The Yeoman - a PC-rated rural Commoner

A character class for Pathfinder


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 backwoods 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, 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: The yeoman relies principally on his physical attributes, and on the wisdom gained from observing nature.

Alignment: Any.
Hit Dice: d10
Combat: Base Attack Bonus as a cleric (+ Level x 3/4).
Saving Throws: Fortitude and Reflex are good (+2+L/2, down), Will bad (L/3, down).

Class Skills

The yeoman's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Ride (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis) and Swim (Str).

Skill Points per Level: 6 + Int modifier.

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

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the yeoman.

Armour and Weapon Proficiency: Yeomen are skilled with all simple weapons, light armour and two martial weapons. Yeomen are not proficient with shields.

Spells: A yeoman has the ability to cast a small number of divine spells, which are drawn from the druid spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a sorcerer 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 sorcerer'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 in the table above. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Wisdom score. If he knows no spells of a given level, he can use those slots only for a lower-level spell (potentially with metamagic).
A yeoman's selection of spells is extremely limited. A yeoman begins play knowing maybe a single 0-level spell (but probably not even that). At each new yeoman level, he may gains one or more new spells, as indicated in the above table. Add his Wisdom modifier to the number of 0-level spells known (minimum 0). The number of higher level spells is fixed. If the table indicates that the yeoman knows 0 spells 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. In addition to the spells gained by yeomen as they gain levels, each yeoman also automatically adds all summon nature's ally spells to his list of spells known. These spells are added as soon as the hunter is capable of casting them.
Like a sorcerer, and unlike a wizard or a cleric, a yeoman need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell level.
A yeoman's caster level is equal to his yeoman level minus 3 (minimum 1).

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 Perception check.

Wild Empathy (Ex): A yeoman can improve the initial attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person (see Using Skills). 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 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.
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 determining encumbrance levels, but he is still restricted to carrying a total amount no greater than a Heavy Load for his actual strength.

Track: A yeoman adds half his level (minimum 1) to Survival skill checks made to follow tracks.

'Bain't No Use Argufying With He (Ex): At 2nd level, a yeoman's inbuilt stubbornness makes him hard to influence. He gains a bonus equal to half his class level on rolls to resist any Bluff, Diplomacy or Intimidate attempt.

Favoured Terrain: At 2nd level, and again at 6th, 11th level and 16th level, the yeoman gains mastery of one natural terrestrial (ie, non-Urban, non-Planes) terrain type. This is identical to the ranger ability of the same name. At 11th level, this may be Urban; at 16th level it may be Planes.

Run: A yeoman gains Run as a bonus feat at 3rd level.

Eagle Eye (Ex): A 3rd level yeoman can see and hear twice as far as a normal member of his race in all conditions. Any penalties to his Perception rolls caused by distance are halved.

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. As a free action, he can detect undead and moderate strength (see the Detect Magic and Detect Evil spells) 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 hunting or 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. He 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.

Natural Venom Immunity (Ex): A 12th level yeoman has been stung and bitten so often that natural poisons no longer have any effect on him.

Camouflage (Ex): A yeoman of 12th level or higher can use the Hide skill in any sort of natural terrain, even if the terrain doesn't grant cover or concealment.

Darkvsion (Ex): A 13th level yeoman gains Darkvision (60'). If he already possesses Darkvision, its range extends by 60'.

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.

Venom Immunity (Ex): A 17th level yeoman is immune to all poisons, natural or otherwise.

Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): While in any of his favored terrains, a yeoman of 18th level or higher can use the Stealth skill even while being observed.

Ignorance is Total Bliss (Ex): A 20th level yeoman is immune to fear effects, charms and illusions.

Favoured Class Bonuses

Race Bonus
Dwarf Add +1/2 to your Favoured Terrain (Underground) or (Mountain) bonus.
Elf Add +1/2 to your Favoured Terrain (Forest) or (Jungle) bonus.
Gnome Gain energy resistance 1 against acid, cold, electricity, or fire. Each time the druid selects this reward, increase her resistance to one of these energy types by 1 (maximum +10 for any one type, over and above that granted by the class).
Half-Elf Add +1/2 to your 'Bain't No Use Argufying With He bonus.
Halfling >Add +1/2 to your Favoured Terrain (Plains) or (Urban) bonus.
Half-Orc Add +1/3 to your Ignorance is Bliss bonus.
Human Add one spell known from the druid spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the yeoman can cast.





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Aaargh home Last Revised 21/12/18