The Yeoman - a PC-rated rural Commoner

A character class for 3.5e D&D


Note - this is flat out better than a Commoner (not that that's hard). It should be roughly equal, level for level, to a PC class. Consider it a less martial version of the ranger. I expect it to see more use as an NPC, but it would probably hold its own as a support character in a normal campaign.

The farmer, the grizzled mountain man, the jungle savage, the caveman, the backwords forester and the village elder - any of these is a yeoman. He is born and bred in the country, with a deep and intimate understanding of nature's moods.

Adventures: Whilst a yeoman will usually want to stay on his home range, but that can be quite a large area with many challenges and potential threats. All too often, those challenges will take him far from home.

Characteristics: The yeoman is an all-rounder, at home in the outdoors. He can fight enough to look after himself, is as tough as old boots and, with experience, gains the use of a few subtle spells.

Alignment: A yeoman might be of any alignment, but most tend towards neutrality in one way or another.

Religion: Most yeomen visit the local parish church (whatever it may be) each holy day and observe the major festivals. Apart from deference to the gods of agriculture, nature and the wilds, they have little need for organised religion.

Background: Almost all yeomen are drawn from the ranks of the rural peasantry or landholders, though some are members of savage tribes.

Races: Almost all races include yeomen, especially the elves.

Other classes: Many other classes, especially rangers and druids, find the yeoman a useful and dependable companion. Others might rely on his wilderness knowledge and survival skills.

Game Rule Information

Yeomen have the following game statistics:

Abilities: As an all-rounder, the yeoman has no great dependence on any single ability, but relies on all equally.

Alignment: Any.
Hit Dice: d8
Combat: Base Attack Bonus as a cleric (+ Level x 3/4).
Saving Throws: Fortitude is good (+2+L/2, down), Reflex and Will bad (L/3, down).

Class Skills

The yeoman's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Table: The Yeoman
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special -- Spells per day --
0th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
1st +0 +2 +0 +0 Illiteracy, Endurance, Weather Eye, Animal Empathy, Sherpa * - - - -
2nd +1 +3 +0 +0 Track, 'Bain't No Use Argufying With He * - - - -
3rd +2 +3 +1 +1 Run * - - - -
4th +3 +4 +1 +1 Endure Elements * 0 - - -
5th +3 +4 +1 +1 Ignorance is Bliss (+2) * 0 - - -
6th +4 +5 +2 +2 Summat Ain't Roight * 1 - - -
7th +5 +5 +2 +2 Resist Nature's Lure, Low Light Vision * 1 - - -
8th +6/+1 +6 +2 +2 Swift Tracker * 1 0 - -
9th +6/+1 +6 +3 +3 Woodland Stride * 1 0 - -
10th +7/+2 +7 +3 +3 Ignorance is Bliss (+4), Natural Vigour * 1 1 - -
11th +8/+3 +7 +3 +3 Terrain Mastery * 1 1 0 -
12th +9/+4 +8 +4 +4 Venom Immunity * 1 1 1 -
13th +9/+4 +8 +4 +4 Eagle Eye * 2 1 1 -
14th +10/+5 +9 +4 +4 Energy Resistance 5 * 2 1 1 0
15th +11/+6/+1 +9 +5 +5 Ignorance is Bliss (+6) * 2 1 1 1
16th +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +5 Terrain Mastery * 2 2 1 1
17th +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +5 Camouflage * 2 2 2 1
18th +13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +6 Sharp Ears * 3 2 2 1
19th +14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +6 Energy Resistance 10 * 3 3 2 2
20th +15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +6 Ignorance is Total Bliss * 3 3 3 3

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the professional.
Armour and Weapon Proficiency: Yeomen are skilled with all simple weapons, light armour, large and small shields and one martial weapon. Yeomen are not proficient with bucklers or tower shields.
Illiteracy: Like Barbarians, yeomen do not automatically know how to read and write. A yeoman may spend 2 skill points to gain the ability to read and write all languages he is able to speak. An illiterate yeoman cannot read scrolls. A yeoman who gains a level in any other class automatically gains literacy. Any other character who gains a yeoman level does not lose the literacy he or she already had.
Spells: A yeoman has the ability to cast a small number of divine spells, which are drawn from the yeoman spell list. A yeoman must choose and prepare his spells in advance (see below).
To prepare or cast a spell, a yeoman must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a yeoman's spell is 10 + the spell level + the yeoman's Wisdom modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a yeoman can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The yeoman. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Wisdom score. When Table: The yeoman indicates that the yeoman gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Wisdom score for that spell level. The yeoman does not have access to any domain spells or granted powers, as a cleric does.
A yeoman prepares and casts spells the way a cleric does, though he cannot lose a prepared spell to cast a cure spell in its place. A yeoman may prepare and cast any spell on the yeoman spell list, provided that he can cast spells of that level, but he must choose which spells to prepare during his daily meditation.
A yeoman's caster level is one-half his yeoman level (minimum 1).
At all levels, a Yeoman can cast a number of Orisons equal to one-third the sum of his (level + Wisdom Bonus), rounded down.
Endurance: A yeoman gains Endurance as a bonus feat.
Weather Eye (Ex): A yeoman can accurately predict the weather a day in advance by watching the clouds and the flight of birds, and by sniffing the wind. This ability improves by a day's notice every 3 levels. He can also identify any non-natural weather conditions immediately with a DC 15 Spot or Listen check as appropriate.
Animal Empathy (Ex): A yeoman can improve the attitude of an animal, especially a domesticated one. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. The yeoman rolls 1d20 and adds his yeoman level and his Charisma bonus to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, the yeoman and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
If the animal is domesticated, he uses double his yeoman level and the attempt takes about half the time.
The yeoman can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he takes a -4 penalty on the check.
Sherpa (Ex): A yeoman adds his class level to his strength for purposes of encumbrance.
'Bain't No Use Argufying With He (Ex): At 2nd level, a yeoman's inbuilt stubbornness make him hard to influence. He gains a bonus equal to half his class level on rolls to resist any Bluff, Diplomacy or Intimidate attempt.
Track: A yeoman gains Track as a bonus feat at 2nd level.
Run: A yeoman gains Run as a bonus feat at 3rd level.
Endure Elements (Ex): Having withstood many long cold winter nights and laboured through endless hours in the baking sun, a 4th level yeoman gains endurance to both heat and cold as though under the Endure Elements spell.
Ignorance is Bliss (Ex): Beginning at 5th level, the yeoman's ingrained beliefs and prejudices make him difficult to influence. He gains +2 on saving throws vs fear effects, charms and illusions. This ability improves to +4 at 10th level and +6 at 15th level.
Summat Bain't Roight (Sp): Beginning at 6th level, the yeoman can sense the presence of undead, opposed alignment effects or spell effects at will. He can detect undead and moderate (see the Detect Magic and Detect Evil spells) strength magic or aligned auras within a 30' cone. He cannot tell which he has detected or gain any more information about them. The alignment(s) he can detect are any directly opposed to his own. A True Neutral yeoman cannot detect any moderate alignment auras, but can detect any strong alignment aura.
Resist Nature's Lure (Ex): Starting at 7th level, a yeoman gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against the spell-like abilities of fey.
Low Light Vision (Ex): By 7th level, the long nights spent watching over his flocks have improved the yeoman's night vision. He gains Low Light Vision. He can see twice as far as a normal human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. If the yeoman already has low light vision, he can see three times as far as normal.
Swift Tracker (Ex): Beginning at 8th level, a yeoman can move at his normal speed while following tracks without taking the normal -5 penalty. He takes only a -10 penalty (instead of the normal -20) when moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking.
Woodland Stride (Ex): Starting at 9th level, a yeoman may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment.
However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect him.
Natural Vigour (Ex): Starting at 10th level, the yeoman is immune to disease.
Terrain Mastery: At 11th level, and again at 16th level, the yeoman gains mastery of one terrestrial (ie, non-planar) terrain type. This is identical to the same ability of the Horizon Walker class.
Venom Immunity (Ex): A 12th level yeoman has been stung and bitten so often that natural poisons no longer have any effect on him.
Eagle Eye (Ex): A 13th level yeoman can see twice as far as a normal member of his race in all conditions. Any penalties to his Spot rolls caused by distance are halved.
Energy Resistance (Ex): A 14th level yeoman is so inured to the elements that he has Fire, Cold and Electricity Resistance 5. At 19th level, this ability improves to 10.
Camouflage (Ex): A yeoman of 17th level or higher can use the Hide skill in any sort of natural terrain, even if the terrain doesn't grant cover or concealment.
Sharp Ears (Ex): An 18th level yeoman can hear twice as well as a normal member of his race in all conditions. Any penalties to his Listen rolls caused by distance are halved.
Ignorance is Total Bliss (Ex): A 20th level yeoman is immune to fear effects, charms and illusions.

Yeoman Spell List
Yeomen choose their spells from the following list.

0th Level: beast whisper, cure minor wounds, detect magic, detect poison, find water, finger flame, fleet foot, guidance, light, know direction, mending, minor curse, resistance, stonecunning, summon small animal.

1st Level: alarm, animal messenger, camouflage, calm animals, charm animal, create water, detect animals or plants, detect chaos, detect evil, detect good, detect law, detect snares and pits, delay poison, endure elements, hawkeye, hide from animals, longstrider, magic fang, message, naturewatch, pass without trace, protection from chaos, protection from evil, protection from good, protection from law, purify food and drink, speak with animals, summon nature’s ally I, traveler's mount.

2nd Level: barkskin, animal trance, bear’s endurance, bull’s strength, cure light wounds, delay poison, entangle, goodberry, hold animal, jump, nature's favour, omen of peril, resist energy, scent, snare, speak with plants, spike growth, summon nature’s ally II, wind wall.

3rd Level: augury, cat’s grace, command plants, contagion, darkvision, diminish plants, embrace the wild, forestfold, greater magic fang, mark of the hunter, neutralize poison, owl’s wisdom, plant growth, protection from energy, reduce animal, remove disease, repel vermin, summon nature’s ally III, tree shape, water walk

4th Level: bestow curse, animal growth, commune with nature, cure serious wounds, freedom of movement, lesser restoration, mass camouflage, nondetection, remove curse, summon nature’s ally IV, tree stride




House Rules
New Spells
Level 0 Domain Spells
Armour and Weapons
New Feats
Fumbles
Monsters
Aaargh home Last Revised 24/9/05