Syndicate Lord (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Ostensibly merchant princes, syndicate lords coordinate vast network of agents and merchants spanning several continents. Masters of intrigue, syndicate lords rarely sully their hands with violence. Some live pampered lives of luxury, others maintain the roles of beggars or vagrants - and this tells you exactly nothing about their position in the grand organization of the syndicate.

Renegade syndicate lords live the life of fugitives, constantly hunted by their previous brethren.

Class Information

This is a prestige class archetype.

Prestige Class: syndicate agent.

Build Class: monk.

Role: Syndicate lords coordinate the activities of the syndicate, act as messengers and as a secondary, secret chain of command.

Alignment: Any lawful. Most syndicate lords are evil, very few are good.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills

The Syndicate lord's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), and Swim (Str).

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features

The syndicate lord has all monk class features, except as follows.

Weapon Proficiency

Syndicate lords are proficient with the brass knuckles, cestus, club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shortspear, short sword, shuriken, siangham, sling, spear, temple sword, and whip. The whip is considered a monk weapon when used by a syndicate lord.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

This is the same as the rogue ability of the same name, counting syndicate levels as rogue levels. This replaces the bonus feat gained at 2nd level.

Mask Alignment (Su)

At 3rd level, as a standard action, a syndicate lord can alter her alignment aura to deceive effects that detect alignment. She may choose to be detected as any specific alignment she chooses or as no alignment. This affects only alignment detection, not effects that cause harm or are otherwise based on alignment. This effect lasts until she dismisses it or changes her alignment aura again. This replaces still mind.

At 7th level, a syndicate lord targeted with an effect that detects alignment or with any alignment-based effect can automatically identify the effect by making a Spellcraft check. If successful, she can assume a false alignment as an immediate action. This replaces wholeness of body.

At 13th level, when a syndicate lord assumes a false alignment, she is treated as having that alignment for all effects of magic items, spells, and spell-like or supernatural effects (such as forbiddance, sympathy, or an unholy weapon), including magical traps based on alignment. While masking her alignment, she ignores these types of effects that relate to her true alignment. This replaces tounge of the sun and moon..

Syndicate Secrets

At 6th level and every four levels thereafter, a syndicate lord gains one of the following syndicate secrets. Spell-like abilities function at a spellcaster level equal to the syndicate lord's level. A syndicate lord can't select an individual syndicate secret more than once. Syndicate secrets replaces bonus feats.

Bluster (Ex): a syndicate lord takes no penalty on Intimidate checks against larger creatures, and larger creatures gain no bonus on Intimidate checks against her.

Bonus Feat: a syndicate lord may choose one of the following as a bonus feat: Antagonize, Combat Expertise, Enforcer, Greater Dirty Trick, Improved Dirty Trick, Improved Whip Mastery, Intimidating Prowess, Skill Focus (Intimidate), Whip Mastery. She must meet the prerequisites of the selected bonus feat. This syndicate secret can be selected multiple times.

Conceal Thoughts (Su): a syndicate lord targeted with detect thoughts or a similar effect may choose what thoughts are detected, while her true thoughts remain private. This does not affect mind-affecting effects other than thought-reading.

Hidden Stash (Ex/Sp): a syndicate lord gains a bonus equal to half her class level on Sleight of Hand checks to hide small objects on her person. In addition, once per day she can hide the magical properties of one item as magic aura.

Improved Trap Sense (Ex): a syndicate lord's trap sense bonus applies on all saving throws made to avoid trap effects.

Remote Activation (Ex): a syndicate lord can use her ambush trap ability on a trap up to 30 feet away.

Rogue Talent: a syndicate lord can select one rogue talent for which she qualifies. Her Syndicate lord levels stack with rogue levels for any rogue talents she possesses with level-dependent effects, whether they were gained from this or another class. She can pick this syndicate secret several times, but cannot pick advanced rogue talents.

Shrunken Smuggle (Sp): a syndicate lord can cast shrink item once per day, using her class level as her caster level. In addition, while the item is shrunken, it is also affected as nondetection. This effect ends when the item returns to its proper size.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): This is the same as the rogue's uncanny dodge ability. Syndicate lord levels count as rogue levels for this ability.

Crucial Taunt (Ex)

At 12th level, a syndicate lord can combine infuriating smugness and sneering mockery with Bluff checks to feint, Intimidate checks to demoralize, and dirty trick combat maneuvers. She may then delay the effect of the successful check for up to 1 day per class level, spending an immediate action to trigger it later. The Syndicate lord must be within 60 feet to use or trigger a crucial taunt. She can only have one crucial taunt delayed against any particular target. This is a language-dependent effect and replaces abundant step.

Diamond Soul (Ex)

This is the same as the monk ability, but gained at 17th level.

Table: Syndicate Lord

Class 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	Bonus feat, flurry of blows, stunning fist, unarmed strike	–1/–1	1d6	+0	+0 ft.
2nd	+1	+3	+3	+3	Evasion, uncanny dodge	+0/+0	1d6	+0	+0 ft.
3rd	+2	+3	+3	+3	Fast movement, maneuver training, mask alignment	+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	High jump, of purity body	+3/+3	1d8	+1	+10 ft.
6th	+4	+5	+5	+5	Syndicate secret, slow fall (30 ft.)	+4/+4/–1	1d8	+1	+20 ft.
7th	+5	+5	+5	+5	Ki pool (cold iron/silver), mask alignment (immediate)	+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	Improved evasion	+7/+7/+2/+2	1d10	+2	+30 ft.
10th	+7/+2	+7	+7	+7	Syndicate secret, Ki pool (lawful), slow fall 50 ft.	+8/+8/+3/+3	1d10	+2	+30 ft.
11th	+8/+3	+7	+7	+7	Diamond body	+9/+9/+4/+4/–1	1d10	+2	+30 ft.
12th	+9/+4	+8	+8	+8	Crucial taunt, slow fall 60 ft.	+10/+10/+5/+5/+0	2d6	+3	+40 ft.
13th	+9/+4	+8	+8	+8	Mask alignment (magic)	+11/+11/+6/+6/+1	2d6	+3	+40 ft.
14th	+10/+5	+9	+9	+9	Syndicate secret, 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	Diamond soul, timeless body	+15/+15/+10/+10/+5/+5/+0	2d8	+4	+50 ft.
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+11	Syndicate secret, slow fall 90 ft.	+16/+16/+11/+11/+6/+6/+1	2d8	+4	+60 ft.
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+11	Empty body	+17/+17/+12/+12/+7/+7/+2	2d8	+4	+60 ft.
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+12	Perfect self, slow fall any distance	+18/+18/+13/+13/+8/+8/+3	2d10	+5	+60 ft.

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

These abilities of the original class are lost or modified in this archetype:

• Weapon Proficiency
• Bonus Feats (all)
• Still Mind
• Wholeness of Body
• Abundant Step
• Diamond Soul
• Tongue of the Sun and Moon