Slayer
Skilled at tracking down targets, slayers are consummate hunters, living for the chase and the deadly stroke that brings it to a close. Slayers spend most of their time honing their weapon skills, studying the habits and anatomy of foes, and practicing combat maneuvers.
Role: The slayer is elusive, and adept at finding the opportune time and location to strike. A slayer’s abilities are all about getting into combat, dealing with a target, and getting back out again.
Hit Die: d10.
Starting Gold: 175 gp.
Class Skills
The slayer’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Athletics (Str), Deception (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Str/Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sap (Str), Sense Motive (Wis), Stealth (Dex), and Survival (Wis).
Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Table: Slayer
Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | 1st studied target, tracker |
2nd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Slayer talent |
3rd | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Surgical attack +1 |
4th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Slayer talent |
5th | +5 | +4 | +4 | +1 | 2nd studied target |
6th | +6 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Slayer talent, surgical attack +2 |
7th | +7 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Stalker |
8th | +8 | +6 | +6 | +2 | Slayer talent |
9th | +9 | +6 | +6 | +3 | Surgical attack +3 |
10th | +10 | +7 | +7 | +3 | 3rd studied target, advanced talents, slayer talent |
11th | +11 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Swift tracker |
12th | +12 | +8 | +8 | +4 | Slayer talent, surgical attack +4 |
13th | +13 | +8 | +8 | +4 | Slayer’s advance 1/day |
14th | +14 | +9 | +9 | +4 | Quarry, slayer talent |
15th | +15 | +9 | +9 | +5 | 4th studied target, surgical attack +5 |
16th | +16 | +10 | +10 | +5 | Slayer talent |
17th | +17 | +10 | +10 | +5 | Slayer’s advance 2/day |
18th | +18 | +11 | +11 | +6 | Slayer talent, surgical attack +6 |
19th | +19 | +11 | +11 | +6 | Improved quarry |
20th | +20 | +12 | +12 | +6 | 5th studied target, master slayer, slayer talent |
Class Features
The following are the class features of the slayer.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A slayer is proficient with all weapons (simple, martial) and armor (light, medium).
Studied Target (Ex): A slayer can study an opponent she can see as a move action. The slayer then gains a +1 bonus on Deception, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks attempted against that opponent, and a +1 bonus on weapon attack rolls and weapon damage rolls against it. The DCs of slayer class abilities against that opponent increase by 1. A slayer can maintain these bonuses against only one opponent at a time; these bonuses remain in effect until either the opponent is dead or the slayer studies a new target. You may deal nonlethal damage against your studied target with any weapon at no penalty.
If a slayer deals surgical attack damage to a target, she can study that target as an immediate action, allowing her to apply her studied target bonuses against that target (including to the normal weapon damage roll).
At 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels, the bonuses on weapon attack rolls, damage rolls, and skill checks and to the DCs of slayer abilities against a studied target increase by 1. In addition, at each such interval, the slayer is able to maintain these bonuses against an additional studied target at the same time. The slayer may discard this connection to a studied target as a free action, allowing her to study another target in its place.
At 7th level, a slayer can study an opponent as a move or swift action.
Tracker (Ex): A slayer adds 1/2 his level (minimum 1) to Perception to spot hidden opponents and Survival checks made to follow tracks.
Slayer Talents: As a slayer gains experience, she learns a number of talents that aid her and confound her foes. Starting at 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, a slayer gains one slayer talent. Unless otherwise noted, a slayer cannot select an individual talent more than once.
Talents marked with an asterisk (*) add effects to a slayer’s surgical attack. Only one of these talents can be applied to an individual attack, and the decision of which talent to use must be made before the attack roll is made.
Surgical Attack (Ex; precision; Int): At 3rd level, if you catche an opponent unable to defend itself effectively from your attack, you can strike a vital spot dealing the listed ability damage. Your attack deals ability damage anytime your target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC, or when you flank your target. This additional damage is 1 point at 3rd level, and increases by 1 point every 3 levels thereafter. Creatures struck by this attack may make a Fortitude save for half damage (minimum 1 point).
Ranged attacks can count as surgical attacks only if the target is within 30 feet. You can choose which ability to affect before you make the attack. It is assumed unless stated otherwise that this attack is meant to kill and deals Con damage. If you want to quickly disable spellcaster, you could try to cause a concussion by dealing Int or Wis damage, to weaken a strong combatant for capture you may hit nerve points and joints dealing Str or Dex damage, and to teach a foe a lesson about their station in the world leave scars or horrible wounds in the form of Cha damage.
You must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. You cannot use surgical attack while striking a creature that has total concealment.
Stalker (Ex): At 7th level, you gain your studied target bonus on Intimidate and Stealth checks against your studied opponent.
Advanced Talents: At 10th level and every 2 levels thereafter, you can select one of the following advanced talents in place of a slayer talent.
Swift Tracker (Ex): At 11th level, you can move at her normal speed while using Survival to follow tracks without taking the normal –5 penalty. When moving at up to twice your normal speed while tracking, you take only a –10 penalty instead of the normal –20.
Slayer’s Advance (Ex): At 13th level, you can move up to twice your base speed once per day as a move action. You can use Stealth as part of this movement, but takes a –10 penalty on her check for doing so. At 17th level, you can use this ability twice per day.
Quarry (Ex): At 14th level, you can as a standard action denote one target within your line of sight as your quarry. Whenever you are following the tracks of your quarry, you can take 10 on your Survival checks while moving at normal speed, without penalty. In addition, you gain a +2 insight bonus on attack rolls made against your quarry, and all critical threats against your quarry are automatically confirmed. You can have no more than one quarry at a time, and the creature must be one of your studied targets. You can dismiss this effect at any time as a free action, but you cannot select a new quarry for 24 hours. If you see proof that your quarry is dead, you can select a new quarry after 1 hour.
Improved Quarry (Ex): At 19th level, your ability to hunt your quarry improves. You can now select a quarry as a free action, and can now take 20 when using Survival to track her quarry while moving at normal speed without penalty. Your insight bonus to attack her quarry increases to +4. If her quarry is killed or dismissed, you can select a new one after 10 minutes have passed.
Master Slayer (Ex, Int): At 20th level, you become a master at capturing or killing your studied targets. As a standard action, you can make a single attack against a studied target at your full attack bonus, choosing one of the following effects: kill, knock unconscious for 1d4 hours, or paralyze for 2d6 rounds. If the attack succeeds, the target takes damage normally and must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw or suffer the additional effect. Whether or not the target succeeds, it cannot be targeted by this ability again (by any slayer) for 24 hours.