Craven

A Base Class for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

Each person has an influence from which they draw their wealth of power. Some of these influences can be innate psionic knacks, intense academic studies of arcane mysteries, harmonious relationships with nature, services to a patron deity, or martial trainings. However, cravens take more direct routes to their goals. They pay for their power quite literally. By sacrificing objects of value, they can pay the universe for boons. Most often, this comes in the form of coin and other kinds of currency. This power is a literal manifestation of cravens’ greed and imbues them with supernatural abilities.

In some campaign settings, cravens may have to make deals with a devil or other greedy outsider to gain power, but traditionally, cravens are fueled by their own unnatural avarice.

Hit Dice: D10.

Role: Cravens are martial characters able to augment their natural prowess with their paid powers. They make excellent frontline fighters, and though they have the potential to be incredible social characters, this is often at odds with their greedy dispositions. Still, they have various ways to make a good living, and many become wealthy as a result of their supernatural abilities.

Alignment: Any non-good

Cravens are inherently greedy, and their studies of the cravenous arts only make this greed grow ever larger. Eventually, they are totally consumed by it and essentially become avatars of avarice and vice. While not all are evil, none are particularly well-known for their charity.

As an example, a chaotic evil craven tends to unconditionally hoard wealth and amass great fortunes at the expense of others. On the other hand, a lawful neutral craven might be working to restore the fortunes of his family’s once-great mercantile company by working whatever jobs pay him the most.

Starting Wealth: 4d10 × 10 gp (average 220 gp.). In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills[]

The craven’s class skills are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Stealth (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table #-#: Craven

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+1	+2	+0	+0	Greedy, sell-sword
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+0	Covetous, detect money
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+1	Miserly, gold rush (2:1)
4th	+4	+4	+1	+1	Armor of gold (DR 2/-)
5th	+5	+4	+1	+1	Discount, grave robber, kleptomania
6th	+6/+1	+5	+2	+2	Consume currency, craven talent
7th	+7/+2	+5	+2	+2	Miserly, supply and demand
8th	+8/+3	+6	+2	+2	Armor of gold (DR 4/-), gold rush (1:1)
9th	+9/+4	+6	+3	+3	Consume currency
10th	+10/+5	+7	+3	+3	Charon's obol, craven talent, kleptomania, sacrificial sale
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+3	+3	Miserly, supply and demand
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+4	+4	Armor of gold (DR 6/-), consume currency, supply and demand
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+4	+4	Gold rush (1:2)
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+4	+4	Contract murder, craven talent
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+5	+5	Consume currency, miserly, on the cheap, supply and demand
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+5	+5	Armor of gold (DR 8/-)
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+5	Master of coin
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+6	Craven talent, gold rush (1:4)
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+6	Supply and demand
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+6	Armor of gold (DR 10/-), hand of midas

Class Features[]

The following are the class features of the craven.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies[]

The craven is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, light, and medium) and shields (including tower shields).

Greedy (Ex):[]

At 1st level, the craven gains a bonus equal to 1/2 his craven level on Appraise checks to assess the value of an object.

However, this is a double-edged sword. Any appealing offer of currency or other valuables seduces the craven quite easily. He receives a -4 penalty on saves to resist an offer of objects of value or currency if said object of value is integrated into a spell or offer. (For example: The caster offers 100 gp while casting charm person on a craven.) This can also lower the DC required to obtain the services or befriend the craven by -4. (For example: A player tries to bribe a craven NPC by offering 100 gp as part of his Diplomacy check.) For the purpose of this class feature, any object worth 50 gp x the craven’s level is considered “valuable.”

Finally, the craven must make a Will save (DC 5 + craven level) to willingly give to charity, spend frivolously, or throw away objects of value with little/less return than he feels he should. This does not inhibit him from using any of his craven class features. This might manifest itself as the craven inappropriately clinging onto a gold statue he had “procured” from an ancient temple rather than giving it to the high priest he promised it to or even having him and his party spend a great deal of time picking up a spilled pile of copper coins once combat has ended. The craven always fails this check on a roll of 1 or 2.

Optional Rule: Physical Changes[]

If you want to spice up the appearance of the craven, he can optionally begin to take on a physical reflection of his greed. Using this alternate rule, the craven gains one of the following physical changes at 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level. These changes can be covered up with a DC 15 Disguise check.

The iris of one eye (or both) is replaced with a small currency symbol.
The skin of the craven gains a slightly reflective golden, silvery, or coppery tinge to it.
The hair, nail, and/or iris color of the craven turns to a metallic gold, silver, or copper.
The craven takes on a large, visible tattoo (or series of tattoos) that indicate wealth, power, or currency symbols.
The craven grows a gemlike growth in a prominent location of his body (the forehead, back of the hands, chest, etc). This gem is worthless in terms of price.

Sell-Sword (Su):[]

At 1st level, the craven can pay for immense power to be added to his weapon. The craven can pay gold equal to his craven level to add his craven level as a competence bonus to a single damage roll. However, he may choose to pay less than his craven level to deal bonus damage equal to the amount spent. He may sacrifice currency from any part of his person with a thought as part of the attack action. This gold can be paid after the attack roll but before the damage roll. The craven may not benefit from this more than once per round. If this ability is prevented from working (if he is in an antimagic field, for example), he cannot sacrifice the coins. The craven may use this ability a number of times per day equal to his Intelligence modifier + 1/2 his craven level.

Covetous (Su):[]

At 2nd level, the craven gains the Improved Steal feat as a bonus feat even if he does not meet the prerequisites.

Detect Money (Ex):[]

At 2nd level, the craven’s nose for profit allows him to smell out a good deal. This ability functions much the same as the scent ability, except that the range is 50 feet + 10 feet per level of craven (maximum of 250 ft.), and the craven can only use it to sense objects worth 500 gp or more. The craven can adjust this to smell objects above a different threshold (such as sensing objects whose value is above 5,000 gp) but never below 500 gp.

Gold Rush (Su):[]

At 3rd level, the craven can throw a coin and cause it to explode with concentrated greed. As a standard action, the craven can throw a number of gold coins equal to his craven level as a ranged attack. No matter the number of coins thrown, they are treated as if they were a single ranged attack that deals 1d4 points of damage + his Strength modifier. Any coins used as part of this attack sizzle away, having been sacrificed after they are thrown.

This concentrated greed gains the following bonuses:

At 3rd level, he gains a +1 enhancement bonus for every 2 gold coins he throws.
At 8th level, he gains a +1 enhancement bonus for every gold coins he throws.
At 13th level, he gains an enhancement bonus to damage rolls with his gold rush ability equal to twice the number of gold coins he throws.
At 18th level, he gains an enhancement bonus to damage rolls with his gold rush ability equal to three times the number of gold coins he throws.

The craven may throw up to his level in gold coins each time he uses gold rush. The craven may not use his sell-sword ability in conjunction with this class feature.

The craven treats gold coins as if they were martial thrown weapons with the following profile.

Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Damage Type

1 gp 1d4 ×2 30 ft. - lbs. B

Miserly (Ex):[]

At 3rd level, when the craven uses a Profession or Craft check to earn money with one week’s worth of work, he gains twice the result of his Profession or Craft check in gold (rather than just the check’s result in gold). At 7th level, he gains 5 times his Profession or Craft checks, and at 11th level, he gains 10 times his Profession or Craft checks. Finally, at 15th level, he earns 100 times his level on such checks. This does not provide any other sort of bonus to Profession or Craft checks.

Armor of Gold (Su):[]

At 4th level, the craven may sacrifice currency as a free action to offer himself the protection the metals would provide him. At 4th level, this grants him DR 2/- until the end of his next turn. This choice must be made after the creature has struck the craven but before any damage dice have been rolled. At 8th level and every 4 levels thereafter, the DR (and by extension, the price) increases by +2. The craven may always choose to pay less than the maximum he is capable of, resulting in equivalently less DR.

Discount (Su):[]

At 5th level, every time the craven uses his sell-sword ability, he accumulates 1 discount token. A discount token counts as 1 gp but can only be spent on craven class features. A discount token only functions for the craven who made it.

Physically, a discount token is a non-magical wooden coin that the craven finds on his person mixed in along with his belongings. It can be stolen, destroyed, etc. A discount tokens weighs about 3 grams (about 150 discount tokens make 1 lb). Each has a small personal rune scorched, painted, or cut into its surface like a coin and is unique to each craven. There is no risk of a creature mistaking any discount token as a real coin of any value without bluffing or disguising it.

Grave Robber (Su):[]

At 5th level, when the craven is reduced to 0 hp, he may sacrifice gold equal to his craven level to stabilize. This does not function if the craven is killed (reduced below his negative Constitution score) or if he does not have enough gold.

Kleptomania (Sp):[]

At 5th level, the craven can use mage hand at will but only on pieces of currency or objects worth 500 gp or more. The mage hand spell can, by default (at 5th level), move an object 15 feet, and it can only move objects that weigh 5 lbs or less than can fit in the craven’s hand. At 10th level, this improves and allows him to move objects as if it were his own hand (using his own Strength score to determine this). Additionally, this improvement also allows him to move an object 15 + his craven level in feet; the object may be something the craven could carry in both arms (3 ft x 3 ft for a medium creature, 1.5 ft x 1.5 ft for a small creature); and he may do it as a swift action.

Consume Currency (Su):[]

At 6th level, the craven can consume currency in order to heal his wounds. As a standard action, he may consume up to 5 gp per craven level, and for every 5gp he consumes, he regains 1d8 hit points. He may consume no more than 20 times his craven level in gp per day in this manner.

Craven Talent:[]

At 6th level and every 4 levels thereafter, the craven finds a new way to pay to win with his cravenous powers.

Rebate: When the craven uses his sell-sword ability, he gains a +2 deflection bonus to his AC against the next attack he is targeted by. In addition, the DR he is provided with by his armor of gold class feature increases by +1; the price for the ability does not change. (For example, at 4th level, he gains DR 3/- by paying 2 gp.)
Jackpot: When the craven uses his gold rush ability, he may deal 1/4th that damage (minimum 1) to creatures in adjacent squares of the target he strikes with it. These creatures receive a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 craven level + Intelligence modifier) to negate this damage. In addition, the craven can throw two additional coins (his level + 2) each time he uses the gold rush ability.
Fool’s Gold: The craven may use his cravenous powers to make silver or copper coins appear as gold coins for a short while. An Appraise check (DC 10 + craven level + Intelligence modifier) will reveal them as counterfeits. The craven can transmute ten times his level per day in total gp value of silver or copper coins to that of a gold coin. Transmuting these coins takes a full round action, and he may transmute as much as he wishes at a time within his daily limit. However, these new coins only retain their modified appearance for 1d6 hours. If used to fuel craven class features, their true value is used rather than their counterfeit value.
Crafting Feat: The craven may take an item creation feat in place of a craven talent. These feats are defined as the same feats that may be selected as item creation feats from the wizard’s class feature (Chapter 3 of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook). For the purpose of crafting items, they have an effective caster level equal to the craven’s level. This talent may be taken multiple times.
Combat Feat: The craven may take a fighter feat in place of a craven talent. The craven counts his fighter level as being -4 lower than his craven level for the purpose of qualifying for combat feats. This talent may be taken multiple times.
Counterfeit: Once per day, the craven can transmute some of his discount tokens into real currency. 1 discount token yields 1 gp. The ritual to do this takes 1 minute per 10 gp. He may only translate up to 5 times his craven level in gp per day. In addition, the craven gains a +4 insight bonus on any attempt to make forgeries.
Exchange: The craven can transmute a coin of one value into a coin of another value, but it always retains the same total value. For example, a craven can transmute 10 silver coins he has into 1 gold coin. This takes 1 minute to perform, but he may transmute any amount that he is able to during this time. He may transmute 10 gp worth of coins per craven level in this fashion per day. This may also be used to exchange existing currency to a local form of currency (as long as it is a coin pressed of precious metal) at the proper exchange rate in the same fashion.
Big Discounts: The craven receives 2 discount tokens per use of his sell-sword ability. The craven must be at least 10th level before selecting this talent. He may take it multiple times. Each time he takes this, it increases the number of discount tokens he gains per use of his sell-sword class feature by +1.
Sell-Out: The craven gains 2 additional uses of his sell-sword ability per day and reduces the amount he needs to pay by 1 (minimum 1) per use. This does not lower the effectiveness of his sell-sword ability. He may take this multiple times. Each time he takes this, it grants him +2 additional uses and lowers the amount he needs to pay for his sell-sword ability by 1.
Fabricator (Sp): The craven can expend 3 discount tokens (not gp) once per day to cast fabricate as a spell-like ability on up to 100 gp x his craven level of valuable materials. He uses his craven level as his caster level and may only use this ability on precious metals or other valuable material. After the initial casting per day, the craven may use this ability a number of times per day equal to his Intelligence modifier, but he must pay 6 discount tokens per use for each of these extra uses. The craven must be at least 10th level to select this talent.
Sticky Fingers (Su): Pieces of currency stick to the fingers of the craven as if they were magnetized. The craven gains a +4 competence bonus on steal combat maneuvers involving currency.
Precious Metal (Su): The craven selects one type of precious metal that is listed as a special material. When wielding weapons made of this special material, he gains a +2 competence bonus on attack and damage rolls with it. Weapons coated in a material (not created entirely from them) do not count for the purposes of this talent.

- Common Choices: gold, silver, adamantine, and mithral
Silver Slayer: The craven may pay 10 sp to treat any weapon he wields as if it were made of silver for 24 hours. Doing so is a ritual that take 10 minutes and involves smelting silver coins and bathing his hands in the liquid metal. This does not burn him or cause him harm but does give his hands a chalky silver sheen to them. Furthermore, the craven who wields a weapon made of silver gains a +1 insight bonus on attack and damage rolls with any weapon against creatures who are vulnerable to silver. Weapons coated in silver (not created entirely from it) do not count for the purposes of this talent. The craven must have selected the precious metal (silver) craven talent before taking this talent.
Liquid Gold: When using a weapon made of gold, the craven does not suffer a penalty on damage rolls with it. In addition, the craven can imbue any gold weapons he wields with the transformative weapon special ability as a swift action by sacrificing 3 gp. This ability only functions while the craven wields the weapon. If dropped or taken, it returns to its default shape. The weapon resumes granting the transformative ability if it is returned to the craven before the duration expires. This ability lasts for a number of rounds per day equal to the craven’s level. These rounds do not need to be consecutive. Weapons coated in gold (not created entirely from it) do not count for the purposes of this talent. The craven must have selected the precious metal (gold) craven talent before taking this talent.
Adamantine Bulwark: When wielding an adamantine weapon, the craven ignores the hardness of objects and gains a +2 insight bonus on sunder attempts. Weapons coated in adamantine (not created entirely from it) do not count for the purposes of this talent. The craven must have selected the precious metal (adamantine) craven talent before taking this talent.
Dancing Mithral: The craven may add his Dexterity to attack and damage rolls with weapons made of mithral in place of his Strength. Weapons coated in mithral (not created entirely from it) do not count for the purposes of this talent. The craven must have selected the precious metal (mithral) craven talent before taking this talent.
Symbol of Opulence: When using a weapon made of platinum, the craven does not suffer a penalty on damage rolls with it. The craven with this talent who makes a sell-sword attack with a platinum weapon reduces the amount he needs to pay for his sell-sword ability by 2 (minimum 1) per use. This does not lower the effectiveness of his sell-sword ability. Weapons coated in platinum (not created entirely from it) do not count for the purposes of this talent. The craven must have selected the precious metal (platinum) craven talent before taking this talent.
Recall Notice: The craven can use teleport as a spell-like ability once per week to return to any place he conducted a profitable sale within the last week. This costs the craven 50 gp x his craven level. He must have netted a profit of at least 50 gp x his craven level from the previous transaction. The location must still be within the normal range of teleport. He treats the location as if he had studied it carefully for the purpose of determining if a mishap has occurred. If the craven is at least 10th level, he may do this a number of times per week equal to his Intelligence modifier. The caster level for this ability is equal to his craven level.
Detect Horde: The craven may use create treasure map on dead creatures as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to his Intelligence modifier by sacrificing 10 gp each time. (He does not require the normal material component). The caster level for this ability is equal to his craven level.

Supply and Demand (Ex):[]

At 7th level, through penny-pinching tactics and loop-holes in local laws, the craven reduces the cost to buy non-magical goods or mundane items with a value of more than 5,000 gp by 25%. In order to gain this bonus, the craven may be required to purchase multiple items. At 12th level, this expands to encompass magical items, and the threshold on this expands to objects worth 25,000 gp or less. At 15th level, the craven has no limitations on what he can apply this to. At 19th level, the craven reduces the cost to buy objects by 50% rather than 25%.

Sidebar: GMing the Supply and Demand Class Feature[]

Should the craven attempt to sell items bought at a reduced price to someone who is aware that he brought them at a reduced price, they will likely pay him 25% less or choose not to deal with him. The craven can make a hefty profit buying low in one town and selling in another village. While this may work for a time, particularly if the supplies are in demand, vendors may eventually connect the dots and choose to cut out the middle man.

This can be a great plot hook for a party. Buying supplies in a metropolis and transporting them across dangerous country to a wealthy outpost for a steep profit can be a great way to introduce a party to this mechanic. This ability should not detract from the party’s enjoyment or derail the plot of the game.

Charon's Obol (Su):[]

At 10 level, if the craven is ever killed (reduced to below his negative Constitution score in hit points), he automatically sacrifices gp equal to his craven level + 10 times the amount he is beyond his negative Constitution score. If he has sufficient funds, he automatically stabilizes at -1 hit points. This even functions against death effects. This does not function if the craven does not have enough gold.

Sacrificial Sale (Sp):[]

At 10th level, as a move action, the craven can sacrifice an object of value (at least 500 gp) that he has had possession of for at least 24 hours to create discount tokens (see the discount class feature) worth 75% of the item’s price. The craven must expend 1 use of his sell-sword ability to do this, but he does not need to pay any gold. If the item in question is magical, this functions as if he was using dispel magic on the item using his craven level as his caster level. If the attempt to dispel is unsuccessful, the item is not sacrificed and no other sacrificial sale attempt can be made on that object for 24 hours.

Contract Murder (Su):[]

At 14th level, the craven can expend a use of his sell-sword ability and pay 5 gp x his craven level (in place of the normal fee) to automatically confirm a threatened critical hit.

On the Cheap (Su):[]

At 15th level, the craven can pay 1/4th the cost a weapon enhancement would normally cost to grant it to a weapon he is wielding for a number of hours equal to his craven level. This ability continues to function even if the craven is no longer holding the weapon.

Master of Coin (Su):[]

At 17th level, as a standard action, the craven may attempt a disarm combat maneuver on a target within 30 feet. The target’s item must be worth at least 1,000 gp. If the combat maneuver check is successful, the target is disarmed and the item falls to the ground in the target’s square. For every 5 by which the check exceeds the CMD, the item lands 1 square closer to the craven. If this would place the item in the craven’s square, the craven may attempt to catch the item with a DC 10 Dexterity check; otherwise it lands in the craven’s square. The craven can only use this ability if he has at least one hand free. If the craven fails the combat maneuver check, the creature is not disarmed.

Hand of Midas (Su):[]

At 20th level, as a touch attack, the craven can transmute base metals (iron and lead) into silver and gold with a touch attack. With a touch attack, he can transmute up to 10 pounds of material. At maximum, he can transmute up to 5,000 pounds of iron into silver (worth 25,000 gp) or up to 1,000 pounds of lead into gold (worth 50,000 gp) per week. This functions in a similar fashion to spells like transmute metal to wood.

Special Material[]

Platinum[]

Description[]

Crafted into weapons and armor only by the obscenely wealthy, platinum equipment is almost exclusively used as symbols of status. Due to the material being very malleable, it is a poor choice for true combat weapons or protective gear. For this reason, it is often used to decorate equipment in small amounts rather than be crafted out of it.

The rules shown here are for the rare item constructed entirely of platinum rather than being decorated with platinum. Platinum-plated items quintuple (x5) the base cost of weapons and armor and have the same properties as the item the platinum is plating. Items constructed purely of platinum cost 20 times the normal cost for items of their type.

Weapons Platinum is often too soft to hold a decent edge, but light weapons that do piercing or slashing damage can be constructed of platinum or some nearly platinum alloy. They take a -2 penalty on damage rolls (minimum 1 damage). Platinum weapons have a hardness of 1/2 their base weapons' and also have the fragile quality.

Armor Platinum can be fashioned into light or medium metal armor. The softness of the metal decreases the armor/shield bonus by -2 and increases the armor check penalty by +2. Platinum armor has a hardness of 5.

Section 15 OGL Copyright Declaration:[]

Dave Arneson.

Hawvermale, Travis Hawvermale, Patrick Lawinger, and Bill Webb; Based on original content from TSR.

Jim Groves, Tim Hitchcock, Richard A. Hunt, Colin McComb, Jason Nelson, Tom Phillips, Patrick Renie, Sean K Reynolds, and Russ Taylor.

Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sean K Reynolds, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Russ Taylor.