Faerûnian Prestige Class : Cognition Thief
These psionic agents of espionage specialize in delving deeply into the minds of their targets to steal their very thoughts - and sometimes the ability to reason as well. They appear unassuming, using neither powerful weapons nor flashy spells to achieve their goals. But a cognition thief's subtle ability to worm her way into a target's very consciousness makes her the ultimate secret agent.
Cognition thieves almost always come from the ranks of psions or wilders, although sometimes a monster with the psi-like ability to emit a psionic blast becomes a cognition thief. Psions with the telepath discipline are particularly prevalent.
Cognition thieves have all received training in Skullport's Hall of Mental Splendor. Most still work for that group of mercenary spies-for-hire, but some have since retired or severed ties with the Hall.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Cognition Thief, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Skills: 5 ranks each in any two of the following skills: Bluff, Disguise, Gather Information, Open Lock
- Feats: Inquisitor,
- Psionics: Able to manifest the psionic blast power
Class Skills
The cognition thief's class skills are Autohypnosis, Bluff, Craft, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Forgery, Gather Information, Hide, Knowledge (psionics), Move Silently, Open Lock, Profession, PsiCraft, Sense Motive, and Sleight of Hand.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the cognition thief prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Cognition thieves are proficient with all simple weapons and light armor. Armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand, and Tumble, and double the normal armor check penalty applies to Swim checks.
Power Points per Day/Powers Discovered: At 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, and 9th level, the character gains new power points per day (and powers discovered, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in a psionic class she belonged to before she added the prestige class level. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus feats, metapsionic feats or item creation feats, hit points beyond those she receives from the prestige class, and so on). She does gain the following benefits: an increased effective manifester level, additional power points, and effective additional levels for psicrystal powers (if a psicrystal is owned). This essentially means that she adds the level of cognition thief to the level of some other psionic class the character has, then determines power points per day, powers discovered, and manifester level accordingly.
If a character had more than one psionic class that before she became a cognition thief, she must decide to which class she adds each level of cognition thief for the purpose of determining power points per day and powers discovered.
Bonus Powers Known: At 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th level, the cognition thief learns two new powers chosen from the telepath discipline. She can choose any power from the list that she would be able to manifest. Even cognition thieves who manifest their powers as wilders can choose from the telepath discipline list, which is otherwise forbidden to them. These powers are acquired through personal meditation, just as the new powers learned at each level in a base psionic class are. Thus, they take no time and cost no XP to learn.
Read Thoughts (Sp): At 1st level, the cognition thief can use read thoughts (as the psionic power of the same name) once per day. The save DC for this power is 10 + 1/2 cognition thief's character level + cognition thief's Int or Cha modifier, whichever is higher. She can use this power twice per day at 4th level, three times per day at 7th level, and at will at 10th level.
Confusion (Sp): At 4th level, the cognition thief can use confusion (as the spell of the same name) once per day. The save DC for this ability is 10 + 1/2 cognition thief's character level + cognition thief's Int or Cha modifier, whichever is higher. She can use this power twice per day at 7th level and three times per day at 10th level.
Mind Probe (Sp): At 7th level, the cognition thief can use mind probe (as the psionic power of the same name) once per day. The save DC for this power is 10 + 1/2 cognition thief's character level + cognition thief's Int or Cha modifier, whichever is higher. She can use this power twice per day at 10th level.
Insanity (Sp): At 10th level, the cognition thief can use insanity (as the spell of the same name) once per day. The save DC for this ability is 10 + 1/2 cognition thief's character level + cognition thief's Int or Cha modifier, whichever is higher.
| Cognition Thief | Hit Die: d4 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | PP per day/Powers discovered |
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Bonus powers known, read thoughts 1/day | - |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | - | +1 level of existing psionic class |
| 3rd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | - | +1 level of existing psionic class |
| 4th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Bonus powers known, confusion 1/day, read thoughts 2/day | - |
| 5th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | - | +1 level of existing psionic class |
| 6th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | - | +1 level of existing psionic class |
| 7th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +4 | Bonus powers known, confusion 2/day, mind probe 1/day, read thoughts 3/day | - |
| 8th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +6 | - | +1 level of existing psionic claps |
| 9th | +4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | - | +1 level of existing psionic class |
| 10th | +4 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Bonus powers known, confusion 3/day, insanity 1/day, mind probe 2/day, read thoughts at will | - |
Source: Player's Guide to Faerûn