Shadow Styles (Shadow Assassin)
Today we’re providing new options for a class from another third party publisher, the shadow assassin from Rogue Genius Games. If you haven’t already taken a look at this class, it’s well worth the affordable price point, and will allow you to make use of the following shadow styles.
New Shadow Styles
Strangling Style (Su): The shadow assassin is an expert at strangling his foes. As a move action, the shadow assassin can create a garrote out of shadow stuff. If he uses this garrote to initiate a grapple, he ignores the normal –4 penalty for holding an item, and the creature he is grappling cannot breathe for as long as he remains in control of the grapple. Additionally, the DC of concentration checks made to cast spells with verbal components while grappled or pinned by the shadow assassin is increased by 2. The shadow garrote can be dismissed as a free action, and disappears automatically if it leaves the shadow assassin’s possession.
At 6th level, and every three levels thereafter, the shadow assassin gains a +1 bonus to CMB for the purposes of grapple attempts made with his shadow garrote. This bonus also applies to his CMD for attempts by other creatures to escape from the grapple, gain control of the grapple, escape a pin, or perform another action while he is in control of the grapple (it does not apply to his CMD against attempts to initiate a grapple with him, however).
If this shadow style is selected a second time, the shadow assassin gains the ability to conjure a shadow garrote at a distance. As a standard action, he can conjure a shadow garrote around the throat of a creature within 30 feet. He must make a special combat maneuver check to initiate a grapple, using his Wisdom bonus instead of his Strength bonus, and applying the bonus to CMB for grapple attempts made with his shadow garrote. If the check is successful, the target is unable to breathe, and must succeed on a concentration check (at the normal DC) to attempt to cast spells with verbal components, but does not suffer any other penalties of being grappled, and the shadow assassin is not grappled. Once conjured in this way, the shadow garrote continues to choke the creature until the shadow assassin dismisses it, the creature escapes from the grapple (via normal means; the garrote uses the shadow assassin’s normal CMD, except with his Wisdom modifier in place of his Strength modifier), or 10 minutes have passed, whichever comes first. At 12th level, he can use this ability on creatures up to 60 feet away. At 18th level, he can use this ability on creatures up to 120 feet away. He can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Wisdom modifier.
If this shadow style is selected a third time, then any creature grappled by the shadow assassin’s garrote (whether he is wielding it or conjured it at a range) cannot make any sound louder than a whisper as long as he is grappled. This has no impact on his ability to cast spells with verbal components, but does reduce his ability to alert other creatures to danger. Additionally, each round that a creature is being grappled by the shadow assassin’s shadow garrote counts as two rounds for the purposes of how long the creature can hold its breath.
Toxic Style (Su): The shadow assassin is a master of poison. He is never at risk of accidentally poisoning himself when applying poison to a weapon or object. Additionally, he can infuse a poison within 30 feet with shadow essence as a standard action. Doing so increases the poison’s saving throw DC by an amount equal to his Wisdom modifier, to a maximum DC equal to 10 + 1/2 the shadow assassin’s class level + the shadow assassin’s Wisdom modifier. This increase to the saving throw DC lasts for 24 hours. The shadow assassin can use this ability a number of times per day equal to his Wisdom modifier.
At 6th level, the shadow assassin can create poisons made wholly of shadow stuff. Doing so is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. The shadow assassin can create poisons of any type, but can only create so much per day. Each day, he can create any number of doses of poison whose combined market price is no greater than 100 gp per class level.
If this shadow style is selected a second time, any poison that the shadow assassin enhances or creates with this ability requires 1 additional successful save in order to be cured, and the total market price of poisons that the shadow assassin can create each day increases to 200 gp per class level.
If this shadow style is selected a third time, any poison that the shadow assassin enhances or creates with this ability is unaffected by the spell delay poison, and the DC of caster level checks made to remove the poison (such as with neutralize poison) is increased by 5. Additionally, the total market price of poisons that the shadow assassin can create each day increases to 300 gp per class level.