Page 187 - Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations

Special: You must seek out a chapter house of the
DARKRUNNER Darkrunner Guild and successfully petition to join the
guild. Once you are a member, you gain your first level of
See that? The circular patch of ground that’s all muddy and smooth, darkrunner. If at a later time you lose membership in the
when all the stone around it is rough and solid? One of them gibbering guild, you become a darkrunner exile. You can still gain
mouthers jumped someone here, and recently. Hand me that shovel. levels in this prestige class, but you can no longer rely
upon the support of the guild.
Sometimes they leave their victims buried in the mud they make,
and they don’t take the poor fool’s gear when they’re done.
—Jasper Ringlerock of the Darkrunner Guild CLASS FEATURES
All of the following are class features of the darkrunner
prestige class.
Darkrunners devote their lives to traveling the haunted under-
CHAPTER 9 THE ABERRATION HUNTER ground depths. Some hire out their services as guides to those with light armor and with martial weapons.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: You gain proficiency
who wish to navigate the lightless ways, while others are lone
Direction Sense (Ex): You possess an incredible sense of
wolves who simply wish to explore the deepest reaches of this
direction. If you study a single underground location for at
wondrous and dangerous realm. They understand the lay of
the subterranean world like no other, and use its terrain and
features to great advantage in combat. least 8 hours, that location becomes your directional focus until
you choose a new location and study it for 8 hours. You must
be within your directional focus to successfully study it. You
BECOMING A DARKRUNNER can use find the path (as the spell) to determine the shortest,

The ranger class is the easiest path to becoming a darkrun- most direct physical route to your directional focus, as long as
ner. Despite having to take cross-class ranks in Knowledge you are within 5 miles of your focus. This ability works only
(dungeoneering), barbarians and druids both can qualify as long as you remain underground.
fairly quickly (unless they multiclass into a class that has this Spelunking (Ex): You are well trained in moving in and
as a class skill). Intelligence is perhaps the most important through natural caverns. You gain a competence bonus equal
ability for a darkrunner, since it grants bonus skill points to your class level on Climb, Escape Artist, Jump, Survival,
and enhances several of the darkrunner’s class features. After and Swim checks as long as you remain underground.
Intelligence, Charisma and Dexterity are likely the best abili- In addition, you are treated as one size category smaller
ties for a darkrunner, since both contribute to many of the than your actual size for the purpose of squeezing into narrow
character’s class skills. tunnels or confined areas.

Due to the darkvision requirement, most darkrunners come Darkrunner Emblem: Upon becoming a darkrunner, you
from races already adapted to underground life (dwarves, are granted a darkrunner emblem by the Darkrunner Guild. This
half-orcs, drow, and the like). Creatures with the Aberration minor magic item is detailed in the accompanying sidebar. If

Blood and Inhuman Vision feats might also find surprising your emblem is lost or destroyed, you can purchase a replace-
welcome in the Darkrunner Guild. ment from any guild chapter house at a 50% discount.
Aberration Lore (Ex): You have picked up a trove of
Entry Requirements knowledge concerning aberrations. Beginning at 2nd level,
Skills: Knowledge (dungeoneering) 5 ranks, Search 5 you gain a +2 competence bonus on any skill check, attack
ranks, Survival 7 ranks. roll, or saving throw made against an aberration.
Feats: Alertness, Track.
Special: Darkvision as a racial trait or class feature. Darkvision (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, the extent of your
darkvision increases by 10 feet. It increases by an additional
10 feet every other level.

Table 9–5: The Darkrunner Hit Die: d6
Base
Attack Fort Ref Will
Level Bonus Save Save Save Special
1st +0 +2 +0 +0 Direction sense, spelunking, darkrunner emblem
2nd +1 +3 +0 +0 Aberration lore, darkvision +10 ft.
3rd +2 +3 +1 +1 Cavefighting, tunnelport
4th +3 +4 +1 +1 Tremorsense, darkvision +20 ft.
5th +3 +4 +1 +1 Lore of the stones
6th +4 +5 +2 +2 Aberration specialist, darkvision +30 ft.
7th +5 +5 +2 +2 Deepsong
8th +6 +6 +2 +2 Improved cavefighting, darkvision +40 ft.
9th +6 +6 +3 +3 Greater tunnelport
10th +7 +7 +3 +3 Stonewalking, darkvision +50 ft.
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level): Balance, Bluff, Climb, Craft, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Heal,
Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (architecture and engineering), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (geography),
Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nature), Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spot, Survival, Swim,
186 and Tumble.