Roguish Archetype: Varmint
Just as all manner of so-called pests and vermin are looked down upon, too often are people as well: the poor, criminals, and travelers. When these two forces combine, however, they are always something to be reckoned with. Varmint are rogues that have teamed up with a creature of the same ilk, forming a powerful bond that compliments both. Most often city-dwellers, Varmints tame rats, pigeons, cats, foxes, and other urban scavengers into fierce companions.
Regardless of their origin, a Varmint and their companion are able to fight, sneak, scout, and steal in near perfect sync, and where one might falter, the other will always be there to help pick them up.
Streetwise Companion
3rd-level Varmint feature
You have a trusted, streetwise companion. It is friendly to you and your allies, and obeys your commands. See it's statistics in the Streetwise Companion stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places. You also add your proficiency bonus to the companion's saving throws. You determine the companion's appearance and whether it is Grounded or Flying, which determines certain traits in its stat block.
In combat, the companion acts during your turn. It can move and use a bonus action and reaction on its own, but the only action it takes is the Dodge action, unless you use a bonus action to make it to take another action. That action can be from its stat block or another action. If you are incapacitated, the companion can take any action of its choice.
If the companion has died within the last minute, you can use a healer's kit to revive it with 1 hit point, or its corpse can be targeted by a spell or effect that would restore hit points, and it returns to life with that many hit points. You can bond with a new companion at the end of a long rest, releasing the previous one from your service.
Street Charmer
3rd-level Varmint feature
You are a natural when it comes to taming creatures. You gain proficiency in the Animal Handling skill, and your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses that skill.
In addition, beasts can understand your speech, and you gain the ability to decipher their noises and motions.
Potent Bond
9th-level Varmint feature
Your streetwise companion's attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage, and while you and your companion are within 30 feet of one another, you both have advantage on savings throws against being charmed, or to end such effects.
In addition, your companion's Dexterity score increases to 20. This increases the bonuses to its associated skills, and the attack bonus of its Synchronised Maul.
Dirty Living
13th-level Varmint feature
Your time around vermin has left you resilient to the maladies they can carry. You and your companion are immune to disease, have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and have resistance to poison damage.
Tag Team
17th-level Varmint feature
You become entirely in sync with your partner. You and your streetwise companion can both use your Sneak Attack features on the same turn.
Art: Zapping Bird by Hendry Iwanaga - artstation.com/artwork/nYGwO
Streetwise Companion
Tiny beast
- Armor Class 13 + PB (natural armor)
- Hit Points 4 + four times your rogue level (grounded only) or 3 + three times your rogue level (flying only)
- Speed 40 ft., swim 40 ft. (grounded only) or 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (flying only)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 3 (-4) 16 (+3) 8 (-1) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 11 (+1)
- Skills Acrobatics +3 plus PB x 2, Sleight of Hand +3 plus PB x 2, Stealth +3 plus PB x 2, Perception +2 plus PB
- Condition Immunities charmed
- Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12 plus PB
- Languages understands the languages you speak
Cunning Action. The companion can take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action, or attempt to escape a grapple, as a bonus action.
Evasion. If the companion is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw, it takes no damage on a success, and half damage on a failure.
Sneak Attack. If you have not used your Sneak Attack this turn, the companion can deal extra damage. Roll half your Sneak Attack dice (round up), and the companion deals extra damage equal to the roll if it hits with an attack that has advantage, or when the target is within 5 feet of a hostile creature and it doesn't have disadvantage on the attack. If the companion deals this extra damage, you cannot use your Sneak Attack this turn.
Pocket Pal. So long as you are at least one size larger than it, the companion can occupy your space, hide while within it, and doesn't count it as difficult terrain.
Actions
Synchronised Maul. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 plus PB to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4 + PB slashing damage.
