Prestige Classes

IMASKARI VENGEANCE TAKER

A secret society dedicated to righting wrongs, the Imaskari vengeance takers are trained by hidden masters in the rites and rituals of revenge. Members of the Lodge of the Retributive Masters, as the society is called, use arcane spells, stealth, and the imprimatur of “just retribution” to destroy those who have sinned against their society and those it protects. To a vengeance taker, a paladin who destroys a den of grimlocks under the protection of the Lodge of Retributive Masters is deserving of vengeance in the same extremity and measure as a drow who murders a member of the society itself. Sorcerers, wizards, and arcane-minded rogues and monks are the most likely characters to become Imaskari vengeance takers, though class is not so important as motivation. Anyone whose personal quest of revenge has become obsessive and epic in nature is well suited to the class. The Lodge of the Retributive Masters recruits from everywhere in the Upperdark, and even from the surface, though its recruiters travel there only by night. An Imaskari vengeance taker is happy to work alone, trailing her latest quarry though the tunnels and caves of the Underdark, and even out into the surface world if need be. She is usually willing to work with a larger group, so long as its members are amenable to helping her deal her own brand of justice on occasion.

Hit Die: d6.

Requirements

To qualify to become an Imaskari vengeance taker, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.

Alignment: Any lawful.

Skills: Hide 4 ranks, Move Silently 5 ranks, Survival 2 ranks.

Feats: Track.

Spells: Able to cast 3rd-level arcane spells.

Special: The candidate must have slain a creature or enemy purely for revenge. She must also swear to obey the Imaskari vengeance taker code (see below).

Class Skills

The Imaskari vengeance taker's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Table: The Imaskari Vengeance Taker

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Imaskari vengeance taker prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Imaskari vengeance takers gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Spells per Day: At every even-numbered Imaskari vengeance taker level, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class to which she belonged before adding the prestige class level. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of turning or rebuking undead, metamagic or item creation feats, and the like). If the character had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming an Imaskari vengeance taker, the player must decide to which class to add each Imaskari vengeance taker level for the purpose of determining spells per day, spells known, and overall caster level.

Target of Vengeance (Ex): Beginning at 1st level, an Imaskari vengeance taker may select a specific creature as the target of her vengeance. Her calculated study of this foe grants her a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks made against that one creature. Likewise, she gets a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against her foe. Each time the Imaskari vengeance taker gains a new level in the prestige class, her bonuses against her target of vengeance increase by +1.

To designate a target of vengeance, the Imaskari vengeance taker must spend one full day performing a set of special rites. She must either know the name of her foe or have met the individual at least once. An Imaskari vengeance taker may have only one target of vengeance at a time. She can designate a new target after successfully slaying her previous target or by spending three full days performing the necessary rituals.

An Imaskari vengeance taker who has levels in the ranger class may add one-half the bonus noted above (rounded down) to her favored enemy bonus when attacking or using the indicated skills against a target of vengeance that is also one of her favored enemies.

Poison Use: At 2nd level, an Imaskari vengeance taker learns to use poison effectively. She never risks accidentally poisoning herself when applying poison to a blade.

Sneak Attack (Ex): At 3rd level, an Imaskari vengeance taker learns the art of the sneak attack. If she can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage. Basically, the vengeance taker’s attack deals extra damage any time her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the vengeance taker flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 3rd level, and it increases to 2d6 at 5th level, 3d6 at 7th level, and 4d6 at 9th level. Should the vengeance taker score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied.

Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet. An Imaskari vengeance taker can’t strike with deadly accuracy from beyond that range.

With a sap (blackjack) or an unarmed strike, an Imaskari vengeance taker can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty, because she must make optimal use of her weapon in order to execute a sneak attack.

An Imaskari vengeance taker can sneak attack only living creatures with discernible anatomies—undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to sneak attacks. The vengeance taker must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A vengeance taker cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach. If the Imaskari vengeance taker is entitled to sneak attack damage from another source (such as rogue levels), the damage does stack.

Far Sense (Sp): Upon reaching 4th level, an Imaskari vengeance taker gains the ability to use clairaudience/clairvoyance (caster level equals 1/2 Imaskari vengeance taker’s character level) to acquire information about her target of vengeance. This ability is usable once per day.

Seeker (Sp): Beginning at 6th level, an Imaskari vengeance taker can use divination (caster level equals 1/2 Imaskari vengeance taker’s character level) to ask questions that bear on her target of vengeance. This ability is usable once per day.

Scry Target (Sp): When an Imaskari vengeance taker reaches 8th level, she can attempt to see her target of vengeance from afar. This effect functions like the scrying spell (caster level equals 1/2 Imaskari vengeance taker’s character level), except that the vengeance taker does not need a reflective surface, and the –5 penalty for knowing the target well applies to the Will save, even if the vengeance taker is not well acquainted with the target.

This ability is usable once per week.

Death Attack (Ex): If an Imaskari vengeance taker studies her target of vengeance for 3 rounds and then successfully deals damage to that individual via a sneak attack with a melee weapon, the target must make a successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + vengeance taker level + vengeance taker’s Intelligence modifier) or die. Success means the attack is resolved as a normal sneak attack. While studying the victim, the vengeance taker can undertake other actions so long as her attention stays focused on the target and the target does not detect the vengeance taker or recognize her as an enemy. Once the vengeance taker has completed her 3 rounds of study, she must make the death attack within the next 3 rounds. If the death attack is attempted and fails or if the vengeance taker does not launch the attack within 3 rounds of completing the study, 3 more rounds of study are required before she can attempt another death attack. A vengeance taker does not have the option of paralyzing her victim with a death attack.

A vengeance taker with levels in the assassin prestige class (see Chapter 2 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide) may add her assassin and vengeance taker class levels together for the purpose of calculating the save DC for her vengeance taker death attack.

The Imaskari Vengeance Taker Code

An Imaskari vengeance taker must swear before the Retributive Masters (whose lodge is located in a hidden spot outside the even more secret realm of Deep Imaskar) to take vengeance on those who deserve justice, on those who commit crimes against creatures protected by the Retributive Masters, and on those who impede the vengeance taker in her task. She further swears to obey the orders of the Retributive Masters in all matters.

A vengeance taker who violates this code (usually by refusing to obey the Retributive Masters, or by allowing the unjust to escape vengeance) loses her ability to designate a target of vengeance and may not progress any further in levels as an Imaskari vengeance taker. She regains her target of vengeance ability and advancement potential if she atones for her disobedience, which can usually be accomplished by undertaking a special quest assigned by the Retributive Masters.