Combat and Social Traits
This exciting edition of Extraordinary Feats takes a break from the usual fare to provide you with a slew of new traits, specifically for combat and social traits. Finding a unifying theme for combat and social traits initially posed a little difficulty; after all, social traits are primarily for avoiding combat, while combat traits are mostly for embracing it. However, the mean streets, where everyone is one wrong look away from a deadly brawl, seemed like a good place for the two to match up. The following new traits are for characters who grew up rough, or who fought to keep the gangs and back ally crooks from taking over their home. I hope you enjoy these fun little background tweaks for your characters.
New Combat Traits
Alley Strangler (Combat)
You have spent your misguided youth fighting in back alleys and know how to make a deadly ambush from the shadows.
Benefit: You gain a +2 trait bonus on combat maneuvers made to grapple a character that is unaware of you. Additionally, if you succeed on your combat maneuver check by 5 or more, you may attempt a Stealth check to remain hidden from the character you are grappling.
Cutpurse (Combat)
You use violence as a distraction to seize what you really want.
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus on any Steal or Sleight of Hand check you make against a character you damaged within the last round. If you possess the sneak attack class feature, this trait bonus is increased by +1 for every dice of sneak attack damage you dealt to the target on the previous round, to a maximum bonus of +1 for every 2 levels you possess.
Hound (Combat)
You never forget a fighter and can easily track down opponents you have crossed blades with.
Benefit: You gain a +2 trait bonus on Knowledge (local) checks made to learn more about characters whom you have dealt at least 1 point of damage to, or which have dealt at least 1 point of damage to you. Additionally, while in an urban environment, you gain a +4 bonus on Diplomacy checks made to gather information about such a character if they can currently be found in the same urban environment.
Street Justice (Combat)
You know that sometimes the only justice available on the streets comes at the point of a sword.
Benefit: While you are in an urban environment, if you are attacked or targeted by a spell or ability with a saving throw entry denoted as other than harmless while you are flat-footed, or another flat-footed character you can see is attacked or targeted by a spell or ability with a saving throw entry denoted as other than harmless, you can choose to swear an oath of vengeance against the attacker or initiator of the effect. If you do, you gain a +1 trait bonus on damage rolls against that character. Additionally, you gain a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks to gather information about that target, on Intimidate checks to demoralize that character, and also on Survival checks made to track that character. You may use this ability once per day, plus an additional time per day for every 5 Hit Dice you possess.
Urban Acrobat (Combat)
You lived your life jumping from roof to roof and scrabbling up fences to escape dangerous situations or to chase down those who thought they could cross you and get away.
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus on Acrobatics checks and Climb checks in urban environments. Additionally, if you have 10 or more ranks in Acrobatics and Climb, you are able to clamber up the sides of buildings which lack obvious handholds and footholds with a successful DC 20 Climb check.
New Social Traits
Black Market Buyer (Social)
You know how to find and purchase illicit goods, often at a discount.
Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus on Diplomacy checks made to gather information about where illegal or stolen goods are bought or sold. Additionally, whenever you successfully appraise an illegal or stolen item, you learn what that item could be reasonably sold for in the urban environment you are currently in, and learn the relative likelihood of being able to sell the item to a legitimate buyer.
Gang Lingo (Social)
You know how the dangerous criminal gangs who run the streets talk to one another and can easily talk with them.
Benefit: You can attempt a Knowledge (local) check in order to know about a criminal organization’s particular lingo and mannerism. This check is made as a free action but may only be made once per organization until you gain a new rank in Knowledge (local). The base DC for this check is 15, but particularly well known or obscure organizations may have different DCs, at the GM’s discretion. If the check is successful, you gain a +1 bonus on all Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks made to interact with members of that organization. This bonus increases by a further +1 for every 10 points by which you exceed the DC.
Goon (Social)
You spent your time enforcing for various criminals, criminal organizations, or even legitimate authority figures who needed some extra muscle, and you know how to use the might of your backer to instill fear in others.
Benefit: Whenever you make an Intimidate check, you can invoke the name of a specific backing agency. If you do, you gain a +1 bonus on your Intimidate check. This bonus increased by +1 if the target is aware of a relationship between you and the specific backer you mentioned. This bonus is also increased by +1 if the specific backer you mentioned is influential enough locally to be identified in the urban area in which you make this check with a DC 10 Knowledge (local) check. Using this ability might lead to the backer whose name you invoked tracking you down, and could lead to unforeseen consequences.
Street Rat (Social)
A life on the streets has taught you how to survive and even thrive on the streets.
Benefit: You may use Knowledge (local) in place of Survival in order to forage for food or secure shelter from the weather while in urban environments. Additionally, while in urban environments, you can always find true north by utilizing local landmarks.
Streetwise (Social)
You know where everything everyone is, allowing you to easily navigate urban environments.
Benefit: You may use Knowledge (local) in place of other skills in order to find the locations of landmarks or track characters through urban environments.