Rogue Instincts

A defining aspect of rogues is their lightning fast reflexes and ‘eyes in the back of the head’. Rogues hone their superb senses and remarkable intuition to an uncanny level. An instinct is a reactive option that often doesn’t even take an action on the rogue’s part to perform. They are mostly defensive, representing a rogue’s ability to respond so quickly to a situation that it seems preternatural, almost as if the rogue takes action before the event even starts to occur. The instinct class feature brings together several existing class features and provides new options, so that a rogue can be flexible in which abilities she chooses and the order she takes them.

Instincts

Ambusher (Ex)

A rogue instantly leaps into action. When the rogue acts in the surprise round, she can take a move action, a standard action, and a swift action. During a surprise round, opponents are always considered flat-footed to the rogue, even if they have already acted. Foes with uncanny dodge are immune to the second part of this ability.

Celerity (Ex)

A rogue reacts immediately to danger. Whenever a rogue rolls for initiative, she can roll twice and take either result. At 10th level, she can roll for initiative three times and take any one of the results.

Darting Sidestep (Ex)

When attacked by a foe that flanks her, a rogue can use the leap aside instinct and move so that she remains within the reach of the attacker. If she does, her movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity and the rogue’s final position is used to determine whether the attacker benefits from flanking on its attack. When using the leap aside instinct, the rogue can still take a 5-foot step during her next turn, and any movement she makes using this instinct does not subtract any distance from her movement during her next turn. The rogue must have the leap aside instinct before selecting this instinct.

Deflect Arrows (Ex)

A rogue who selects this talent gains the Deflect Arrows feat as a bonus feat. She doesn’t need to meet the prerequisites for this feat. A rogue can use this feat without a free hand, as long as she has one hand wearing a buckler or wielding a light or one-handed weapon. A rogue must be 4th level before taking this instinct.

Evasion (Ex)

A rogue can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the rogue is wearing light armor, medium armor, or no armor. A helpless rogue does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Improved Evasion (Ex)

This works like evasion, except that while the rogue still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, she henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless rogue does not gain the benefit of improved evasion. A rogue must be at least 8th level and have the evasion instinct before taking this instinct.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

A rogue can no longer be flanked. This instinct denies another rogue the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the defender does. Levels from other classes that grant improved uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character. If the attacker has sneak attack from other classes, these class levels stack with rogue levels to determine the effective rogue level of the attacker. A rogue must be at least 4th level before taking this instinct.

Instinctive Awareness (Ex)

A rogue intuitively senses impeding threats. She can always act in the surprise round, even if unaware of attackers.

Leap Aside (Ex)

A rogue has an uncanny knack for springing out of harm’s way. When a foe attempts an attack against the rogue, including when a non-harmless spell or special ability targets her or when its area or effect includes her space, she can move 5 feet as an immediate action. This movement doesn’t negate the attack, it is still resolved as if the rogue had not moved from the original square. This movement doesn’t count as a 5-foot step; it provokes attacks of opportunity for moving within threatened areas of creatures other than the one who triggered this ability. The rogue must be aware of the attack to use this instinct. During her next turn, the rogue cannot take a 5-foot step and she subtracts 5 foot from her total movement if she takes an action to move.
If the attack is a melee attack, the rogue gains a +2 bonus to AC against it. If it is a ranged attack and the rogue has cover against the ranged attack after moving, then she gains a +4 bonus to AC against the attack from this cover, even if the rogue’s position after moving would normally provide improved cover or total cover against the attack. If her new position only gives her partial cover against the ranged attack, she gains a +2 bonus to AC against it instead. Rather than moving, the rogue can drop prone instead; if she does, she gains a +4 bonus to AC against the ranged attack.
If the attack is a spell or special ability that targets the rogue, she gains a +1 bonus on Reflex saves against it. If it is an effect affecting the rogue’s space and after she moves, her new position provides cover, improved cover, or total cover against the effect then she gains a +1 bonus on Reflex saves against it. After moving, if the rogue is outside the area of effect then she gains a +1 bonus on saving throws against the effect. (This bonus stacks with the bonus on Reflex saves, if both conditions are met.)
After resolving the triggering action, if this attack or effect prevents the rogue from moving, then the rogue remains in her original space. For example, a rogue using this talent against an entangle spell would not move if she failed her save against the spell. A rogue can only use leap aside while wearing light or medium armor, and while carrying no more than a light load.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

A rogue can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She cannot be caught flat-footed, nor does she lose her Dex bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible. She still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. A rogue with this ability can still lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against her.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Legendary Rogues. 2015, Legendary Games; Authors Matt Goodall and Jason Nelson.