, or no armor. He loses all benefits of his combat style feats when wearing heavy armor. Once a Militiaman selects a combat style, it cannot be changed. A Militiaman counts as a ranger for the purposes of Combat Style feats, and may use any Combat Style Feat's bow-related abilities with firearms.

Trance Power (Su): "I've seen you out there, corporal. There's some real power in loss, isn't there? Listen close. We don't tell the privates this. They'll just die trying to learn it... Using the pain of loss to power through some shit? That's magic. Let me show you some of the spells you can invoke that way." — Sargent Kathren Veil, Abing Militia

Starting at 4th level, and every other level thereafter, a Militiaman learns to draw upon their will and a poorly understood form of emotion based magic to magically augment herself while in a trance. This takes the form of Barbarian rage powers, for which a Militiaman counts as a barbarian. A Militiaman gains the benefits of rage powers only while in a trance, and some of these powers require the Militiaman to take an action first. Unless otherwise noted, a Militiaman cannot select an individual power more than once.

Any Militiaman who meets the powers’ prerequisites can select and use rage powers. Totem rage powers grant powers related to a theme. A Militiaman cannot select from more than one group of totem rage powers; for example, a Militiaman who selects a beast totem rage power cannot later choose to gain any of the dragon totem rage powers (any rage power with “dragon totem” in its title).

• A complete list of rage powers can be found here: Rage Powers

Woodland Warrior II: "The worst part of climbing all the way down into depths of the mine to check and see if there really is a Shogoth or not (then kill it so the mine can reopen) is having a damn hard time finding your lantern and matches while hanging from a rope, upside down, in the dark. Ah, Tuesdays." — Sargent Kathren Veil, Abing Militia At 5th level, a Militiaman has learned how to manage their equipment effectively. They can now retrieve a single item from their inventory per round as a free action. Lastly, their shovel is treated as a +2 Mighty Cleaving Battleaxe.

Evasion (Ex): When he reaches 9th level, a Militiaman 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 Militiaman is wearing light armor, medium armor, or no armor. A helpless Militiaman does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Woodland Warrior III: "The upside to having to sprint a quarter mile up hill through the woods every few days to check out the screaming at old man Karl's place (only to find out it was his goat yelling, again) is you learn how not to trip over shit." — Sargent Kathren Veil, Abing Militia At 10th level, a Militiaman has learned how to maneuver on the battlefield with ease. They gain a 10 foot movement speed bonus and are no longer affected by difficult terrain. Lastly, their shovel is treated as a +3 Mighty Cleaving and Defiant adamantine Battleaxe.

Greater Determination: At 11th level, when a Militiaman enters a trance, the morale bonus to her Strength and Constitution increases to +6 and the morale bonus on her Will saves increases to +3.

Quarry (Ex): Starting at 13th level, a Militiaman can, as a standard action, denote one target within his line of sight as his quarry. Whenever he is following the tracks of his quarry, a Militiaman can take 10 on his Survival skill checks while moving at normal speed, without penalty. In addition, he receives a +2 insight bonus on attack rolls made against his quarry, and all critical threats are automatically confirmed. A Militiaman can have no more than one quarry at a time. He can dismiss this effect at any time as a free action, but he cannot select a new quarry for 24 hours. If the Militiaman sees proof that his quarry is dead, he can select a new quarry after waiting 1 hour. A quarry is automatically selected regardless of cooldown if one of the Militiaman's allies are killed, with the target being whatever killed them.

Woodland Warrior IV: "I wont lie. Most of us buy the farm when that rustle in the brush turns out to be a young dragon instead of a boar... But if you make it past that you'll learn a few good tricks that will help the poor Reaper not need to clock overtime this week." — Sargent Kathren Veil, Abing MilitiaAt 15th level, a Militiaman can use mental and physical resiliency to avoid certain attacks. If she makes a Fortitude or Will saving throw against an attack that has a reduced effect on a successful save, she instead avoids the effect entirely. This ability can only be used if the Militiaman is wearing light armor, medium armor, or no armor. A helpless Militiaman does not gain the benefit of the stalwart ability. Lastly, their their shovel is treated as a +4 Mighty Cleaving, Defiant, adamantine Battleaxe of Speed.

Constant Determination: At 17th level, a Militiaman no longer becomes fatigued at the end of her trance.

Hide in Plain Sight: At 19th level, provided they are currently in a combat encounter a Militiaman can use the Stealth skill even while being observed.

Woodland Warrior V: "The last trick you'll ever learn is that your body can do quite a bit while you're dying." — Sargent Kathren Veil, Abing Militia At 20th level, a Militiaman cannot be killed while in a trance. They can still loose hitpoints, but suffer no ill effects from HP loss until their trance ends. Lastly, their shovel is treated as a +5 Vorpal, Mighty Cleaving, Defiant, adamantine Battleaxe of Speed.