Master Spy (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Master spies are seemingly superhuman intelligence agents, operatives sent in to handle impossible situations. Not dependent on equipment, they can often infiltrate as slaves, victims, sacrifices or other lowly positions and then escape to report back or strike unexpectedly.

Class Information

This is a prestige archetype. Master spies are spy monks.

Prestige Class: Master Spy from Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Player's Guide. .

Build Class: Monk.

Role: Scouts, infiltrators, and point-men, master spies can get to places others cannot.

Alignment: Any lawful. It takes extreme devotion to stay true as a master spy, with very little immediate reward. Most master spies are motivated by ideology or faith to the point of fanaticism, a few are motivated by an ascetic sense of growth.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills

The master spy’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex) Bluff (Cha) Climb (Str) Craft (Int) Diplomacy (Cha) Disguise (Cha) Intimidate (Cha) Knowledge (all) (Int) Linguistics (Int) Perception (Wis) Profession (Wis) Sense Motive (Wis) Sleight of Hand (Dex) Stealth (Dex), and Swim (Str).

Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features

The master master spy has all the monk's class features except as follows.

Master of Disguise (Ex)

A master spy can create a disguise in half the time normally required. In addition, any penalties from assuming a disguise of a different gender, race, age, or size are reduced by 1. This replaces the bonus feat gained at level 1.

Art of Deception (Ex)

At 2nd level a master spy adds half her class level to all Bluff, Disguise, and Sense Motive checks. This replaces the bonus feat gained at level 2.

Mask Alignment (Su)

A master spy of 2nd level or higher can alter her alignment aura to deceive spells that discern alignment (such as detect evil). She may choose to detect as any specific alignment, or to detect as no alignment at all. This ability does not protect against spells or effects that cause harm based on alignment. Masking her alignment aura is a standard action, and lasts until she changes it again or ends the effect. This replaces evasion.

Glib Lie (Su)

A master spy of 4th level or higher can deceive truth-detecting magic. A creature using this sort of magic against the master spy must succeed on a caster level check against a DC of 15 + the master spy’s class level to succeed (as if she were under the effect of a glibness spell); failure means the magic doesn’t detect the master spy’s lies or force her to speak only the truth. This ability does not give the master spy the glibness spell’s bonus on Bluff checks. This replaces purity of body.

Concealed Thoughts (Su)

A 6th-level spy can conceal her schemes from mind-reading magic. When a creature is using detect thoughts or similar magic to read her mind, she decides what surface thoughts her opponent detects, and her true surface thoughts remain private. This ability does not protect against mental attacks or mind-reading that delves deeper than surface thoughts.

Nonmagical Aura (Sp)

At 7th level, a master spy can use magic aura twice per day with a caster level equal to her class level, but only for the purposes of making an object appear non-magical. This replaces wholeness of body.

Quick Change (Ex)

Starting at 8th level, a master spy can assume a disguise in only 2d4 rounds by taking a –10 penalty on her Disguise check. This penalty drops to –5 at 12th level. This replaces timeless body.

Superficial Knowledge (Ex)

A master spy gives the appearance of knowing more than she actually does. Starting at 9th level, she can make untrained Knowledge and Profession checks pertaining to her cover or assumed identity as if she were trained and gains a bonus equal to half her level on these checks. For example, a master spy masquerading as a noblewoman can make untrained Knowledge (history) checks about the kingdom and Knowledge (nobility) checks about its noble and royal families as if she were trained, but she cannot make untrained Knowledge (nature) skill checks to identify herbs. This replaces improved evasion.

Elude Detection (Sp)

At 11th level, a master spy can befuddle divinations used against her as if she were under the effect of a nondetection spell with a caster level equal to her character level. She can suppress or resume this protection as a standard action. If dispelled, the master spy cannot resume the nondetection for 1d4 rounds. This replaces diamond body.

Hidden Mind (Sp)

At 13th level, a master spy gains the benefit of a constant mind blank spell at a caster level equal to her character level. The master spy can suppress or resume this protection as a standard action. If dispelled, the master spy cannot resume the mind blank for 1d4 rounds. This replaces diamond soul.

Shift Alignment (Su)

Starting at 14th level, a master spy’s control over her aura improves. When she assumes a false alignment, she can choose to have all spells and magic items affect her as though she were that alignment; this includes helpful and harmful effects. For example, a neutral good master spy can shift her aura to lawful evil so she can pass through a doorway that shocks creatures that aren’t lawful evil; if hit by holy smite with this shifted aura, she takes damage as if she were evil. A master spy can change her alignment aura from a masked alignment (as per her 2nd-level class feature, where effects still function based on her actual alignment) to a shifted alignment (as per this ability, where effects function based on her assumed alignment) as a standard action. Shifting her alignment aura is a standard action, and lasts until she changes it again or ends the effect. This replaces the bonus feat gained at level 14.

Slippery Mind (Su)

At 18th level, a master spy can slip away from mental control. If a spy with slippery mind is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails her saving throw, she can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. She gets only this one extra chance to succeed on her saving throw. If the spy has the slippery mind ability from another class, these abilities stack, but she can still only use slippery mind once per round. This replaces the bonus feat gained at level 18.

Fool Casting (Su)

A master spy of 19th level or higher can trick an opponent into believing that she has been charmed or dominated. When the master spy succeeds at a saving throw against a magical effect that provides ongoing control (such as charm person, dominate person, or a vampire’s dominate ability), she can allow the spell to take partial effect. To the caster, it appears that the master spy failed her saving throw, but the master spy is not under the caster’s control. If the spell provides a telepathic link, it functions normally, but the master spy is under no obligation to follow the caster’s commands. The master spy can dismiss a fooled spell as a standard action. Fooled casting can be used when the master spy succeeds at a subsequent saving throw against an ongoing effect, such as that granted by slippery mind. This replaces empty body.

Assumption (Su)

The ultimate ability of the master spy is to take over another persona entirely, making it her own. As a full-round action, a level 20 master spy can touch a helpless creature and shift her aura to that of her target. This confuses divination effects and spells, even ones as powerful as discern location, such that they register the master spy as being the creature she has touched. This ability is not proof against the actions of deities or similarly powerful beings. The assumption of an identity lasts until the master spy ends it (a standard action) or she uses the ability on another creature. This replaces perfect self.

Table: Master Spy

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Flurry of Blows Attack Bonus	Unarmed Damage	AC Bonus	Fast Movement
1st	+0	+2	+2	+2	Flurry of blows, master of disguise, stunning fist, unarmed strike	–1/–1	1d6	+0	+0 ft.
2nd	+1	+3	+3	+3	Art of deception, mask alignment	+0/+0	1d6	+0	+0 ft.
3rd	+2	+3	+3	+3	Fast movement, maneuver training, still mind	+1/+1	1d6	+0	+10 ft.
4th	+3	+4	+4	+4	Ki pool (magic), slow fall 20 ft.	+2/+2	1d8	+1	+10 ft.
5th	+3	+4	+4	+4	Glib lie, high jump,	+3/+3	1d8	+1	+10 ft.
6th	+4	+5	+5	+5	Concealed thoughts, slow fall 30 ft.,	+4/+4/–1	1d8	+1	+20 ft.
7th	+5	+5	+5	+5	Ki pool (cold iron/silver), nonmagical aura 2/day,	+5/+5/+0	1d8	+1	+20 ft.
8th	+6/+1	+6	+6	+6	Slow fall 40 ft.	+6/+6/+1/+1	1d10	+2	+20 ft.
9th	+6/+1	+6	+6	+6	Quick change, superficial knowledge	+7/+7/+2/+2	1d10	+2	+30 ft.
10th	+7/+2	+7	+7	+7	Ki pool (lawful), slow fall 50 ft.	+8/+8/+3/+3	1d10	+2	+30 ft.
11th	+8/+3	+7	+7	+7	Elude detection	+9/+9/+4/+4/–1	1d10	+2	+30 ft.
12th	+9/+4	+8	+8	+8	Abundant step, slow fall 60 ft.	+10/+10/+5/+5/+0	2d6	+3	+40 ft.
13th	+9/+4	+8	+8	+8	Hidden mind	+11/+11/+6/+6/+1	2d6	+3	+40 ft.
14th	+10/+5	+9	+9	+9	Shift alignment, slow fall 70 ft.	+12/+12/+7/+7/+2	2d6	+3	+40 ft.
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+9	+9	Quivering palm	+13/+13/+8/+8/+3/+3	2d6	+3	+50 ft.
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+10	Ki pool (adamantine), slow fall 80 ft.	+14/+14/+9/+9/+4/+4/–1	2d8	+4	+50 ft.
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+10	tongue of the sun and moon	+15/+15/+10/+10/+5/+5/+0	2d8	+4	+50 ft.
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+11	Slippery mind, slow fall 90 ft.	+16/+16/+11/+11/+6/+6/+1	2d8	+4	+60 ft.
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+11	Fool casting	+17/+17/+12/+12/+7/+7/+2	2d8	+4	+60 ft.
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+12	Assumption, slow fall any distance	+18/+18/+13/+13/+8/+8/+3	2d10	+5	+60 ft.

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

These class features are lost or modified in this archetype:

• Class skills
• Bonus feats (all)
• Evasion
• Purity of body
• Wholeness of body
• Improved evasion
• Diamond body
• Diamond soul
• Timeless body
• Empty body
• Perfect self

The text in this article is Open Game Content. It is covered by the Open Game License v1.0a, rather than the Action copyright. To distinguish it, these items will have this notice. If you see any page that contains OGL material and does not show this license statement, please contact one of the Action administrators. Please note that images used in article may have different copyright than the text.