Rake

Throughout the civilized world, haughty duelists known as rakes strut through city streets. Armed with blades nearly as sharp as their wits, many rakes take more pride in the width and breadth of their jibes than in their swordsmanship. Typically young nobles who live off their families’s fortunes, many rakes spend their lives hopping from tavern to tavern, seeking even the slightest opportunity to challenge rude patrons to a duel. By day, they typically nurse considerable hangovers, and, if bored enough, take the time to practice their skill at arms. Occasionally, a rake will be found in an army or an adventuring group, though most are quick to point out that they only joined the group because there was nothing more interesting going on.

What a rake lacks in pure combat skill is more than made up for by their ability to rally their allies and demoralize their enemies. Even the most well-trained soldiers falter when a rake slashes their commander’s belt in two, leaving the poor veteran to caper about the battlefield with his pants around his ankles. Rakes can be tremendously irritating, but in combat, the same insults and wit that prove annoying at times of quiet can drive foes mad.

Hit Dice: d6

Requirements

In order to qualify to become a Rake, a character must meet the following criteria.

Alignment: Any non-Lawful

Base Attack Bonus: +4

Skills: Bluff 6 ranks, Intimidate 6 ranks.

Feats: Combat Expertise, Skill Focus (Intimidate).

Class Skills

The Rake’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Perform (Cha), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.

Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1	+0	+0	+2	+2	Taunt, Panache
2	+1	+0	+3	+3	Goad, Boredom
3	+2	+1	+3	+3	Jibe, Smooth Talker
4	+3	+1	+4	+4	Insult, Slippery Mind
5	+3	+1	+4	+4	Humiliate, Blather

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Rake prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A rake gains no new weapon or armor proficiency.

Taunt (Ex): Beginning at 1st level, the rake’s skill at insulting his opponents during his attack improves, allowing him to use the Intimidate skill to demoralize an opponent as a move action.

Panache (Ex): Most rakes loathe doing anything productive, instead idling their time away wooing women, verbally sparing with nobles, and discussing the latest fashions. However, the rake is adept at doing everything well, even when he is doing nothing at all. The rake adds his class level to all Charisma-based skill checks he makes.

Goad (Ex): As a move action, a rake of at least 2nd level may goad an opponent who threatens him, has line of sight to him, and has an Intelligence of 3 or higher. When the goaded opponent starts his next turn, if he threatens the rake and has line of sight to him, he must make a Will saving throw (DC 10 + rake level + Cha modifier). If the opponent fails this save, the only action the opponent can take is to make melee attacks against the rake. This ability is a mind-affecting, language-dependant effect.

Boredom (Ex): Upon reaching 2nd level, the rake has perfected the art of looking bored during combat. This obvious lack of concern for combat, as well as his own life, tends to unnerve opponents, who suffer a -2 morale penalty on all attack rolls made against the rake.

Jibe (Ex): At 3rd level, the rake’s keen wit sharpens to a deadly edge, allowing him to insult his opponents with only a few carefully chosen words. The rake can now use the Intimidate skill to demoralize as opponent as a free action.

Smooth Talker (Ex): A rake of 3rd level or higher has mastered the art of fast-talking bartenders angry over ever-growing bar tabs, as well as innocent young lasses whose fathers are out of town. Essentially, the rake is able to invoke a charm person effect against anyone he speaks to for more than a minute. This is ability is cast as a sorcerer of the rake's class level (save DC 10 + the rake's class level + his Charisma modifier), and is usable a number of times per day equal to the rake's class level. This ability, though it duplicates a spell, is nonmagical in nature.

Insult (Ex): By 4th level, the rake has collected a wide arsenal of particularly shocking insults. Once per encounter, before attempting an Intimidate check to demoralize an opponent, the rake may designate this attempt as an insult. On a successful Intimidate check, the opponent is instead stunned for one round by the sheer vulgarity and spite of the rakes attack, and shaken for a number of following rounds equal to the rake’s Charisma modifier. This ability is a mind-affecting, language-dependant effect.

Slippery Mind (Ex): By 4th level, the rake's quick wit and general lack of an attention span (not to mention a hefty disdain for being told what to do) combine to grant him the ability to escape effects that would otherwise compel or control him. If the rake is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails his saving throw, he can attempt another save against the effect 1 round later at the same DC. He gains only this one additional chance to succeed on his saving throw.

Blather (Ex): A rake of who has reached 5th level knows that sometimes the best way to handle the situation is to just start talking and hope for the best. What he talks about is unimportant; his smooth voice and quick wit leaves those listening intrigued, and, more often than not, more than a little confused. While everyone is scratching their heads trying to make sense of the rake's incessant blathering, the rake is usually well on his way to climbing out of a nearby window. The rake gains the ability to duplicate an enthrall effect once per day (save DC 10 + the rake's class level + his Charisma modifier). This ability, though it duplicates a spell, is nonmagical in nature, and may be used once per day.

Humiliate (Ex): The 5th level rake has perfected his craft, gaining the ability to humiliate his opponents, leaving no doubt as to the identity of the superior swordsman (even if the rake is, often as not, faking it. Or, alternatively, very, very drunk).

Once per encounter, the rake may designate one melee attack a humiliating strike. Should the humiliating strike succeed at a touch attack against the rake’s opponent (who must have an Intelligence of 3 or higher), he humiliates that opponent in some way, usually by slicing the opponent’s belt or skewering his hat and tossing it away. This act of utter superiority stuns his opponent for one round, as well as bolsters the morale of the rake’s allies while embarrassing his opponents. The rake and each of his allies gain a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves and skill checks, while his opponents take a -2 penalty on such rolls.

This ability is a mind-affecting effect, and lasts a number of rounds equal to the rake’s Charisma bonus (minimum 1 round).

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