Assassin

Even more skilled in the art of death, assassins are those few who have gone on to perfect the arts of murder to an incredibly fine degree. So deadly are the cold-hearted killers that they are beyond the ideas of allegiance and devotion to anything more than the next challenging kill.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Assassins are proficient with the crossbow (hand, light or heavy), dagger (any type), dart, rapier, sap, shortbow (normal and composite) and short sword. Assassins are proficient with light armor but not with shields.

Backstab (Ex): This is exactly like the rogue ability of the same name. The extra damage dealt increases by +1d6 every other level (2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th). If an assassin gets a backstab bonus from another source, the bonuses on damage stack.

Death Attack (Ex): If an assassin studies his victim for 3 rounds and then makes a backstab with a melee weapon that successfully deals damage, the backstab has the additional effect of possibly either paralyzing or killing the target (assassin's choice). While studying the victim, the assassin can undertake other actions so long as his attention stays focused on the target and the target does not detect the assassin or recognize the assassin as an enemy. If the victim of such an attack fails a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the assassin's class level + the assassin's 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 assassin. If the victim's saving throw succeeds, the attack is just a normal backstab. Once the assassin has completed the 3 rounds 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 assassin does not launch the attack within 3 rounds of completing the study, 3 new rounds of study are required before he can attempt another death attack.

Poison Use (Ex): Assassins are trained in the use of poison and never risk accidentally poisoning themselves when applying poison to a blade.

Spells: Beginning at 1st level, an assassin gains the ability to prepare and cast a limited number of arcane spells. To cast a spell, an assassin must have an Intellect score of at least 10 + the spell's level, so an assassin with an Intellect of 10 or lower cannot cast these spells. Assassin spells are arcane and based on Intellect; saving throws against these spells have DCs of 10 + spell level + the assassin's Intellect 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 Intellect score for that spell level. The assassin's spell list appears below. An assassin casts spells just as an arcanist.

Save Bonus against Poison (Ex): At 2nd level, the assassin gains a bonus on all saving throws against poisons; the bonus increases by +1 for every two additional assassin levels.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, an assassin retains his Agility bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. (He Table 4-2: The Assassin (Asn) Class Base Fort Ref Will Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special 1st +0 +0 +2 +0 Backstab +1d6, death attack, poison use, spells 2nd +1 +0 +3 +0 +1 save against poison, uncanny dodge 3rd +2 +1 +3 +1 Backstab +2d6 4th +3 +1 +4 +1 +2 save against poison 5th +3 +1 +4 +1 Improved uncanny dodge, backstab +3d6 6th +4 +2 +5 +2 +3 save against poison 7th +5 +2 +5 +2 Backstab +4d6 8th +6 +2 +6 +2 +4 save against poison, hide in plain sight 9th +6 +3 +6 +3 Backstab +5d6 10th +7 +3 +7 +3 +5 save against poison still loses any Agility bonus to AC if immobilized.) If a character gains uncanny dodge from a second class the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below).

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 5th level, an assassin can no longer be flanked, since he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies rogues the ability to use flank attacks to backstab the assassin. The exception to this defense is that a rogue at least four levels higher than the assassin can flank him (and thus backstab him). If a character gains uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge, and the levels from those classes 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 he is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, an assassin can hide himself from view in the open without actually having anything to hide behind. He cannot hide in his own shadow, however. Table 4-3: Assassin Spell Slots per Day Level 1 2 3 4 1st 0 - - - 2nd 1 - - - 3rd 2 0 - - 4th 3 1 - - 5th 3 2 0 - 6th 3 3 1 - 7th 3 3 2 0 8th 3 3 3 1 9th 3 3 3 2 10th 3 3 3 3 Assassin Spell List 1st Level - disguise self, detect poison, ghost sound, shadow meld, slow fall. 2nd Level - alter self, arcane intellect, darkness, invisibility, pass without trace. 3rd Level - bloodlust, deeper darkness, magic circle against good, nondetection, suggestion. 4th level - clairaudience/clairvoyance, dimension door, freedom of movement, greater invisibility, locate creature.