Grimetrekker
Original Tabletop source: Ravenloft Gazetteer vol III
Note: The below describes a class not yet fully implemented in Time of Unparalleled Darkness, and thus may change in its final implementation.
Though a sewer system enhances the quality of life for city residences, it also provides ample shelter for the most loathsome creatures of the night. Those hunters whom are willing to venture below to root out these evils earn praise for their courage. Hunters whom spend too much time in the lightless tunnels, however, tend to acquire an unsavoury reputation. Pale skin, ragged garments, and a revolting odour easily distinguish these haunted souls, colloquially termed grimetrekkers. Ultimately, grimetrekkers are more comfortable below than above, and few folk notice when they vanish for weeks at a time into the wilderness beneath the city.
Roleplaying a Grimetrekker
Backgrounds of a Grimetrekker
Nearly all grimetrekkers begin their careers as rangers with an unusual knack for urban or subterranean tracking. Fighters whom serve in the various guards, and rogues whom often use the tunnels as back-roads, have been known to turn to the path of the grimetrekker when provoked into by vengeance against sewer denizen night creatures. Though they are rare, caliban barbarian grimetrekkers are not unprecedented either: city folk often tell tales of malformed people living beneath their streets, living on the refuse of civilization. Many grimetrekkers cut their teeth in the sewers of Richemulot, though others hail form Dementlieu, Darkon, or the fabled twilight city of Nosos. In local Zeidenberg, the garda has a small cadre of talented trackers used for ferreting rebels from the sewers that often double as grimetrekker hunters of neuri or their ilk, and the rebels that often make their homes in such untoward locations often become them as a matter of survival.
Alignment and Religion
The Grimetrekker as an Adventurer
Grimetrekkers in Society
Differences from Tabletop
- Climb, Swim, and Wilderness Lore does not exist in NWN or in Time of Unparalleled Darkness and as such are removed from both class skills and the class requirements.
- The Wilderness Lore requirement is replaced with Lore.
- The special requirement is removed from the class; the secondary condition isn't a gate anyways and we trust our players to roleplay adequetely their background.
- The track requirement is removed from the class, since this feat now falls under Search's umbrella in NWN. As such it is replaced with a Search requirement.
- The bonus for Vile Advesaries in tabletop is applied to "sewer creatures" - we implement that rather as "creatures in sewer areas, and abherrations" to make it more generally useful without losing its flavour.
- Since Track is not implemented the same as tabletop, the Sewer Stalker in this class is implemented differently in Time of Unparalleled Darkness: it provides a Search bonus, which is improved when searching for track markers.
Prestige Class Requirements
To qualify as a grimetrekker (GrT), a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Base Attack Bonus: +6
- Skills: Culture 4, Lore 2, Search 4
- Feats: Back to the Wall, Blind-Fight, Great Fortitude
Prestige Class Features
- Hit Dice: d10
- Class Skills: Balance (Dex), Disable Device (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Occultism (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis).
- Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + Intelligence Modifier
- Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A grimetrekker does not gain any additional weapon or armour proficiencies.
Prestige Class Abilities
Vile Advesaries
Extraordinary Ability
At 1st level, a grimetrekker receives a +1 bonus to Bluff, Listen, Spot, and Search checks when using these skills in the sewers and similar areas. Likewise, he receives the same bonus to weapon damage rolls against creatures in these areas. This ability does not stack with the ranger's favoured enemy bonus, it supercedes it. This ability applies to all creatures in these areas, and abherrations generally. This bonus increases to +2 at 5th level, and +3 at 10th level.
Sewer Stalker
Extraordinary ability
At first level, a grimetrekker receives a +2 competence bonus to his Search checks in a sewer or similar area. This bonus increases by +2 every other level thereafter.
Hale and Hearty
Extraordinary Ability
At 2nd level, a grimetrekker receives a +1 bonus to his Fortitude saving throws against disease, poison, and the special abilities of monstrous oozes and mundane molds and the like. This bonus increases to +2 at 5th level, and +3 at 7th level. At 9th level, the grimetrekker becomes immune to disease and poison entirely, but retains the bonus to saving throws versus the aforementioned special abilities.
Darkvision
Extraordinary Ability
At 2nd level, the grimetrekker permenantly gains darkvision up to a range of 60 feet. If the grimetrekker already has darkvision, his range increases by 60 feet.
Deep Breath
Extraordinary Ability
At 3rd level, a grimetrekker gains the ability to hold his breath for a number of rounds equal to three times her Constitution score instead of the normal twice said score. At 6th level, this increases to four times.
Sewer Legs
Extraordinary Ability
At 4th level, a grimtrekker can move without penalty through water (or other fluid) that is up to waist deep. Normally, wading through water counts either as a moderate or heavy obstruction.
Blindsight
Extraordinary ability
At 8th level, a grimetrekker gains the blindsight special quality at a range of 60 feet.
