Psionic Class - Lurk

A lurk is a psionic character who has honed her mental talents to a deadly focus. With her extraordinary ability to perceive an enemy's weaknesses, a lurk can take advantage of the slightest distraction to make vicious thrusts with her chosen weapon.

A lurk's ability to lie in wait until just the right moment, as well as her talent for avoiding detection and lethal attacks, makes her a changeable hunter of those whose time is past. It is her profession to bring those unfortunate individuals to their awaited end without remorse and as efficiently as possible.

Because a lurk has access to a variety of psionic feats and powers, she is more effective than a simple killer or assassin. She also holds to a purer morality - a lurk doesn't kill indiscriminately, only bringing death to those who have outlived their time. In her mind, those who meet their end at the end of her blade truly deserved to die. A lurk can't stand up face to face with a bruiser as well as a fighter or even a psychic warrior can. With her mental talents, however, she excels at taking the slightest opportunity and turning it to her advantage. Her ability to slip under the notice of nearly any observer makes her a capable lone hunter, but her greatest strengths are found through interaction with her allies during a heated battle - she can use her enemy's slightest distraction to deliver vicious thrusts with her blade, even creating her own opportunities as needed.

Abilities: Intelligence determines how many powers a lurk can manifest, how powerful those powers can be, and how hard those powers are to resist. it is also important for bolstering the number of skill points to which she has access. Her powers supplement her melee ability, however, so her Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution are also important considerations.

Races: Dwarves are slightly more likely to become lurks than members of other races, but beyond that, lurks are equally likely to come from any racial background. lurks are rare among savage and monstrous humanoids, since physical study of psionic lore is a requirement.

Alignment: A lurk always uses her abilities according to a personal code. That code can be based on serving good, self-interest, or an inflexible ideology, but she sticks to whatever code she chooses. Most lurks tend toward a lawful alignment, but the class has no restriction on alignment.

Class Skills

The lurk's class skills are Autohypnosis, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Disguise, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (psionics), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Psicraft, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Swim, Tumble, and Use Psionic Device.

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at each additional level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All the following are class features of the lurk.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: lurks are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light armor, and with shields (except tower shields).

Power Points/Day: A lurk's ability to manifest powers is limited by the power points she has available. Her base daily allotment of power points is given on the table below. In addition, she receives bonus power points per day if she has a high Intelligence score (see Table 2-1: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Power Points XPH). Her race might also provide bonus power points per day, as might certain feats and items.

Powers Known: A lurk begins play knowing one lurk power of the player's choice. Each time she achieves a new level, she unlocks the knowledge of a new power.

Powers are chosen from the lurk power list. (Exception: The Expanded Knowledge and Epic Expanded Knowledge feats from Expanded Psionics Handbook allow a lurk to learn powers from the lists of other classes.) A lurk can manifest any power that has a power point cost equal to or lower than her manifester level.

The total number of powers a lurk can manifest in a day is limited only by her daily power points.

A lurk simply knows her powers; they are ingrained in her mind. She does not need to prepare them (in the way that some spellcasters prepare their spells), though she must get a good night's sleep each day to regain all her spent power points.

The Difficulty Class for saving throws against lurk powers is 10 + the power's level + the lurk's Int modifier.

Maximum Power level Known: A lurk begins play with the ability to learn 1st-level powers. As she attains higher levels, she can gain the ability to master more complex powers - for example, a 4th-level lurk can learn powers of 2nd level or lower, a 7th-level lurk can learn powers of 3rd level or lower, and so on. To learn or manifest a power, a lurk must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the power's level.

Lurk Augment (Ex): Beginning at 1st level, a lurk can augment her melee attack by selecting an ability from her available lurk augments. Her level determines the abilities available for her to use (see Lurk Augments). In some cases, she can also use power points to increase the power of her lurk augment. The power of the lurk augment lasts for 1 round or until the lurk's next attack. If that attack misses, that use is wasted.

Using a lurk augment is a swift action. When powering an augment with power points, a lurk cannot spend more total power points than her lurk level on any single lurk augment. A lurk can use her lurk augments a total number of times per day equal to her lurk level + her Int modifier.

At 10th level, a lurk can choose two augments from the list in the same swift action. Both augments count against her daily total. The total power points spent on the augments is still limited to her manifester level. For example, an 11th-level lurk could choose to include a mental assault and a solid strike in her attack, and spend a total of 11 power points between the two abilities.

At 18th level, a lurk can choose three augments from the list in the same swift action, which counts as three against her daily limit. The total power points spent is still limited to her manifester level.

Lurk Augments By Level
Min LvlAbility
1stAdditional sneak attack
1stUnfocusing strike
3rdSolid strike
3rdStunning attack
5thIgnore concealment
5thMental assault
8thDeceptive strike
8thReach attack
8thSneak attack undead
11thGhost touch
11thPower drain
11thAligned attack
14thSneak attack constructs
14thStygian weapon
17thPlanar attack
17thSynaptic disconnect
20thGreater power drain

Additional Sneak Attack: The lurk's next attack deals an extra 1d6 points of damage from a sneak attack. For every 2 power points spent, this damage increases by 1d6 points. The attack must be one to which sneak attack damage applies.

Unfocusing Strike: A creature hit by the lurk's attack must make a Will saving throw (DC 10 + Int modifier) or lose its psionic focus in addition to taking the damage from the attack. For every 2 power points spent, the DC increases by 1. Minimum level 1st.

Solid Strike: The lurk's attack deals an extra 2 points of damage. For every power point spent, the damage increases by 1. Minimum level 3rd.

Stunning Attack: A creature hit by the lurk's attack must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + lurk's Int modifier) or be stunned for I round in addition to taking the damage from the attack. For every 2 power points spent, the DC increases by 1. Minimum level 3rd.

Ignore Concealment: The lurk's next attack ignores the miss chance provided by concealment or total concealment. The lurk must still attack the correct square when attacking an invisible creature. Minimum level 5th.

Mental Assault: The lurk's next attack deals 2 points of either Intelligence or Wisdom damage in addition to its normal damage. The lurk chooses which type of ability damage to deal when activating the power. For every 2 power points spent, the ability damage increases by 1. Minimum level 5th.

Deceptive Strike: The target of the lurk's next attack is denied his Dexterity bonus to AC for that attack. This ability works against a target with uncanny dodge, but only if the lurk's class level is at least four levels higher than the target's effective rogue level. Minimum level 8th.

Sneak Attack Undead: The lurk's sneak attack can damage undead creatures, if sneak attack damage would otherwise apply on the lurk's attack (for instance, if the undead is flanked or flat-footed). Minimum level 8th.

Ghost Touch: The lurk's next attack can strike incorporeal creatures, as if her weapon had the ghost touch special ability. Minimum level 11th.

Power Drain: The lurk's next attack drains a number of power points from the target equal to half the damage dealt. Drained power points are available for the lurk to use in the following round, but expire at the end of her next turn. Minimum level 11th.

Aligned Attack: The lurk's next attack is treated as either good-aligned or evil-aligned (depending on the lurk's alignment) for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. A neutral lurk can choose either good or evil when she activates this ability. Minimum level 11th.

Sneak Attack Constructs: The lurk's sneak attack can damage constructs, if sneak attack damage would otherwise apply on the lurk's attack (for instance, if the construct is flanked or flat-footed). Minimum level 14th.

Stygian Weapon: A creature struck by the lurk's next attack gains 1d4 negative levels for 1 round, as the stygian weapon psionic power. For every 4 power points spent, the duration of the negative levels is increased by 1 round. Minimum level 14th.

Planar Attack: The lurk's next attack deals an extra 2d6 points of damage to either good or evil creatures (lurk's choice). For every power point spent, the damage increases by 1d6 points. Minimum level 17th.

Synaptic Disconnect: A creature struck by the lurk's next attack cannot cast spells, manifest powers, or use spell-like or psi-like abilities for I round unless it succeeds on a Will save (DC 10 + lurk's Int modifier). For every 2 power points spent, the DC increases by 1. Minimum level 17th.

Greater Power Drain: The lurk's next attack drains a number of power points from the target equal to the damage dealt by the attack. Drained power points are available for the lurk to use in the following round, but expire at the end of her next turn. Minimum level 20th.

Psionic Sneak Attack (Ex): While psionically focused, a lurk can strike a vital spot for extra damage if she attacks an opponent while he is unable to defend himself effectively. This is identical to the sneak attack ability of the rogue, except the damage only applies when the lurk maintains a psionic focus.

Sneak attack damage and psionic sneak attack damage stack, whenever both would apply to the same target.

Initiative Boost (Ex): At 6th level and higher, a lurk can add her Intelligence bonus on her initiative checks.

Evasion (Ex): At 9th level and higher, a lurk can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility as per the rogue ability. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage.

Slippery Mind (Ex): At 15th level and higher, if a lurk affected by an enchantment spell or effect fails her saving throw, she can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. She gets only one extra chance to succeed on her saving throw.

Playing A Lurk

A lurk sets out to locate and eliminate those who must be removed from the world according to the code she follows. Some presume to slay every instance of true evil; others work on commission. All seek to exercise their abilities to grow to even greater levels of power.

Religion: Some lurks are quite religious, and in fact entwine their personal code with the dictates of their deity, slaying those who oppose religious truths. Other lurks have codes that compel them to stamp out religious organizations where they have become so powerful as to potentially balloon into a theocracy.

Other Classes: lurks particularly enjoy working with those who can provide a front-line offense, giving them a chance to come upon a foe unnoticed. likewise, those who can heal her if she becomes wounded are looked upon kindly. In fact, lurks enjoy working with any class (or individual) that doesn't hinder them in the execution of their code.

Combat: A lurk rarely seeks to initiate combat-instead, she skulks about, looking for an opportunity to strike swiftly, applying her lurk augments to their greatest advantage. At higher levels, she can tailor her attacks to her chosen target, using combinations of augments and powers to defeat her foes.

Advancement: As a psionic character, a lurk can benefit from many psionic feats, such as Psionic Weapon or Deep Impact. Those feats require expending her psionic focus, however, which in turn precludes the lurk from using her focused sneak attack ability. A lurk can perhaps benefit more if she takes feats that require her to maintain her focus, such as Speed of Thought or Psionic Dodge.

A lurk can also choose from her list of powers as she advances in level. Good choices include powers that add to her AC (such as defensive precognition), powers that enhance her ability to skulk (such as chameleon), and powers that allow her to avoid damage (such as evade burst).

LurkHit Die: d6
CLBABFortRefWillSpecialPP/dayPowers KnownMax Lvl
1st+0+0+2+2Lurk augment111st
2nd+1+0+3+3Psionic sneak attack +1d6221st
3rd+2+1+3+3-331st
4th+3+1+4+4542nd
5th+3+1+4+4-752nd
6th+4+2+5+5Initiative boost1162nd
7th+5+2+5+5Psionic sneak attack +2d61573rd
8th+6/+1+2+6+6-1983rd
9th+6/+1+3+6+6Evasion2393rd
10th+7/+2+3+7+7Lurk augment (two at once)27104th
11th+8/+3+3+7+7-35114th
12th+9/+4+4+8+8Psionic sneak attack +3d643124th
13th+9/+4+4+8+8-51135th
14th+10/+5+4+9+9-59145th
15th+11/+6/+1+5+9+9Slippery mind67155th
16th+12/+7/+2+5+10+10-79166th
17th+12/+7/+2+5+10+10Psionic sneak attack +4d691176th
18th+13/+8/+3+6+11+11Lurk augment (three at once)103186th
19th+14/+9/+4+6+11+11-115196th
20th+15/+10/+5+6+12+12-127206th

Source: Complete Psionic

Psionic Classes
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