Assassin

Assassin

Alignment: Any non-good

Hit Die: d8

Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), and Swim (Str)
Skill Points per Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Level Base Attack Fort Reflex Will AC Bonus Special
1 +0 +2 +2 +0 +0 AC Bonus, Alignment Mask, Assassinate, Master of Disguise
2 +1 +3 +3 +0 +0 Unarmed Strike, Fast Stealth, Fast Movement
3 +2 +3 +3 +1 +0 Blind-Fight, Poison Use
4 +3 +4 +4 +1 +1 Acrobatics
5 +3 +4 +4 +1 +1 Improved Feint
6 +4 +5 +5 +2 +1 Uncanny Dodge
7 +5 +5 +5 +2 +1 Evasion
8 +6 +6 +6 +2 +2 Touch of Death
9 +6 +6 +6 +3 +2 Vanish from Sight
10 +7 +7 +7 +3 +2 Improved Uncanny Dodge
11 +8 +7 +7 +3 +2 Improved Blind-Fight, Trackless Step
12 +9 +8 +8 +4 +3 Trap Detection
13 +9 +8 +8 +4 +3 Improved Evasion
14 +10 +9 +9 +4 +3 Poison Mastery
15 +11 +9 +9 +5 +3 Bleeding Wounds
16 +12 +10 +10 +5 +4 Blindsense, Nondetection
17 +12 +10 +10 +5 +4 Greater Blind-Fight
18 +13 +11 +11 +6 +4 Live to Fight Another Day
19 +14 +11 +11 +6 +4 Greater Feint
20 +15 +12 +12 +6 +5 Grandfather of Assassins

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Assassins are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the bolo, garrote, handaxe, kukri, net, sap, starknife, short sword, throwing axe, and the tri-blade katar. Assassins are proficient with light armor. They are not proficient with medium or heavy armor or any type of shield.

AC Bonus: When wearing no armor or light armor and carrying no more than a light load, the assassin adds his Intelligence bonus (if any) to his AC and CMD. In addition, an assassin gains a +1 bonus to AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every four assassin levels thereafter, up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.

These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the assassin is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any type of medium or heavy armor, when he uses a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.

Alignment Mask: An assassin confounds spells such as know alignment and abilities such as detect evil. When these abilities are used against an assassin, the assassin always registers as neutral, despite his true alignment.

Assassinate: An assassin can sometimes land a blow that is particularly deadly. In order to successfully conduct such an attack, the assassin must use either a light weapon or a ranged weapon, and he must be proficient in its use. Furthermore, one of the following conditions must be met: (A) the target must not be aware of the assassin's presence (either through use of a magic such as the spell invisibility or through mundane methods such as the Stealth skill) or (B) the target must not consider the assassin a threat. For example, an assassin could use the disguise skill to pretend to be one of several dozen homeless beggars squatting outside a castle gate. If either of these two conditions are met, the assassin can make a surprise attack as a standard action against his target. If this attack successfully hits, the target suffers a critical hit, regardless of whether or not the assassin rolled a critical threat. If the assassin rolls, and then confirms, a critical hit, the damage multiplier is increased by 1.

The target must be a corporeal creature that is subject to the effects of critical hits. An assassin can use a ranged weapon for this attack, but only if the target is within 30 feet. An assassin can use a sap (or blackjack) or an unarmed strike to deliver an assassinate attempt that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. He cannot deal nonlethal damage with any other weapon, not even if the assassin takes the usual -4 penalty on his attack roll

At 4th level, and every four assassin levels thereafter, the critical multiplier on a successful assassinate attack increases by 1, to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.

Master of Disguise: An assassin gains a +2 competence bonus on all Disguise skill checks. At 5th level, and every four assassin levels gained thereafter, the bonus on Disguise skill checks increases by +2, to a maximum bonus of +10 at 17th level.

Unarmed Strike: At 2nd level, an assassin gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. An assassin's unarmed attack may be made with his fists, elbows, knees, feet, or even his head. This means an assassin may make an unarmed strike with his hands full.

Usually an assassin's unarmed strike deals lethal damage, but he can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on his attack roll.

An assassin deals more damage with his unarmed strikes than normal, and as he gains levels, the damage from his unarmed strikes also increases. At 2nd level, an assassin deals 1d6 damage (1d4 damage if Small) with an unarmed attack. This increases to 1d8 damage (1d6 if small) at 6th level, 1d10 damage (1d8 if Small) at 11th level, and 2d6 (1d10 if Small) at 16th level.

Fast Stealth: Starting at 2nd level, an assassin can move at full speed when using the Stealth skill.

Fast Movement: At 2nd level, an assassin's land speed is faster than normal for his race by +10 feet. This benefit only applies when he is unarmored and carrying no more than a light load. This bonus stacks with any other bonuses to the assassin's land speed.

Blind-Fight: At 3rd level, an assassin gains Blind-Fight as a bonus feat.

Poison Use: Beginning at 3rd level, an assassin never risks accidentally poisoning himself when applying poison to a weapon. He also gains Skill Focus (Craft: Poison) as a bonus feat.

Acrobatics: At 4th level, an assassin gains a +2 competence bonus on all Acrobatics and Climb skill checks. At 8th level and every four levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +2, to a maximum bonus of +10 at 20th level.

Improved Feint: At 5th level, an assassin gains Improved Feint as a bonus feat, even if he does not normally meet the prerequisites. If the assassin already has selected Improved Feint as a feat, he instead gains one feat of his choice, but in this case the assassin must meet all the listed requirements for the feat selected.

Uncanny Dodge: At 6th level, an assassin can react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He cannot be caught flat-footed, even if the attacker is invisible. He still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. An assassin with this ability can still lose his Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against him.

Evasion: At 7th level an assassin can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex save against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can only be used if the assassin is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless assassin does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Touch of Death: Starting at 8th level, an assassin gains his most feared attack - the touch of death. When the assassin succeeds in an assassinate attack, the target must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the assassin's level + the assassin's Intelligence modifier). If the target fails the save he dies immediately. If the target succeeds, then there is no addition effect (other than the normal damage inflicted by the assassinate attack). If the assassin uses a sap or unarmed strike to deal non-lethal damage in an assassinate attempt, this ability renders the target unconscious on a failed save instead.

Vanish from Sight: At 9th level, an assassin can use the Stealth skill while being observed as long as the following conditions are met: (A) there must be something that can provide concealment or cover within one move action of the assassin's current position and (B) those who are observing the assassin are distracted, even if for an instant. If both of these conditions are met, the assassin can use the Stealth skill in order to hide. Many assassins carry thunderstones, flashbombs, and smoke bombs for just such a purpose. Alternatively, the assassin may use the Bluff skill in order to feint to distract any observers.

Improved Uncanny Dodge: An assassin of 10th level or higher can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak the character by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has assassin levels.

Improved Blind-Fight: at 11th level, an assassin gains Improved Blind-Fight as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the normal prerequisite for this feat.

Trackless Step: At 11th level, the assassin leaves no trail and cannot be tracked by non-magical means or by the use of scent.

**Trap Detection: At 12th level, an assassin adds 1/2 his assassin class level to Perception skill checks made to locate traps, but he receives no bonus on Disable Device checks to disarm traps. An assassin cannot use Disable Device to disarm magical traps.

Improved Evasion: At 13th level, the assassin's evasion ability improves. He still takes no damage on a successful Reflex save against attacks, but henceforth he only takes half damage on a failed save. A helpless assassin does not gain the benefits of improved evasion.

Poison Mastery: At 14th level, an assassin becomes immune to all poisons. Any poison that he personally crafts receives a +2 bonus on its Save DC.

Bleeding Wounds: At 15th level, an assassin deals 1d6 points of bleed damage any time he makes a successful critical strike against an opponent or when he hits an opponent while using his assassinate ability.

Blindsense: At 16th level, an assassin gains blindsense out to a distance of 30 feet.

Nondetection: Starting at 16th level, an assassin has a constant nondetection effect, as per the spell, on his person and his equipment. This ability has an effective caster level equal to the assassin's class level.

Greater Blind-Fight: At 17th level, an assassin gains Greater Blind-Fight as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the normal prerequisites for this feat.

Live to Fight Another Day: At 18th level, an assassin can use word of recall, as per the spell, as a swift action once per day.

Greater Feint: At 19th level, an assassin gains Greater Feint as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the normal prerequisites for this feat.

Grandfather of Assassins: Upon reaching 20th level, an assassin has reached the peak of his abilities. If the Grandfather of Assassins is hit by an attack that would reduce him to 0 or fewer hit points, he may make a Reflex save against a DC of 10 + the damage dealt. A successful save places the assassin at 1 hit point, while a failed save results in full damage. On a successful save, the Grandfather also feigns death. To any cursory examination, he appears to be dead (even minor magical means such as the spell deathwatch are fooled by this ability). While feigning death, the Grandfather remains aware of his surroundings and can take purely mental actions (usually to use word or recall on his next turn). The grandfather may use this ability only once per day.

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