Snowbird

Camouflage serves predator and prey equally well in the wild. Some creatures blend into their surroundings to avoid a ravenous hunter’s gaze, while others meld into the background as they close in on their intended victim. At first blush, ice and snow offer an ideal medium for creatures reliant upon stealth. The monotonous, white surface provides the perfect canvas for someone or something sharing the same coloration.

However, unlike a multihued jungle, the ice cap and tundra biomes bestow no cover. There are no trees to hide behind, no tall grasses to crouch beneath, and no undergrowth to mask a creature’s presence. During the more hospitable summer months, the sun continuously shines for weeks and even months at a time.

Nonetheless, one brand of rogue excels in this frozen landscape. He is the snowbird, a master of deception also renowned for his carefree attitude and incredible agility. They gracefully move across the snow while evading detection, and can slide down the snowy slopes at breakneck speed. These daredevil rogues always think big. In their minds, they are gallant heroes battling the pervasive evil spreading across the land. Rather than target the common folk struggling to survive, the cagey snowbird sets his sights on grander ambitions. White dragons, frost giants, yetis, and other wintry horrors garner his attention. Although he is not averse to relieving these monsters of their lecherous spoils, he prefers foiling their plans to butcher or enslave the residents of neighboring settlements. While the people he defends may celebrate his efforts, his formidable enemies rue his existence and vow revenge.

The blithe rogue oddly displays no concern or fear of retribution from these wicked denizens. Instead, he feels their animosity only enhances his mystique.

Skills

A snowbird adds Survival to his list of class skills and removes Swim from his list of class skills.

This alters the rogue’s class skills.

Snowy Stalker (Ex)

At 1st level, a snowbird adds 1/2 his level (minimum +1) to Acrobatics skill checks made to ski and move across icy or snowy terrain and to Stealth skill checks made in icy or snowy terrain.

This ability replaces trapfinding.

Shadowy Snowbird (Ex)

At 3rd level, a snowbird gains the hide in plain sight advanced talent, even though he is not yet 10th level. The rogue must always select arctic terrain. A snowbird cannot select hide in plain sight as an advanced talent at 10th level.

This ability replaces trap sense.

Rogue Talents: The following rogue talents complement the snowbird archetype: camouflage, fast stealth, follow clues, peerless maneuver, quick disguise, rogue crawl, survivalist, and terrain mastery.

Advanced Talents: The following advanced talents complement the snowbird archetype: fast tumble, master of disguise, and slippery mind.