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Scouts

Scouts may be of any race. Their hit dice are d6. Scouts may use any weapon that the weapon list allows them. Scouts may only wear leather armor, but they may use shields. Of course, many scouting tasks are difficult or impossible while carrying a shield.

Scouting Table

	Hide	Move Quietly	Traps	Open Locks	Conceal Item	Awareness	Climb	Tracking
Dwarf	+5%	-10%	+20%	+10%	+5%	0	-10%	0
Elf	+5%	+15%	-10%	-5%	0	+10%	+5%	+5%
Hobbit	+15%	+15%	+5%	-10%	0	+15%	-15%	+5%
Add Dex	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	yes	no
Non-scout	15	15	5	2	5	10	40	5
Scout 1	30	35	20	15	40	20	63	17
Scout 2	34	39	25	21	44	25	66	24
Scout 3	38	43	30	27	48	30	69	31
Scout 4	42	47	35	33	52	35	72	38
Scout 5	46	51	40	39	56	40	75	45
Scout 6	50	55	45	45	60	45	78	52
Scout 7	54	59	50	51	64	50	81	59
Scout 8	58	63	55	57	68	55	84	66
Scout 9	62	67	60	63	72	60	87	73
Scout 10	66	71	65	69	76	65	90	80
+	+4	+4	+5	+6	+4	+5	+3	+7

Notes:

Add dex means add the dex bonus (as for a missile) as a modifier to scout's rolls only.
Each individual may only make one attempt per day at a particular lock, door, or trap.
In order to remove a trap or listen at a door, one must find the trap or door first. An individual who fails to find a door or trap may make a second roll if shown by one who found it.
The numbers in the chart represent average or ideal situations. Attempting simple tasks or taking longer will raise this number; more complex or hurried tasks will receive penalties. As a general guideline, easy tasks should receive +20%, average tasks receive no bonus, difficult tasks get a -20% penalty, while absurd tasks get a -40% penalty.
All scouting abilities always fail on a 00.

Scout Abilities

Hide: A successful roll allows the scout to move at half speed while remaining hidden. Standing completely still give +20%. The scout must make this roll at the beginning, and then every round that he moves through an area that is under active surveillance. This ability has no effect at zero range.

A scout may attempt this roll while moving at half speed in cover to allow him to make better use of the cover. If the scout makes the roll, then he gains the normal cover bonus that would apply to a creature hiding in the cover.

Move Quietly: Scouts have the ability to move through an area without making any undue noise. A scout must make this roll every round, although some noises won't be noticed by unsuspecting observers.

Traps: This includes Finding, Removing, and Setting Traps. If a scout fails at removing a trap, roll again. If the second roll fails then the trap is sprung. Traps that are not in the native terrain of the scout take a -20% penalty to set up.

Open Locks: This allows the scout to open locks and perform delicate mechanical tasks requiring great coordination. Opening Locks requires the correct tools for the job.

Conceal Item: This allows the scout to conceal an object on their person when not being directly observed.

Awareness: This allows the scout to make active attempts to detect things with any sense. It subsumes Hear Noise and Detecting Secret Doors, but also would include tasting poison, smelling gas, or keeping track of a partially invisible creature. This ability often takes some time to use. This ability covers only active attempts in which the scout has a specific idea.

If the scout is making no active attempt, he will have one half of his Awareness roll to detect something anyway. For example, an ambush could be detected even if the scout was not actively searching for one. In most situations, a scout will get a second chance to avoid being surprised; this chance is equal to half his Awareness roll.

Climb: This allows the scout to climb all forms of vertical surfaces -- trees, walls, cliffs, etc. The scout climbs at 30 feet per round. The roll must be made every round, unless the scout is not moving.

Tracking: Scouts are expert trackers. Tracking at full ability allows only half speed movement. The GM should modify this roll as he sees fit; some guidelines are: tracking is more difficult if it has rained since the tracks were made, the terrain is packed dirt or rock, or significant time has passed since the tracks were made. The tracks can also be obscured by other tracks.

Dodge: Scouts may Dodge, increasing their AC by +3 for that entire round. This must be declared in Declaration phase, and will rule out any other action in that round, including attacking and switching weapons. Movement is limited to 3".

Disguise: This covers all forms of acting, mimicking, or disguise. Note that the disguise function is limited by the available materials; it is unlikely that the scout will find the objects to make him appear a foot shorter. Non-scouts have this ability at 5%, while scouts may disguise at 10% + 5L% chance for success. The GM may modify the chance of success as appropriate to the situation.

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Last modified on August 31, 1995.

ammulder@princeton.edu