Ethereal Assassin (3.5e Class)

Ethereal Assassin

Making an Ethereal Assassin

Alignment: Any.

Starting Age: Simple.

Table: The Psychic Warrior

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Power Points/Day	Powers Known	Maximum Power Level Known
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+2	+0	+0	Bonus Feat, Sneak Attack +1d6, Trapfinding, Ethereal Jaunt, Ethereal Strike	01	1	1st
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+0	Evasion, Ethereal Venom	1	2	1st
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+1	Sneak Attack +2d6, Trap Sense +1, Post-Ethereal Strike Shift	3	3	1st
4th	+3	+4	+1	+1	Uncanny Dodge, Sneak Attack +3d6	5	4	2nd
5th	+3	+4	+1	+1	Bonus Feat, Sneak Attack +4d6, Skill Mastery	7	5	2nd
6th	+4	+5	+2	+2		11	6	2nd
7th	+5	+5	+2	+2	Sneak Attack +5d6	15	7	3rd
8th	+6/+1	+6	+2	+2	Improved Uncanny Dodge, Sneak Attack +6d6	19	8	3rd
9th	+6/+1	+6	+3	+3	Sneak Attack +7d6, Trap Sense +3	23	9	3rd
10th	+7/+2	+7	+3	+3	Special Ability	27	10	4th
11th	+8/+3	+7	+3	+3	Bonus Feat, Sneak Attack +8d6	35	11	4th
12th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+4	Trap Sense +4	43	12	4th
13th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+4	Sneak Attack +9d6, Special Ability	51	13	5th
14th	+10/+5	+9	+4	+4		59	14	5th
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+5	+5	Sneak Attack +10d6	67	15	5th
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+5		79	16	6th
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+5	Sneak Attack +11d6	91	17	6th
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+6		103	18	6th
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+6	Sneak Attack +12d6	115	19	6th
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+6	Bonus Feat	127	20	6th
The psychic warrior gains no power points from his class at 1st level. However, he does add any bonus power points he gains from a high Wisdom score, his race, and feats or other sources to his reserve. He can use these points (if any) to manifest his power.
Class Skills (8 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), Use Rope (Dex).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Ethereal Assassin.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Ethereal Assassins are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, and short sword. Ethereal Assassins are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

Sneak Attack: If an Ethereal Assassin can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

The Ethereal Assassin’s attack deals extra damage any time her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the Ethereal Assassin flanks her target. The Ethereal Assassin also does sneak attack damage while using their Ethereal Strike ability. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and it increases by 1d6 every two Ethereal Assassin levels thereafter. Should the Ethereal Assassin score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied.

Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

With a sap (blackjack) or an unarmed strike, an Ethereal Assassin can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty.

An Ethereal Assassin can sneak attack only living creatures with discernible anatomies—undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to sneak attacks. The Ethereal Assassin must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. An Ethereal Assassin cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.

Ethereal Jaunt: An ethereal assassin can shift from the Ethereal Plane to the Material Plane as part of any move action, and then shift back again as a free action. The ethereal assassin can sense everything on the material plane that they would normally be able to see. The ability is otherwise identical to the psionic ethereal jaunt power.

Ethereal Strike: An ethereal assassin can shift back to the material plane and immediately attack, dealing sneak attack damage to the foe. At level 3, the ethereal assassin can immediately shift back to the ethereal plane. This ability can be used once every 1d4+1 rounds.

Ethereal Venom: An ethereal assassin can deliver a dose of ethereal venom when they use their ethereal strike ability. This venom deals 1d6 primary/1d6 secondary points of wisdom damage (will save DC 15+level negates)

Trapfinding: Ethereal Assassins (and only Ethereal Assassins) can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20.

Finding a nonmagical traps has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic traps has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.

Ethereal Assassins (and only Ethereal Assassins) can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A magic traps generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.

An Ethereal Assassin who beats a trap’s DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with her party) without disarming it.

Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level and higher, an Ethereal Assassin can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the Ethereal Assassin is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless Ethereal Assassin does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Trap Sense (Ex): At 3rd level, an Ethereal Assassin gains an intuitive sense that alerts her to danger from traps, giving her a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. These bonuses rise to +2 when the Ethereal Assassin reaches 6th level, to +3 when she reaches 9th level, to +4 when she reaches 12th level, to +5 at 15th, and to +6 at 18th level.

Trap sense bonuses gained from multiple classes stack.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 4th level, an Ethereal Assassin can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

If an Ethereal Assassin already has uncanny dodge from a different class she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): An Ethereal Assassin of 8th level or higher can no longer be flanked.

This defense denies another Ethereal Assassin the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more Ethereal Assassin levels than the target does.

If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum Ethereal Assassin level required to flank the character.

Special Abilities: On attaining 10th level, and at every three levels thereafter (13th, 16th, and 19th), an Ethereal Assassin gains a special ability of her choice from among the following options.

Crippling Strike (Ex): An Ethereal Assassin with this ability can sneak attack opponents with such precision that her blows weaken and hamper them. An opponent damaged by one of her sneak attacks also takes 2 points of Strength damage. Ability points lost to damage return on their own at the rate of 1 point per day for each damaged ability.

Improved Evasion (Ex): This ability works like evasion, except that while the Ethereal Assassin still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks henceforth she henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless Ethereal Assassin does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Feat: An Ethereal Assassin may gain a bonus feat in place of a special ability.

Skill Mastery: The Ethereal Assassin becomes so certain in the use of certain skills that she can use them reliably even under adverse conditions.

Upon gaining this ability, she selects a number of skills equal to 3 + her Intelligence modifier. When making a skill check with one of these skills, she may take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent her from doing so. An Ethereal Assassin may gain this special ability multiple times, selecting additional skills for it to apply to each time.

Epic Ethereal Assassin

Table: The Epic Ethereal Assassin

Hit Die: d6

Level	Special
21st	Sneak Attack +13d6, Trap Sense +7
22nd
23rd	Sneak Attack +14d6
24th	Trap Sense +8, Bonus Feat
25th	Sneak Attack +15d6
26th
27th	Sneak Attack +16d6, Trap Sense +9
28th	Bonus Feat
29th	Sneak Attack +17d6
30th	Trap Sense +10
8 + Int modifier skill points per level.

Sneak Attack: The epic Ethereal Assassin’s sneak attack damage increases by +1d6 at every odd-numbered level.

Special Abilities: The Ethereal Assassin does not gain additional Ethereal Assassin special abilities after 19th level, but can choose one of the Ethereal Assassin class special abilities (crippling strike, defensive roll, improved evasion, opportunist, skill mastery, or slippery mind) instead of a bonus feat.

Trap Sense (Ex): The epic Ethereal Assassin’s bonus increases by +1 every three levels higher than 18th.

Bonus Feats: The epic Ethereal Assassin gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic Ethereal Assassin feats) every four levels after 20th.

Epic Ethereal Assassin Bonus Feat List: Blinding Speed, Combat Archery, Dexterous Fortitude, Dexterous Will, Epic Dodge, Epic Reputation, Epic Skill Focus, Epic Speed, Improved Combat Reflexes, Improved Sneak Attack, Intuitive Trapfinding, Legendary Climber, Lingering Damage, Self-Concealment, Sneak Attack of Opportunity, Spellcasting Harrier, Superior Initiative, Uncanny Accuracy. The Ethereal Assassin may choose a special Ethereal Assassin ability instead of a bonus feat.

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