Ravenna (Desert Barbarians)

Posted by EarthDragon on 23rd December 2016.

Ravenna are barbarians from the shifting desert regions outside the borders of The Unification and have a reputation for savagery and brutality outside the civilised lands of The Unification. Even The Fallen are wary of the Ravenna. Civilised people call them barbarians or berserkers and suspect them of mayhem, impiety and atrocities. These “barbarians,” however, have proven their mettle and their value to those who would be their allies. To enemies who underestimated them, they have proved their cunning, resourcefulness, persistence, and mercilessness.

  Adventures

Adventuring is the best chance Ravennas have of finding a place in a civilized society. They’re not well suited to the monotony of guard duty or other mundane tasks. Ravennas also have no trouble with the dangers, the uncertainties, and the wandering that adventuring involves. They may adventure to defeat hated enemies. They have a noted distaste for that which they consider unnatural, including undead, demons, and devils.

  Alignment

Ravennas are never lawful. They may be honourable, but at heart they are wild. This wildness is their strength, and it could not live in a lawful soul. At best, Ravennas of chaotic alignment are free and expressive. At worst, they are thoughtlessly destructive.

  Background

Ravennas come from uncivilized lands or from barbaric tribes on the outskirts of civilization. A Ravenna adventurer may have been lured to the settled lands by the promise of riches, may have escaped after being captured in his homeland and sold into “civilized” slavery, may have been recruited as a soldier, or may have been driven out of his homeland by invaders. Ravennas share no bond with each other unless they come from the same tribe or land. In fact, they think of themselves not as Ravennas but as warriors.

  Races

The most common race or Ravenna are Athaotin humans, followed by hrrubans, though many other races are also represented in small numbers.

  Other Classes

As people of the wild, Ravennas are most comfortable in the company of forreska, draetha, and vraedun of nature deities. Many Ravennas admire the talents and spontaneity of phaedim, and some are enthusiastic lovers of music, though they apparently lack understanding of the darker elements of the phaedim's craft. Ravennas don’t trust that which they don’t understand, and that includes the magic of the san-li, which they call “book magic.” They find selusid more understandable than san-li or wu jen, but maybe that’s just because selusid tend to be more charismatic. Noh-li, with their studied, practiced, deliberate approach to combat, sometimes have a hard time seeing eye-to-eye with ravennas, but members of these classes aren’t necessarily hostile to each other. Ravennas have no special attitudes toward freth-yarl, vraedun (other than nature-oriented vraedun), or rokagu.

  Role

A ravenna’s typical primary role in a group of adventurers is as a front-line combat specialist. No other character can match his sheer toughness. He can also serve as a good scout, thanks to his speed, and skill selection.

  Game Rule Information

  Abilities

Strength is important for Ravennas because of its role in combat, and several Ravenna class skills are based on Strength. Dexterity is also useful to Ravennas, especially those who wear light armour. Wisdom is also important for several of the Ravenna’s class skills. A high Constitution score lets a Ravenna rage longer (and live longer, because it gives him more hit points).

  Alignment

Any non-lawful.

  Vitality Points

d12.

  Class Skills

The Ravenna’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

  Skill Points at 1st Level

(4 + Int modifier) × 4.

  Skill Points at Each Additional Level

4 + Int modifier

  Class Features

All of the following are class features of the ravenna.

  Weapon and Armour Proficiency

A Ravenna is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armour, medium armour, and shields (except tower shields). They have a propensity for fighting using the short spear, heavy daggers and bows of horn. Some even fight with their bare hands, arms, legs and feet.

  Fast Movement (Ex)

A Ravenna’s land speed is faster than the norm for his race by +15 feet. This benefit applies only when he is wearing no armour, light armour, or medium armour and not carrying a heavy load. Apply this bonus before modifying the Ravenna’s speed because of any load carried or armour worn. For example, a human Ravenna has a speed of 45 feet, rather than 30 feet, when wearing light or no armour. When wearing medium armour or carrying a medium load, his speed drops to 35 feet. A halfling Ravenna has a speed of 35 feet, rather than 20 feet, in light or no armour. When wearing medium armour or carrying a medium load, his speed drops to 25 feet.

  Rage (Ex)

A Ravenna can fly into a screaming blood frenzy a certain number of times per day. In a rage, a Ravenna gains phenomenal strength and durability but becomes reckless and less able to defend himself. He temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Strength, a +4 bonus to Constitution, and a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, but he takes a –2 penalty to Armour Class. The increase in Constitution increases the Ravenna’s hit points by 2 points per level, but these hit points go away at the end of the rage when his Constitution score drops back to normal. (These extra hit points are not lost first the way temporary hit points are; see Temporary Hit Points, page 146 of the Players' Handbook.) While raging, a Ravenna cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except for Balance, Escape Artist, Intimidate, and Ride), the Concentration skill, or any abilities that require patience or concentration, nor can he cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger (such as a wand), or spell completion (such as a scroll) to function. He can use any feat he has except Combat Expertise, item creation feats, and meta-magic feats. A fit of rage lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character’s (newly improved) Constitution modifier. A Ravenna may prematurely end his rage. At the end of the rage, the Ravenna loses the rage modifiers and restrictions and becomes fatigued (–2 penalty to Strength, –2 penalty to Dexterity, can’t charge or run) for the duration of the current encounter (unless he is a 17th-level Ravenna, at which point this limitation no longer applies; see below). A Ravenna can fly into a rage only once per encounter. At 1st level he can use his rage ability once per day. At 6th level and every six levels thereafter, he can use it one additional time per day (to a maximum of four times per day at 18th level). Entering a rage takes no time itself, but a Ravenna can do it only during his action, not in response to someone else’s action. A Ravenna can’t, for example, fly into a rage when struck down by an arrow in order to get the extra hit points from the increased Constitution, although the extra hit points would be of benefit if he had gone into a rage earlier in the round, before the arrow struck.

  Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

At 2nd level, a Ravenna gains the ability to 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 Ravenna already has uncanny dodge from a different class (a Ravenna with at least four levels of rogue, for example), he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.

  Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

At 5th level and higher, a Ravenna can no longer be flanked; he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defence denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the Ravenna by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has Ravenna levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a rogue must be to flank the character.

  Greater Rage (Ex)

At 11th level, a Ravenna’s bonuses to Strength and Constitution during his rage each increase to +6, and his morale bonus on Will saves increases to +3. The penalty to AC remains at –2.

  Indomitable Will (Ex)

While in a rage, a Ravenna of 14th level or higher gains a +4 bonus on Will saves to resist enchantment spells. This bonus stacks with all other modifiers, including the morale bonus on Will saves he also receives during his rage.

  Tireless Rage (Ex)

At 17th level and higher, a Ravenna no longer becomes fatigued at the end of his rage.

  Mighty Rage (Ex)

At 20th level, a Ravenna’s bonuses to Strength and Constitution during his rage each increase to +8, and his morale bonus on Will saves increases to +4. The penalty to AC remains at –2.

  Desert Wind (Ex or Su)

At various levels on the table below, the Ravenna is offered a choice of two Desert Wind Manoeuvres. The character must choose one at each such level and they then gain that power. They then have access to the manoeuvre chosen, in the same manner as a Warblade, save that all manoeuvres known are readied at each encounter. The choice made at each level cannot be changed at subsequent levels. Note that only one manoeuvre is offered at level 19. The available manoeuvres are: Burning Blade or Flame's Blessing at 3rd level, Fire Riposte or Hatchling's Flame at 7th level, Fan the Flames or Death Mark at 9th level, Firesnake or Searing Charge at 10th level, Dragon's Flame or Lingering Inferno at 13th level, Ring of Fire or Desert Tempest at 15th level, Inferno Blade or Salamander Charge at 16th level, and Wyrm's Flame at 19th level. By 19th level, a Ravenna will have eight manoeuvres available to him each encounter.

  Ex-Members

A Ravenna who becomes lawful loses the ability to rage and cannot gain more levels as a Ravenna. He retains all the other benefits of the class (manoeuvres, fast movement, and uncanny dodge).

Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special
1 +1 +2 +0 +0 Rage 1/day, Fast Movement
2 +2 +3 +0 +0 Uncanny Dodge
3 +3 +3 +1 +1 Burning Blade or Flame’s Blessing
4 +4 +4 +1 +1
5 +5 +4 +1 +1 Improved Uncanny Dodge
6 +6/+1 +5 +2 +2 Rage 2/day
7 +7/+2 +5 +2 +2 Fire Riposte or Hatchling’s Flame
8 +8/+3 +6 +2 +2
9 +9/+4 +6 +3 +3 Fan the Flames or Death Mark
10 +10/+5 +7 +3 +3 Firesnake or Searing Charge
11 +11/+6/+1 +7 +3 +3 Greater Rage
12 +12/+7/+2 +8 +4 +4 Rage 3/day
13 +13/+8+/3 +8 +4 +4 Dragon’s Flame or Lingering Inferno
14 +14/+9/+4 +9 +4 +4 Indomitable Will
15 +15/+10/+5 +9 +5 +5 Ring of Fire or Desert Tempest
16 +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +5 +5 Inferno Blade or Salamander Charge
17 +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +5 Tireless Rage
18 +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +6 Rage 4/day
19 +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +6 Wyrm’s Flame
20 +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +6 Mighty Rage
21 * ** ** **
22 * ** ** **
23 * ** ** ** Bonus Feat
24 * ** ** ** Rage 5/day
25 * ** ** **
26 * ** ** ** Bonus Feat
27 * ** ** **
28 * ** ** **
29 * ** ** ** Bonus Feat
30 * ** ** ** Rage 6/day

* Base attack bonuses are handled differently for epic characters.

** Save bonuses are handled differently for epic characters.