Originally posted by kalthandrix:
Here is my answer to the lame assassin class - I have always had issue with assassin’s having spells or gaining psionics in the athas.org cookie cutter version of the DMG assasin - so IMO this fixes it.
Enjoy - feedback is always welcome and appreciated.
[quote]Honed Blade
[i]“Sometimes people just need killing.”
- Ashryk of Raam, honed blade[/i]
The one truth of life on Athas is that everything can die; it just depends upon the use of the right timing, skill, and necessary tools on hand to do the job. The honed blade is a master at sending those they stalk to the Gray and leaving no sign of their passing except for the cooling bodies of their marks.
Those who take up the path of the honed blade kill for reasons that drive them; be it money, revenge, justice, or the glory of the kill. Highly sought after for their abilities and discretion, the honed blade may or may not take a particular job because it conflicts with their personal moral code or the price it too low.
Due to the high skill requirements, most honed blades have levels as either a bard, ranger, rogue, or other class that excels at sulking within the shadows.
Hit Dice: d6
Requirements
Feats: Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, Stealthy.
Skill: Hide 9 ranks, Move Silently 9 ranks
Special: Must have successfully killed someone without them detecting the honed blade.
Table: Honed Blade<br /><br /> Base<br />Class Attack Fort Ref Will<br />Level Bonus Save Save Save Special<br />1st +0 +2 +2 +0 Tools of the trade<br />2nd +1 +3 +3 +0 Silent way, sneak attack +1d6<br />3rd +2 +3 +3 +1 Tools of the trade<br />4th +3 +4 +4 +1 Silent way, sneak attack +2d6<br />5th +3 +4 +4 +1 Tools of the trade<br />6th +4 +5 +5 +2 Silent way, sneak attack +3d6<br />7th +5 +5 +5 +2 Tools of the trade<br />8th +6 +6 +6 +2 Silent way, sneak attack +4d6<br />9th +6 +6 +6 +3 Tools of the trade <br />10th +7 +7 +7 +3 Silent way, sneak attack +5d6
Class Skills
The honed blade’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the honed blade prestige class.
Weapons and Armor Proficiency: The honed blade gains no additional proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Sneak Attack: As per the Player’s Handbook pg.50. The starting at 2nd level, a honed blade’s adds +1d6 damage on a successful sneak attack. This damage increases by +1d6 again at every even class level. If a honed blade already has the sneak attack class feature, these additional die of damage stack.
Tools of the Trade (Ex): At 1st level a honed blade may select one of the abilities listed below. At each odd class level gained, they may choose an additional ability. Some of the abilities gained require the honed blade to forgo a certain number of die from their sneak attack damage. The choice to use one of the abilities that requires a reduction in sneak attack die damage must be done so before the honed blade choose to attack and the number of die forgone to use an ability must be selected before a sneak attack is made. If the honed blade is able to make multiple sneak attacks in one round, the number of die that the sneak attack was reduced by counts for all sneak attacks made that round.
Sever: The training a honed blade has in making potent and lethal strikes has provided him with the insight necessary to know where to hit an opponent in areas that not only inflict a great amount of damage, but also bleed profusely. For each d6 of damage the honed blade gives over to this attack, he deals a wound to his opponent that causes 1 point of damage per round for a number of rounds equal to 1 plus half the honed blade’s class level in rounds.
Greater Death Attack: You are now able to make a death attack using a ranged weapon, as long at the target is within 30’ of you when the attack is made. In all other aspects, this ability follows all other rules as a normal death attack. Requirement – must have death attack and improved death attack class features.
Hobble Mark: Reduce sneak attack damage by one die to reduce victims speed by 10 ft. if the attack successfully inflicts damage.
Death Attack: As per Dungeon Master’s Guide pg.180.
Cripple Mark: For each die of sneak attack damage the honed blade forgoes when attempting a sneak attack, he deals 1 point of either Strength or Dexterity damage. The number of die must be declared before the attack roll is made.
Silence Mark: Your sneak attack targets areas of your victim’s bodies that make it so they cannot speak. The honed blade must declare the use of this ability before attacking and land a successful sneak attack against his opponent. The honed blade’s sneak attack damage is reduced by 2d6’s. If he makes a successful sneak attack the target cannot yell. If they try to cast spells using verbal components, they suffer a spell failure percentage of 11 + damage dealt.
Improved Death Attack: +1 increase to save DC for death attack for each d6 of damage you reduce your sneak attack by. Requirement – must have the death attack class feature.
Distant Death: Ranged sneak attacks can now be made out to a range of 60 feet.
Poison Use: As per Dungeon Master’s Guide pg.181.
Silent Way (Ex): At 2nd level, the honed blade may choose one of the abilities listed below. Upon gaining 2nd, 5th, and 10th level, they may choose an additional ability.
Shadowing Step: As an immediate action, if an opponent that is threatened by a honed blade takes a 5 foot step, the honed blade may also take a 5 foot step to keep them within their threatened area. The use of this ability counts as the honed blade’s attack of opportunity for that round. If the honed blade has Combat Reflexes, this ability only uses one of their attacks of opportunity that they are allowed.
Blend in to Crowd: You can attempt to make hide checks, even while being observed, as long as you are in a crowd (DM discretion on what makes up a crowd).
Rigorous Training: Though hours of study, practice, focus, and other means, the honed blade is able to increase one of his attribute scores. This ability cannot be selected more then twice for a single attribute score.
Fluid Shadow: When moving at full normal speed while attempting to Hide or Move Silently you no longer receive -5 penalty. In addition, the skill check penalty for running is now reduced to -10 for both these skills.
Hone Skill: Gain Skill Focus as a bonus feat for any skill you have ranks in and that appears in the honed blade class skill list. Each time this ability is selected it must apply to a different skill.
Evasion: As per the Players Handbook pg.50.
Uncanny Dodge: As per the Player’s Handbook pg.50.
Improved Evasion: As per the Player’s Handbook pg.51.
Improved Uncanny Dodge: As per the Player’s Handbook pg.50. Requirement – must have the uncanny dodge class feature.[/quote]
Originally posted by elonarc:
So, to become a honed blade, the prospective blade has to kill someone without their victim detecting my presence? Or is it the honed blade candidate himself who must not detect me? If so, how do they know they have fulfilled the requirements? “Hey, I now have a Death Attack! Seems my last killing was witnessed by Pikachu! YAY!”
Originally posted by j0lt:
Did you leave Sneak Attack out of the requirements on purpose? (if so, I like it, it opens it up to many more classes)
Originally posted by kalthandrix:
Yes - I did leave it out to open the class to others. There is no reason a fighter would not become an assassin like character, or anyone else for that matter - it all depends upon their motivation.
Elonarc - you will pay 
Originally posted by cnahumck:
The progression is off, at 7th level it changes. I would either change it to start at second level, or continue the use it at every odd level
Other than that, looks good.
Originally posted by kalthandrix:
[quote]The progression is off, at 7th level it changes. I would either change it to start at second level, or continue the use it at every odd level
Other than that, looks good.[/quote]
Whoops - I missed that. Thanks Chris!
I made some changes to this PrC and did not realize that it was slightly off - maybe I will make the sneak attack gained at 2nd level - so make people take more of the class instead of trying to power game it - I will think more on it, but what do you all think about the idea?
Or I could do something like 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10 -> do you think 6d6 would be too much?
The assassin PrC only gets 5d6, but they also gain at least 12 spells to cast - where are this class gets some of the better high level rogue abilities and some of the assassin ones too - with the ability to really be different from other honed blades of the same level - where as assassins with the same number of class levels are basically the same.
Well - I made a few changes - but this still had some issues I think we could inspect to make it better.
Originally posted by cnahumck:
i think that every even level works better
Originally posted by brun01:
I think I’ve already mentioned that I like the HB a lot, however I think it needs to be toned down a bit. It get more skill points than the assassin, is much more versatile and has some pretty strong abilities (since they can’t be countered or supressed as the assassin spells).
Oh, and I think that a class that is so focused on killing should be for nongood characters only.
Originally posted by kalthandrix:
[quote]I think I’ve already mentioned that I like the HB a lot, however I think it needs to be toned down a bit. It get more skill points than the assassin, is much more versatile and has some pretty strong abilities (since they can’t be countered or supressed as the assassin spells).
Oh, and I think that a class that is so focused on killing should be for nongood characters only.[/quote]
I think that some of the balance issues are address in the abilities the HB gets though - most of them requiring the HB to reduce their sneak attack damage by varying amounts to get a certian effect.
Maybe I should post a side by side comparison of a rogue 10/assassin 10 and a rogue 10/honed blade 10 to give the over all picture and balance for people to see.
One thing to note is that the ability to cast spells/use psionics is very potent and should not be over looked as a major balance issue when looking at these to PrCs.
I do agree that non-good might be the way to go, but making them evil, like the assassin, I think would be a bad move.
Originally posted by brun01:
That’s why I said nongood, silly
Originally posted by kalthandrix:
I was just pre-empting any suggestions of making them evil is all my comment was about 