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View Full Version : Spymaster PrC in 20 Levels [3.5, PEACH]



Amnestic
2013-05-02, 10:01 PM
Spymaster


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/Amnestic/sample-0f266afcac9196a5bb0a7fe32996-1.jpg
The Spymaster scopes out its target.

Hit Dice: D6

Skill Points Per Level: 8+IntMod

{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st| +0 | +0 | +2 | +0 | Undetectable Alignment, Cover Identity, Maneuvers

2nd| +1 | +0 | +3 | +0 | Poison Use, Sneak Attack +1d6

3rd| +2 | +1 | +3 | +1 | Quick Change, Light of Hand, Contacts (City)

4th| +3 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Detect Thoughts, Trapfinding

5th| +3 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Skilled Forger, Magic Aura

6th| +4 | +2 | +5 | +2 | Parry, Swift Reflexes, Sneak Attack +2d6

7th| +5 | +2 | +5 | +2 | Contacts (Country), Slick Thoughts

8th| +6/+1 | +2 | +6 | +2 | Evasion, Cunning Linguist

9th| +6/+1 | +3 | +6 | +3 | Slippery Mind, Slow Fall

10th| +7/+2 | +3 | +7 | +3 | Change Shape, Wall Climb, Sneak Attack +3d6

11th| +8/+3 | +3 | +7 | +3 | Poison Resistance, Contacts (Continent)

12th| +9/+4 | +4 | +8 | +4 | Tricks of the Trade, Veil

13th| +9/+4 | +4 | +8 | +4 | Dispel Scrying, True Sight

14th| +10/+5 | +4 | +9 | +4 | Contacts (World), Sneak Attack +4d6

15th| +11/+6/+1 | +5 | +9 | +5 | Combat Brilliance, Deep Cover

16th| +12/+7/+2 | +5 | +10 | +5 | Poison Immunity, Blindsight

17th| +12/+7/+2 | +5 | +10 | +5 | Disguise Mastery, Poison Mastery

18th| +13/+8/+3 | +6 | +11 | +6 | Improved Evasion, Contacts (Planar), Sneak Attack +5d6

19th| +14/+9/+4 | +6 | +11 | +6 | Eidetic Memory, Step Through Time

20th| +15/+10/+5 | +6 | +12 | +6 | Return from Whence They Came, Master of Spies[/table]

Class Skills: Appraise, Balance, Bluff, Climb, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Forgery, Gather Information, Hide, Iaijutsu Focus, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Geography, History, Local, Nobility), Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Speak Language, Spot, Swim, Tumble, Use Magic Device and Use Rope.

Weapon/Armour Proficiencies: All simple and martial weapons, light and medium armour.

Undetectable Alignment (Ex): Spymasters are masters of cloaking their true intentions and are thus permanetly affected by the Undetectable Alignment spell as an Ex ability.

Cover Identity (Ex): Though Spymasters may have numerous different identities, they specialise in a select few. While operating in their chosen cover identity, they gain a +4 Circumstance bonus to Disguise and a +2 Circumstance bonus to both Bluff and Gather Information. Spymasters gain a new Cover Identity at 5th level and at every fifth level onwards. Should a Spymaster wish, they can retire one cover identity to create a new one. Doing so requires a week of uninterrupted practise, mastering the subtleties and nuances of their new identity.

Maneuvers (Ex): Spymasters can learn and utilise maneuvers from the Setting Sun and Shadow Hand disciplines. Maneuvers are considered Ex abilities. Spymasters start with 3 Maneuvers Known and learn new maneuvers as per the table below. Upon reaching 4th level and at every even level after, the Spymaster can learn a new maneuver in place of one they already knew.

Spymasters can ready 2 of the 3 Maneuvers they know at 1st level. Spymasters ready maneuvers by spending five minutes practising the strikes. After being expended, a Spymaster can refresh maneuvers in combat by using a swift action, but can only do so while flanking an enemy. Doing so does not provoke an attack of opportunity and readies a single maneuver for use.



Maneuvers List:
{table=head]Level | Maneuvers Known | Maneuvers Readied | Stances Known
1st | 3 | 2 | 1

2nd | 3 | 2 | 1

3rd | 4 | 2 | 1

4th | 4 | 2 | 1

5th | 5 | 3 | 2

6th | 5 | 3 | 2

7th | 5 | 3 | 2

8th | 6 | 3 | 2

9th | 6 | 4 | 3

10th | 6 | 4 | 3

11th | 7 | 4 | 3

12th | 7 | 4 | 3

13th | 7 | 5 | 3

14th | 8 | 5 | 4

15th | 8 | 5 | 4

16th | 8 | 5 | 4

17th | 9 | 6 | 4

18th | 9 | 6 | 5

19th | 9 | 6 | 5

20th | 10 | 7 | 6
[/table]





Sneak Attack (Ex): As the Rogue ability. Other sources of Sneak Attack stack with Spymaster's Sneak Attack.

Poison Use (Ex): Spymasters are skilled in poison use and never risk accidentally poisoning themselves.

Quick Change (Ex): Action breeds alacrity. Starting from 3rd level, Spymasters can don a new disguise in 1d3 minutes and can don or remove armour in one-half the normal time.

Light of Hand (Ex): Spymasters gain Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat. In addition, they can choose to use their dexterity modifier for damage in place of their strength modifier with finessable weapons, whichever is higher.

Contacts (Ex): Spymasters are nothing without their contacts. At 3rd level they gain an extensive network of contacts throughout their home city (chosen when you gain this class feature). At 7th level their network extends across the country, at 11th across the Continent, at 14th level the known world and at 18th level other Planes of existence.

Contacts allows the Spymaster to quickly and efficiently gain information. Gather Information checks take 10 minutes instead of 1d4+1 hours. In addition once they gain contacts outside their home city, they can make Gather Information checks for any location they have Contacts at. If the location is different to the Spymaster's current location the information takes 1d6 hours to reach the Spymaster. The Spymaster can perform other actions while waiting for this information, but must spend 10 minutes at both 'ends' of the Gather Information check to request and receive the information.

Note that this ability may rely heavily on DM cooperation (especially at higher levels). Proper discussion concerning it is advised.

Trapfinding (Ex): As the Rogue ability.

Magic Aura (Sp): At 5th Level, the Spymaster gains the ability to use Nystul's Magic Aura at will with a caster level equal to her Spymaster class level.

Skilled Forger (Ex): Spymasters can add their Intelligence modifier as an Insight bonus to any Forgery checks they make.

Parry (Ex): The Spymaster gains a miss chance equal to their Dexterity score, however this miss chance only applies to melee attacks (including melee touch attacks). The Parry ability is still active even when unarmed.

Swift Reflexes (Ex): Learning to take advantage of their opponent being thrown off-balance by a Parry, the Spymaster gains the ability to strike back in an instant. Whenever the Spymaster avoids a melee attack via the miss chance granted by Parry, they can instantly make a single attack at their highest BAB against the opponent who they parried, assuming said opponent is within reach.

Slick Thoughts (Ex): Spymasters often have to focus on keeping secrets hidden and enemies out of their mind. At 7th level, Spymasters can add their Intelligence Modifier to their Will saves. At 14th Level, they can add their Intelligence modifier to their Fortitude Saves.

Evasion (Ex): At 8th level, the Spymaster gains Evasion, as the Rogue ability.

Cunning Linguist (Ex): Spymasters be necessity need to be able to deal with foreign languages. From 8th level onwards, they can gain a rudimentary understanding of any language by spending five minutes listening to it. In addition, if the Spymaster spends two days learning allows them to pick up and emulate dialects and a full week of learning grants fluency, adding it to their list of spoken languages.

Slippery Mind (Ex): At 9th level, Spymasters get a second chance to wriggle free from any enchantment spells/effects (as the rogue ability).

Slow Fall (Su): Sometimes you have to make a Leap of Faith. Spymasters have long since given up on these risks. They can activate Slow Fall (as the spell) on themselves at will as a free action (including when it's not their turn). This effect can be cancelled at will.

Change Shape (Su): Forms are malleable and appearances are mutable. From 10th level, the Spymaster can Change Shape, at will, to any form that matches its own racial type.

Wall Climb (Su): As a swift action, the Spymaster can gain the effects of the Spider Climb spell (Caster Level=Spymaster Level). The Spymaster can do this IntMod times per day.

Poison Resistance (Su): A long time amongst the higher echelons of political power plays tends to result in at least one or two poisonings. The Spymaster gains a bonus on saves vs. poisons equal to their Intelligence modifier.

Tricks of the Trade (Ex): Spymasters gain an inherent bonus to all their class skills equal to twice their Intelligence Modifier. This bonus stacks with any other bonuses from Spymaster abilities (such as Skilled Forger).

Veil (Ex): Sometimes not even the best disguise can get you past the door. In that case, Spymasters can shroud themselves. They can cast Invisibility a number of times per day equal to their Intelligence modifier (minimum 1), with a caster level equal to their Spymaster level.

Spymasters also gain the ability to Hide in Plain Sight. As long as the Spymaster is within 10' of some sort of shadow (barring their own), concealment or crowd, the Spymaster can hide themselves (with the Hide skill) in the open without anything to actually hide behind.

Dispel Scrying (Ex): At 13th level, a Spymaster can dispel a Scrying sensor as if casting Greater Dispel Magic (caster level=10+Class level). The Spymaster can use this IntMod times per day.

True Seeing (Su): The Spymaster can activate True Seeing on themselves for a number of minutes per day equal to their Intelligence Modifier (minimum 1). These minutes can be split up as the Spymaster desires.

Combat Brilliance (Ex): The Spymaster can impart some of their combat knowledge to their allies, which takes five minutes per person. Each ally taught by this receives a +1 to their critical threat range for 24 hours. This does not stack with other critical threat range increasing methods (such as Keen or Improved Critical). They can teach this ability to a number of allies equal to their Intelligence modifier.

Deep Cover (Ex): At 15th Level Spymasters are permanently affected by a Mind Blank effect, though they can choose to lower this at will if they so desire.

Poison Immunity (Ex): The Spymaster's resistance transcends its previous ability. They gain immunity to all mundane and magical poisons.

Blindsight (Ex): The Spymaster's senses are enhanced. They gain Blindsight with a range of 50'.

Disguise Mastery (Ex): Spymasters are so utterly adept at disguising themselves. They can now create a new disguise in 1d3 rounds, and are always treated as having rolled a 20 on their disguise check.

Poison Mastery (Ex): The Spymaster's long hours of working with poisons have granted them a higher knowledge of their applications. They can add their Intelligence Modifier to the DC of any Poison that they use. In addition, all ability damage from the Spymaster's poisons is multiplied by 1.5x.

Improved Evasion (Ex): The Spymaster gains Improved Evasion, as the Rogue ability.

Eidetic Memory (Ex): The Spymaster gains fully photographic memory and perfect recollection. They need only read or observe something once to be able to recall it and recreate it with perfect accuracy, no matter the complexity.

Step Through Time (Ex): A number of times per day equal to their Intelligence modifier, the Spymaster can essentially 'freeze' time for 1d6+1 rounds. During this time she cannot take any offensive actions, however all other abilities are available to her. In addition, she gains a fly speed (Perfect) equal to her land movement speed, and can pass through walls or other obstacles as if they didn't exist. If Step Through Time ends while the Spymaster is inside an object/wall, she is forcibly 'shoved' out of it, taking 1d6 points of damage for each 10' of distance (1d6 minimum).

Return from Whence They Came (Ex): As a Standard Action, the Spymaster can touch a single target. The target must succeed on a Will save (DC10+IntMod+1/2 Spymaster Levels) or instantly be teleported to where the touched person considers "home", or as close as can be. This effect can cross dimensions if necessary (e.g. returning a Demon to the Abyss). If the touched creature does not consider any place their "home", they are instead returned to the exact geographical location of their birth/creation. The Spymaster can use this ability on themselves if they so desire. Return from Whence they Came can be used IntMod times per day (Minimum 1). Even if the target passes the save, they are Stunned for one round from the sudden rush of energies that passed through them.

Master of Spies (Ex): You gain the Leadership feat. However, your Cohort and Followers must be of a suitably Spy-associated class (Spymaster, Rogue, Beguiler, or Bard for instance). In addition your Followers will never accompany you on missions/adventures, however they may undertake missions of their own on your behalf - be that gathering information, assassination, infiltration, etc. They may also bring you contracts/missions that are above their paygrade. On these missions, you can opt to have your cohort accompany you if you so desire. They will not assist you with any other adventures/missions however, as they must spend the majority of their time running your Spy Network.

In addition, you automatically receive a base of operations for your cohort and followers to use if you did not already own one.


Design Notes:
Spymaster is a cool prestige class. At least I think so. Is it cool as a base class? Well, maybe.

I tried to keep the essence of the the prestige class while also expanding on it - filling in what would otherwise be dead levels with abilities that are thematically appropriate for it. Giving it a maneuvers list was primarily to increase its in-combat viability which otherwise was mostly limited to sneak attack.

While I'm not sure as to the power level of the final product, my hope is that it ends up around Tier 3. "Able to do one thing well, able to do other things decently when that one thing isn't available." I think I managed to do that. Hopefully. Lemme know!

LordErebus12
2013-05-02, 10:07 PM
okay, this is driving me mad, where is the spy in the image, and who is he scoping out. :smallbiggrin:

also, i kind of disagree with undetectable alignment, both as a (Ex) and as a first level ability.

Amnestic
2013-05-03, 09:43 AM
okay, this is driving me mad, where is the spy in the image, and who is he scoping out. :smallbiggrin:

Oh, they're there somewhere :smalltongue:



also, i kind of disagree with undetectable alignment, both as a (Ex) and as a first level ability.

It is earlier than any other class...but also not really a deal breaker. Bard can get it at 2nd and Clerics can get it at 3rd. Spymasters get it a level earlier and as an Ex effect, but I don't think that's a problem really.

DMwithoutPC's
2013-05-16, 10:35 AM
lovin' it

Amnestic, this made my day!:smallbiggrin:
Finally I can make my goblinoid Court-spymaster without going through the needlessly combat focused rogue class!

It suits my needs perfectly, and for that, I thank you

Pesimismrocks
2013-05-16, 11:09 AM
This is an awesome class. I always love Base Class versions of good PrCs.
Just 2 things.
-Skill mastery kind of needs to be renamed. There's already a class feature with this name and a lot of classes have it. Maybe something like master of none or jack-of-all-trades.
-I'd also see it having trapfinding. I mean breaking in and disabling alarms is pretty standard easy stuff for a spy. Not necessary just nice, especially since the PrC generally already has it from rogue

Other than these I can see this as a solid tier 3 class. It's got lots of amazing abilities and Manuevers are just the cherry on the top

Amnestic
2013-05-19, 10:11 PM
-Skill mastery kind of needs to be renamed. There's already a class feature with this name and a lot of classes have it. Maybe something like master of none or jack-of-all-trades.

Good point. Will think of an alternative name.



-I'd also see it having trapfinding. I mean breaking in and disabling alarms is pretty standard easy stuff for a spy. Not necessary just nice, especially since the PrC generally already has it from rogue

It gets Trapfinding at 4th level. Easy to miss 'cos the description is just "As the Rogue ability" :smallwink:

The Mentalist
2013-05-19, 10:23 PM
Combat Brilliance needs clarification of how long it takes the Spymaster to teach it and Maneuvers need clarification on how they're refreshed.

Amnestic
2013-05-20, 07:44 AM
Combat Brilliance needs clarification of how long it takes the Spymaster to teach it and Maneuvers need clarification on how they're refreshed.

o.O



Combat Brilliance (Ex): The Spymaster can impart some of their combat knowledge to their allies, which takes five minutes per person.

Since you count as your own ally unless otherwise specified, it's five minutes per person including yourself. So to teach a part of 4+the Spymaster, it'd be 25 minutes total. Seems...pretty clear to me?

As for maneuvers, that's me writing a sentence then poorly rewriting it halfway through development. Nice catch, it's meant to be a swift action.

Edit: Corrected the typo in maneuvers section and renamed 'Skill Mastery' to 'Tricks of the Trade' due to Skill Mastery being used elsewhere.

The Mentalist
2013-05-20, 01:51 PM
Yeah, sorry, missed the Combat Brilliance bit.

Amnestic
2013-05-20, 04:36 PM
Yeah, sorry, missed the Combat Brilliance bit.

No worries, I missed me failing to write out the maneuvers section correctly after three proof reads :P