Brigand Guide

The classic dirty fighter

## Role

\*\*\*\*Damage: Precision damage will help crank up your dps against disadvantaged targets

\*\*\*Debuff: There are some nasty tricks they can pick up to debilitate foes

\*Support: You’re sort of a loner, and don’t do much in the way of helping others

\*\*\*\*Utility: Skills for days, but no spells to help pick up the slack

\*\*Tank:  They have some good defensive abilities, but not enough to make up for their HD

## Ability Scores

A lot of room to play around, no one right way

\*\*Power: Even if you’re going the Ruffian route, you could just pick up Nimble Movements

\*\*\*\*Finesse: Good for a lot of the brigand’s abilities and ¾ of their techniques.

\*\*\*\*Grace: Nice for AC, init, speed, and stealth

\*\*\*Vitality: Playing smart will do more for you than a few extra HP, so not #1 priority

\*\*Stature: Only needed for Ruffian, otherwise dump

\*\*\*Intellect: If you want even more skills, here you go. Quite a few tricks use int too

\*\*Acumen: Nice for some skills and resistances, but nothing crazy

\*\*Resolve: You’re a coward for going brigand, just lean into it

\*\*Ego: Good if you want to intimidate, otherwise meh

\*Charm\*\*\*\*: Are you the party face? Pump it! If not, Dump it

## Basics

\*\*D6 HD: its not as bad as it could be, but you have no spells

\*\*\*\*\*4+I Skill Points: The most in the game, you’ll have skill points to spare

\*\*\*\*\*Class Skills: The most in the game, but you have so many skill points you can even invest in non-class skills

\*\*Good Resistances: Grace is nice, but these are a bit lacking

\*\*\*Proficiencies: Nobody really needs more than 3 martial weps anyway. And grace is cooler than armor. Take a dip in enhancer if you want to suit up.

\*\*\*CB: It’ll do. You’ve got enough tricks to make up for it.

## Features

\*\*\*\*Precision Damage: This is the reason you’re going brigand. Most creatures are affected and there are plenty of ways to make creatures flat footed and flanking is easy with a buddy. Helps damage immensely for little brigands, big brigands hit even harder.

\*\*\*Brigand's Technique: Playstyle enhancers with enough room left open to customize within

\*\*\*\*Light Fingers: leans into that classic playstyle with gumption

\*\*\*\*1st level: You need this feat. Freebies are lovely

\*\*3rd level: Another nice bonus feat which lets you wield the weapons you deserve, and makes twf more viable

\*\*\*\*8th level: Delicious. Finally some good base damage

\*\*\*15th level: Your best score to AC? Who needs armor?

\*\*\*\*\*20th level: This can completely shut down all those big baddies that dump finesse, show them the true way

\*\*\*Bully: works well with a Power build, exploits are a great way to get targets flat footed without feinting or friends

\*\*\*1st level: Bonus Feats are good

\*\*\*3rd level: Bonus Feats are good

\*\*\*8th level: Bonus Feats are good and now you can compete with real martial classes when it comes to exploits

\*\*\*15th level: Bonus feats are good and you qualify them faster

\*\*\*\*20th level: Now you’re breaking people’s faces. A full round of attacks will be devastating

\*\*\*Sniper: nice for ranged damage and assassinish builds

\*\*1st level: A nice way to supplement otherwise mediocre ranged damage.

\*\*\*3rd level: even more attacks, why not.

\*\*\*8th level: More range is good, Sniping is a niche activity, but can come in handy.

\*\*\*15th level: Niche sniping perk, stunning critical is great

\*\*\*\*20th level: Destructive potential, can be used for crit farming or devastating assassinations.

\*\*Trapper: a niche playstyle, best in very dungeony scenarios

\*\*\*1st level: If you spend a lot of time in dungeons with traps, you’re all set.

\*\*3rd level: Can be very strong when used carefully, promotes a defensive playstyle. Be the dungeon.

\*\*8th level: Bounce around throwing traps everywhere

\*\*\*15th level: Good that you don’t need to worry about prereqs, make the really devastating traps. You can now trap as you go and make any battlefield a minefield

\*\*\*20th level: Slightly more damaging traps, take advantage of people suffering because of your traps

\*\*\*\*Brigand Tricks: A grab-bag of goodies

\*Deadly precision: It looks tempting at first, but if I phrased it as “add 1/12th lvl to precision damage rolls” you’d walk away.

\*\*\*Evasion: There’s plenty of effects this works on, and greater evasion is sweet too

\*\*\*Exsanguinate: Brutal in longer fights, bleed can get rough

\*\*\*\*False Mage: Plenty of great choices to elevate your options(look at cheetah’s sprint, Feather Fall, Grease, Identify, Shield, Shocking Grasp, Sleep)

\*\*Flight over Fight: If you’re in difficult encounters a lot it’s nice to have an escape plan

\*\*\*\*Focused Study: Great way to boost damage. With twf or rapid shot it adds up fast

\*\*\*Legendermaine: These come in handy more often that you’d think

\*Pass without Trace: Very specific, not very good.

\*\*Practiced Quackery: “no, I’m not playing a brigand I’m playing a healer I promise”

\*\*\*\*\*Pressure Points: Brutal and debilitating.

\*\*\*Quixotic Attack: Can save your life in a pinch, but use it wisely

\*\*\*Real McCoy: Lets you pick up literally any skill in a pinch, just hope you’re never made to do it twice.

\*\*Speedy Sneak: Good for stealth builds

\*\*\*Spooky Strike: Nice quick debuff. And good prereq

\*\*\*Strong-Arm: Combined with light strike, twf and weapons finesse don’t reduce your weapon sizes at all.

\*\*Slippery Mind: Specific, but can save your butt

\*\*\*Wall-Climber: This can come in handy

\*\*Wary Dodge: nice to not be caught off guard

\*\*\*\*Skill Mastery: Bonus feats are nice, and you’re already going to be invested in a couple skills so this will let you outshine the rest.

\*\*\*Hindsight: Not getting flanked can help a lot in combat, and negating sneak attack is a nice bonus.

\*\*\*\*Advanced Tricks: The next step up

\*\*\*\*Anatomical Study: Bloody the BBEG in the first round, making enemies reach for healing before they can even get started can really sway a battle

\*\*\*Assassinate: Situational but strong, snipers will multiply its effectiveness

\*\*\*\*Blinding Strike: Blinds *on a successful save!* Your soldier with thank you

\*Devastating Precision: This adds 1/6th your level to damage. Don’t be taken in by the facade of effectiveness. Combined with deadly precision, that’s a grand total of ¼ lvl to precision damage. Two feats for that?

\*\*\*Frightful Strike: Good for intimidate builds

\*\*Illusionist\*\*\*\*: so that’s Auditory Hallucination, Hypnotism, Animal Trance, \*\*\*\*INVISIBILITY, Ghost Sound, Silent Image, Wardrobe, Ghastly Disguise, Minor Image, or Disguise Intent. If you have a caster friend, meh, if not you may need it.

\*\*\*Impeding Blow: Can be a severe hindrance to enemies in exchange of raw damage

\*\*Improved Hindsight: Good if you’re paranoid. You should be paranoid

\*\*\*\*Singular Focus: You probably have a weapon of choice by this point so why not.

\*\*Sawbones: It’s good, but please just get a cleric

\*\*\*Master Tricks: Slight improvements upon the Advanced Tricks

\*\*\*Anatomical Terror: Another one. Not bad.

\*\*\*Deep Injection: With the right poison this can end a fight before it starts.

\*\*\*\*\*Meticulous Precision: ok at face value, incredible for cranking up other abilities which depend on precision damage die.

\*\*\*Terrifying Strike: Yeah, we get it, you’re scary

\*\*Waiting in the Wings

\*\*\*\*Master of One: Absurd damage potential if you’re a one weapon kinda brigand

## Species

\*\*\*Human: 2 +2s will let you play any way you want without being the best suited necessarily

\*\*Dwarf: none do their abilities are directly suited to brigand, but they have nice general traits.

\*\*\*\*Elf: nice stats when you pick up war-trained. Niche but useful abilities

\*\*\*Half-Elf: ok stats, nothing especially alluring here

\*\*\*Half-Orc: here’s a nice choice for a melee build, ruffian or light fingers can both make good use of their stats.

\*\*\*\*\*Halfling: The Classic. Great stats, great abilities, a little unoriginal but hey, if it ain’t broke, break it.

\*\*\*\*Gnome: not quite as well suited as halflings, but that’s a high bar. Lots of useful nifty tricks.

\*\*\*\*\*Goblin: Rivaling halflings for #1, their abilities are well suited to tricky fighting.

##### Easy Build:

Species: Goblin. Take Chameleon Skinned

Ability Scores: F > V > G > I > S > A > R > E > P > C

Feats: Level 1 (Weapon Focus), Level 3(Two Weapon Fighting)

Tough, Armor Focus, Weapon Specialization, Resistor, Skill Focus (Stealth), Improved Two Weapon Fighting, Cross Slash, Vital Strike

Traits: Big Money, Armor Expert, Cheater’s Edge, Fearless, Helpful, Nerd

Technique: Light Fingers

Tricks: Deadly Precision, Evasion, Pressure Points, Focused Study, False Mage

Skill Mastery: Skill Focus( Sense, Spot, Acrobatics, Investigation)

Advanced Tricks: Illusionist, Impeding Blow, Improved Hindsight, Singular Focus

Master Tricks: Master of One, Meticulous Precision

Equipment: Leather Armor and daggers.

Playstyle: Flank whenever possible, and use stealth in whatever situations you can. Avoid direct conflict, target debuffed enemies. Throw daggers if the situation is unsafe to enter into melee.