Sapper (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

A sapper is not a dextrous sneak, but a solid warrior specializing in destruction - of both fortifications and blindsided opponents.

Class Features

This archetype has all normal class abilities, except as noted.

Class Skills

Add Knowledge (Engineering) (Int) to the sappers' list of class skills.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Sappers are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the light hammer, light pick, heavy pick, and pickaxe. They are proficient with light armor, medium armor, and with shields (including tower shields).

Demolition

At 2nd level, a sapper can inflict great harm on objects. When striking an unattended object, or when sundering an item of an opponent that is flat-footed or denied the use of their Dexterity bonus to armor class, the sapper can inflict sneak attack damage to that object. The sapper must be in normal sneak atatck range (30 ft.) to use this with a ranged attack, but see the pavise ability below.

This also increases the digging/tunnel building speed of a sapper; each dice of sneak attack the sapper has increases the digging speed of the sapper by 50%. With 1d6 sneak attack, the sapper digs at 150% speed, and 2d6 sneak attack he digs at 200% speed and so on.

Demolition replaces evasion.

Pavise

At 4th level, a standard action, you can position a tower shield. This has the same benefits as using a tower shield to grant cover, but the shield continues to provide cover until you move, and you do not need to use a hand to hold it. You still suffer the attack penalties, but only on melee attacks. Picking up the the tower shield again is a move action. When using the pavise to hide, you can ignore any armor check penalty to the Stealth skill.

It might seem far-fetched to hide behind something as obvious as a tower shield, but opponents cannot anticipate the sappers shot when he is firing from this kind of cover. Of course, they can still target the tower shield.

At the same time, the range of the sappers sneak attack increases to 10 ft per sapper level. When using a positioned tower shield and firing a firearm or crossbow, this increased sneak attack range is doubled to 20 ft. per level.

This replaces uncanny dodge.

Improved Pavise

From the 8th level, positioning or picking up a pavise is now a swift action. This replaces improved uncanny dodge.

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

• Class Skills
• Weapon and Armor Proficiency
• Evasion
• Uncanny Dodge
• Improved Uncanny Dodge