Overview

Hit Die: d4

6 + Int skill points

Skills

Animals, Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge, Perform, Use Magic Item

Disclaimer:

We realize the Damsel in Distress is not always a well received trope, but we really loved the idea of a character class who unlike her murderhobo allies is almost completely worthless in armed combat and would spend most fights using her friends as human/penguin shields. Pitfalls and Penguins has always been powered by our PMs and players unlimited supply of creativity. and we strongly invite you to subvert this trope to you liking. Or don’t, we’re not your parents (Unless you are Corrinne Hills). If you and your group are having fun, you’re doing it right.

Abilities

Carry On

Can carry damsel of same size category with one arm, 5 ft movement penalty. A damsel of a smaller size category with one arm with no movement penalty. Can carry damsel of 1 size category larger with 2 arms, or drag along with 1 arm movement penalty of 10 ft.

Favor

A Damsel may grant favor to an intelligent creature. Creating a variety of effects (See chart below). Favor has a touch range and is given through a specific gesture, such as kissing, bestowing cufflinks, or handing a trophy to the recipient of favor. All favor bonuses are temporary and are immediately lost if the damsel grants favor to another creature, loses line of sight to her recipient at the end of her turn, or initiative ends. Certain continuing effects, such as healing will only recur if the damsel is adjacent to her favor recipient at the end of her turn. Only one favor effect may be activated as a time unless the damsel has access to double dipping. Granting favor causes the damsel to move in initiative order to immediately follow the individual she has granted favor to.

Level 1

Healing 1d4 temp HP per Damsel level (When active reapplied at end of every turn)

Level 2

Grants ½ AC point per damsel level. (Cannot be stacked)

Level 3

Increases an ability modifier of your choice by one. (Cannot be stacked)

Level 4

Increase movement range of target and damsel by 5 ft. (Cannot be stacked)

Level 5

Reduce crit range by ⅓ of a point per damsel level. (Cannot be stacked)

Level 6

You can’t die on me! Brings a mortally wounded or recently slain character up to 0 HP and stable. Usable within one minute of a character being killed. The damsel grants them favor and they miraculously survived whatever killed them. Does not work on natural death.

Stipend

While a damsel may not have unrestricted access to her money supply, necessities such as alcohol, food, lodging, travel, town clothes, entertainment, and ransom can be expensed to her estate. Weapons, armor, magic items, MacGuffins and other non-necessities cannot be expensed in this way. Selling items that were paid for by her stipend refunds the money to her estate, not the damsel.

Set up a meeting

A damsel has many connections, and she can have her people set up meetings with just about anyone. Just because she can get in the door, doesn’t mean that the meeting won’t backfire when her companions get caught stealing silverware.

Ransoming a Damsel

Everyone knows that damsels are worth a lot of money, so much to the point that most intelligent enemies will attempt to subdue and kidnap damsels in combat to be held for ransom rather than killing them. Player characters are also able to kidnap defeated damsels. Below is a chart of estimated payouts for ransom for kidnapped damsels. The amount can be modified by diplomacy, and further modified by damage dealt to the damsel. Baseline payment is 100% of the given value if the damsel takes no damage while being captured, 90% if she takes only non-lethal damage, 75% if she takes any lethal damage, and 60% if she is KO’d by lethal damage. Most damsel’s families are happy to pay ransom money rather than organize a funeral, and will generally not hunt down ransomer, but they will frequently improve security for their damsel to better protect them in the future, but if players do kill a damsel, a counterattack from that person’s family or representatives is likely.