Class Summary
Prime Requisite: STR and DEX Requirements: 9+ in all stats Hit Dice: 1d10 Maximum Level: 8
Sakkalin Watch-Hound
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Sakkalin class — see Classes for the full list.
Descended from sapient wolves that roamed the Sairan ruins after the Mourning War, sakkalin wolves have been bred to a variety of purposes by Sairan nobility. Sakkalin watch-hounds are bred and trained to serve the watchtowers of larger Sairan cities, sniffing out crime and corruption and keeping the Imperial Peace.
Sakkalin Watch-Hound Level Progression
Experience Title Level Hit Dice Bite Damage Attack Bonus Hiding Listening Searching Sneaking Backstab 0 Pup Recruit 1 1d10 1d6+1 +0 19+ 12+ 18+ 17+ +1d 4,600 Yard Hound 2 2d10 1d6+1 +1 18+ 11+ 17+ 16+ +1d 9,200 Beat Walker 3 3d10 1d8+2 +2 17+ 10+ 16+ 15+ +1d 18,400 Patrol Warden 4 4d10 1d8+2 +3 16+ 9+ 15+ 14+ +1d 36,800 Precinct Mascot 5 5d10 1d10+2 +4 15+ 8+ 14+ 13+ +2d 73,600 Watch Constable 6 6d10 1d10+3 +5 14+ 7+ 13+ 12+ +2d 145,000 Watch Corporal 7 7d10 2d6+3 +6 12+ 6+ 12+ 10+ +2d 290,000 Warden of the Peace 8 8d10 2d6+3 +7 10+ 5+ 11+ 8+ +2d
Sakkalin Watch-Hound Saving Throws
Level Paralysis Death Blast Implement Spells 1-2 13+ 13+ 13+ 14+ 15+ 3-4 12+ 12+ 12+ 13+ 14+ 5-6 11+ 11+ 11+ 12+ 13+ 7-8 10+ 10+ 10+ 11+ 12+
Combat Characteristics
The sakkalin watch-hound is truly savage with its bite attacks.
Combat Proficiencies: Sakkalin are proficient only in their natural weapons. The sakkalin watch-hound is proficient with all armor (barding). They are not proficient in any of the normal fighting styles.
Combat Progression: Sakkalin advance in attack throws as monsters, by one point every level of experience. They can cleave after dropping a foe a maximum of once per round per level.
Starting Class Powers
Animal Reflexes: The sakkalin watch-hound is always alert for danger, gaining a +1 bonus to initiative and surprise rolls.
Backstabbing: When attacking a vulnerable opponent, the sakkalin watch-hound gains a +4 bonus to hit and if the attack succeeds, they deal an additional die of damage (or, from 5th level, two additional dice).
Deadly Bite: The sakkalin watch-hound has a natural attack routine consisting of a single bite attack. The damage begins at 1d6+1 and increases as the character increases in level as shown on the chart above.
Mind Palace: Sakkalin watch-hounds are also blessed by Talavosh with the ability to enter a trance-like state to analyze the evidence they have gathered, sort through hunches, and deduce the most logical next step for an investigation. By spending 10 minutes in concentration, they enter a trance-like state they call a mind palace. During this state, the Judge will remind them of details they may have overlooked, and where appropriate will make one retroactive searching, tracking, listening, or other appropriate proficiency throw to generate information the character may have missed in the moment but absorbed subconsciously.
Natural Sprinter: When the job is catching runaway criminals, you can’t skip leg day. The watch-hound’s base speed is increased by 30’ when wearing medium or lighter armor and carrying 6 stones or less encumbrance.
Non-lethal Methods: As officers of the law, watch-hounds are responsible for bringing criminals to justice. While some criminals refuse to be taken alive, watch-hounds are trained in non-lethal methods. When attempting to disarm, knock down, or force back an opponent in combat, the watch-hound takes only a -2 penalty to their attack throws and the opponent suffers a -2 penalty on their saving throw. Watch-hounds can choose to inflict nonlethal damage with their bite at no penalty on the attack throw.
Shadowy Senses: Since the work of the watch must often be done in the dark, the sakkalin watch-hound learns to rely on superior night-vision, keen hearing and smell, and echolocation to slowly scout through dark alleys, lightless dungeons, and star-lit rooftops. When moving at combat speed or exploration speed, the character can “see” as if they were carrying a light source that sheds dim light in a 30’ radius. Shadowy senses can be used to fight, search for traps, and so on. However, shadowy senses cannot be used to discern colors, faces, markings, or flat images (such as frescoes and murals), or to read books, maps, or scrolls. Shadowy senses does not function if the character is charging or running, if deafened, or if in an area of bright light, magical darkness, or magical silence. Because it counts as dim light, an opponent can hide from shadowy senses.
Street Beat: A sakkalin watch-hound has learned much about the streets they patrol. They might begin play as a member of a law enforcement agency (Judge’s discretion). They can engage in counter-hijinks if they have the necessary proficiencies or thief skills. They can automatically identify gestures, signs, slang, and territory of criminal organizations in their home settlement. They can identify those of other urban settlements with a proficiency throw of 11+. Secret organizations or organizations in far-off cities might be harder to recognize. (This class power is equivalent to one rank of Streetwise proficiency.)
Thief Skills: As part of their anti-crime skillset, sakkalin watch-hounds are trained in the following thief skills:
- Hiding: A good stakeout means not being spotted. A watch-hound can begin hiding as a combat action anytime they are in cover, dim light, or darkness. When the watch-hound begins hiding, the Judge must make a Hiding proficiency throw on their behalf. A watch-hound will always think they are successful in this skill and will not know otherwise until others react to their presence. Regardless of whether the throw succeeds, opponents encountering the watch-hound suffer a -2 penalty to surprise rolls as long as they remain stationary in cover, dim light, or darkness. If the throw succeeds, the watch-hound is hidden. If the throw fails, the watch-hound is not hidden. No creature can claim line of sight on a watch-hound that is hidden from it. If a hidden watch-hound engages an unengaged opponent, the opponent cannot make a free facing change. If an opponent knows the hidden watch-hound’s general location, the opponent can attack them in melee at a -4 penalty, but it cannot even blindly attack the watch-hound if it doesn’t know their general location. The hidden condition expires at the end of the watch-hound’s initiative if they move or attack. It also terminates if the cover, dim light, or darkness no longer conceals the watch-hound from their opponents.
- Listening: It’s always important to hear the word on the street. A watch-hound at doors, passageways, or intersections can listen for sounds coming from the other side of the door or passage. The Judge makes a Listening proficiency throw in secret on their behalf. If the throw succeeds, they hear any noises in earshot. If the throw fails, or if there aren’t any noises in earshot, they don’t hear anything. The watch-hound must be quiet and must be the closest creature in the party relative to the location of the sound or suspected sound. Listening only requires one round but can only be undertaken once per turn if the party is moving at all, because it takes time for people to settle down into quiet.
- Searching: That evidence isn’t going to find itself, y’know. Through careful inspection and probing of their surroundings, a watch-hound can find concealed traps, secret doors, obscured objects, buried treasure, and other hidden features. A watch-hound can attempt to search for hidden features either hastily or methodically.
- Attempting to hastily search requires one round and a Searching proficiency throw. The Judge makes the throw in secret on the watch-hound’s behalf. If the throw succeeds, the watch-hound notices any hidden features within 5’ of their location. If it fails, or there is nothing hidden, the watch-hound finds nothing. The watch-hound cannot make another attempt to hastily search the same area again until they reach a higher experience level, but they can attempt to methodically search the location.
- Attempting to methodically search requires one turn (10 minutes) and a Searching proficiency throw with a +4 bonus. The Judge makes the throw in secret on the watch-hound’s behalf. If the throw succeeds, the watch-hound notices any hidden features within 5’ of their location. If the throw fails, or there is nothing hidden, the watch-hound finds nothing. The watch-hound can make repeated attempts to methodically search a location if desired.
- Sneaking: You have the right to remain silent. A watch-hound can begin sneaking as a movement action. They can sneak at their encounter speed or one-half combat speed without penalty. If they move greater than half their combat speed, they take a -5 penalty to the Sneaking proficiency throw. If they run, they take a -10 penalty. When the watch-hound begins sneaking, the Judge must make a Sneaking proficiency throw on their behalf. A watch-hound will always think they are successful in this skill and will not know otherwise until others react to their presence. Regardless of whether the throw succeeds, opponents encountering the watch-hound suffer a -2 penalty to surprise rolls if the watch-hound is outside their line of sight. If the throw succeeds, the watch-hound is also sneaking. If the throw fails, the watch-hound is not sneaking. When sneaking, the watch-hound makes no noise when they move — none whatsoever. Even alert creatures that make a successful Listening proficiency throw will not hear a sound. When a sneaking watch-hound engages an unengaged opponent from the rear, the opponent cannot make a free facing change.
Additional Class Powers
Beloved Mascot (5th): At 5th level, whenever the sakkalin watch-hound is present and proud with their unit (be it law enforcement or military), that unit gets +1 to all morale rolls.
Racial Traits
Acute Hearing: Sakkalin get +1 to surprise rolls. When using the Adventuring proficiency to listen, they succeed on a throw of 14+ (instead of the usual 18+). If separately proficient in Listening, they instead get a +4 bonus to their throw. For the sakkalin watch-hound, these bonuses are already figured into the tables above.
Acute Olfaction: All sakkalin characters have exceptionally sensitive noses. The character gains a +1 bonus to avoid surprise in its natural habitat. At the Judge’s discretion, this bonus can be waived if the monster’s opponents approach from upwind or during rainy conditions. Sakkalin may also use this ability to track creatures by scent for up to two miles as if they had one rank of the Tracking proficiency. Additional ranks of Tracking improve their scent range by 2 miles each, to a maximum of 6 miles.
Beast Form: Sakkalin can carry up to 6 stone unencumbered, rather than the 5 typical for humanoid creatures. However, their maximum load is 12 stone, and they move at half speed while carrying more than 6 stone.
Color Blindness: Like most canines, sakkalin do not perceive the same range of colors as humans, leading them to rely more on contrast, scent, and hearing. The exact scope of penalties are left to the Judge’s discretion, but examples might include inability to read some painted signs or low-contrast graffiti, misunderstanding unfamiliar banners or crests, and the like.
Lack of Hands: As wolves, all sakkalin lack opposable thumbs. This seriously hinders their ability to manipulate objects, open doors, and perform similar actions. At the Judge’s discretion, such actions may be impossible or require an Adventuring proficiency throw of 18+ (with the risk of a botch on a roll of 1-3).
Thick Skin: Sakkalin are tough creatures, and have a natural +2 to armor class. However, due to their body shape, they cannot wear normal armor and are limited to barding instead.
Class Proficiencies
Proficiency Progression: At 1st level, sakkalin watch-hounds select one class proficiency from their class proficiency list and one general proficiency from the general proficiency list. They select an additional class proficiency at 4th and 8th level. They select an additional general proficiency at 5th level.
Sakkalin Watch-Hound Proficiency List: Acrobatics, Alertness, Animal Training, Beast Friendship, Berserkergang, Blind Fighting, Combat Ferocity, Combat Reflexes, Combat Trickery (overrun, sunder), Command, Diplomacy, Divine Blessing, Divine Health, Dungeonbashing Expertise, Endurance, Illusion Resistance, Intimidation, Knowledge, Laying on Hands, Lip Reading, Loremastery, Manual of Arms, Military Strategy, Profession, Running, Signaling, Skirmishing, Skulking, Streetwise, Swashbuckling, Tracking, Trapfinding, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus