Call it fate, divine providence, or maybe just dumb luck, but occasionally the Grim Reaper plays favourites. Most people simply accept these brushes with eternity and get on with their lives. Others, however, find themselves forever changed. Haunted by the question of why they lived when others died, they set out to find answers. Often, while ferreting out this mystery they discover secrets about themselves, like hidden talents or even supernatural favour. Rogues can take these abilities in place of one of their special abilities.
Accurate Fall (Ex): Dancing upon currents and eddies in the air the rogue may aim where she falls, often managing to land in just the right spot to minimize injury. Whenever the rogue falls she may attempt a Reflex save to convert half the damage from the fall into non-lethal damage. The DC of the save depends upon the type of surface upon which the rogue falls.
| Nature of Surface Save | DC of Reflex |
|---|---|
| Liquid (water, quicksand) | 18 |
| Soft (lava, mud, haystack) | 20 |
| Yielding (underbrush, tent canopy) | 22 |
| Hard (stone, building roof) | 24 |
| Uneven (spikes, stalagmites) | 26 |
The rogue may also make a Tumble check in order to reduce the lethal damage further.
Prerequisite: Must have survived taking 20d6 points of damage from falling.
Fear Mirror (Su): Having faced and overcome the most terrifying thing she can imagine, the rogue may reflect similar horrors back at her foes. When targeted by a fear effect the rogue instinctively projects the attack back to its source. Both the rogue and the source of the fear effect must make any applicable saving throws to resist the effects of the attack. Any immunities possessed by the source of the attack still apply.
Prerequisite: Must have succeeded at a Fortitude save to resist phantasmal killer.
Heart of Stone (Ex): A brush with petrification left the rogue’s organs stronger and more resilient, offering her protection from certain kinds of injuries. The rogue gains DR 5/—, but only against the extra damage from critical hits and sneak attacks. In addition, the rogue adds her class level to the amount of damage required to trigger a Fortitude save to resist death due to massive damage.
Prerequisite: Must have successfully resisted a petrification attack.
Ice in the Veins (Ex): Intense cold brings with it a strange lethargy and somehow, to the detriment of her enemies, the experience lingers within the rogue’s bloodstream. Any creature not immune to cold or sleep effects that bites the rogue must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + half the rogue’s class level + the rogue’s Constitution modifier) or become fatigued for 1 round per 2 rogue class levels. Once affected by this ability, further bites extend the duration but do not otherwise stack.
Prerequisite: Must have been reduced to fewer than 0 hit points by a cold attack.
Toxic blood (Ex): A permanent residue of poison courses through the rogue’s veins. Any creature not immune to poison that bites the rogue must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + half the rogue’s class level + the rogue’s Constitution modifier) or immediately take 1 point of Constitution damage. Once triggered, this ability does not function again for 1 hour.
Prerequisite: Constitution must have been reduced below 3 by poison.
Source: Dragon Magazine #332 (Page 92)
Most rogues live in the moment. Embracing larceny and reveling in the heady thrill of harrowing escapes, they leave philosophy and reflection to the studious wizard and the pious cleric. They seldom question their good fortune, rarely pausing to wonder how they emerged unscathed from yet another deadly hazard. They take their luck and their charmed lives as their due. Sometimes, though, even the most devil-may-care rogue comes face to face with her mortality and finds herself unable to turn away. When providence spares a rogue one too many times she feels compelled to root out the secret of her survival, plumbing the depths of her soul and discovering hidden strengths and unknown talents along the way. Rogues can take these abilities in place of one of their special abilities.
Adrenaline Rush (Ex): Brought to the brink of death by massive trauma the rogue somehow survived. As a result, she developed a talent for pushing her body beyond its normal limits. Once per day, the rogue may choose to treat a Strength-based skill check as if she had rolled a natural 20. The rogue must declare she is using this ability before the die roll, thereby negating the necessity of the check.
Prerequisite: Must have succeeded at a Fortitude save to avoid death due to massive damage.
Cartilaginous Skeleton (Ex): The rogue’s shattered bones knit back together under a sheath of flexible cartilage, allowing her to contort herself in remarkable ways. The rogue gains a +4 bonus on Escape Artist checks and an additional +2 bonus when attempting to escape a grapple. Further, if subject to a grapple she may make an attack of opportunity against the grappling opponent even if it has the Improved Grapple feat or the improved grab special attack.
Prerequisite: Must have been reduced to fewer than 0 hit points by bludgeoning damage or a crushing attack.
Enriched Bone Marrow (Ex): The rogue’s recovery from near-fatal blood loss left her better able to recuperate from physical disability. Each day in which the rogue attempts to recover ability damage to her Strength, Dexterity or Constitution, she may attempt a Fortitude save (DC 15 + current amount of ability damage) to recover an extra point of ability damage.
Prerequisite: Constitution must have been reduced below 3 by blood-draining attacks.
Happier Days (Ex): At the moment of crisis the rogue’s life did indeed pass before her eyes, and now she may draw upon memories of better times to sustain her when enemies assault her psyche. Once per day, if the rogue must attempt a Will save she may instead choose to cast her mind adrift among her memories rather then suffer the effects of a possible failed save. She must decide to use this ability before she attempts the Will save, negating the need for the saving throw. While lost in her memories she is oblivious to her surroundings and becomes helpless. Each round, at the end of her turn, the rogue may attempt to pull her thoughts back to the present attempting a Will save (at the same DC of the original Will save). For each round she fails this save she remains helpless.
Prerequisite: Must have made a saving throw to resist a death effect.
Rainbow Stare (Su): Somehow, while enduring a nearly overwhelming array of colours and light the rogue learned how to screen out dangerous images. She gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against figments and glamers and is completely immune to patterns.
Prerequisite: Must have survived passing through at least four layers of either a prismatic sphere or a prismatic wall.
Source: Dragon Magazine #334 (Page 92)