
THE GRUNT CHARACTER CLASS   UnCopyRight 1990 by Sunny G.
=========================   (Any mods - please send me a copy)

Just as an experiment, I am designing a character class known as the GRUNT.
This is mostly from the DMG's player character class generation, as
follows:

(Note that some of these were modified by my DM. )

- Humans only (+0)
- Fighter Combat table (+2)
- Fighter Saving Throws (+0)
- HDperLevel 1d10 (+2.5)
- Limited AC (Chain or worse, No Shield) (-0.5)
- +3 HP above 9th level (+2)
- Fighter STR bonus (+1)
- Fighter CON bonus (+1)
- 2-Handed fighting, no penalty (+2)
- Climb Walls (+1)
- Backstab (+1)
- Move silently (+1)
- Must be Lawful (-1)
- Proficiencies (+0.75)

Thus, experience levels are at a factor of 12.75 giving:

1       0
2       2550
3       5100
4       10200
5       25500
6       51000
7       102000
8       191250
9       357000
10      739000
11      1122000
12      ...   + 382500 / level.
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

The grunts are a group of humans who used to live in the tropical
wilderness of the world.  A certain adventurer who journeyed there saved
the tribe, and was thus set-up as king.  Being a Fighter/Thief of
exceptional intelligence, he started teaching the people of the tribe on
becoming "sneak attack" type people.  While he was training the
warriors, he called them "grunts", and the name stuck.

Occasionally, some of the youngsters leave to find adventure etc.

Because of the type of training received,  grunts turn out to be very
dextrous and sound of body (DEX,CON,STR are main abilities).

Grunts usually do not use Very large weapons - ex 2-Handed Swords,
Polearms.  However all others are fair game.

Because of their required degree of agility, grunts cannot wear any armor
more cumbersome than Chain mail.  All grunts refuse to use a shield; it
hinders their fighting style.

The fighting style of the grunts is 2-handed, ie automatic abidexterity.
Because of their training, grunts do not receive the negatives to fight
two-handed.  If fighting with one hand, they can even use their fists as a
second weapon for 1-2 points of damage.

Their "guerrila" form of training gives grunts skill at climbing all forms
of obstacles, moving silently and backstabbing.  They cannot hide in
shadows anywhere other than in thick forest or branches.

Grunts must be lawful in that they will do whats best for their group - ie
they wont kill someone in their own group, and (in extreme cases) they will
actually die to save the group.  However, their attitude towards people
outside their group can range from chaotic to lawful to kill-them-all.

Initially, all grunts start off with Tracking proficiency. This proficiency
increases as per the ranger. They can also Swim, hunt and fish to some
extent, though these would take proficiency slots to get up to level. They
start off with 3 weapon, 2 nonweapon proficiency slots and increase in both
at the rate of 1 every 4 levels. They can choose from the Warrior and
General charts, as well as Herbalism, Jumping, Tightrope walking, Tumbling.

Grunts can use any magical items that a fighter can use.

Grunts get to specialize as a fighter does, only that in specializing they
do not receive additional plusses to hit, but only that their rate of
attack goes up as a fighter's.

Another practice of grunts is to use poison.

At 1st level, a grunt starts off with the following abilities:

                Dex Mods:    17    18    19
Climb walls: 60%
Move Silently:  10%          +5    +10   +15
Hide in Trees (only): 20%    +5    +10   +15

Note that by hide in trees, I mean that if a person below looked up at the
tree, looking for a hiding person, there is still this chance of not being
detected.  If the person is not looking, the chances are increased 50%.

When a grunt is hidden in a tree, he can move along the trees by rolling
his move silent roll - nobody will notice them.

At 1st level a grunt receives 25 extra points to add to his scores. For
every level after that he receives 15 extra points.  No skill can go above
95.

The modifications due to armor DO apply.  Using the base armor class of
their armor consult the following table:

    AC: 10      9       8       7       6       5
CW:     +10%    0%      -10%    -20%    -30%    -40%
MS:     +10%    -3%     -16%    -30%    -43%    -56%
HIT:    +5%     0%      -5%     -10%    -15%    -20%

================================================================
The table imm. above was constructed by interpolating and extending on the
2nd edition PH table for thiefs.

