We’ve been using the Assassin Base Class (Interjection Games)
in our Curse of the Crimson Throne campaign since we started. One of my players (you know who you are) is
playing an assassin. When we started the
campaign, I told my players that I would have the class created in Hero Lab ASAP. I started working on the class right away and
despite my lack of experience, I made pretty good progress. The major obstacle I encountered in coding
was the Toxin specialization. For
nearly two years, I tried to make this specialization work in Hero Lab, but to
no avail.
The problem was that my player’s concept was based on the
Toxin specialization.
So firstly, an apology: To my assassin player, you have gamed
on with your partially-functioning assassin since the campaign began without a
single complaint. You have done your
best with your character, despite not having the functionality in Hero Lab for
your core concept. I am sorry, and grateful
that you have been so accommodating.
To fix this glaring faux pas, I present the following proposed
re-work of the Toxin specialization. I
sincerely believe that I can code these abilities into Hero Lab quickly, so
that you can begin using your assassin character as you envisioned her. Please feel free to discuss with our other
players and provide feedback. Are there
techniques that seem underpowered? Overpowered? Are there techniques that seem like they are
must-have? Ones that you would never
take in a million years? I look forward
to your comments.
So, without further ado, I present to you the Toxin
Specialization, version 2.0.
Toxin Specialization
Craft toxins
Each morning, whenever the assassin
meditates to refresh her technique pool, she may also spend that time creating a
customized toxin. Each toxin the assassin creates has the following base profile
and may be enhanced further through the application of toxin techniques that the
assassin has learned.
The assassin chooses one of the target attributes listed for her assassin class level in Table: Custom Toxin
Effects by Level. The toxin deals ability damage of the chosen type; other toxin
techniques refer to this as the "primary effect". Once chosen, this primary
effect cannot be changed.
Base profile:
Type toxin (injury); Save
Fortitude;
DC 10 + 1/2 assassin
level + assassin’s INT bonus;
Onset immediate
Frequency 1/round for 1 round;
Effect see Table: Custom
Toxin Effects by Level;
Cure 1 save
Special Toxins automatically
deals poison damage equal to the toxin’s DC – 10, divided by 2. For example, a toxin with a DC of 20 would
deal 5 points of poison damage. This
damage is applied regardless of the results of the target’s saving throw.
Table: Custom Toxin Effects
by Level
|
Assassin level
|
Target Attribute
|
Ability Damage
|
|
1-2
|
Str, Dex, Int
|
1d4
|
|
3-6
|
Str, Dex, Con, Int
|
1d6
|
|
7-10
|
All
|
1d8
|
|
11-14
|
All
|
1d10
|
|
15-18
|
All
|
1d12
|
|
19+
|
All
|
2d6
|
At 1st
level, the assassin may apply 1 toxin technique to her toxins. At 4th level and every four levels
thereafter, the assassin may apply an additional technique to her toxin, to a
maximum of 6 techniques at 20th level. For
example, a 4th level assassin may apply 2 techniques to her toxin, and a 12th
level assassin may apply 4 techniques to her toxin. A toxin, once created,
remains potent for 1 day before losing its potency, so an assassin must prepare
her toxins every day.
When an assassin
mixes a toxin, she infuses the chemicals and reagents in the toxin with magic
siphoned from her own magical aura. A toxin immediately becomes inert if it
leaves the assassin’s possession, reactivating as soon as it returns to her keeping—an
assassin cannot normally pass out her toxins for allies to use (but see the Shared
Toxin technique below). Mixing a toxin takes 1 minute of work. The assassin doesn’t need to prepare her
toxins at the start of the day; she can do so at any time, provided she has a
minute of uninterrupted time. Creating toxins consumes raw materials, but the
cost of these materials is insignificant—comparable to the valueless material
components of most spells.
Special: The craft toxins
ability is not a technique. Rather, whenever an assassin gains any technique
from the toxin category, she gains craft toxins as a bonus ability.
Toxin Techniques
Techniques marked with “*” can be
applied to toxins created with the craft toxin ability.
Additional toxin (Ex)
Category: Toxin
Requires: Assassin 6, any four toxin
techniques
Whenever the assassin creates a toxin
with the craft toxins ability, she may produce an additional dose of toxin. Treat
her assassin level as though it were 5 lower for the purpose of determining the
strength of the additional toxin’s primary effect but not for the purpose of
determining targetable ability scores or save DCs.
Arcane toxin* (Su)
Category: Toxin
Weapons coated with a toxin created with
the craft toxins ability are treated as magic for the purpose of overcoming
damage reduction. Additionally, starting at 11th level, those weapons are also
treated as Good, Evil, Lawful, and/or Chaotic for the purpose of overcoming damage
reduction if the assassin’s alignment matches any of those states.
Assassin's Metabolism
(Ex)
Category: Toxin
Requires: brewer's immunity technique
The assassin may consume toxins she
produces with the craft toxins ability as though they were cure potions,
healing her for points of damage equal to the ability damage normally dealt by
its primary effect plus ½ her assassin level.
For example, a 12th level assassin consuming a standard (not
produced with the additional toxins technique) toxin would heal for 1d10+6
points of damage. Toxin ingested in this fashion may not be used in conjunction
with the projectile toxin technique.
Brewer's Immunity
(Ex)
Category: Toxin
Requires: Assassin 4
The assassin is immune to all effects
of toxins created with the craft toxins ability.
Corrosive Toxins*
(Ex)
Category: Toxin
Requires: Assassin 4
The assassin’s toxins deal 1d8 points
of acid damage for every four assassin levels you possess. There is no saving throw against the acid
damage, but energy resistance against acid does apply. Otherwise the toxin has
its normal effects.
Delayed toxin* (Ex)
Category: Toxin
The assassin may choose an onset time
for your toxin of 1 minute, 10 minutes, 1 hour or 1 day.
Diversified toxin*
(Ex)
Category: Toxin
The assassin’s toxins are able to
affect a second attribute. Choose an attribute other than the one targeted by
your toxin’s primary effect. On a failed saving throw, the toxin now deals 1
point of
damage to the chosen ability score.
Starting at 11th level, the poison deals 1d3 points of damage to the chosen ability
score.
Drowsy toxin* (Ex)
Category: Toxin
The assassin’s toxin can induce
sleepiness on its target. At 1st level, the target gains the Drowsy
(mild) condition for a number of rounds equal to the damage dealt by the toxin’s
primary effect. At 6th level,
the target gains the Drowsy (moderate) condition instead. At 12th level, the target gains
the Drowsy (severe) condition instead. This replaces the ability damage of the
primary effect. See Everyman Minis:
Sleeping Rules for details on the Drowsy conditions.
Durable toxin* (Ex)
Category: Toxin
When the assassin coats a weapon with her
toxin, enough of the toxin remains on the weapon to be effective for a second attack. The DC for saving throws against the toxin
are reduced by 2 for this second attack.
Flexible toxins* (Ex)
Category: Toxin
Requires: Assassin 4
Toxins produced with the craft toxins
ability may now be contact, ingested or inhaled toxins. Inhaled toxins are
delivered in a 5-foot radius burst. The assassin treats her assassin level as
though it were 5 lower for the purpose of determining the strength of the toxin’s
primary effect, but not for the purpose of determining targetable ability
scores or save DCs.
Improved Stockpiling
(Ex)
Category: Toxin
Requires: stockpiling technique
The assassin’s toxins retain their
potency long after they are made. Toxins
created by the assassin now remain effective for 4 days after she creates
them. They do not count against the
number of toxins the assassin may create each day.
Lethargic toxin* (Ex)
Category: Toxin
The assassin may add additional
conditions to her toxins, as listed in Table: Lethargic Toxin Effects. All additional conditions are negated on a successful
saving throw.
Table: Lethargic
Toxin Effects
|
Assassin level
|
Effect
|
|
1st
|
Dazzled for 10 minutes
|
|
1st
|
Sickened for 1 minute
|
|
4th
|
Staggered for 1 round
|
|
7th
|
Staggered for 1d4 rounds
|
|
7th
|
Nauseated for 1 round
|
|
10th
|
Nauseated for 1d4 rounds
|
|
13th
|
Paralyzed for 1 round
|
|
19th
|
Paralyzed for 1d4 rounds
|
Painful toxin* (Ex)
The assassin’s toxin deals poison
damage equal to the toxin’s DC – 5, divided by 2 (for example, 7 points of damage
for a DC 20 toxin).
Persistent toxin* (Ex)
The assassin can increase the Frequency
of your toxin by 1 round per 4 assassin levels.
For example, a 7th level assassin using this technique increases
the Frequency of the toxin to 1/round for 2 rounds, and a 14th level
assassin increases the Frequency of the toxin to 1/round for 4 rounds.
Potent toxin* (Ex)
Category: Toxin
The assassin can increase the DC for
saving throws against her toxins by +2.
Projectile Toxin*
(Ex)
Category: Toxin
Requires: flexible toxin technique,
brewer's immunity technique
The assassin gains the ability to drink
any contact or ingested toxin she produces with the craft toxins ability as though
it were a potion. The toxin is held in the assassin’s mouth but she must hold
her breath while doing so (see Suffocation rules in Pathfinder Roleplaying
Game Core Rulebook p. 445). Launching toxin at a creature in this manner is
a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 10 feet, while "cold"
uses of this ability, such as draining toxin into a glass or coating a doorknob
with a dose of toxin, is simply a standard action. The assassin can only hold
one dose of toxin in her mouth at any one time and further doses of toxin are
wasted if ingested.
Resistant toxin* (Ex)
The assassin can improve the Cure for
her toxin to 2 consecutive saves.
Shared toxin* (Ex)
The assassin’s allies may now use
toxins that she creates. These toxins
lose their effectiveness after 24 hours.
Stockpiling (Ex)
Category: Toxin
Requires: Assassin 4
The assassin’s toxin remains effective
for 48 hours after she creates them. They
do not count against the number of toxins she may create each day.
Subtle Tactics (Ex)
Category: Toxin
Pool Compatible: no
Range: touch
Target: creature touched
Presence Source: targeted creature
Minimum Presence: 1
Presence Change: 1
Execution Time: 1 standard action or an
attack in a full-attack action
Duration: instantaneous
Requires: brewer's immunity technique
The assassin may make a melee touch attack against a creature
within reach. A successful hit deals 1
hit point of piercing damage which ignores damage reduction. If the attack roll
is successful, the target suffers the effects of your toxin, subject to the
normal rules for toxins.
