User:Leziad/3.5e Pathfinder Assassin
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[hide]Assassin[edit]
This prestige class is basically the 3.5e Assassin adapted to Pathfinder, as the Assassin prestige class was markedly nerfed in the game (removal of spells for various class features).
Becoming a Assassin[edit]
| Alignment: | Any non-good. |
|---|---|
| Skills: | Disguise 2 ranks, Stealth 5 ranks. |
| Special: | The character must complete an initiation test in order to become an assassin. |
Class Skills[edit]
The assassin’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Local), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Ranks at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
| Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Special | Spells | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort | Ref | Will | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |||
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +2 | +0 | Death Attack, Poison Use, Sneak Attack +1d6 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +3 | +0 | Poison Resistance +2, Uncanny Dodge | 2 | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +3 | +1 | Sneak Attack +2d6 | 3 | 1 | — | — |
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Hidden Weapons, Swift Poisoning | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Improved Uncanny Dodge, Sneak Attack +3d6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 6th | +4 | +2 | +5 | +2 | Poison Resistance +4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 7th | +5 | +2 | +5 | +2 | Sneak Attack +4d6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 8th | +6/+1 | +2 | +6 | +2 | Hide in Plain Sight | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 9th | +6/+1 | +3 | +6 | +3 | Sneak Attack +5d6, Swift Death | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 10th | +7/+2 | +3 | +7 | +3 | Angel of Death, Poison Resistance +6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Class Features[edit]
All of the following are class features of the assassin.
Spells: Beginning at 1st level, an assassin gains the ability to cast a number of arcane spells. To cast a spell, an assassin must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the spell’s level, so an assassin with an Intelligence of 10 or lower cannot cast these spells. Assassin bonus spells are based on Intelligence, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + the assassin’s Intelligence bonus. When the assassin gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Intelligence score for that spell level.
An assassin can assassin spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. However, like any other arcane spellcaster, an assassin wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component (most do). A multiclass assassin still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.
The assassin’s spell list is the following spells, and all spell otherwise listed otherwise on the assassin spell list:
1st Level: disguise self, detect poison, feather fall, ghost sound, jump, obscuring mist, sleep, true strike.
2nd Level: alter self, cat’s grace, darkness, fox’s cunning, illusory script, invisibility, pass without trace, sense vitals, spider climb, undetectable alignment.
3rd Level: deep slumber, deeper darkness, false life, magic circle against good, misdirection, nondetection.
4th Level: clairaudience/clairvoyance, dimension door, freedom of movement, glibness, greater invisibility, locate creature, modify memory, poison.
Upon reaching 6th level, at every even-numbered level after that (8th and 10th), an assassin can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level assassin spell the assassin can cast. An assassin may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for that level.
| Level | Spells Known | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
| 1st | 2 | — | — | — |
| 2nd | 3 | — | — | — |
| 3rd | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 4th | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 5th | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 6th | 4 | 4 | 3 | — |
| 7th | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 8th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 9th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 10th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Death Attack (Ex): An assassin is able to make a precise final blow, capable of felling an unsuspecting victim in a single strike. Firstly the assassin must study her victim, taking a standard action to do so for 3 consecutive round. She must keep the victim within her line of sight. If the target detect the assassin or recognize her as a foe, then she become aware that she is being studied for a death attack. After studying her foe, the next sneak attack done within 1 minute against her foe is a death attack. Upon being delivered, the victim of a death attack must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the assassin’s class level + the assassin’s Int modifier) or die. Even if the save is successful, the struck creature still take damage from the attack. Any creature immune to precision damage is immune to a death attack.
Poison Lore (Ex): An assassin has a deep understanding and appreciation for poisons. At 2nd level, she cannot accidentally poison herself when applying poison to a weapon. If the assassin spends 1 minute physically examining the poison, she can attempt a Knowledge (nature) check to identify any natural poison or Knowledge (arcana) check to identify any magical poison (DC = the poison’s saving throw DC). Lastly, once a poison is identified, she can spend 1 minute and attempt a Craft (alchemy) check (DC = the poison’s saving throw DC) to neutralize 1 dose of the poison. Success renders the dose harmless. The assassin has no chance of accidentally poisoning himself when examining or attempting to neutralize a poison.
Poison Resistance (Ex): At 2nd level, an assassin gains a +2 bonus on all saving throws against poison. This bonus increases to +4 at 6th level, and to +6 at 10th level.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 2nd level, an assassin cannot be caught flat-footed, even if the attacker is invisible. She still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. An assassin with this ability can still lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against him.
If an assassin already has uncanny dodge from a different class, she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.
Hidden Weapons (Ex): At 4th level, an assassin becomes a master at hiding weapons on her body. She adds her assassin level to all Sleight of Hand skill checks made to prevent others from noticing them.
Swift Poisoning (Ex): At 4th level, an assassin can apply poison to a weapon as a move action instead of a standard action.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 5th level and higher, an assassin can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the assassin by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has assassin levels.
If a character already has uncanny dodge from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.
Hide in Plain Sight (Su): At 8th level, an assassin can use the Stealth skill even while being observed. As long as she is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, an assassin can hide herself from view in the open without having anything to actually hide behind. She cannot, however, hide in her own shadow.
Swift Death (Ex): At 9th level, once per day, an assassin can make a death attack against a foe without studying the foe beforehand.
Angel of Death (Ex): A 10th level assassin is a master of dealing death. Any sneak attack she delivers ignore the target's damage reduction (except DR/—). Furthermore, whenever she kill a creature she may have them treated as if slain by a death effect for the purpose of bringing them back from the dead.
Variant Assassins[edit]
Variant assassin classes can be freely combined, as long as they do not replaces the same class feature.
Avenger[edit]
An avenger is an assassin who specialize in killing criminals, troubles-makers and enemy in the state. They typically come in two flavor; the vigilante hellbent on eliminating criminal activities; and the agent of the crown hired to deal with dissidents quietly.
- Prerequisites: Any non-chaotic. Replaces any non-good.
- Replaces: Poison Lore, Swift Poisoning
- Benefits: An avenger add Survival to her list of class skills instead of Use Magic Device. Additionally she gains the following class features:
Devious Scoundrel[edit]
- Replaces: Int-based class features.
- Benefits: A devious scoundrel assassin uses her Charisma instead of he Intelligence as her key ability score for her spellcasting and to determine the DC of her death attack.
Manslayer[edit]
A manslayer is an assassin who prefers to kill her foes headlong, instead of relying on dirty tricks like poison and hiding.
- Prerequisites: Cleave
- Replaces: Poison Lore, Swift Poisoning, Hide in Plain Sight
- Ruthless (Ex): A 1st level manslayer may perform a coup de grace as a standard action.
- Headlong Slaying (Ex): Whenever a 4th level manslayer makes a charge attack or uses the Cleave or Vital Strike feat (including feats which improves the base action, such as Great Cleave or Improved Vital Strike), then she automatically add her Sneak Attack to the damage roll of any resulting attacks. Foes with uncanny dodge are immune to this ability.
- Massacre (Ex): At 8th level, whenever the manslayer is studying for a death attack she may study any number of foes within her line of sight.
Sword Crow[edit]
A sword crow is an assassin who specialize in expert swordsmanship, delivering precise blow with the use a light and precise weapons. While they don't rely on underhanded tactics, they certainly have the expertise to use them.
- Replaces: Sneak Attack
- Benefits: A sword crow assassin gains the following class features:
- Precise Strike (Ex): A 1st level sword crow assassin gains the Precise Strike class feature as a duelist. If she already has the class feature, such as from Duelist or Swashbuckler, her assassin level stacks with her original class level to determine bonus damage instead.
- Death Attack (Ex): The sword crow assassin gains this class feature at 3rd level. Instead of triggering from a sneak attack, it must be delivered with a precise strike. The same limitation of a death attack applies normally.
