World of Ere: Prestige Classes

Prestige Classes -- Darkstar Assassin

Darkstar Assassin
We are the ones our masters don’t talk about. They feel shame that they need us. But need us they do. From the mightiest king, to the lowliest peasant, from the most vile, to the most innocent… regardless of who they are, they are some people… who regrettably or not – must die.

The Darkstar School of Assassins is an institution that can trace its roots back to the beginning of civilization. They does what others have no stomach to do, following an odd code of honor and right, even while insisting on proper payment for their actions.

The philosophy of the Darkstar is this: no matter what society may say, there will always be a demand for those who deal in death and it is better to have assassin with rules than ones without. The Darkstar Assassin is one who recognizes this need and is willing to follow these rules. They know full well that some deaths are necessary and feel that there is no shame in getting paid to carry those deaths out.

Assassins come in all shapes and sizes, taking varying degrees of satisfaction, angst or even glee in their work. No matter what their feelings for their work, they are all bound together by their schooling in the Darkstar School and its Code, which keeps them in check despite their fearsome abilities.

Assassins of like minds tend to band together into guilds that operate under common laws below the Darkstar Code. Those not trained by the Darkstar School, rogues in particular can find work and supplies from these guilds, but they will not be trained in the Darkstar arts. Occasionally, an assassin will join an adventuring party either for a job or to find new ways to ply their skills other than killing for hire.

Code of the Darkstar School
Students of the Darkstar School must swear the following oath before they are taught any of the school's techniques:

Upon these bonds, we do swear, that if we break them, our breathern shall fall upon us and end our betrayal:

Those who have helped us shall be safe from our contracts.
Those who make a contract us shall be safe from our contracts for a year and a day.
We do not contract for free.
No trace of our presence shall be left at a kill.
None shall die by our hand who do not have to.
We will not teach our secrets outside the halls of the Darkstar School

Becoming a Darkstar Assassin
Those who wish to become adepts of the secrets of the Darkstar school must find a sponsor who has already attended and travel to the school in Minde Forme’s capital Matang. There, they will have to prove they have the most basic skills before the Masters of the Darkstar.

Rogue levels are almost essential to proving that one has basic anatomical knowledge as it applies to incapacitating foes. Rogues, rogue-fighters, and rogue-combatants are most likely to prove themselves worthy of the Darkstar secrets. Occasionally, a rogue-bard will train in the Darkstar arts but most magic users don’t feel much of a call for the methods of the school.

The Darkstar Assassin

Hit Die: d6

Requirements
To qualify to become an Darkstar Assassin, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Skills: Disguise 4 ranks, Hide 8 ranks, Move Silently 8 ranks.
BaB: +5
Special: Sneak attack +2d6

Class Skills
The Darkstar Assassin’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special	Spell Points
1	+0	+0	+2	+0	Sneak Attack +1d6, Poison Use, Spells	0
2	+1	+0	+3	+0	Assassination 1/day	1
3	+2	+1	+3	+1	Sneak Attack +2d6	2
4	+3	+1	+4	+1	Darkstar Secret	6
5	+3	+1	+4	+1	Sneak Attack +3d6, Assassination 2/day	9
6	+4	+2	+5	+2	Darkstar Secret	17
7	+5	+2	+5	+2	Sneak Attack +4d6	22
8	+6	+2	+6	+2	Assassination 3/day, Darkstar Secret	34
9	+6	+3	+6	+3	Sneak Attack +5d6	41
10	+7	+3	+7	+3	Final End	48

Spells Known

Level

Spells Known

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

1st

—

2nd

—

3rd

—

4th

—

5th

—

6th

—

7th

8th

9th

10th

Class Features
All of the following are Class Features of the Darkstar Assassin prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Darkstar Assassins gain no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Sneak Attack (Ex): This is exactly like the rogue ability of the same name. The extra damage dealt increases by +1d6 every other level (1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th). If a darkstar assassin gets a sneak attack bonus from another source the bonuses on damage stack.

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

Spells (Sp): Beginning at 1st level, an darkstar assassin gains the ability to cast a number of arcane spells. To cast a spell, an darkstar assassin must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the spell’s level, so an darkstar assassin with an Intelligence of 10 or lower cannot cast these spells. Darkstar assassin bonus spell points are based on Intelligence, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + the darkstar assassin’s Intelligence bonus. When the darkstar assassin gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level he gains only the bonus spell points he would be entitled to based on his Intelligence score for that spell level. The assassin casts spells using Spell Points.

The darkstar assassin’s spell list appears below. An darkstar assassin casts spells just as a bard does.

Upon reaching 6th level, at every even-numbered level after that (8th and 10th), an darkstar assassin can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level darkstar assassin spell the darkstar assassin can cast. An darkstar assassin may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for that level.

Assassination (Ex): Once per day at second level and an additional time per day every three levels thereafter, the darkstar assassin may make a coup de gras on a single creature that is unaware of him as if that creature were helpless. The darkstar assassin may choose to have all the damage dealt in the assassination attempt be non-lethal and that the failed fortitude save result in the target being paralyzed for 1d6 rounds + class level instead of dead.

Darkstar Secret (Su): Starting at 4th level, the darkstar assassin may begin learning the ancient secrets of the Darkstar Assassin’s School. He may choose to learn any one of the following secrets:

Necrotic Strike: The Assassin learns the weaknesses of the undead. His sneak attacks deal normal damage to undead and he may attempt Assassinations on undead creatures.

Deconstruction: The Assassin learns the weaknesses of constructs. His sneak attacks deal normal damage to constructs and he may attempt Assassinations on constructs.

Improved Assassination: The fortitude save DC of the assassin’s assassination attack increases by 2. This secret can be learned more than once, its effects stack.

Overcome Immortality: The assassin’s Assassination attack becomes supernatural. It overcomes the Immortality special monster quality.

Overcome Regeneration: The assassin’s Assassination Attack becomes supernatural. It deals lethal damage to creatures with regeneration.

Final End (Su): At tenth level, the darkstar assassin learns the final darkstar secret. His Assassination ability becomes supernatural, and creature killed by his assassination ability cannot be resurrected except by direct intervention of a deity.

Darkstar Assassin Spell List
Darkstar Assassins choose their spells from the following list:

1st Level
disguise self, detect poison, feather fall, ghost sound, jump, obscuring mist, sleep, true strike.

2nd Level
alter self, cat’s grace, darkness, fox’s cunning, illusory script, invisibility, pass without trace, spider climb.

3rd Level
deep slumber, deeper darkness, false life, misdirection, nondetection.

4th Level
clairaudience/clairvoyance, dimension door, freedom of movement, glibness, greater invisibility, locate creature, modify memory, poison.

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