Anatomy! The study of the body and how it works has many uses, from pressure-relieving massages to general healing, and even teaching a rogue exactly where it hurts most to have a knife stuck in you.

In case you couldn’t tell, it’s the knife-sticking part that we’re focusing on today.

 

So, read on below for more of the Anatomist Rogue!

Rogue Anatomist v1

You can also find the PDF version here.

 

I like to think of the Anatomist as a roguish counterpart to the Battlemaster fighter – I imagine many others will too, seeing as the subclasses’ core features are basically identical. However, where a Battlemaster focuses on tactics and fighting maneuvers, the Anatomist focuses on technique and anatomical knowledge – rather than use your skill with blades to parry or riposte, you instead use your knowledge of bodies to strike at arteries and weak points.

 

FEATURES:

• You’re a doctor, dammit! Or close enough, at least when it comes to examining creatures for injury!
• Superiority in combat is your specialty! Use a wide variety of special techniques to strike at the heart of your foes… literally!
• While you’re at it, loosen up a little! Roll with the punches and your Uncanny Dodge gets even more uncanny!
• And you give great back massages!

 

DESIGN NOTES:

• As many of you can probably tell, this subclass is very heavily based around the Battlemaster fighter – Combat Specialty is pretty much a literal rebrand of the battlemaster’s Combat Superiority. Why, then, do rogues start out with a smaller specialty die? Simple – they already have Sneak Attack to boost their damage, they don’t need it as much as the fighter does.
• I’m fairly happy with these features, all told. I think the flavor is good, and the features seem to be well balanced within the subclass itself. Whether or not it’s balanced ultimately, however, is another question entirely.
• NOTE: While this isn’t currently planned, if I ever did make any homebrews that I’ve posted for feedback into PWYW products, this one is a good candidate for it. Seeing as 90% of the art is from Leonardo da Vinci, a man who is too old and dead to have copyright protections on his work, this would be much easier to monetize than something that requires more… recent art. Please keep this in mind if you don’t want to comment or give feedback on something that may one day be a paid product.

 

Thanks for reading!