Jonathan Thomas Vickers (JT) formerly of the British Royal Engineers

Tunnel Rat and Sapper

Rogue\Ranger (6\1)

str  16 (18)
dex  16 (4th)
con  14
int 14
wis 15
cha 8

fort = +7 (2+2+2+1) + 4 racial spells\SLA\poison
ref = +11 (5+2+3+1) +4 racial  spells\SLA  (+2 vs Traps)
will =  +5 (2+2+1) + 4 racial  spells\SLA

HP 72
Init +5
AC 20  (+2 vs Traps)
(modern\mithral) Breastplate +1 (counts as light for Evasion) 6 + 3 (4 max) dex, -2 ACP

BAB +5

Dwar axe (+1) +10 1d10 +5 (+7 2h)
MW guns + 9 (+9 at PB, +1 dam)
MW melee +10

Ranger Trophy Hunter archtype

Improved Tracking (Ex): At 1st level, a trophy hunter gains a +2 bonus on Survival skill checks when following or identifying tracks. When he tracks, he can also attempt a Knowledge (nature) check at DC 15. On a success, the trophy hunter can discern the type and condition of any animals or magical beasts he tracks. By studying their tracks, the trophy hunter is able to identify a rough approximation of their health, maneuverability, and their general behavior as compared to the norm. This ability replaces wild empathy.   (that is such junk anyways, good riddance!)


Stealth 7+3+3 = 13  
Acro 7+3+3 +5 = 18
DD  7+3+3 +2 = 15 (+3 vs traps)
Perception 7+3+2+5 = 17 (+3 vs traps) (+2 stone, free notice check 10ft)
UMD 7 + 3 -1 = +9
know (engineering) 5 +3 +2= 10
know (nature) 1 + 3 + 2 = +6
Know (geography) 1 + 3 +2 = +6
Know (local) 7 + 3 + 2 = +6
know (streetwise) = local
Survival (tracking) 7 +3 +2 +2 +1 +5 = +20
Sense Motive 1 + 3 + 2 = +6
Escape Artist 1 + 3 + 3 = 7
Bluff 1 + 3 - 1 = +3
Appraise 1 + 3 + 2 = +6
Drive 1 +3 +3 = 7
Climb 5 +3 + 4 +2 = 15
Heal 1 +3 +3 +2 = 9
Swim 1 +3 +4  = 8
Demolitions 7 + 3 +2 +2 +2 = 16

Languages: English (common) German (replace dwarven) Arabic and Turkish

Abilities:
Trapfinding +1/2 lvl Perception + DD for traps (+3)
Evasion
Sneak Attack +3d6
Rogue Talents 3: ki pool [3], vanishing trick [6rds], Offensive Defense +1 AC per Sneak Attack die for 1 rd
ki pool w\ ki = always running start on jump, +10ft spd 1 rd, +4 stealth 1 rd
Scout's Charge (-Uncanny Dodge)
Tracking
Favored Enemy - undead +2 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks against creatures of his selected type. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls

Slow and Steady: Dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Defensive Training: Dwarves get a +4 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the giant subtype.
Greed: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on Appraise skill checks made to determine the price of nonmagical goods that contain precious metals or gemstones.
Hatred: Dwarves receive a +1 bonus on attack rolls against humanoid creatures of the orc and goblinoid subtypes due to special training against these hated foes.
Hardy: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities.
Stability: Dwarves receive a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.
Stonecunning: Dwarves receive a +2 bonus on Perception checks to potentially notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors. They receive a check to notice such features whenever they pass within 10 feet of them, whether or not they are actively looking.
Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.

Languages: Dwarves begin play speaking Common and Dwarven.

Feats:
Steel Soul (double Hardy)
Point Blank Shot +1\+1
Quick Draw

Traits:
Exile +2 initiative
Armor expert -1 ACP

Moedern Breastplate +1  
Cloak of Resistance +1
silversheen 1
Boots Striding and Sprinting (+10ft spd + 5 acro)
Belt of Giant Str +2
Beneficial bandolier
Lens of Detection +5 perception and Survival (for Tracking only)
MW thieves tools +2  
climber kit +2
healer kit +2
Trench (Dwarven) Waraxe +1 (2000) 1d10
MW .45 hvy pistol   1d10x4, range 30,
MW Submachine gun (50drum)  1d8x4, range 40
MW Rifle   1d12x4, r100
MW double barrel tunnel-sweeper shotgun  4d8
MW Demo tool kit +2
MW trench club
MW trench knife
MW sapper tools (spades, hammers, stethoscope, pads, etc)
Dynamite sticks   x6  4d6+1
demo supplies enough to make 9 more dynamite sticks
trench lighter
flashlight
compass
stethoscope


regular stuff charge (50)

100 rds pistol
100 rifle
100 shotgun
200 submachine

00 cash

JT was born in Nottinghamshire, England in 1899.  His father was a coal miner, so was his grandfather and his great-great-greats as far back as any of the women could remember.   JT followed his ancestors underground.  He worked for Harworth mining until accepting a job as a sewer engineering manager with the City of London.  His family generally approved in the work and the promotion, but were sad to see him travel so far south, so far from home, especially with the specter of the approaching war.

JT was rapidly recruited into the British Royal Engineers as a Sapper.  In most ways he was happy, he was still underground.  He even got to blow stuff up, which he discovered he actually enjoyed.  



Sgt JT Vickers lead many short, brave men under the German trenches and lines.  The average sapper stood less than 5 ft tall and had to have the ears of a rat or "tunnel-sense" as the men called it.  




As the British sappers squatted in the dark and heaved their picks and spades through the cloying earth, snatching their breath from the hot, fetid air and struggling with claustrophobia, they had one ear open for the fall of soil that might threaten a cave-in or the hiss from a pierced pocket of gas that could asphyxiate them — and the other for the tip-tap of enemy spades. To disguise their own presence, they muffled their picks and padded through the tunnels in their socks.



Sometimes...... a tunnel would be breached by the enemy, and British and German miners would suddenly find themselves face to face.  Then, rifles would bark in the dark, bullets fly, bayonets thrust, and the intense man-to-man fighting on the crater-scarred surface of the Somme would break out in those subterranean hell holes.



And sometimes.... just sometimes.... the tunnels would collapse behind the sappers.  Like moles they would have to dig up through the ground and they might find themselves behind German lines, in the enemy's trenches.  Sharpened spades, trench knives and crude clubs were the silent tools of death for the sappers.  





Many times, Sgt Vickers lead his team of tunnel rats back across the surface,  always looking for the ember-glow of a guard's cigarette......

Vickers saw action not only in Europe, but also the middle east and Africa.  He remained in Egypt after the war.

Nice informative background Mr. Vikers!

Never before knew anything about the mining/counter-mining of WWI. Sounds like a History Channel exclusive in need of production.

Robyo wrote:Nice informative background Mr. Vikers!

Never before knew anything about the mining/counter-mining of WWI. Sounds like a History Channel exclusive in need of production.

Neither did I, much of this was lifted directly from the BBC production of the novel Songbird.  I didn't know either until I started poking around the webs.  the more I read, the more it just screamed DWARF to me, it was a perfect fit

question for the GM - did JT see or fight anything unusual in the tunnels?

Awesome story dude, nicely done!

Yes, if you were on the Somme battlefield in 1916, you saw what you now know are the Undead. There was, essentially, a full scale battle of zombies - German and British. They fought each other with whatever was available the night after a very brutal, and costly, attack.