Nimble-Claw Pounce — The Professor

Ability Scores

STR

8

-1

DEX

20

+5

CON

14

+2

INT

14

+2

WIS

12

+1

CHA

16

+3

Combat

Armor Class: 17; Studded Leather + DEX
Hit Points: 80; Hit Dice: 11d8
Initiative: +5
Speed: 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Proficiency: +4
Passive Perception: 15

Attacks

The Professor's Cane (Quarterstaff)+31d6-1 bludgeoning

Hidden Dart+91d4+5 piercing

Personality

She speaks with the patient, rhythmic cadence of a librarian and has a habit of gently correcting the posture of those around her. She always carries a piece of chalk to diagram 'lessons' on nearby surfaces.

Ideal

Transparency. Power is only dangerous when it thinks it is untouchable behind closed doors.

Bond

The 'Academy of the Open Window,' a loose network of orphans she trains not to be thugs, but to be invisible observers of justice.

Flaw

She cannot resist a 'perfect' lock, even if there is no political reason to open it; it is a creative challenge she must solve.

Backstory

Long before she was a ghost in the galleries of the wealthy, Pounce was the Silver Tongue of the Mau-Ryn Dynasty. She spent decades negotiating treaties with the grace of a dancer, only to watch her beloved empire crumble when a single stolen seal was used to forge a declaration of war. That day, she realized that physical barriers are illusions and that the things people kill for are often the things they shouldn't possess in the first place. She didn't turn to crime; she turned to 'preventative curation.'

Now known simply as 'The Professor,' she wanders the world as a freelance educator of the elite. She doesn't take gold—she takes the 'Casus Belli.' If two dukes are going to war over a contested inheritance, the inheritance simply vanishes from a locked vault, replaced by a polite, handwritten critique of their security measures and a suggestion for tea and mediation. She views the click of a lock as the final syllable of a beautiful poem, teaching her students that the greatest heist isn't taking what you want, but taking what the world doesn't need.

Abilities & Actions

Lecture: The Sound of Steel (3/Day)

As a bonus action, Pounce provides a 'lesson' to an ally within 30 feet who can hear her. Until the start of Pounce's next turn, that ally can use their reaction to add Pounce's Intelligence modifier (+2) to their AC against one attack or to one Dexterity saving throw, as she predicts the 'rhythm' of the incoming danger.

Rhythmic Poetry (Expertise)

Pounce has Expertise in Thieves' Tools and Sleight of Hand. When she makes a check to pick a lock, she can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10 (Reliable Talent). If she succeeds, she can choose to leave a 'Teaching Note' inside the mechanism; the next person who attempts to use a key on this lock has disadvantage as they find the tumblers have been 'tuned' to a different frequency.

Second-Story Pedagogy

Pounce has a climbing speed equal to her walking speed (30 ft.). Additionally, when she jumps, the distance she covers increases by 5 feet (DEX mod). She can use the Help action as a bonus action (Fast Hands/Mastermind-adjacent flavor) if the task involves climbing or bypassing a physical obstacle.

The Diplomat's Vanishing Act

Pounce can take the Hide action even if she is only obscured by a creature that is at least one size larger than her. When she successfully Hides after taking something (Sleight of Hand), she leaves behind a small, scentless silk ribbon; any creature searching for the item has disadvantage on Investigation checks for 1 minute as they are distracted by the Professor's 'calling card'.

DM Notes

Pounce should never feel like a threat to the players. She treats them like bright but unruly students. Sample dialogue: 'Careful with that tension wrench, dear heart. You're treating the lock like a prisoner when you should be treating it like a confidant.' She never uses her Sneak Attack to kill, only to disable (non-lethal). If caught, she doesn't run; she begins explaining the flaws in the guard's patrol route.