Forester (Character Kit)

Class Information 	Class Information
Class Requirements 	Fighter
Racial Requirements 	Elf (gold, moon, wild), half-elf (gold, moon, wild), gnome (forest, rock), halfling (hairfeet, tallfellow)
Ability Requirements 	Constitution 11, Strength 11
Prime Requisite 	Strength
Aligments 	Any (rarely evil)
Social Rank 	Lower class
Hit Die Type 	d10
Attack as 	Warrior
Save as 	Warrior
Advance as 	Fighter
Spell Ability? 	No
Exceptional Strength? 	Yes
Exceptional Constitution?	Yes
Starting Cash (x10 gp) 	5d4
Proficiencies 	Proficiencies
Weapon Slots 	4
Initial Weapons 	Any bow or sling (spec.), plus any two others
Additional WP Slot 	3
Additional Weapons 	Any
Nonproficiency Penalty 	-2
Nonweapon Slots 	3
Additional NWP Slot 	3
Available Categories 	General, Warrior
Bonus Proficiencies 	Bowyer/fletcher, hunting, survival (forest), tracking
Recommended Proficiencies	Agriculture, animal handling, animal lore, animal training, armorer, artistic ability (woodcarving), blacksmithing, bowyer/fletcher, camouflage (CRH), carpentry, cooking, direction sense, endurance, fire-building, fishing, jumping, leatherworking, riding (land-based), rope use, set snares, tumbling, weaponsmithing, weaponsmithing (crude, CRH), weather sense
Secondary Skills 	Armorer, bowyer/fletcher, farmer, forester, groom, hunter, leatherworker, teamster/freighter, trapper/furrier, weaponsmith, woodworker/carpenter
__TOC__
==Overview==
Many old, mighty forests have shrunk greatly over the centuries from the depredations of monsters and battle magic. Human civilization's hunger for lumber and wood products is also relentless. Many trees are cut or burned by settlers to clear the land for farming, by shield dwarves creating surface mines, or by humanoids attempting to destroy demihuman foes. As a result, demihuman foresters are not uncommon now and possess strong combat abilities. Foresters negotiate with loggers on the taking of reasonable amounts of wood from forests but in extreme cases lead military actions to stop extensive woodcutting, fire-setting, game-taking, and so forth.
All of the places named as gold, moon, or wild elf homelands are sure to have elf foresters. Half-wild elf foresters are known in Deepingdale, parts of Cormanthor, and the Yuirwood in Aglarond. Halfling foresters appear around Luiren and Tethyr. Gnome foresters are rarely seen except in deep old forests undisturbed by human or demihuman civilization. A few rock gnomes become foresters if necessary to defend their forest surrounded homes.
==Description==
A forester relies on stealth to move through the woods unseen and unheard. Clothing is chosen for comfort. He usually wears gray, green, or brown clothing when traveling in a summer forest; reds and browns in autumn, and white and gray clothing is worn when it snows (a cloak and gloves are usually worn in cooler weather). His armor is usually leather if combat is not anticipated, enabling him to move and hunt quietly. Armor more encumbering than chain mail is rarely worn, even during wartime. Foresters rarely bathe, except by accident, and their clothing, boots, and armor are often dirty but well maintained.
==Roleplaying==
A forester's first priority is to protect and care for his chosen woodland. He is no enemy of civilization, but he certainly wishes to see his woods preserved for all time. Game animals, fruits, and wood can be taken from the area by those the forester feels can be trusted to protect the forest and share his love for it.
A forester can have many allies, though each has different priorities and goals. Elves and other sylvan peoples are not always reliable but love the forest with a great passion; they might wish the forest to be their own domain, however, shared with no one else. Druids care for forests but might not wish civilization to approach anywhere near "their" woods. Rangers are most interested in destroying the wilderness enemies of civilization, clearing a forest of evil humanoids, dragons, and giants. Halflings and gnomes love the woods but are often isolationists and refuse to help out if a problem does not
immediately concern them. Scouts love the woods but arent concerned about poaching or overcutting trees; they are spying on enemy forces.
The enemies of demihuman foresters are well-known ones. Red dragons, illegal loggers and poachers, humanoids, and giants deliberately destroy forests and their inhabitants. Groups who declare war on elf kingdoms, like the Zhentarim and evil drow, may ruin forests as part of their strategy. Natural disasters like lightning-created forest fires, volcanoes, great storms, and floods are a serious problem, but the forester is more likely to accept damage from natural sources than monstrous ones.
A forester can purchase useful items from The Complete Thief's Handbook, chapter 5. In particular, a forester may wish for a set of silenced elven chain mail armor, each link being wrapped in light leather or cloth. This is very expensive (750+ gp), grants unwanted penalties, and also rusts and corrodes, becoming useless in five years; nonetheless, it is the best quiet armor available.
==Special Advantages==
A forester gains a +1 bonus on all proficiency checks with the bowyer/fletcher, hunting, survival (forest), and tracking proficiencies. He can hide in natural terrain with a base chance of success of 20%, plus 5% per level (95% maximum success; racial and Dexterity bonuses applicable as for thieves hiding in shadows) and can move silently at half-normal speed through natural terrain with the same base and cumulative chances (racial and Dexterity bonuses applicable as for thieves moving silently). The forester can move through tangled undergrowth at two-thirds normal speed and gains a +2 bonus to save vs. entangle spells.
A forester learns to cover his tracks in any terrain. When doing so, he moves at half-speed but applies his level as a negative modifier to anyone's attempt to track him using the tracking proficiency. He can cover the tracks of other people and beings with him, but for each person whose tracks are being covered, a +1 bonus is given to the tracker's proficiency check. A mount or pack animal, being heavy and four-legged, grants a +2 bonus to the tracking proficiency. The forester can simply cover his own tracks, of course.
A forester is such a superb hunter that he can find food for others, by hunting or gathering, in addition to himself. Each day, a forester can find food and drink for as many extra people as he has levels if he successfully makes his hunting proficiency check.
==Special Disadvantages==
The use of metallic armor (anything better than studded leather) is frowned on by foresters, as it is hard to prevent rusting and makes enough noise to spoil most attempts to move silently through the forest (apply a flat -60 penalty to percentile rolls to move silently, or use Table 38 in The Complete Thief's Handbook). Heavy armor also spoils acrobatic proficiencies (same book, Table 37). Shields are not used as they are very encumbering.
Foresters intensely dislike the Underdark, oceans (surface or undersea), cities and towns, deserts, wildspace, other planes, and arctic wastes. On any adventure in these regions, a forester takes a -1 penalty to all proficiency checks and saving throws, as a result of feeling oppressed by the lack of a true forested wilderness. This penalty cannot be removed. (Even scouts and rangers are more flexible about their living conditions.) Foresters tolerate grasslands, swamps, forested hills, subarctic conifer forests, and tropical jungles well enough to avoid this penalty.
Any elf or half-elf forester has no abilities to detect secret or concealed doors, as he is never around these structures in the wilderness. A gnome or halfling forester loses all abilities to detect underground phenomena. No forester gains followers upon reaching 9th level as a fighter.
A forester is out of touch with civilization for long periods of time. Important news can miss him, and no one knows for sure how to reach him. Being a forester produces a -2 reaction from urban-dwelling and upper-class folk for his lack of social graces, though peasants, scouts, rangers, and many wild elves enjoy the forester's company.