Footpad (3.5e Class)

Author: The-Marksman (talk) Date Created: April 2019 Status: Just sample NPC to do Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Footpad

A Footpad is a highly skilled and highly mobile thief who utilizes a blend of styles from other skill based classes. Footpad's often work in either large organized and structured groups, usually called either "clans" or "guilds". He is an opportunist by nature, who specializes in speed and mobility while navigating a battlefield.

Making a Footpad

Abilities: Footpads benefit most from a high Dexterity score, as Dexterity allows them to be better at sneaking around, disabling traps and opening locks, (one of their primary functions). Footpads also get weapon finesse for free which allows them to use their dexterity modifier for attack rolls with light melee weapons as well. Footpads also benefit from a high Intelligence score in order to get more skill points which makes them a more versatile rogue, and also benefits in them searching for traps to disable. A Footpad also gains Clever strike which enables them to add their Intelligence modifier to attack rolls with weapons that qualify for weapon finesse.

Characteristics: A Footpad is a master of stealth, subterfuge and tracking. He can move faster than anyone except a Monk, and can efficiently jump or climb over obstacles in his path, and tumble over or around various obstructions better than any other thief. He also isn't afraid to fight dirty, willing to take cheap shots to take advantage of an exposed opponent for more damage and even resort to poisoning enemies. They are adept at blending in and can even dabble a little bit of magic power to enable them to subtly alter their appearance for those occasions where they need to blend in or sneak in somewhere without being recognized.

Races: Any race can be a Footpad. Humans, Halflings and Elves make the most common Footpads. Half-Elves and Dwarves make excellent Footpads when drawn in that direction, but that doesn't happen as regularly as with the aforementioned races. Half-Orcs dont often find themselves as Footpad, but when they do, their strength and darkvision often pay dividends and they are both feared and respected among Footpads. Gnomes do not often find themselves drawn to the Footpad lifestyle.

Alignment: Much of what a Footpad does involves either taking things from others, or at the very least, taking advantage of others. As such they break the law as often as they break their word. This means that they lean more toward chaos on the law-chaos axis. Footpads tend to steal from or hurt others and therefore are rarely good. While some of them can be good by putting their skill set to good uses, the skill set utilized by a Footpad lends it towards people with more selfish goals. A Footpad's most common alignments are Chaotic Neutral and True Neutral, but it's not unheard of for some to be Neutral Evil or Chaotic Evil as well.

Starting Gold: 5d4 × 10 gp (125 gp).

Starting Age: "Moderate" or "As Rogue"

Table: The Footpad

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Speed Bonus
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	Weapon Finesse, Trapfinding, Track	+0 ft
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+0	Evasion, Battle Alertness +1	+0 ft
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+1	Clever Strike, Poison Use, Trap Sense +1	+10 ft
4th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Uncanny Dodge, Great Leap	+10 ft
5th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Devious Strike +1d8, Swift Stalker	+10 ft
6th	+4	+2	+5	+2	Flawless Stride, Deft Hands +2, Trap Sense +2	+20 ft
7th	+5	+2	+5	+2	Master Tracker, Speed Climb	+20 ft
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+2	Improved Evasion, Camouflage	+20 ft
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+3	Expert Flanker, Trap Sense +3	+30 ft
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+3	Skill Mastery, Devious Strike +2d8	+30 ft
11th	+8/+3	+3	+7	+3	Improved Poison Use, Battle Alertness +2	+30 ft
12th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+4	Lucky, Deft Hands +4, Trap Sense +4	+40 ft
13th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+4	A Thousand Faces	+40 ft
14th	+10/+5	+4	+9	+4	Hide in Plain Sight,	+40 ft
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+9	+5	Devious Strike +3d8, Trap Sense +5	+50 ft
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+5	Opportunist	+50 ft
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+5	Free Movement	+50 ft
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+6	Deft Hands +6, Trap Sense +6	+60 ft
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+6	Battle Alertness +3	+60 ft
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+6	Master of the Foot-clan, Devious Strike +4d8	+60 ft

Class Skills (8 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level)
Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), 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 Footpad.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Footpads are proficient with all simple weapons, and plus bolas, hand crossbows, kukris, long bow, rapier, short bow, shortsword, spiked chains, and whips. Footpads are also proficient with all light armors, but not with any shields.

Weapon Finesse: At first level a Footpad gains Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat even if he doesn't meet the prerequisites. If he already has Weapon Finesse from another source, he may instead select any other feat for which he qualifies.

Trapfinding: Footpads can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20. Finding a nonmagical traps has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic trap has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. Footpads can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. a Footpad who beats a trap’s DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with his party) without disarming it.

Track: At first level a Footpad gains Track as a bonus feat even if he doesn't meet the prerequisites. If he already has Track from another source, he may instead select any other feat for which he qualifies.

Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level and higher, a Footpad 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 and Improved Evasion can be used only if the Footpad is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless Footpad does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Battle Alertness (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a Footpad gains a +1 competence bonus on all initiative checks and all armor class. This bonus improves by an additional +1 at 11th and 19th levels (+2 at 11th level, +3 at 19th level).

Clever Strike (Ex): A Footpad is smart about when he choses to attack and how, always slipping in through an opponents guard by noticing openings and weakness in an opponents stance, posture, footing, over reaching for a swing, etc. Because of this, whenever a Footpad is using any light or one handed slashing or piercing weapon, a Footpad can add their Intelligence score to all of their attack rolls in addition to any strength or dexterity bonus they normally add. This ability does not stack with any other ability that allows you to add alternate ability scores to attack rolls.

Poison Use (Ex): At 3rd level and higher, a Footpad never risks accidentally poisoning himself when applying poison to a weapon.

Trap Sense (Ex): At 3rd level, a Footpad gains an intuitive sense that alerts him to danger from traps, giving him 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 to +2 when the Footpad reaches 6th level, to +3 when he reaches 9th level, to +4 when he reaches 12th level, to +5 at 15th, and to +6 at 18th level. Trap sense bonuses gained from multiple classes stack and this ability stacks with the bonus to Reflex saves from his Reactive Instinct ability.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 4th level, a Footpad can react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If a Footpad already has uncanny dodge from a different class he automatically gains Improved Uncanny Dodge instead.

Great Leap (Ex): A 5th level Footpad is adept at jumping over and around various obstacles, and always makes Jump checks as if he was running and had the Run feat, enabling him to make long jumps without a running start and granting him a +4 bonus on the jump (see the skill description, page 77 of the Players Handbook). a Footpad loses this bonus when wearing medium or heavy armor or carrying a heavy load.

Devious Strike (Ex): At 5th level, a Footpad gains the ability to strike precisely with any light or one-handed slashing or piercing weapon. Anytime he makes an attack with any such weapon, he gains an extra 1d8 damage added to his normal damage roll. When making a Devious Strike, a Footpad cannot attack with any weapon in his other hand or use a shield. A Footpad’s Devious Strike only works against living creatures with discernible anatomies. However, this ability does work on creatures that are immune to critical hits. At 10th level and every 5 levels there after, the extra damage on a Devious Strike increases by an additional +1d8.

Swift Stalker (Ex): Starting at 5th level, a Footpad can move at his normal speed while following tracks without taking the normal −5 penalty. He only takes a −10 (instead of the normal −20) when moving at up to twice his normal speed while tracking. a Footpad can also move stealthily even at a quick pace. He no longer takes a −5 penalty on Hide and Move Silently checks when moving at any speed up to his normal speed, and he takes only a −10 (instead of the normal −20) on Hide and Move Silently checks when running. (He still takes the normal −20 on such checks when charging).

Flawless Stride (Ex): Starting at 6th level, a Footpad can move through any sort of terrain that slows movement (such as undergrowth, rubble, overgrown areas, natural thorns, briars and similar terrain) at his normal movement speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. This ability also allows him to run and charge in situations where others cannot. He may charge, or run over difficult terrain that normally slows movement or allies or neutral characters blocking his path. This ability enables him to run down steep stairs, leap down from a balcony, and tumble over tables to get to his destination. Depending on the circumstances, he still may need to make appropriate checks (Jump and Tumble, in particular) to successfully move over the terrain. This ability does not let him move more quickly through terrains that are enchanted or have been magically manipulated to impede movement. a Footpad loses this ability when wearing heavy armor, or carrying a heavy load.

Deft Hands (Ex): A Footpad is amazingly good with his hands and excels at skills that require fine motor control. Starting at 6th level a Footpad gains a +2 bonus on Disable Device, Open Locks and Survival checks. This bonus increases by +2 every 6 levels there after to +4 at 12 level and +6 at 18th level.

Master Tracker (Ex): A Footpad gains the Urban Tracking feat as a bonus feat at 7th level, allowing him to more readily use Gather Information to locate and track people within communities. This feat can be found on page 154 in Races of Destiny or page 56 of the Unearthed Arcana. If a Footpad already has Urban Tracking he may instead take any other feat for which he qualifies. Also starting at 7th level, a Footpad is so good at following tracks that he can even track someone that is under the influence of a "Pass without Trace" spell or similar effect, though he takes a −10 on his Survival checks when doing so. A Footpad leaves absolutely no trail while traveling in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. He may choose to leave a trail if so desired.

Speed Climb (Ex): A Footpad of 7th level or higher can scramble up or down walls and slopes with great speed. He can climb at his speed as a move action with no penalty; however, he must begin and end his move on a horizontal surface (such as the ground or a flat rooftop). If he does not end his movement on a horizontal surface, he falls, taking falling damage as appropriate for his distance above the ground. a Footpad only needs to have one hand free to use this ability. a Footpad loses this ability when wearing heavy armor or carrying a heavy load.

Improved Evasion (Ex): At 8th level a Footpad gains Improved Evasion. This ability works like evasion, except that while the Footpad still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks henceforth he henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless Footpad does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Camouflage (Ex): Beginning at 8th level, a Footpad can use the hide skill in any sort of terrain, whether natural or not, even if the terrain doesn't grant cover or concealment. He loses this benefit when wearing medium or heavy armor.

Expert Flanker (Ex): A Footpad of 9th level or higher gains a +4 bonus on attacks when flanking an enemy instead of the normal +2 bonus on attacks (Other characters flanking with the Footpad don't gain this increased bonus). In addition he knows how to maximize the threat his allies pose to ruin his target's defenses. He can designate any adjacent square as the square from which flanking against an ally is determined (including the square where he stands, as normal). He can designate the square at the beginning of his turn or at any time during his turn. The designated square remains his effective square for flanking until he is no longer adjacent to it or until he chooses a different square (at the start of one of his turns). The Footpad can even choose a square that is impassable or occupied.

Skill Mastery (Ex): At 10th level The Footpad becomes so certain in the use of certain skills that he can use them reliably even under adverse conditions. Upon gaining this ability, he selects a number of skills equal to 3 + his Intelligence modifier. When making a skill check with one of these skills, he may take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent him from doing so. a Footpad may gain this ability multiple times from multiple classes, selecting additional skills for it to apply to each time.

Improved Poison Use (Ex): Starting at 11th level, a Footpad can apply poison to a weapon as a move action. (Normally, applying a poison is a standard action, like applying an oil.)

Lucky (Ex): Many Footpads live by the credo "Better lucky than good." Once per day, a Footpad of 12th level or higher may re-roll any failed attack roll, skill check, ability check, or saving throw. The character must take the result of the re-roll, even if it's worse than the original roll.

A Thousand Faces (Su): At 13th level, a Footpad gains the ability to change his appearance at will, as if using the disguise self spell. This affects the Footpad’s body but not his possessions. It is not an illusory effect, but a minor physical alteration of the Footpad’s appearance, within the limits described for the spell.

Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): While in any sort of terrain, whether natural or not, a Footpad of 14th level or higher may make use the Hide skill even while being observed.

Opportunist (Ex): Once per round a Footpad can make an attack of opportunity against an opponent who as just been struck for damage in melee by another character. This attack counts as the Footpads attack of opportunity for that round. Even a Footpad with the Combat Reflexes feat cannot use this ability more than once per round.

Free Movement (Su): A Footpad is so sneaky and so familiar with how knots, ropes, chains, manacles, and locks work and so determined not to be captured, that he can slip out of grapples, bonds and even the effects of confining spells easily. Starting at 17th level, this ability duplicates the effects of a "Freedom of Movement" spell at will.

Master of the Foot-clan (Ex): A 20th-level Footpad's exploits have become so legendary that great numbers of footpads, thieves, rogues, and general scoundrels are willing to sign up as part of the Footpad's crew for no compensation other than a share of the loot. Treat this ability as the equivalent of the Leadership feat, except that only followers (and no cohorts) are gained.

Human Footpad Starting Package

Weapons: Rapier (1d6, crit 18-20/x2),

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 8 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty
Climb	2	Str	—
Disable Device	4	Dex	—
Hide	4	Dex	—
Jump	2	Str	—
Listen	4	Wis	—
Move Silently	4	Dex	—
Open Locks	4	Dex	—
Search	4	Int	—
Spot	4	Wis	—
Survival	4	Wis	—

Feat: Weapon Finesse, Nimble Fingers

Bonus Feats: Weapon Focus (Rapier) for Human.

Gear: Studded Leather.

Gold: 5d4 X 10.

Epic Footpad

Table: The Epic Footpad

Hit Die: d8

Level	Special
21st	Epic Trap Sense +8, Bonus Feat
22nd
23rd	Bonus Feat
24th	Deft Hands +8, Epic Trap Sense +10
25th	Devious Strike +5d8, Bonus Feat
26th
27th	Epic Trap Sense +12, Bonus Feat
28th	Eternal Freedom
29th	Bonus Feat
30th	Devious Strike +6d8, Deft Hands +10, Epic Trap Sense +14
8 + Int modifier skill points per level.

Epic Trap Sense: (Ex): The epic Footpad’s bonus on Trap Sense increases by +2 at every three levels higher than 18th.

Bonus Feats: The epic Footpad gains a bonus feat at 21st level and every other level there after. These feats are selected from the Footpad class feat list presented above. Alternatively your DM may also allow class appropriate epic feats as well.

Eternal Freedom: (Su) A Footpad is so attuned with slipping out of grapples, bonds and even the effects of confining spells that starting at 26th level, she is always considered to be under the effects of an "Eternal Freedom" spell, except that it is always active. This spell, located on page 80 of the Epic Level Handbook grants permanent immunity to the following spells, effects and spell-like abilities: entangle, hold, imprisonment, paralysis, petrification, sleep, slow, stunning, temporal stasis and web.

Campaign Information

Playing a Footpad

Religion: A Footpad's patron deity is almost exclusively Olidimmara. There are a rare few who worship other deities, but this is very rare. For those rare few, some of the other deities that other Footpads might follow can include Fharllagn or Obad'hai for more neutral Footpads, or Nerull or Vecna for evil Footpads.

Other Classes: Footpads work best alone or in small groups. They get along and work well with other skilled classes like Rogue, Bard, Ninja, Scout, Ranger, Duskblade and Swashbuckler. Footpad's rely too much on stealth to completely embrace the idea of working in a large mixed group of adventurers. Because many of the Footpad's activities are things that could get him recognized in a bad way, the more visible and less subtle his companions are the easier it is for him to remain in the shadows of the background and conceal his presence, identity and motives from others.

Role: A Footpad's primary function is that they are the skill monkey of the group and serve the same roll as a Rogue. The Footpad can also assume some of the Ranger or Scout's out of combat responsibilities since he is a capable tracker and is also adept at blending into his environment. With his skill points and skill selection he can make a great party speaker and with his mobility and maneuverability he makes an excellent scout. A Footpad's stealth and trapfinding abilities make him the natural choice for entering and searching dangerous areas.

Advancement: Which class a Footpad advances in after Footpad would depend on which skills he was looking to enhance. If he wants to become better with traps and assisting the party in the dungeon, Dungeon Delver from Complete Adventurer or Temple Raider of Olidammara would be great places to start. If he wants to improve his mobility, picking up some levels some levels in Thief Acrobat from Complete Adventurer would be good.

Footpads in the World

“	I like travelling with a Footpad because they're just as good at finding traps as the Rogues I've travelled with, but Footpads make much better scouts and are better at find food for dinner too!	”
—Magnus Sabre heim, Dwarven Fighter

Adventures: Footpads adventure for a multitude of reasons. A loyal Footpad might adventure under orders from his clan or guild. Although, more commonly, most adventure out of a desire to obtain gold, treasure, riches, and wealth for themselves. They relish the opportunity to enter a long-forgotten dungeon or tomb to figure out how to solve ancient riddles, avoid alarms, sneak past patrolling guards or bypass or disarm challenging traps to discover lost treasures and magic items. If along the way they are able to acquire fame or infamy, all the better. That would just be the icing on the cake.

Organizations: Footpads are often part of a larger organization, usually called either a clan, or a guild. These organizations of Footpads work together for the benefit of its members. The clans or guilds are often led by a powerful and experienced leader who has a small inner circle of members who help find jobs, case joints and come up with plans. While these clans and guilds are not exclusive to Footpads, most all of the members of a clan or guild are usually Footpads. There are occasionally members in these clans from other classes like Rogues, Bards, Scouts, Ninjas and Swashbucklers, but, any other classes than that would be a truly rare one-off.

NPC Reactions: Most people dont see a Footpad as being not much different than a Rogue, except a Footpad is more associated with the outdoors and wilderness and surviving away from a city. Most people treat a Footpad much in the way they would a Rogue, or to a lesser degree a Ranger or a Scout. There are commonly stray bands of Footpads that act as bandits and thieves and attack travelling caravans and wanderers, and unfortunately that stigma often gets attached to Footpads who are part of larger clans and guilds who are usually above such petty crimes, usually going for bigger scores.

Footpad Lore

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

Knowledge (Local)

DC	Result
5	Footpads are agile Rogue types who are excellent at handling traps and are equally comfortable out in the wilderness like a Ranger. They tend to favor light slashing or piercing weapons.
10	Footpads are not above poisoning an enemy and can track prey as well or better than a Ranger. They are excellent at picking off soft spots of their opponents, especially when they can take up a tactical position with an ally.
15	They are able to magically disguise themselves when going places where they dont want to be recognized and an experienced Footpad is almost impossible to pin down and tie up. They can disappear right in front of you.
20	Anyone making this level of success can learn about most any Footpad ability, and even stories about specific Footpads, how a Footpad is trained and even the current location of a specific Footpad provided she's not in hiding.

Footpads in the Game

Sample Encounter:

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