General Prestige Class : Ebonmar Infiltrator
"In the world of politics, secrets are currency. In the world of politics, I am a rich, rich man!" - Thobias Ebonmar, scion and "guide" of House Ebonmar
Secrets are indeed the currency of the world of politics, and few have learned this better than House Ebonmar. A politically oriented noble bloodline, Ebonmar has mastered the art of learning the most hidden facets of their rivals, while keeping their own dealings quiet and unseen. Their greatest tools in this endeavor are the infiltrators - or "guides" as they are obliquely referred to - who act as spies, saboteurs, and - when necessary - blackmailers of unsurpassed ability on behalf of the house.
The infiltrator is a master of stealth and deception, an interpreter, and an escape artist. Few individuals other than bards, rogues, and perhaps ambitious experts can master the wide variety of skills necessary to become an infiltrator. Monks could manage it, if they're willing to spend a great many skill points on cross-class skills. All others must either multiclass or wait until much higher levels to become an infiltrator.
Requirements
To qualify to become an Ebonmar Infiltrator, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Skills: Decipher Script 4 ranks, Hide 8 ranks, Move Silently 8 ranks, Search 4 ranks, Sense Motive 4 ranks
- Feats: Any two of the following: Alertness, Deceitful, Investigator, Negotiator, and Stealthy.
- Special: Must be a member of House Ebonmar.
Class Skills
The infiltrator's class skills are Balance, Bluff, Climb, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Forgery, Gather Information, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Tumble, and Use Rope.
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features
An infiltrator gains abilities focused on both stealth and awareness, augmenting his job as a spy or saboteur. He slowly builds on this focus until he obtains an almost superhuman ability to observe and interpret the world around him. Additionally, he trains in the use of specific spells, also designed to aid in his primary goal of gathering secrets. While an infiltrator is certainly capable of using disguise and deceit to obtain his goals, his primary techniques are stealth-based; one has no need to lie when one cannot be seen.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: You gain no proficiency with any weapons or armor. If you are proficient with light armor, you can cast infiltrator spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal chance for arcane spell failure. However, like any other arcane spellcaster, an infiltrator wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield incurs the normal chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component. A multiclass infiltrator still incurs the normal chance for arcane spell failure when casting arcane spells received from other classes.
Spells: Starting at 2nd level, you gain the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells. To cast an infiltrator spell, you must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the spell's level, so if you have an Intelligence of 10 or lower, you cannot cast these spells. Bonus spells are based on Intelligence, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + your Intelligence modifier. When you get 0 spells per day of a given level (for instance 1st-level spells for 1st level), you gain only the bonus spells to which you would be entitled based on your Intelligence score for that spell level. Your spell list appears below. You prepare and cast spells just as a wizard does.
Piercing Insight (Ex): Through strenuous training, you learn to more effectively observe the world surrounding you. At 1st level, you gain a +1 bonus on Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks. These bonuses increase by +1 for every three levels you advance past 1st level in the prestige class (+1 at 1st level, +2 at 4th level, +3 at 7th level, and +4 at 10th level).
Speed Reader (Ex): You have learned to interpret text at a rapid rate. You can read a single page of text as a full-round action. This applies even to text read with comprehend languages, or through the use of the Decipher Script spell.
Sneak Attack (Ex): This ability, gained at 2nd level, is like the rogue ability of the same name (see Rogue). The extra damage increases by 1d6 at 5th level and again at 8th level. If you get a sneak attack bonus from another source (such as rogue levels), the bonuses on damage stack.
Combat Anticipation (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, your ability to effectively observe the world around you allows you to respond more swiftly to danger. You gain a +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class, and a +1 bonus on both Reflex saves and initiative checks. These bonuses increase to +2 at 6th level. The bonuses to AC and Reflex saves come in part because you read the intentions of your foe. Thus, you gain those bonuses only against humanoids, monstrous humanoids, and giants. Other creatures are too anatomically different for you to easily anticipate their intentions. This ability functions only when you are wearing light or no armor.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 4th level, you cannot I be caught flat-footed and react to danger before your senses would normally allow you to do so. This ability functions like the barbarian ability of the same name (see Barbarian). If you already have uncanny dodge from some other source, you instead gain improved uncanny dodge at this level.
Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): Beginning at 8th level, you can use the Hide skill in natural terrain even while being observed. This ability functions like the ranger ability of the same name (see Ranger).
Hyper-Awareness (Su): At 9th level, you find your perceptions have grown so highly attuned that they become supernatural. You gain darkvision out to 30 feet and blindsense out to 5 feet.
Shadow in the Night (Sp): When you reach 10th level, your mastery of stealth has crossed over into the otherworldly. Once per day, you can become ethereal. This effect lasts for up to 1 round, plus a number of additional rounds equal to your Intelligence modifier. This ability otherwise functions as the spell ethereal jaunt.
Ebonmar Infiltrator Spell List Infiltrators choose their spells from the following list.
- 1st Level: comprehend languages, detect chaos, detect evil, detect good, detect law, detect magic, detect secret doors, detect weaponry, disguise self, expeditious retreat, ghost sound, jump, obscuring mist, secret weapon.
- 2nd Level: cat's grace, darkness, detect thoughts, fox's cunning, illusory script, invisibility, knock, owl's wisdom, pass without trace, spider climb, undetectable alignment.
- 3rd Level: arcane sight, darkvision, deeper darkness, locate object, misdirection, nondetection, see invisibility, secret page, tongues.
- 4th Level: arcane eye, clairaudience/clairvoyance, detect scrying, dimension door, freedom of movement, greater invisibility, locate creature, modify memory, scrying.
| Ebonmar Infiltrator | Hit Die: d6 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spells | |||
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | ||||||
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +2 | +0 | Piercing insight +1, speed reader, spells | 0 | - | - | - |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +3 | +0 | Sneak attack +1d6 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +3 | +1 | Combat anticipation +1 | 2 | 0 | - | |
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Uncanny dodge, piercing insight +2 | 3 | 1 | - | - |
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Sneak attack +2d6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - |
| 6th | +4 | +2 | +5 | +2 | Combat anticipation +2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - |
| 7th | +5 | +2 | +5 | +2 | Piercing insight +3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 8th | +6 | +2 | +6 | +2 | Hide in plain sight, sneak attack +3d6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 9th | +6 | +3 | +6 | +3 | Hyper-awareness | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 10th | +7 | +3 | +7 | +3 | Piercing insight +4, shadow in the night | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Infiltrator Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (local) or Knowledge (nobility and royalty) can research the Ebonmar infiltrators to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
- DC 10: Ebonmar infiltrators collect secrets and knowledge about political and public figures, for use as leverage or even blackmail. Everyone knows they work for House Ebonmar, but nobody's been able to do anything about it.
- DC 15: The infiltrators are highly skilled in methods of stealth, deception, and information-gathering. They're very hard to catch, and they are experts at avoiding combat.
- DC 20: Infiltrators are capable opponents, able to strike a foe's weak spots. The greatest among them can see in utter darkness, and even move through solid objects.
Source: Cityscape