Westhart
2017-04-18, 11:26 AM
I have heard that the assassin was weak in most cases and that going 10 levels in it is worse than taking most classes. I am not sure as I have not played it. I have heard the same about poisons and about the shadow dancer. Finally a friend requested I make a class combining the three and trying to make it survivable even when things begin getting immunities etc. This is the result:
The Shadow Death
Requirements:
Skills: Craft (alchemy) 4 ranks, Disguise 4 ranks Craft (poisonmaking) 8 ranks, Hide 8 ranks, move silently 8 ranks, perform (dance) 4 ranks
Feats: Combat reflexes, Dodge
Skills per level: 6+Intelligence modifier
The class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Decipher Script (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Dance) (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), and Forgery (Int)
The Shadow Death
Level
Base Attack Bonus
Will Save
Ref Save
Fort Save
Special
Spells per day
1st
+1
+0
+2
+2
Hide in plain sight, sneak attack +1d6, death attack, poison use
2nd
+2
+0
+3
+3
Evasion, darkvision, uncanny dodge, Darkness Leap
+1 previous spellcasting class
3rd
+3
+1
+3
+3
sneak attack +2d6, faster poison use (move action)
+1 previous spellcasting class
4th
+4
+1
+4
+4
Shadow jump 20 ft. see in darkness, Improved poisons
+1 previous spellcasting class
5th
+5
+1
+4
+4
improved uncanny dodge, sneak attack +3d6
6th
+6
+2
+5
+5
Shadow jump 40 ft. faster poison use (swift action)
+1 previous spellcasting class
7th
+7
+2
+5
+5
Slippery mind, sneak attack +4d6
+1 previous spellcasting class
8th
+8
+2
+6
+6
Shadow jump 80 ft., Shadow Pounce
+1 previous spellcasting class
9th
+9
+3
+6
+6
sneak attack +5d6, faster poison use (free action)
+1 previous spellcasting class
10th
+10
+3
+7
+7
Shadow jump 160 ft., improved evasion, Poison mastery
Spellcasting: at every odd level the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in whatever arcane spellcasting class in which he could cast before he added the prestige class level. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus metamagic or item creation feats, and so on). If a character had more than one spellcasting class before he became a shadow death, he must decide to which class he adds each level of archmage for the purpose of determining spells per day. In addition you may add the assassin spell list to yours.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
proficient with the crossbow (hand, light, or heavy), dagger (any type), dart, rapier, sap, shortbow (normal and composite), and short sword, club, heavy mace, morningstar, quarterstaff, proficient with light armor but not with shields.
Hide in Plain Sight (Su): A Shadow Death can use the Hide skill even while being observed. As long as she is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, a Shadow Death can hide herself from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind. She cannot, however, hide in her own shadow.
Sneak Attack (Ex): This is exactly like the rogue ability of the same name. The extra damage dealt increases by +1d6 every other level (1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th). If Shadow Death gets a sneak attack bonus from another source the bonuses on damage stack.
Death Attack (Ex): If an Shadow Death studies his victim for 1 round and then makes a sneak attack with a melee weapon that successfully deals damage, the sneak attack has the additional effect of possibly either paralyzing or killing the target (Shadow Death’s choice). While studying the victim, the Shadow Death can undertake other actions so long as his attention stays focused on the target and the target does not detect the Shadow Death or recognize the assassin as an enemy. If the victim of such an attack fails a Fortitude save (DC 10 +1/2 character level+ the Shadow Death Int modifier) against the kill effect, she dies. If the saving throw fails against the paralysis effect, the victim is rendered helpless and unable to act for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per level of the Shadow Death. If the victim’s saving throw succeeds, the attack is just a normal sneak attack. Once the Shadow Death has completed the round of study, he must make the death attack within the next 3 rounds. If a death attack is attempted and fails (the victim makes her save) or if the Shadow Death does not launch the attack within 3 rounds of completing the study, another round of study are required before he can attempt another death attack.
Poison Use (Ex): You never risk accidentally poisoning yourself when using poisons.
Darkvision (Su): At 2nd level, the Shadow Death gains darkvision out to 60’ or her previous increases 30’
Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level, a Shadow Death gains evasion. If exposed to any effect that normally allows her to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, she takes no damage with a successful saving throw. The evasion ability can only be used if the Shadow Death is wearing light armor or no armor.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a Shadow Death retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. (She still loses any Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.) If a character gains uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below).
Darkness Leap (Sp): You can use the spell dimension door as a spell like ability a number of times per day equal to your class level. At 10th level you gain the ability to use dimension door as a supernatural ability at will.
Faster Poison use (Ex): At 3rd level you can apply poison with a move action. At 6th level you can do so as a swift action and do not provoke AoO. At 9th level you may apply poison as a free action.
See in darkness (Ex): A Shadow Death can see in magical darkness and normal darkness normally.
Improved poisons (Ex): The DC of any poison made by the Shadow Death is increased by her level +½ her craft (poisonmaking) result. It also does additional damage equal to ½ her level, or if it does not do damage but has a duration it is multiplied by 2
Shadow Jump (Su): At 4th level, a shadowdancer gains the ability to travel between shadows as if by means of a dimension door spell. The limitation is that the magical transport must begin and end in an area with at least some shadow. A shadowdancer can jump up to a total of 40 feet each day in this way; this may be a single jump of 40 feet or four jumps of 10 feet each. Every two levels higher than 4th, the distance a shadowdancer can jump each day doubles (80 feet at 6th, 160 feet at 8th, and 320 feet at 10th). This amount can be split among many jumps, but each one, no matter how small, counts as a 10-foot increment.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 5th level, a Shadow Death can no longer be flanked. This defense denies rogues the ability to use flank attacks to sneak attack the shadowdancer. The exception to this defense is that a rogue at least four levels higher than the shadowdancer can flank her (and thus sneak attack her). If a character gains uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge, and the levels from those classes stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.
Slippery Mind (Ex): At 7th level, if a Shadow Death is affected by an enchantment and fails her saving throw, 1 round later she can attempt her saving throw again. She only gets this one extra chance to succeed at her saving throw. If it fails as well, the spell’s effects occur normally.
Shadow Pounce (Ex): At 8th level, a Shadow Death learns how to attack swiftly from the shadows. Any time she uses an ability, spell, or effect with the teleportation descriptor (for example, her shadow jump ability), she may execute a full attack upon completion of the teleportation. The Shadow Death must have line of sight on his intended target from his original location, and the spot to which she teleports must be a place from which he can launch a melee attack at the intended target with whatever weapon he has in hand at the beginning of his action.
Improved Evasion (Ex): This ability, gained at 10th level, works like evasion (see above). A shadowdancer takes no damage at all on successful saving throws against attacks that allow a Reflex saving throw for half damage. What’s more, she takes only half damage even if she fails her saving throw.
Poison Mastery (Ex): At 10th level you master the art of creating poisons. Targets subjected to your poison must make the second save one round later. Injury and contact poisons last for an additional use per 10 ranks in craft(poisonmaking) you possess. You may also delay the effects of your poisons for 1 round per 10 ranks. These benefits only work for poisons you create. In addition if you double the cost of making the poison and doubling the time to craft it overcomes immunities to poison, although the creature still gets a save.
Not sure on the spellcasting, or overcoming the poison immunity... But I hope this is similar to what my friend wanted...
PEACH
The Shadow Death
Requirements:
Skills: Craft (alchemy) 4 ranks, Disguise 4 ranks Craft (poisonmaking) 8 ranks, Hide 8 ranks, move silently 8 ranks, perform (dance) 4 ranks
Feats: Combat reflexes, Dodge
Skills per level: 6+Intelligence modifier
The class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Decipher Script (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Dance) (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), and Forgery (Int)
The Shadow Death
Level
Base Attack Bonus
Will Save
Ref Save
Fort Save
Special
Spells per day
1st
+1
+0
+2
+2
Hide in plain sight, sneak attack +1d6, death attack, poison use
2nd
+2
+0
+3
+3
Evasion, darkvision, uncanny dodge, Darkness Leap
+1 previous spellcasting class
3rd
+3
+1
+3
+3
sneak attack +2d6, faster poison use (move action)
+1 previous spellcasting class
4th
+4
+1
+4
+4
Shadow jump 20 ft. see in darkness, Improved poisons
+1 previous spellcasting class
5th
+5
+1
+4
+4
improved uncanny dodge, sneak attack +3d6
6th
+6
+2
+5
+5
Shadow jump 40 ft. faster poison use (swift action)
+1 previous spellcasting class
7th
+7
+2
+5
+5
Slippery mind, sneak attack +4d6
+1 previous spellcasting class
8th
+8
+2
+6
+6
Shadow jump 80 ft., Shadow Pounce
+1 previous spellcasting class
9th
+9
+3
+6
+6
sneak attack +5d6, faster poison use (free action)
+1 previous spellcasting class
10th
+10
+3
+7
+7
Shadow jump 160 ft., improved evasion, Poison mastery
Spellcasting: at every odd level the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in whatever arcane spellcasting class in which he could cast before he added the prestige class level. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus metamagic or item creation feats, and so on). If a character had more than one spellcasting class before he became a shadow death, he must decide to which class he adds each level of archmage for the purpose of determining spells per day. In addition you may add the assassin spell list to yours.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
proficient with the crossbow (hand, light, or heavy), dagger (any type), dart, rapier, sap, shortbow (normal and composite), and short sword, club, heavy mace, morningstar, quarterstaff, proficient with light armor but not with shields.
Hide in Plain Sight (Su): A Shadow Death can use the Hide skill even while being observed. As long as she is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, a Shadow Death can hide herself from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind. She cannot, however, hide in her own shadow.
Sneak Attack (Ex): This is exactly like the rogue ability of the same name. The extra damage dealt increases by +1d6 every other level (1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th). If Shadow Death gets a sneak attack bonus from another source the bonuses on damage stack.
Death Attack (Ex): If an Shadow Death studies his victim for 1 round and then makes a sneak attack with a melee weapon that successfully deals damage, the sneak attack has the additional effect of possibly either paralyzing or killing the target (Shadow Death’s choice). While studying the victim, the Shadow Death can undertake other actions so long as his attention stays focused on the target and the target does not detect the Shadow Death or recognize the assassin as an enemy. If the victim of such an attack fails a Fortitude save (DC 10 +1/2 character level+ the Shadow Death Int modifier) against the kill effect, she dies. If the saving throw fails against the paralysis effect, the victim is rendered helpless and unable to act for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per level of the Shadow Death. If the victim’s saving throw succeeds, the attack is just a normal sneak attack. Once the Shadow Death has completed the round of study, he must make the death attack within the next 3 rounds. If a death attack is attempted and fails (the victim makes her save) or if the Shadow Death does not launch the attack within 3 rounds of completing the study, another round of study are required before he can attempt another death attack.
Poison Use (Ex): You never risk accidentally poisoning yourself when using poisons.
Darkvision (Su): At 2nd level, the Shadow Death gains darkvision out to 60’ or her previous increases 30’
Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level, a Shadow Death gains evasion. If exposed to any effect that normally allows her to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, she takes no damage with a successful saving throw. The evasion ability can only be used if the Shadow Death is wearing light armor or no armor.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a Shadow Death retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. (She still loses any Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.) If a character gains uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below).
Darkness Leap (Sp): You can use the spell dimension door as a spell like ability a number of times per day equal to your class level. At 10th level you gain the ability to use dimension door as a supernatural ability at will.
Faster Poison use (Ex): At 3rd level you can apply poison with a move action. At 6th level you can do so as a swift action and do not provoke AoO. At 9th level you may apply poison as a free action.
See in darkness (Ex): A Shadow Death can see in magical darkness and normal darkness normally.
Improved poisons (Ex): The DC of any poison made by the Shadow Death is increased by her level +½ her craft (poisonmaking) result. It also does additional damage equal to ½ her level, or if it does not do damage but has a duration it is multiplied by 2
Shadow Jump (Su): At 4th level, a shadowdancer gains the ability to travel between shadows as if by means of a dimension door spell. The limitation is that the magical transport must begin and end in an area with at least some shadow. A shadowdancer can jump up to a total of 40 feet each day in this way; this may be a single jump of 40 feet or four jumps of 10 feet each. Every two levels higher than 4th, the distance a shadowdancer can jump each day doubles (80 feet at 6th, 160 feet at 8th, and 320 feet at 10th). This amount can be split among many jumps, but each one, no matter how small, counts as a 10-foot increment.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 5th level, a Shadow Death can no longer be flanked. This defense denies rogues the ability to use flank attacks to sneak attack the shadowdancer. The exception to this defense is that a rogue at least four levels higher than the shadowdancer can flank her (and thus sneak attack her). If a character gains uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge, and the levels from those classes stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.
Slippery Mind (Ex): At 7th level, if a Shadow Death is affected by an enchantment and fails her saving throw, 1 round later she can attempt her saving throw again. She only gets this one extra chance to succeed at her saving throw. If it fails as well, the spell’s effects occur normally.
Shadow Pounce (Ex): At 8th level, a Shadow Death learns how to attack swiftly from the shadows. Any time she uses an ability, spell, or effect with the teleportation descriptor (for example, her shadow jump ability), she may execute a full attack upon completion of the teleportation. The Shadow Death must have line of sight on his intended target from his original location, and the spot to which she teleports must be a place from which he can launch a melee attack at the intended target with whatever weapon he has in hand at the beginning of his action.
Improved Evasion (Ex): This ability, gained at 10th level, works like evasion (see above). A shadowdancer takes no damage at all on successful saving throws against attacks that allow a Reflex saving throw for half damage. What’s more, she takes only half damage even if she fails her saving throw.
Poison Mastery (Ex): At 10th level you master the art of creating poisons. Targets subjected to your poison must make the second save one round later. Injury and contact poisons last for an additional use per 10 ranks in craft(poisonmaking) you possess. You may also delay the effects of your poisons for 1 round per 10 ranks. These benefits only work for poisons you create. In addition if you double the cost of making the poison and doubling the time to craft it overcomes immunities to poison, although the creature still gets a save.
Not sure on the spellcasting, or overcoming the poison immunity... But I hope this is similar to what my friend wanted...
PEACH