Porphyran Assassin (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Assassins are devoted killers, professionals or zealots with lifelong training in the art of murder. Unlike warriors, who face foes as they come, an assassin has a very specific goal in mind, and any violence except against the target is a distraction. The perfect assassination is never noticed—not even by the victim. Nor are they thieves—assassins might be skilled in infiltration by stealth or masquerade, but their goal is never simple larceny. Still, no job is picture-perfect. Assassins are often pushed into the role of both warrior and rogue by their employer, cult, or guild. Nor is every murder on Porphyra a professional assassination. Why seek out an expensive professional, if a band of barbarians can be goaded into killing your target for ale and glory?

By large, assassins come in two kinds, those that work for an organization, and freelancers. Both hire out for assignments and must be constantly on their guard against both the law and other assassins. Freelance assassins serve only themselves, but organized assassins must always put the interest of their order first. There is a constant underground war of assassins. Assassin orders are marked by zealousness and paranoia, and actively seek to hunt down any competition and anyone who teaches their secrets, both independents and other orders. That doesn't stop refugees and turncoats from recruiting, seeking to shield themselves behind their students, but the life expectancy of young assassins is short indeed.

Assassination is normally seen as evil, but in war-torn Porphyra it is sometimes accepted as the lesser evil next to war and tyranny. In a world where the strength and personality of a single warlord can be all that holds a land in bondage, assassins can be liberators as well as slayers. Those who favor this line point to the death of the minotaur tyrant Asterion of the Seven Principalities, how a band of adventurers turned assassins could free that land when armies and rebellions could not.

Assassin Orders of Porphyra

Most of the assassins of Porphyra belong to an order, or is at the very least trained in a secret that once belonged to an order. Most of these orders are small, local affairs. Leaders may call themselves guild masters, matriarchs, or prophets, but rarely do their power reach further than the knives of their minions and they frequently have to relocate to escape persecution. Few small orders are open to strangers. Generally all members are blood kin or recruited as children. This insular approach breeds fanatic loyalty, but limits the secrets of the guild to what the master can teach. Some orders of assassins reach regional power, often through the support of a ruthless government. Such orders control a stable area where they seek to eradicate all other assassins, both to ensure their monopoly and so as to not take the blame for the acts of others. A regional order might be open to strangers that prove themselves, especially if they bring in new skills, but they must take contracts only from the order and generally work as outside consultants rather than full members.

A select few orders stable enough to have developed long traditions are described below. For more information on the places and gods mentioned, see the upcoming titles Lands of Porphyria and Gods of Porhyria.

Clockwork Security

The Clockwork Lands would seem to be the ideal place for assassins, and it is an open secret that Clockwork Security is an assassin's guild. Employing both company men and independent contract killers, Clockwork Security is one of the most open assassin orders on Porphyria. The price of this openess is that the corporation keeps independent assassins under their thumb; outsiders are tolerated as long as they act as grease for society by eliminating troublesome worker leaders or facilitate changes in corporate structure, but if they go to far the corporate hammer hits them hard.

Dusk Lords

Descended from the elven nation of Colothorian that was shattered in the New GodsWar, the elves living in the shadow of Morah'Silvanath fight a guerrilla war against the inhabitants of the giant tree. In its shadow they have trained their own assassins, deadly and adapted to eternal dusk. They are friends to all kinds of vermin and fungi and farm them for poisons, the deadliest of which target plants. Part of a guerrilla movement, Colthorian assassins can afford to not be paranoid. Instead they suffer persecution by the Silvanathi elves and harpies. Most of the dusk lords are elves.

Elemental Slayers

It is known that there were tasked slayer genies before the New GodsWar, and murder was an accepted path of advancement in the elemental courts. Queen Antropda in the Haunted Sea is but one elemental ruler with assassin abilities. But today elemental assassins are disorganized and fractious, and it is rare to find more than a single master and a few apprentices working together.

Evening Shades

Supported by House Vark, the ruling house of Tuthon, the evening shades are trained by demons and led by Dark Mistress, the succubus patron of the house. Operating out of the pleasure-fortress Shadowlight, their ultimate goal is nothing less than the ascension of their demonic mistress to the ranks of the divine. They combine pleasure and death, many of them working the sex trade to gain access to both information and victims. Persistent rumors that some prostitutes in The Jawed City are secretly assassins is just one more kink and seems to attract rather than repel customers. Some of their members are of exotic races, like fetchlings and skulks, and need to stay out of sight. Evening shades know the secrets of arcane assassins and professional assassins.

Haven of Calopia

A retired assassin from Calopia might serve as a mentor or trainer for a young apprentice, but no larger organizations are tolerated. This has made Caliopia a refuge for retired assassins—in a place where so many have exceptional abilities and have done extreme acts of destruction, old killers feel right at home and among peers. Foreign assassins on manhunts in Caliopia are often foiled by retired heroes who are not themselves assassins, making the shadow war of assassins impossible here.

Rajuki Dancers

Worshiping Rajuk Amon-Gore in his aspect of the end of the dance, the dancers see killing as a sacred duty, a chance of advancement, and the re-enactment of their gods ascension all in one. Members who thrive on the fruits of their labor may have secret identities as respected members of society. Led by the Black Bishop, whose true identity is unknown to all, the rajuki are chaotic and not closely organized. Rarely do they work together unless one member can gain leverage against the others, often by threatening to disclose their secret identities. Sometimes a visionary can build a larger cult and become a real threat. Rajuki assassins use a black hood as their identifier, going hooded at cult meetings so they cannot identify their compatriots, and doing their slayings hooded to honor their dark god. They tend to use the divine or gruesome secrets, but may be given any secret as a gift from their god.

Gods of Assassins

There are two main patrons of assassins in Porphyra, Shade and Rajuk Amon-Gore. Shade's cult is by far the larger, but Rajuk is the more feared. Shade is the patron of assassins, and most assassins pay at least lip service to him. Some have patrons among the other evil gods as well, depending on their mindset and goals. More frequently, the faithful of other gods employ agents of Shade to do their bloody work. Shade tells his brethren to organize and support each other, but always at a price. The assassin may be the point of the blade, but the informant is the spine, the poison-maker the edge, the fence is the fuller that bleeds the target, the middle man connecting them all is the handle and the client is the pommel that balances the whole. All work for their own best interest, together they prosper. If one part fails, it can be easily replaced, but if a part becomes untrustworthy the integrity of the entire blade is in peril. It is better to kill an untrusted partner than to risk the whole.

Rajuk Amon-Gore is the god of fanatics, death-cultists, and murder as a spiritual path. He is special in that the kill itself is a holy act, rather than a means to an end. This places him in opposition to Shade's more mercenary approach. Rajuk's assassins in theory belong to a Porfyria-spanning guild known as the Rajuki Dancers, but in practice most are lone madmen or small sects led by a vision of death. The Rajuki believe that the "divine spark" of creativity can be stolen. While some accept commissions like other assassins, they also go out of their way to find young, talented people to kill at the very moment the victim is recognized for their ability. Some go so far as to take over the life of a victim, preferably a rich recluse.

Ferrakus is special in that he sponsors assassins that are not necessarily evil. The builder and destroyer recognizes a good tool when he sees one, and an assassin is the perfect tool to break the living. Ferraki assassins live on the fringe of the great caverns, but they do have a place in the underground order of things.

The Porphyran Assassin Class

The porphyran assassin is a highly trained agent of death. Just as death comes in many forms, porphyran assassins are not all the same. From raging fanatics to cold, detached killers-for-hire, the assassins of porphyra are a diverse lot.

Class Information

Adventuring assassins are often fugitives or the last survivor of an order lost to the war of assassins. On the run from other killers, they might be able to earn a place with a larger order of assassins or try and continue as freelancers, perhaps starting their own order in time. Other assassins are on a long-lasting mission from their order, a mission with secret objectives and last-minute instructions.

Role: In an adventuring party, the assassin is almost always the point-man and scout, sometimes used as a living trap finder, bait, or canary. Few groups trust assassins fully and many try to keep the assassin in check by threatening to disclose his identity. It is generally impossible for an assassin in a tight and lasting adventuring team to keep his class secret, most assassins reveal their nature to their closest allies. An assassin can pretend to be a rogue, which may make compatriots guard their valuables rather than their lives, but when such a deception is revealed the assassin is in grave danger from his erstwhile allies.

Alignment: Any non-good. Due to its necessary selfishness and callous indifference toward taking lives, the assassin class attracts those with evil alignments more than any others. Neutral characters sometimes become assassins, frequently thinking of themselves as simple professionals performing a job, a pretense that rarely holds. More common is the neutral assassin doing evil deeds for a good cause. There is no penalty for an assassin trying to maintain a non-evil alignment. An assassin that somehow changes to a good alignment loses that alignment when he next kills a sentient creature with a death attack.

Starting age: Assassins are trained, but this training begins at a very early age. They start in the lowest age bracket for their race.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills

The assassin's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (local) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), and Swim (Str). Assassins gain a number of additional class skills depending on their secret.

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 8 + Int modifier.

Starting Wealth: 4d6 × 10 gp (average 140 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Features

These are all the class features of the porphyrean assassin.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Assassins are proficient with the crossbow (hand, light, or heavy), dagger (any type), dart, rapier, sap, shortbow (normal and composite), and short sword. Assassins are proficient with light armor but not with shields.

Secret Training (Ex)

At 1st level, an assassin must select a secret in which he is being trained. Each secret has a number of class skills, a skill bonus, and often adds to the utility of a skill. At higher levels, secrets also confer special class features on their members, see the assassin's secrets class features, below.

Sneak Attack (Ex)

If a assassin can catch an opponent who is unable to defend himself effectively from his attack, he can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

The assassin's attack deals extra damage anytime his target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the assassin flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and increases by 1d6 every two assassin levels thereafter. Should the assassin 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.

With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (like a sap, whip, or an unarmed strike), an assassin 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.

The assassin 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 assassin cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment.

Poison Use (Ex)

At level 2, assassins are trained in the use of poison and cannot accidentally poison themselves when applying poison to a blade (see Poison). At 3rd level, the assassin gains a +1 saving throw bonus against poisons. This bonus increase by +1 every three levels after level three. He also gains this bonus on Craft (Alchemy) checks to brew poisons.

Quiet Death (Ex)

At 2nd level, whenever an assassin kills a creature during a surprise round, he can also make a Stealth check, opposed by Perception checks of those in the vicinity to prevent them from noticing the attack or identifying him as the assailant. If successful, and the corpse is not immediately obvious, those nearby might not even notice that the target is dead.

Death Attack (Ex)

If an assassin of 4th level or higher studies his victim for 3 rounds and then makes a sneak attack with a melee weapon that successfully deals damage, the sneak attack has the additional effect of possibly either paralyzing or killing the target (assassin's choice). Studying the victim is a standard action. Once the assassin has completed the 3 rounds of study, he must make the death attack within the next 3 rounds. The death attack fails if the target detects the assassin or recognizes the assassin as an enemy (although the attack might still be a sneak attack if the target is denied his Dexterity bonus to his Armor Class or is flanked). If the victim of such a death attack fails a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ the assassin's class level + the assassin's Int modifier) against the kill effect, he dies. If the saving throw fails against the paralysis effect, the victim is rendered helpless and unable to act for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per level of the assassin. If the victim's saving throw succeeds, the attack is just a normal sneak attack.

If a death attack is attempted and fails (the victim makes his save) or if the assassin does not launch the attack within 3 rounds of completing the study, 3 new rounds of study are required before he can attempt another death attack.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

Starting at 4th level, a assassin can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She cannot be caught flat-footed, nor does she lose her Dex bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible. She still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. A assassin with this ability can still lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action (see Combat) against her.

If a assassin already has uncanny dodge from a different class, she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.

Assassin Secrets

At 6th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the assassin gains an ability from the secret training he picked at first level. Each secret has a specific list of abilities taught at each level. Certain secrets give spellcasting abilities instead, as detailed in their description. The spells per day section of Table: Assassin only applies to assassins with these secrets. Most assassins are not spellcasters and have no caster level or spell list.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

A assassin of 8th level or higher can no longer be flanked. This defense denies another rogue or assassin the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more assassin levels than the target does.

If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum assassin level required to flank the character.

Lingering Death (Ex)

At 8th level, the assassin learns how to leave a lethal flaw inside the bodies of their victims, a flaw that kills again when someone tries to raise or resurrect the victim. This is usually a sliver inserted along with the assassin's weapon and lodged in the victim's vital organs.

If a victim of the assassin's death attack is resurrected, it must pass a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the assassin's level + the assassin's Dexterity modifier) or die again after 1 minute. This is a death effect. A heal spell cast after resurrection and before death occurs removes lingering death.

A 15-minute close inspection of the corpse can find and remove lingering death with a Heal DC equal to twice the Save DC. It is possible to take 20 on this heal check with a 5-hour operation. Burning or otherwise destroying the body also negates lingering death, but the dead creature then requires resurrection or more powerful magic to be revived.

Lingering death also gives the assassin the ability to use death attack to paralyze (but not slay) creatures that are normally immune to the effects of Fortitude saving throws, primarily constructs and undead. Such a creature that fails its Fortitude save against a death attack is paralyzed until the creature recovers at least one hit point.

Swift Death (Ex)

At 12th level, an assassin can make a death attack against a foe after only one round of study.

Poison Mastery (Ex)

At 16th level, the assassin can apply poison to a weapon as a free action. A victim poisoned by the assassin must make two Fortitude saving throws against the initial poisoning and take the lowest result. Subsequent saving throws against the poison are made normally.

Instant Death (Ex)

At 20th level, each sneak attack the assassin inflicts counts as a death attack, with no study required and regardless of the target's suspicions. The assassin still needs to inflict damage for this to be effective.

Ultimate Fear (Ex)

At 20th level, a victim slain by the assassin's death attack can be raised from the dead only with great difficulty. The murder was so horrible that the soul of the victim instinctively recoils and refuses to be restored to life unless it makes a Will save with a DC of 20 + the assassin's Charisma modifier. If the soul fail this saving throw, it cannot be resurrected unless a planar quest is made to locate and convince the soul. It is the soul that makes this saving throw, and it does so before it is resurrected; it gains no benefit from any spell or effect on the body, but keeps the saving throw modifier it had when alive and benefits from any inherent resistances. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. Note that a victim that overcomes ultimate fear can still be killed by lingering death, above.

Table: Porphyran Assassin

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day (Arcane and divine only)
						0	1	2	3	4
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	Secret training, sneak attack +1d6	2	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+0	Poison use, quiet death	3	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+1	Sneak attack +2d6, poison use +1	3	—	—	—	—
4th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Death attack, uncanny dodge	3	0	—	—	—
5th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Sneak attack +3d6	3	1	—	—	—
6th	+4	+2	+5	+2	First secret, poison use +2	4	1	—	—	—
7th	+5	+2	+5	+2	Sneak attack +4d6	4	1	0	—	—
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+2	Improved uncanny dodge, lingering death	4	1	1	—	—
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+3	Sneak attack +5d6, poison use +3	4	2	1	—	—
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+3	Second secret	4	2	1	0	—
11th	+8/+3	+3	+7	+3	Sneak attack +6d6	4	2	1	1	—
12th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+4	Poison use +4, swift death	4	2	2	1	—
13th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+4	Sneak attack +7d6	4	3	2	1	0
14th	+10/+5	+4	+9	+4	Third secret	4	3	2	1	1
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+9	+5	Sneak attack +8d6, poison use +5	4	3	2	2	1
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+5	Poison mastery	4	3	3	2	1
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+5	Sneak attack +9d6	4	4	3	2	1
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+6	Fourth secret, poison use +6	4	4	3	2	2
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+6	Sneak attack +10d6	4	4	3	3	2
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+6	Instant death, ultimate fear	4	4	4	3	3

Assassin Secrets

Assassins base their training on a series of secret teachings. A secret is the life-path of the assassin, sometimes even a spiritual path. An assassin chooses a secret at first level, and is assumed to have been trained in this secret since childhood. Though the assassin might since have escaped the direct control of his order, his early training still determines the path his powers will develop. An assassin can change secret, but this is both a momentous personal change and a horrendous break with tradition; members of his order are likely to do everything to chase him down, as might members of the new order whose secrets he is trying to usurp. When advancing in level, the assassin must declare that he is abandoning his old secret, and immediately loses the use of all abilities. He must then survive an entire level without a secret. When advancing to the next level, the assassin can chose a new secret to focus on, provided he has some kind of instruction; a teacher, scroll of secret lore, painting depicting training methods, an esoteric glyph, or even divine inspiration.

Note that these secrets and orders are not the same. A small order is likely to practice only one secret, but a larger guild might have access to several, and might even accept a stranger into their organization if he can teach them a new secret.

Arcane Assassin

Arcane assassins use arcane magic in their deadly work, and are often affiliated with orders of wizardry or witch covens.

Class Skills: Appraise (Int), Fly (Dex), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Spellcraft (Int).

Secret Training (Ex): An arcane assassin adds half his class level (minimum +1) to all Sleight of Hand and Bluff checks to cast spells without being noticed. Disguising the verbal components of spells as innocuous actions requires a Bluff check with a penalty equal to the level of the spell, opposed by each observer's Perception skill. Disguising focus, material, and somatic components uses Sleight of hand in the same way. Note that all the usual penalties on Perception checks apply, including distraction penalties. Casting spells without being noticed still creates an opening in combat and thus provokes attacks of opportunity like regular spellcasting.

Arcane assassins have no specific secret abilities. Instead, they cast arcane spells as a magus, except as noted here. The number of spells of each level he can prepare each day is given on Table: Porphyran Assassin. When Table: Porphyran Assassin indicates that the arcane assassin gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Intelligence score for that spell level.

Unlike the magus, the arcane assassin suffers the normal chance of arcane spell failure in any kind of armor or when using a shield.

An arcane assassin starts with a spellbook containing a number of level zero magus spells (cantrips) equal to his Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). At each level, the assassin can add any one spell from his spell list to his spell book, provided he can cast spells of that level.

An arcane assassin can only cast spells of level zero to four, magus spells of level 5 or higher are not on the arcane assassin's spell list. Arcane assassins can prepare a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, each day, as noted on Table: Porphyran Assassin under “Spells per Day.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again.

Divine Assassin

Divine assassins serve the gods directly and slay at their calling. Many serve Rajuk Amon-Gore in his aspect as the end of the dance.

Class Skills: Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis).

Secret Training (Ex): A divine assassin adds half his class level (minimum +1) to all Sense Motive checks and to Disguise checks to impersonate a specific person. The divine assassin can try an opposed Sense Motive check against someone who knows a person he is impersonating to negate the relation-based Perception bonus for one minute.

Divine assassins have no specific secret abilities. Instead, beginning at 4th level, they cast divine spells as a cleric, except as noted here. The number of spells of each level he can prepare each day is given on Table: Assassin. When Table: Assassin indicates that the divine assassin gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Wisdom score for that spell level.

The divine assassin uses the inquisitor spell list, but cannot use spells that apply to class features he doesn't have (such as judgement). He can only cast spells of level zero to four, inquisitor spells of level 5 or higher are not on the divine assassin's spell list. Divine assassins can prepare a number of orisons, or 0-level spells, each day, as noted on Table: Porphyran Assassin under “Spells per Day.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again.

Dusk Assassin

Dusk assassins were trained in the shadow of Morah'Silvanath and fight a guerrilla war to destroy the great tree and restore their homeland.

Class Skills: Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Ride (Dex), Survival (Wis), Use Magic Device (Cha).

Secret Training (Ex): Dusk assassins add half their class level (minimum +1) to Survival checks and to Knowledge (Nature) checks to identify plant creatures, to gather specific plants, and to know the medicinal uses of plants. Dusk assassins know secret methods that allow them to bypass the poison immunity of plant creatures; any poison administered by a dusk assassin affects creatures of the plant type normally, ignoring the poison resistance of the plant creature type.

First Secret: Spore Breath (Ex) The dusk assassin deliberately cultivates a symbiotic mold in his lungs, and can exhale the spores of this mold in a 15 ft. cone as a swift action. Creatures in the cone must make a Reflex save (DC 10 + half the assassin's level + the assassin's Dexterity modifier) or become dazzled for one round. Dazzled creatures are considered distracted as described in Stealth skill.

The assassin can take a standard action that does not trigger attacks of opportunity to ingest a poison in the same round he uses spore breath. The spores absorb and transmit the poison, all who fail their saving throw against spore breath are dazzled and also exposed to the poison, regardless of how the poison is normally transmitted.

Second Secret: Vermin Bond (Ex) The dusk assassin forms a link with vermin. Vermin start out with an attitude of indifferent towards the dusk assassin (instead of the usual unfriendly) and generally won't attack the dusk assassin (or his companions) unless attacked first. The dusk assassin can use Survival as if it was Diplomacy to change the attitude of vermin. The dusk assassin can use Survival as if it was Handle Animal to train vermin to perform tricks as if they were animals, but each vermin can only learn one trick. Both these effects bypass vermin's usual immunity to mind-affecting effects.

Third Secret: Fungus Bond (Ex) The dusk assassin forms the same bond with fungoid plant creatures as with vermin, above. Only plant creatures of Intelligence 4 or less have their attitude changed by this ability. The dusk assassin can also use Survival to teach tricks to fungal plant creatures of low Intelligence as if they were animals.

Fourth Secret: Spore Meld (Ex) The symbiotic spores in the dusk assassin's lungs can now reproduce poison. The dusk assassin can continue to use the last poison he imbibed with spore breath again and again, but each use after the first inflicts one point of Strength damage. A dusk assassin immune to Strength damage cannot use this class feature.

Elemental Assassin

Elemental assassins channel the wrath of the elements.

Class Skills: Fly (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge (Planes), Survival (Wis), Use Magic Device (Cha).

Secret Training (Su): At 1st level, an elemental assassin gains a bonus equal to half her class level (minimum +1) on Use Magic Device checks and on Stealth checks in environments favorable to her element, as listed here. The elemental assassin must chose one element and gains advantages when hiding in situations marked by that element; air (mist, fog, fumes), earth (stone, bare soil), fire (smoke, fumes, fire), or water (rain, snow, underwater). She can use the Stealth skill regardless of cover when she gains this bonus.

First Secret: Elemental Fury (Su) At 6th level, any melee weapon, natural attack, or unarmed attack the elemental assassin uses is sheathed in energy that deals an extra 1d6 points of damage on a successful hit, like the flaming weapon property. The type of damage depends on the element chosen at level 1; air (electricity), earth (acid), fire (fire), or water (cold). This does not harm the elemental assassin or her weapon. In a sneak attack using elemental fury, the additional damage from sneak attack is elemental damage, and damage from elemental fury and sneak attack stacks.

Second Secret: Elemental Resistance (Su) At 10th level, the elemental assassin is protected from the type of energy she deals with elemental fury The elemental assassin gains resistance to this damage type equal to her class level.

Third Secret: Elemental Burst (Su) At 14th level, the assassin's attacks gain the flaming burst property, doing the same type of damage as elemental fury, above.

Fourth Secret: Elemental Stride (Su) At 18th level the elemental assassin gains a movement speed based on the element chosen at level 1. Air: fly 50 ft. (perfect). Earth: Burrow 10 ft. without leaving a tunnel. Fire: land speed 70 ft. Water: swim 60 ft.

Gruesome Assassin

Gruesome assassins revel in the spectacle of death, and use shock and awe to great effect.

Class Skills: Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Cha), Use Magic Device (Cha).

Secret Training (Ex): At 1st level, a gruesome assassin becomes a master of intimidation and its opposite, the art of appearing unassuming. He adds half his assassin level (minimum +1) to all Intimidate checks and to Disguise checks to assume a generic appearance rather than to imitate a specific person. The gruesome assassin gains Dazzling Display as a bonus feat. The gruesome assassin is assumed to have the Weapon Focus feat with all weapons, but only for the purpose of using and qualifying for Dazzling Display and other feats that have Dazzling Display as a prerequisite.

First Secret: Fear is Death (Ex) At 6th level, the gruesome assassin can sneak attack an enemy that suffers from any fear effect.

Second Secret: Gruesome Death (Ex) At 10th level, the gruesome assassin can use Dazzling Display as an immediate action after having killed an enemy.

Third Secret: Gruesome Sneak Attack (Ex) At 14th level, the gruesome assassin can use Dazzling Display as an immediate action after inflicting sneak attack damage.

Fourth Secret: Gruesome Entrance (Ex) At 18th level, the gruesome assassin can use Dazzling Display as an immediate action in a surprise round or when revealing himself from disguise or stealth.

Necrotic Assassin

Necrotic assassins find power in a mystical union with death.

Class Skills: Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Use Magic Device (Cha).

Secret Training (Ex): A necrotic assassin adds half his class level (minimum +1) to Use Magic Device checks and to Acrobatics checks to move out of a threatened space. He ignores the Acrobatics modifier to move at full speed out of a threatened space.

First Secret: Nondetection (Su) At 6th level, a necrotic assassin can use nondetection as a spell-like ability once per day as a wizard of his assassin level. At 10th, 14th, and 18th level, the assassin gains an additional daily use of the ability.

Second Secret: Angel of Death (Su) At 10th level, the necrotic assassin becomes a master of death. When the assassin kills a creature with a death attack, he can cause the target's body to crumble to nothing, as the disintegrate spell. This prevents raise dead (although resurrection and true resurrection works as normal).

Third Secret: Resurrection Sense (Su) At 14th level, a necrotic assassin senses if a creature he has slain has been restored to life and approximately where this happened.

Fourth Secret: Soul Bind (Ex) At 18th level the necrotic assassin can use soul bind at will as a wizard of his assassin level. When used against a target the assassin has just slain, this is a free action and also has the effect of the angel of death ability above. The assassin needs an appropriate sapphire gem to hold the soul, see the soul bind spell.

Professional Assassin

Professional assassins are highly skilled mercenaries of murder.

Class Skills: Appraise (Int), Knowledge (Nobility) (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Survival (Wis), Use Magic Device (Cha).

Secret Training (Ex): At 1st level, a professional assassin becomes a master at concealing his identity and hiding weapons on his body. He adds half his assassin level (minimum +1) to all Disguise checks and to Sleight of Hand skill checks made to hide weapons or draw hidden weapons unobtrusively.

Secrets: (Ex) At 6th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the professional assassin learns a rogue talent, as the rogue class feature. He cannot select talents that expand on class features he does not have, such as evasion. At 10th level and higher, the professional assassin can select advanced rogue talents.

Shadow Assassin

Shadow assassins gain power from what others fear—darkness.

Class Skills: Bluff (Cha), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Perform (Cha), Use Magic Device (Cha).

Secret Training (Su): At 1st level, a professional assassin becomes a master at stealth. He adds half his assassin level (minimum +1) to all Stealth checks and to Perception checks to notice hidden enemies. The shadow assassin gains darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If he already has darkvision, the range increases by 30 feet.

First Secret: Hide in Plain Sight (Su) At 6th level, a shadow assassin scan use the Stealth skill even while being observed. As long as he is within 10 feet of an area of dim light, a shadow assassin can hide himself from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind. He cannot, however, hide in his own shadow.

Second Secret: Shadow Pool (Sp) At 10th level, the shadow assassin gains a reservoir of mystical arcane energy that he can draw upon to use shadow magic as spell-like abilities. These abilities work as if they were spells cast by a wizard of the shadow assassin's class level. This shadow pool has a number of points equal to his Intelligence modifier, and increases by one point for every 2 levels after level 10. The pool refreshes once per day after resting. This allows the use of silent image as a spell-like ability as long as he has one or more points remaining in the shadow pool. The shadow assassin can also use the following spells at the cost of one point from the shadow pool: shadow conjuration, shadow step.

Third Secret: Silent Shadow Step (Ex) At 14th level, when using shadow step from his shadow pool, the shadow assassin can make a Stealth check to hide immediately afterwards, and this Stealth check suffers no penalties for the shadow assassins actions earlier in the round.

Fourth Secret: Improved Shadow Pool (Su) At level 18, the shadow assassin can use the following spells at the cost of 2 points from his shadow pool: greater shadow conjuration, shadow evocation, shadow walk, quickened shadow step.

Assassin Feats

These feats enhance the porhyran assassin. Stolen secret feats require the assassin to have some source of the stolen knowledge; a trainer, codex, wall paining of practicing assassins, whatever plot device the GM wishes to use.

Stolen Secret

Prerequisites: Assassin's secrets class feature, six ranks in one skill that gets a bonus from the chosen secret's secret training.

Benefit: Choose one assassin's secret. The assassin learns to use the level 6 ability of that secret.

Stolen Secret II

Prerequisites: Assassin's secrets class feature, Stolen Secret, 10 ranks in one skill that gets a bonus from the chosen secret's secret training.

Benefit: The assassin learns to use the level 10 ability of the secret chosen for Stolen Secret. Only secrets that give abilities at level 6 can be chosen; those that give something else (such as spellcasting ability) cannot be chosen.

Stolen Secret III

Prerequisites: Assassin's secrets class feature, Stolen Secret II, 14 ranks in one skill that gets a bonus from the chosen secret's secret training.

Benefit: The assassin learns to use the level 14 ability of the secret chosen for Stolen Secret.

Stolen Secret IV

Prerequisites: Assassin's secrets class feature, Stolen Secret III, 18 ranks in one skill that gets a bonus from the chosen secret's secret training.

Benefit: The assassin learns to use the level 18 ability of the secret chosen for Stolen Secret.

Poison Making

Poison is an important part of the assassin's arsenal. These rules expand on the rules for poison making from appendix 1 of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook. Poisons are made using Craft (Alchemy).

Salvaging Poison

The poison glands of creatures can be milked for poison, poisonous spores can be gathered, and other natural sources of poison can be found. But such poisons must be processed to remain potent, in their natural state they dry out or become inert very quickly. Instead of using them directly, they can be used as raw materials for a manufactured poison that duplicates the effects of the natural poison. The alchemists binds the toxic substance with oils that conserves it for later use.

Salvaging a poison takes one minute per creature and requires a Craft (Alchemy) check with a DC of 10 + the creature's challenge rating, +10 for a contact or inhaled poison. A success gives ingredients enough for one dose of poison, and every 5 points of margin on the roll gives ingredients for an additional dose. A savager who lacks the poison use ability and rolls a 1 on the die roll to salvage poison accidentally injects itself. Only one attempt can be made to salvage poison from a creature each day. Poison from a cadaver must be salvaged within 15 minutes of the creature's death or destruction.

The Alchemy DC to prepare the poison is the save DC of the poison. The base cost of a salvaged poison depends on the creature's challenge rating and the type of poison the creature originally had: Ingested or injected: 100 gp times challenge rating. Contact or inhaled: 500 gp times challenge rating. The effect of a finished does made from salvaged poison is the same as that of the poison used by the original creature. The value of salvaged ingredients is 1/3 of the value of a finished dose.

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