My arcane trickster fix. Pick it apart at will.

[Duke Malagigi]

Arcane Trickster

Hermes, Loki, Tezcatlipoca and Raven, what would a bright god of messengers, a malicious divine traitor and murderer, a dark god who drove out his own brother god and a beaked and black-feathered yet mostly benign creator god have in common besides their shared divinity? They're all tricksters. Thieves, con men, sharps and silver tongued rogues, every man jack of them. Yet these fellows are also gods of the arcane and magical. Hermes, god of wizardry and science, Loki, the traitor and master of sorcery, Tezcatlipoca, master of beguiling and deception and Raven, wise and possessing of great knowledge. All of these gods are masters of trickery and the arcane. Yet among mortals such masters of two paths can also be found. They are the mortal arcane tricksters.

Hit Die: 1d6

Skills: Decipher Script 7 ranks, Disable Device 7 ranks, Escape Artist 7 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 4 ranks.
Spells: Ability to cast mage hand and at least one arcane spell of 3rd level or higher.
Special: Sneak attack +2d6.

Class Skills:
The arcane trickster's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Search (Int), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier

Custom

{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Spellcasting
1st|+0|+0|+2|+0|Ranged Legerdemain 1/day|+1 level of existing class
2nd|+1|+0|+3|+0|Sneak Attack +1d6|+1 level of existing class
3rd|+2|+1|+3|+1|Arcane Subterfuge, Impromptu Sneak Attack 1/day|+1 level of existing class
4th|+3|+1|+4|+1|Sneak Attack +2d6|+1 level of existing class
5th|+3|+1|+4|+1|Ranged Legerdemain 2/day|+1 level of existing class
6th|+4|+2|+5|+2|Arcane Subterfuge, Sneak Attack +3d6|+1 level of existing class
7th|+5|+2|+5|+2|Impromptu Sneak Attack 2/day|+1 level of existing class
8th|+6|+2|+6|+2|Sneak Attack +4d6|+1 level of existing class
9th|+6|+3|+6|+3|Arcane Subterfuge, Ranged Legerdemain 3/day|+1 level of existing class
10th|+7|+3|+7|+3|Sneak Attack +5d6|+1 level of existing class[/table]

Ranged Legerdemain: An arcane trickster can perform one of the following class skills at a range of 30 feet: Disable Device, Open Lock, or Sleight of Hand. Working at a distance increases the normal skill check DC by 5, and an arcane trickster cannot take 10 on this check. Any object to be manipulated must weigh 5 pounds or less.

An arcane trickster can use ranged legerdemain once per day initially, twice per day upon attaining 5th level, and three times per day at 9th level or higher. He can make only one ranged legerdemain skill check each day, and only if he has at least 1 rank in the skill being used.

Sneak Attack: 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 arcane trickster gets a sneak attack bonus from another source the bonuses on damage stack.

Impromptu Sneak Attack: Beginning at 3rd level, once per day an arcane trickster can declare one melee or ranged attack he makes to be a sneak attack (the target can be no more than 30 feet distant if the impromptu sneak attack is a ranged attack). The target of an impromptu sneak attack loses any Dexterity bonus to AC, but only against that attack. The power can be used against any target, but creatures that are not subject to critical hits take no extra damage (though they still lose any Dexterity bonus to AC against the attack).

At 7th level, an arcane trickster can use this ability twice per day.

Arcane Subterfuge: Experienced arcane tricksters can form a synergy between their arcane powers and their thieving skills. Beginning at 3rd level and repeating every three levels afterward, an arcane trickster gains a special ability from the list below.

Magical Misdirection (Su): Prerequisite: Slight of Hand 6 ranks
Through use of careful hand motions an arcane trickster may render his visual illusions more difficult to disbelieve. The arcane trickster may add his a +2 competence bonus for every five ranks in Slight of Hand to saving throw DC's for one optical illusion. May be used once per day.

Spell Stored Ambush (Su): Prerequisite: Hide 6 ranks
An arcane trickster may empower one and attack with a weapon using any offensive spell having a range greater than touch. The charge remains until the arcane trickster makes a successful sneak attack with it or until 24 hours have past. If a successful sneak attack is made the victim suffers the spell's effects, but the spell still reaches its normal range. For example: an 8th level sorcerer/ 6th level rogue/ 9th level arcane trickster with a Charisma of 22 using this ability in conjunction with a finger of death fires at his target with a non-magical heavy crossbow. The crossbow and sneak attack cause 1d8+7d6 damage, while the target makes a fortitude saving throw with a DC of 23 or die instantly. A secondary target within 65' is forced to make a similar saving throw.

Phase Attack (Sp): Prerequisite: Weapon Finesse
With this ability an arcane trickster can make an attack, melee or missile, once per day at a target known to him within range. If the weapon is a missile it travels to the target in a straight path, passing through any non-magical barrier or wall in its way. (Any magical barrier stops the arrow.) This ability negates cover, concealment, and even armor modifiers, but otherwise the attack is rolled normally. If using a melee weapon, it must be a light weapon, rapier, whip, or spiked chain.

Using this ability is a standard action (and attacking is part of the action).

Sneaky Spell (Su): Prerequsite: Spellcraft 6 ranks
If your opponent is flat-footed, the DC for resisting a spell you cast is increased by 2. -By ShneekeyTheLost

Subtle Spell (Su): Prerequsite: Bluff 6 ranks
As part of casting a spell, an Arcane Trickster may make a Bluff check to make it difficult for an opponent's Spellcraft check to determine what spell he is casting. An opponent must not only beat the DC to identify the spell, he must also beat the Bluff check. It does not in any way remove the need for any spell components, but it does make them harder to find. -By ShneekeyTheLost

Arcane Skulduggery(Su): Prerequsite: Knowledge (Arcana) 6 ranks
As a Swift action, an Arcane Trickster can sacrifice a spell slot, as though he had just cast it. For that round, his attacks gain a number of additional sneak attack dice equal to the spell level. -By ShneekeyTheLost

Other Salient abilities are welcome.

[Duke Malagigi]

I added in Phase Attack under Arcane Subterfuge. It's basically a modified version of the arcane archer's Phase Arrow.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

What was wrong with Arcane Trickster to begin with?

Phase Attack *might* be plausable, but why Arcane Reach? That's an Archmage thing, and a very overpowered one at that. Heck, for that matter, Spell Stored Ambush makes it almost pointless anyways.

It's like you're taking Arcane Trickster, tossing in tidbits from Arcane Archer (Imbue Arrow, Phase Arrow), and tossing in an already overpowering Archmage ability into the mix...

I'm not sure if I like the direction it's going.

[Duke Malagigi]

I decided that Arcane Reach was a rather extraneous ability and removed it. That's all for now.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

May I respectfully suggest that Arcane Subterfuge be more Subterfuge than Arcane?

For example:

Sneaky Spell (Su): Prerequsite: Spellcraft 6 ranks
If your opponent is flat-footed, the DC for resisting a spell you cast is increased by 2.

Subtle Spell (Su): Prerequsite: Bluff 6 ranks
As part of casting a spell, an Arcane Trickster may make a Bluff check to make it difficult for an opponent's Spellcraft check to determine what spell he is casting. An opponent must not only beat the DC to identify the spell, he must also beat the Bluff check. It does not in any way remove the need for any spell components, but it does make them harder to find.

Arcane Skulduggery(Su): Prerequsite: Knowledge (Arcana) 6 ranks
As a Swift action, an Arcane Trickster can sacrifice a spell slot, as though he had just cast it. For that round, his attacks gain a number of additional sneak attack dice equal to the spell level.

[Duke Malagigi]

May I respectfully suggest that Arcane Subterfuge be more Subterfuge than Arcane?

For example:

Sneaky Spell (Su): Prerequsite: Spellcraft 6 ranks
If your opponent is flat-footed, the DC for resisting a spell you cast is increased by 2.

Subtle Spell (Su): Prerequsite: Bluff 6 ranks
As part of casting a spell, an Arcane Trickster may make a Bluff check to make it difficult for an opponent's Spellcraft check to determine what spell he is casting. An opponent must not only beat the DC to identify the spell, he must also beat the Bluff check. It does not in any way remove the need for any spell components, but it does make them harder to find.

Arcane Skulduggery(Su): Prerequsite: Knowledge (Arcana) 6 ranks
As a Swift action, an Arcane Trickster can sacrifice a spell slot, as though he had just cast it. For that round, his attacks gain a number of additional sneak attack dice equal to the spell level.

I'll add these to the list.