Arcane Trickster, Variant (3.5e Prestige Class)

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A high-powered version of the arcane trickster prestige class from the Dungeon Master's Guide.

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6

Prepared Arcane Spellcasting, Spontaneous Arcane Spellcasting, Sneak Attack Partial

Arcane Trickster, Variant

“	"Don't worry, I still have a few tricks up his sleeve."	”
—Brack, the "paladin"

Becoming an Arcane Trickster

Entry Requirements  

Alignment:	Any nonlawful.
Base Attack Bonus:	+3.
Skills:	Bluff 6 ranks, Disable Device 6 ranks, Disguise 6 ranks, Hide 5 ranks, Move Silently 5 ranks, Open Lock 6 ranks, Sleight of Hand 6 ranks.
Feats:	Deft Hands or Skill Focus (Sleight of Hand).
Spellcasting:	Able to cast mage hand, ghost sound, and prestidigitation as arcane spells or as spell-like abilities; able to cast 1st-level arcane spells.
Special:	Arcane caster level 4th, sneak attack +2d6

Table: The Arcane Trickster

Level	Base Attack	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spellcasting	Magic Tricks
1st	+0	+0	+2	+2	Impromptu sneak attack, magic tricks, sneak attack +1d6, spell feint (minimum DC 12, +1 caster level), tricky arcana		1
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+3	Ranged legerdemain, spell feint (+1 DC)	+1 level of existing class	2
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+3	Discrete casting, spell feint (minimum DC 13)	+1 level of existing class	3
4th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Quick feint, sneak attack +2d6, spell feint (+2 caster level)		3
5th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Special ability, spell feint (minimum DC 14)	+1 level of existing class	4
6th	+4	+2	+5	+5	Greater tricky arcana, spell feint (+2 to overcome SR)	+1 level of existing class	4
7th	+5	+2	+5	+5	Sneak attack +3d6, spell feint (minimum DC 15, +3 caster level)		5
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+6	Spell feint (sudden metamagic)	+1 level of existing class	6
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+6	Spell feint (minimum DC 16)	+1 level of existing class	7
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+7	Sneak attack +4d6, special ability, spell feint (+4 caster level)		8

Hit Die: d6.

Skill Points per level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Skills: Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Search (Int), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Arcane Trickster.

Spellcasting: At each level when you do not gain more sneak attack dice, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming an arcane trickster, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

Impromptu Sneak Attack (Sp): By expending a 1st-level or higher spell from memory or expending a spell slot of 1st-level or higher, you can declare any melee or ranged attack roll to be an impromptu sneak attack. The target can be no more than 30 feet distant if the impromptu sneak attack is a ranged attack. The target of an impromptu sneak attack loses any Dexterity bonus to AC, but only against that attack. The power can be used against any target, but creatures that are not subject to critical hits take no extra damage (though they still lose any Dexterity bonus to AC against the attack). You gain an additional use of this ability at 4th, 7th, and 10th levels.

Your sneak attack damage does not apply to impromptu sneak attack. Instead, your attack deals +1d6 extra force damage per level of the expended spell or spell slot. Since impromptu sneak attack is fueled by arcane magic, targets of impromptu sneak attack that are immune to extra damage from critical hits are not immune to the extra damage of impromptu sneak attack.

Magic Tricks (Sp): Arcane tricksters are known for their various magic tricks that they employ on and off the battlefield. Magic tricks are spell-like abilities that share a collective pool of uses per day equal to your sneak attack dice, unless if it specifies that it can be used at will, or if it says the effect is always active.

Magic tricks, unlike normal spell-like abilities, have somatic components to them, but they do not have any verbal components. Magic tricks suffer from arcane spell failure chance in any type of armor or shield that your arcane spellcasting class suffers from arcane spell failure chance in (for example, a character using bard to qualify for arcane trickster can use magic tricks in light armor, but a character who used wizard to qualify for arcane trickster cannot use magic tricks in light armor).

You must meet the magic trick's required arcane trickster level in order to learn it.

At first level, you learn one magic trick. You learn more magic tricks as you continue to gain levels in arcane trickster. Magic tricks are listed and described at the end of this article.

The Difficulty Class of your magic tricks is equal to 10 + arcane trickster level + your highest arcane spellcasting ability modifier. Your caster level for your magic tricks is equal to 2 x arcane trickster level.

Sneak Attack (Ex): This is exactly like the rogue ability of the same name. The extra damage dealt increases by +1d6 at 1st level and every 3rd level after 1st (4th, 7th, and 10th). If an arcane trickster gets a sneak attack bonus from another source, the bonuses on damage stack.

Tricky arcana (Sp): You can cast prestidigitation, ghost sound, and mage hand at will as spell-like abilities and without verbal components. The save DC for any spell-like ability cast this way is equal to 10 + arcane trickster level + your spellcasting ability modifier. Your caster level for these spell-like abilities is equal to your highest arcane spellcaster level.

Spell Feint (Ex): At level 2, whenever you succeed on a feint attempt on a foe, until the end of your next turn, the first spell you cast or spell-like ability you use does not provoke an attack of opportunity from that foe, unless if you've attacked that foe in some way first, and they are denied their Dexterity bonus (if any) against that spell or spell-like ability (if applicable).

Minimum DC:Starting at first level, whenever a spell you cast affects a creature that is currently feinted by you, you're able to capitalize at catching them off guard. The spell save DC of your spell effects affecting a creature feinted by you is treated as if it were at least a 2nd-level spell. This means that 0-level and 1st-level spells cast this way would have a DC of 12 + relevant modifiers.

For example, if a wizard 3/rogue 3/arcane trickster 1 casts charm person on a foe that she has successfully feinted against, instead of the Difficulty Class being 11 + Intelligence modifier, it would be 12 + Intelligence modifier.

At every odd-numbered level of arcane trickster, the minimum Difficulty Class increases to 13, 14, 15, and finally 16.

Secondly, foes that are denied their Dexterity bonus to their Armor Class against your spells and spell-like abilities treat your caster level as being +1 higher. This bonus to caster level increases by 1 at levels 4, 7, and 10.

At second level, foes that are denied their Dexterity bonus to their Armor Class against your spells and spell-like abilities treat your spell save DC as being +1 higher than it actually is.

At sixth level, you have a +2 bonus on caster level checks to overcome the spell resistance of foes that are denied their Dexterity bonus to their Armor Class against your spells and spell-like abilities.

At eighth level, whenever you successfully make a feint attempt against an opponent, as long as the next spell (but not a spell-like ability) you cast only targets that opponent, you may apply a metamagic feat that you have to that spell without increasing the casting time. If you prepare spells and don't cast them spontaneously, you can, instead of expending the spell you are going to cast, you may remove a different spell from memory, as long as that prepared spell was prepared at a level equal to or greater than the metamagic feat's increase in cost plus the base level of the spell.

Ranged Legerdemain (Su): At level 2, your mage hand can perform the following checks using your skill modifiers: Disable Device, Open Lock, Sleight of Hand, and Use Rope. Working at a distance greater than 10 feet increases the normal skill check DC by 5, and you cannot take 10 on this check. Any object to be manipulated must not exceed the weight limit of your mage hand.

Additionally, once per round on your turn, you can use a free action to direct your mage hand (which normally requires a move action), and the weight limit of your mage hand is increased by 5 pounds per two levels of arcane trickster.

Discrete Casting (Ex): At level 3, you can attempt to make your verbal and somatic components of your spells more discrete. If a spell you are about to cast has a verbal component, you can attempt a Disguise check (opposed by a Listen check) with a penalty on your check equal to the spell's level. If your check is successful, your verbal component is discrete enough to not be identified as a component for a spell (meaning that those who fail their Listen checks would not know to make Spellcraft checks to identify the spell you are casting). If a spell you are about to cast has a somatic component, you can attempt a Sleight of Hand check (opposed by a Spot check) with a penalty on your check equal to the spell's level. If your check is successful, your somatic component is discrete enough to not be identified as a component for a spell(meaning that those who fail their Listen checks would not know to make Spellcraft checks to identify the spell you are casting). You must have two free hands (and not holding focus or material components) in order to make your somatic components benefit from this class feature.

Discrete Casting also applies to ranged legerdemain and to spell-like abilities gained from this class.

Quick Feint (Ex): At level 4, you are able to make a feint attempt as a move action. If you have or ever gain the Improved Feint feat, or if you ever have or gain another class feature that allows you to make a feint attempt as a move action, then you are able to make a feint attempt as a swift action.

Special Ability: At levels 5 and 10, you gain a special ability from the list of rogue special abilities. You may learn an additional magic trick instead of gaining a rogue special ability.

Greater Tricky Arcana (Sp): At level 6, when you use mage hand as a spell like ability from tricky arcana, the range changes to 100 feet, the mage hand can be propelled up to 30 feet in any direction, and you can have two active mage hands simultaneously, and are treated as only having to concentrate on one instance of the spell. If you know either of these spells as an arcane spell from a spontaneous arcane spellcasting class, you may forget that spell and learn another spell of equal or lower level from that class's spell list.

Magic Tricks

Fit The Mold

• Requirements: Arcane trickster level 1
• You are under a constant disguise self effect. This can be suppressed and reactivated as a free action.

Superior Legerdemain

• Requirements: Arcane trickster level 9
• You can cast telekinesis as the spell.

Pick-Knock

• Requirements: Arcane trickster level 3
• You can cast knock as the spell. Unlike the spell, it does not create any sound.
• You can cast arcane lock at will as the spell, but you can only have one active instance of this effect active at a given time.

Abandoned Crime Scene

• Requirements: Arcane trickster level 5
• You can cast dimension door as the spell.

Convincing Illusions

• Requirements: Arcane trickster level 1
• You can cast minor image as the spell.
• You can cast ventriloquism as the spell.
• You can shorten the duration of either version of this magic trick to 1 round. If you do, it doesn't expend a usage of magic tricks for the day.

Cunning Freerunning

• Requirements: Arcane trickster level 2
• You are under a constant jump effect and a constant spider walk effect. You cannot have all effects active at the same time. You can switch between which effect is active as a swift action.
• You can cast feather fall as the spell.

Convincing Illusions, Greater

• Requirements: Arcane trickster level 3, convincing illusions magic trick
• You can cast major image as the spell.
• You can cast invisibility as the spell.
• You can cast minor image and ventriloquism at will as the spells.
• You may learn an additional magic trick. If you do, you no longer know the convincing illusions magic trick.

Open Book

• Requirements: Arcane trickster level 3
• You are under a constant detect thoughts effect. This can be suppressed and/or reactivated as a free action.
• You can cast message at will as the spell.

Eye for Talent

• Requirements: Arcane trickster level 2
• You are under a constant detect magic effect. This can be suppressed and/or reactivated as a free action.
• You are under a constant see invisibility effect. This can be suppressed and/or reactivated as a free action.

Treasure Scent

• Requirements: Arcane trickster level 1
• You are under a constant detect secret doors effect. This can be suppressed and/or reactivated as a free action.
• You can cast locate object as the spell.

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