Invisible Hand [PrC]

[Deepblue706]

The city-state of Izdule would appear to be a center of scum and villainy, hidden under the guise of glorious white streets and arches. The public feels relatively secure in their freedoms, as they are led to believe their city is under organization of a Senate, composed of wise and benign members of their society.

Beneath the viel, however, lies a grand puppet master, pulling a countless many strings in order to meet the ends it desires. Under this grand, invisible master is a band of those willing to do his bidding to reach these ends, trained in stealth, infiltration, blackmail, kidnapping, assassination, among other things.

But, do they "convince" members of the trusted senate to make decision to benefit this unseen master, and no one else? Or do they, in truth, protect the town from the cover of the shadows, destroying the corruption from within? The people of this city live good lives, for the most part, but I cannot help but suspect something sinister lies beneath.

---Journal entry, Unknown writer

Initiate of the Invisible Hand

Prerequisites:
-Sneak Attack ability, +2d6 or higher
-Ability to cast arcane spells, and more specifically, at least one level-one illusion spell
-Bluff 8 ranks
-Disguise 8 ranks
-Hide 8 ranks
-Move Silently 8 ranks
-Alignment: Chaotic (As the underhanded dealings of the Invisible Hand *may* be evil, this cannot be confirmed, as their actions have never been documented, and their motives are completely unknown to the few who know they exist).
-Membership in the Invisible Hand

{table=head [B] Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Spells
1st|+0|+0|+2|+2|Extended Illusion|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
2nd|+1|+0|+3|+3|Master of Deception, Sneak Attack +1d6|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
3rd|+2|+1|+3|+3|Quickened Illusion, Master of Disguise|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
4th|+3|+1|+4|+4|Master of Stealth, Sneak Attack +1d6|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
5th|+3|+1|+4|+4|Master of Illusion|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class[/table]


HD: D6

Skills:

The IotIH receives (INT modifier + 4) skill points each level. His class skills are as follows: Bluff (CHA), Concentration (CON), Craft (INT), Decipher Script (INT), Disable Device (INT), Disguise (CHA), Escape Artist (DEX), Forgery (INT), Gather Information (CHA), Hide (DEX), Intimidate (CHA), Knowledge (Arcana) (INT), Knowledge (Local) (INT), Listen (WIS), Move Silently (DEX), Open Lock (DEX), Profession (WIS), Search (INT), Sleight of Hand (DEX), Spellcraft (INT), Spot (WIS), Tumble (DEX), Use Rope (DEX)

Extended Illusion: All Illusion spells the IotIH casts are treated as if the Extend Spell metamagic feat (as if they had it) was applied to them, with no increase in the level of the spell.

Master of Deception: The IotIH recieves a +4 competence bonus to all Bluff checks.

Quickened Illusion: Once per day per level of IotIH, the character may spontaneously imbue the Quicken Spell metamagic feat (as if they had it) on an Illusion spell they wish to cast, with no increase in the level of the spell.

Master of Disguise: The IotIH recieves a +4 competence bonus to all Disguise checks.

Master of Stealth: The IotIH recieves a +4 competence bonus to all Hide and Move Silently checks.

Master of Illusion: The IotIH may, as an immediate action, expend a spell prepared or a spell slot to gain a bonus (equal to the level of the spell expended this way) to any Charisma-based skill they have ranks in, or Hide or Move Silently, for a number of rounds equal to their caster level.

Sneak Attack: At every even numbered level, th IotIH improves his sneak attack by an additional 1d6.

------------------------------------------------------

That's all, folks. Yes, it was partly inspired by the Abjurant Champion. Also, the Beguiler might do stuff like this already - but I don't have the darn book it's in, so I wouldn't know. Whatever, shaddap.

Comments?

[Cybren]

Here you are.


Initiate of the Invisible Hand
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort |Ref |Will|Special|Spells

1st|

+0

|

+0

|

+2

|

+2

|Extended Illusion|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class

2nd|

+1

|

+0

|

+2

|

+2

|Master of Deception, Sneak Attack + 1d6|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class

3rd|

+2

|

+1

|

+3

|

+3

|Quickened Illusion, Master of Disguise|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class

4th|

+3

|

+1

|

+4

|

+4

|Master of Stealth, Sneak Attack + 1d6|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class

5th|

+3

|

+1

|

+4

|

+4

|Master of Illusion|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class[/table]



Also skill list?

[Deepblue706]

Whoops!

Knew I forgot somethin'...

Rogue's + Spellcraft, Concentration and Knowledge (Arcana)...at least, methinks that works ok. 4+ INT mod. I'll update this on the OP later.

Also, thankee for the chart, good fellow. Hate to nit-pick, but Willpower and Reflexes are both good saves. Also, there's a BAB jump from 1 to 3...

[Cybren]

Whoops!

Knew I forgot somethin'...

Rogue's + Spellcraft, Concentration and Knowledge (Arcana)...at least, methinks that works ok.

Also, thankee for the chart, good fellow. Hate to nit-pick, but Willpower and Reflexes are both good saves. Also, there's a BAB jump from 1 to 3...

so uhh, fix it after you put it into your first post?

[Deepblue706]

so uhh, fix it after you put it into your first post?

[Scrubbed]

[Cybren]

I didn't make a chart because I don't know how, numbnuts.

Quote my post. PLay with it.

[Deepblue706]

[Scrubbed]

[Aramil Liadon]

Hey, calm down, you two! The class looks great to me, only one quibble... The Master of the Unseen hand is a PrC in the Complete Warrior. So... yeah. Confusion might happen. But I suppose that's what this class is all about, isn't it? I like the flavor, but full caster progression seems a bit overpowered. Balanced of course by the sneak attack requirement. Can more experienced homebrewers help us out here?

@V: Yeah, it is pretty dumb. It could have been done well, but the way it is... it just sucks.

[Cybren]

I can tell you that this PRC, in its original form predates any of Deepblues encounters with Complete Warrior and it's likely that he won't change the name because of how much he hates the other PRC

[Deepblue706]

Hey, calm down, you two! The class looks great to me, only one quibble... The Master of the Unseen hand is a PrC in the Complete Warrior.

Yeah that class is totally dumb. I made this PrC back when 3.0 was relatively new (the concept moreso than the specific details) - and later seeing Master of the Unseen Hand made me kinda pissed. Not only was it almost exactly like my name, but it actually took the name quite literally, instead of figuratively, making me curse the "idiots" at WotC.

[Matthew]

Looks good. It would be more legible if you would incorporate Cybren's Table, though... *backs away, slowly... not too slowly, though...*

[Deepblue706]

Table is up!

Edit: Wow. Just realized the horrible spelling errors I made on the title. No wonder so few people were posting.

What I get for posting it while in a funk...

[Umarth]

It looks like decent PrC very similar to the Arcane Trickster and I imagine you'd see a lot of Rog 3/Wiz 1/ MUH 5/AT 10 in your world.

The only thing I would look at changing is making it a bit harder to get into. Right now a gnome rogue qualifies for the class at level 3 (with ghost sound racial ability). To me that's a bit to low level for a PrC. I'd recommend putting in a requirement to be able to cast at least one 3rd level illusion.

[Deepblue706]

How does the gnome rogue qualify for 7 ranks in Disguise, Bluff, Move Silently, and Hide at level 3?

He'd get into it at level 5, which is still a little low.

Hmm...

If I increase the rank requirements to 8, then a non-gnome would need to get 1 level of wizard and 5 levels of rogue. Or alternatively, 2 levels of wizard and 4 of rogue. Either way, level 7 would be their first in IotIH, and I want to aim for level 6 for all races.

Ah! Level 1 spells. Excelsior!

[Raveler1]

Lol - this wasn't what I was expecting... I was expecting some sort of economicist - "Invisible hand" being one of the terms of Adam Smith for market forces...

[Deepblue706]

There IS a reason they have profession as a class skill...

[Umarth]

Sorry your right. I was thinking max ranks was level +4 but it's really level +3.

I think even with adding level 1 spells your still looking at an entrance level of 5.
2d6 sneak = level 3
1st level spells = level 1
7 skill ranks = level 4 (level+3 max skill ranks)

So looks like first level would be 5. If you want first level to be 6 I'd bump the skill requirements up to 8.

[Deepblue706]

wait.

lvl 1 rogue: 4 ranks
2 rogue: 5 ranks
3 rogue: 6 ranks
4 rogue: 7 ranks
+1 wiz...(level 5)

that means 6th is first

[Umarth]

You don't need the 4th level or rogue you only need 3 for the 2d6 sneak attack.

Say I progressed like this:

1st Rogue max out needed skills.
2nd Wizard (skills in what ever) 1st level spells.
3rd Rogue max out needed skills again. Only 4 skills and I get 8+ intl mod so putting two points into each is easy and I'm at 6 ranks in each.
4th Rogue: 2d6 sneak attack, 7 Ranks in skills
5th Master of Unseen Hand.

Even with my 4th level as a caster if I've got a +6 (unlikely but possible) intl modifer I'd get enough skill points to max those out as cross class skills.

[Deepblue706]

I said 4th rogue because of skill ranks. Those skills aren't class skills for Wizard...so I dunno. SRD doesn't say enough on the topic, but I was sure that you can't really improve it faster...

And it's Initiate of the Invisible Hand - please, I hate the Master of the Unseen Hand.

Edit: Okay, so Class skills have a cap at level + 3.


3rd Rogue has 6 ranks

Getting cross-classed ranks in skills is something I've never really had an issue with...so I haven't invested any thought into it. But, how does the Wizard get the rank? That's the only thing that I can't get.

Cross-classed maximum is half the normal cap, but since ranks are in it already...see what I'm getting at? Rank maximums increase by 1 each level up. A cross-class is therefore increased by a half a rank. It would appear to me the 3 rogue /1 wizard, however you wanna do it, could get 6.5 ranks, but not 7.

Edit2: A reliable human source tells me my assumption is incorrect. Righty-o. 8 ranks it is.

[Umarth]

Sorry about mixing up the names.

In the D20 SRD you can find this blurb:

Skills
If a skill is a class skill for any of a multiclass character’s classes, then character level determines a skill’s maximum rank. (The maximum rank for a class skill is 3 + character level.)

If a skill is not a class skill for any of a multiclass character’s classes, the maximum rank for that skill is one-half the maximum for a class skill.

Esentially the way it works out is that if the skill is a class skill for any of your classes max rank is your level +3.

If the skill isn't a skill for the class you just leveled though you still would have to pay normal cross class skill costs.

[Matthew]

So, how many Hit Die per Level of this Prestige Class?

I like what I see, in general. I wonder, though, whether Master of Deception and Disguise should be rolled into one Class Feature, since Master of Stealth gains two +4 Skill Bonuses. If you were to do so, I would suggest a Class Feature that provides +4 Spot and +4 Listen.

[Deepblue706]

Whoops. I had it up there, but I guess I accidentally deleted it when I put up the table. D6.

I was considering rolling those two together and giving another competence bonus thinger, but was undecided. While Spot and Listen would be very important, I'm not sure they should indeed recieve the same level of bonuses...