General Prestige Class : Arcane Trickster
Arcane tricksters combine their knowledge of spells with a taste for intrigue, larceny or just plain mischief. They are among the most adaptable of adventurers.
Arcane spellcasting and the sneak attack ability are needed to qualify for this class, making it a natural choice for multiclassed wizard/rogues or sorcerer/rogues. Assassins occasionally opt for this class, but usually only if they already have wizard or sorcerer levels.
Arcane tricksters tend to use a seat-of-the-pants approach to adventuring, loading up on spells that improve their stealth and mobility. NPC arcane tricksters are the sort of people who might bump into you in a crowded cavern. (Check your pockets.)
Requirements
To qualify to become an Arcane Trickster, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Alignment: Any nonlawful.
- Skills: Decipher Script 7 ranks, Disable Device 7 ranks, Escape Artist 7 ranks, Knowledge (Arcana) 4 ranks.
- Spells: Ability to cast mage band and at least one arcane spell of 3rd level or higher.
- Special: Sneak attack +2d6.
Class Skills
The arcane trickster's class skills are Appraise, Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Hide, Jump, Knowledge, Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Profession, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Speak Language, SpellCraft, Spot, Survival, Swim, Tumble, and Use Rope.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All the following are class features of the arcane trickster prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Arcane tricksters gain no additional proficiency in any weapon or armor.
Spells per Day: When a new arcane trickster level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of controlling or rebuking undead, metamagic or item creation feats, hit points beyond those he receives from the prestige class, and so on), except for an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming an arcane trickster, he must decide so which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day
Ranged Legerdemain (Su): Using his unique talents, an arcane trickster can perform one of the following class skills at a range of 30 feet: Disable Device, Open Lock, or Pick Pocket. Working at a distance increases the normal skill check DC by 5, and the arcane trickster cannot take 10 on the check. Any object so manipulated must weigh 5 pounds or less.
The arcane trickster can use ranged legerdemain only a certain number of times per day as determined by his level (see below). He can make only one ranged skill check each day, and only if he has at least one rank in the skill being used.
Sneak Attack: This is exactly like the rogue ability of the same name. The extra damage dealt increases by +1d6 every other level (2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th). If the arcane trickster gets a sneak attack modifier from another source (such as rogue levels), the bonuses to damage stack.
Impromptu Sneak Attack (Su): Once a day, the arcane trickster's unique combination of magical and rogue skills allows the arcane trickster to declare one melee or ranged attack the character makes to be a sneak attack (the target can be no more than 30 feet distant if the impromptu sneak attack is a ranged attack). The target of impromptu sneak attack loses any Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, but only against that attack. The power can be used against any target, but creatures that are nor subject to critical hits suffer no extra damage (though they still lose any Dexterity bonus against the attack).
At 7th level, the arcane trickster can use this ability twice a day.
| Arcane Trickster | Hit Die: d4 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | |
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +2 | +2 | Ranged legerdemain 1/day | +1 level of existing class |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +3 | +3 | Sneak attack +3d6 | +1 level of existing class |
| 3rd | +1 | +1 | +3 | +3 | Impromptu sneak attack 1/day | +1 level of existing class |
| 4th | +2 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Sneak attack +4d6 | +1 level of existing class |
| 5th | +2 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Ranged legerdemain 2/day | +1 level of existing class |
| 6th | +3 | +2 | +5 | +5 | Sneak attack +5d6 | +1 level of existing class |
| 7th | +3 | +2 | +5 | +5 | Impromptu sneak attack 2/day | +1 level of existing class |
| 8th | +4 | +2 | +6 | +6 | Sneak attack +6d6 | +1 level of existing class |
| 9th | +4 | +3 | +6 | +6 | Ranged legerdemain 3/day | +1 level of existing class |
| 10th | +5 | +3 | +7 | +7 | Sneak attack +7d6 | +1 level of existing class |
Source: Dungeon Master's Guide v.3.5
Tome and Blood