Rogue Talents (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

This is a collection of all Paizo rogue talents in one list, along with a bunch of new ones.

Basic Rogue Talents

Acrobat (Ex)

^N This is from the acrobat archetype.

An acrobat can roll 2 dice on any Acrobatics or Fly skill check she makes and take the better result.

Ambush (Ex)

^N This is from the bandit archetype.

Benefit: A rogue with this talent becomes fully practiced in the art of ambushing. When she acts in the surprise round, she can take a full-round action or a move action and standard action, not just a move or standard action.

Assault Leader (Ex)

Benefit: When the rogue misses with an attack on a flanked opponent, she can designate a single ally who is also flanking the target that her attack missed. That ally can make a single melee attack against the opponent as an immediate action.

Blind Spot (Ex)

^N This is the same as the vigilante talent of the same name.

The rogue is so skilled at stealth, she can use the Stealth skill to hide from creatures with unusual senses that normally automatically detect creatures. This includes senses such as blindsense, blindsight, lifesense, scent, or tremorsense. For each such ability that the creature possesses, if the rogue is not bypassing the sense in another way—such as the negate aroma spell for scent or flying for tremorsense—the creature gains a stacking +20 circumstance bonus on all Perception checks to notice the rogue, rather than automatically noticing her.

Black Market Connections (Ex)

Benefit: A rogue with this talent gains better access to equipment from black market connections, including magic items and contraband such as poison. She treats every settlement as one size greater (see Table: Settlement Statistics) for the purpose of determining the gp limit of the base value of items for sale, as well as the number of minor, medium, and major magic items for sale in the settlement. If the settlement is already a metropolis, all minor and medium magic items are for sale, as well as 3d8 major magic items. With a successful Diplomacy check, the rogue can treat the settlement as two sizes larger. If the settlement is already a metropolis and she succeeds at the check, all magic items are for sale. If the settlement is already a large city and she succeeds at the check, all minor and medium magic items are for sale, as well as 3d8 major magic items. With a successful check, the rogue can also sell stolen items on the black market. If the check fails by 5 or more, the rogue does something to spook the market, and treats the city as normal for 1 week. Furthermore, those in control of the black market may alert the authorities to the rogue’s presence in an act of reprisal for spooking the market or to divert attention away from their illicit activities. The DCs vary by the size of the settlment: Thorp 10, Hamlet 12, Village 15, Small town 18, Large town 20, Small city 25, Large City 30, Metropolis 35.

Bleeding Attack (Ex)

^SA Benefit: A rogue with this ability can cause living opponents to bleed by hitting them with a sneak attack. This attack causes the target to take 1 additional point of damage each round for each die of the rogue’s sneak attack (e.g., 4d6 equals 4 points of bleed). Bleeding creatures take that amount of damage every round at the start of each of their turns. The bleeding can be stopped by a successful DC 15 Heal check or the application of any effect that heals hit point damage. Bleed damage from this ability does not stack with itself. Bleed damage bypasses any damage reduction the creature might possess.

Bribery (Ex)

Benefit: You know how to smooth over interactions with customs and other officials. When dealing with officials working at a checkpoint, conducting an inspection, or performing another routine activity, you can make a Sense Motive check (DC 10 + 2x the official's Hit Dice) to understand in the official can be bribed, what kind of bribe is needed, and how to present the bribe. A normal bribe is 1 gp per level of the official, but lawful officials are harder to bribe and might require twice as much gold or some special favor. If the official has orders or a concrete reason to be suspicious, use the normal Diplomacy rules.

Camouflage (Ex)

^{U R}Benefit: A rogue with this talent can craft simple but effective camouflage from the surrounding foliage. The rogue needs 1 minute to prepare the camouflage, but once she does, it is good for the rest of the day or until the rogue fails a Reflex saving throw against an effect spell that deals damage, whichever comes first. The rogue gains a +4 bonus on Stealth checks while within terrain that matches the foliage used to make the camouflage. Others can use camouflage the rogue makes, using her Stealth skill to hide, but in that case it is destroyed as soon as the wearer moves or takes any damage.

Canny Observer (Ex)

^{U R}Benefit: When a rogue with this spends a move action to make a Perception check, she rolls twice and takes the better result.

Careful Disarm (Ex)

^N This is inspired by the burglar archetype.

Whenever the rogue attempts to disarm a trap using Disable Device, she does not spring the trap unless she fails by 10 or more. If she does set off a trap she was attempting to disarm, she adds double her trap sense bonus to avoid the trap.

Cat's Charge (Ex)

^N This is inspired by the mouser swashbuckler archetype.

Benefit: When she charges a foe whose size is larger than her own, the rogue can end her charge in any space she can reach, not just the closest space. All other requirements of the charge must still be satisfied. This movement triggers attacks of opportunity normally, and the rogue can use Acrobatics to avoid attacks of opportunity when making a cat's charge, ignoring the penalty for not moving at half speed.

Certainty (Ex)

^U Prerequisite: Rogue's edge

Benefit: The rogue chooses one of the skills she selected with rogue's edge. The rogue rolls two dice skill checks with this skill, taking the better result.

Special: You can select this talent up to one time for each Rogue's Edge you have. The effect does not stack. Each time, it applies to a different skill.

Charmer (Ex)

^U Benefit: The rogue can roll two dice while making a Diplomacy check, and take the better result.

Coax Information (Ex)

^R Benefit: A rogue with this talent can use Bluff in place of Intimidate to force an opponent to act friendly toward her or to gather information (See Diplomacy).

Combat Swipe

Benefit: A rogue who selects this talent gains Improved Steal as a bonus feat. At 6th level, she is treated as if she met all the prerequisites for Greater Steal (although she must take the feat as normal).

Combat Trick

Benefit: A rogue that selects this talent gains a bonus combat feat (see Feats).

Convincing Lie (Ex)

Benefit: When a rogue with this talent lies, she creates fabrications so convincing that others treat them as truth. When a rogue with this talent successfully uses the Bluff skill to convince someone that what she is saying is true, if that individual is questioned later about the statement or story, that person uses the rogue’s Bluff skill modifier to convince the questioner, rather than his own. If his Bluff skill modifier is better than the rogue’s, the individual can use his own modifier and gain a +2 bonus on any check to convince others of the lie. If this Bluff roll succeeds, the questioner does not realize the rogue's involvement. This effect lasts for a number of days equal to 1/2 the rogue’s level + the rogue’s Charisma modifier.

Cunning Feint (Ex)

^N This is the same as the vigilante talent of the same name.

The rogue can feint as a move action or in place of his first attack during a full attack. At 8th level, when the rogue successfully feints, the opponent is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC against all attacks until the rogue's next turn.

Cunning Trigger (Ex)

^R Prerequisite: trapfinding.

Benefit: A rogue with this talent can use an immediate action to set off any known trap within 30 ft. This requires a Disable Device check against the disarm difficulty of the trap. If the rogue has previously set or disarmed this trap, success is automatic. It is even possible to set off a trap that has has been disarmed or one the rogue only suspects is there—if it isn't there, the action is wasted.

Death from Above (Ex)

Benefit: When a rogue with this talent charges an opponent from above, that opponent is considered flat-footed. Reduce any falling damage the rogue would take by the damage the target takes from this attack. Creatures with uncanny dodge can't be made flat-footed this way.

Deft Palm (Ex)

^R Benefit: A target cannot use its Dexterity bonus to AC agains a rogue with this talent who has made a successful Sleight of Hand check to conceal a weapon while holding it in plain sight. (This is a standard action opposed to the opponent's Perception.) She also reduces the penalty for doing this stunt faster by half.

Disabling Stunt (Ex)

Prerequisite: Trained in Disable Device.

Benefit: A rogue with this talent can attempt a Disable Device check against the CMD of a construct within 30 ft. as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If the check is successful, the rogue can ignore the construct's damage reduction when dealing sneak attack damage for 1 minute. The normal penalties apply to this check if the rogue attempts it without using thieves' tools. Bonuses and penalties from thief's tools apply to this check.

Disarming Talent (Ex)

^N Benefit: A rogue with this talent learns the Improved Disarm feat.

Distraction (Ex)

^N This is from the burglar archetype.

Benefit: When the rogue is detected while using Stealth, she can immediately attempt a Bluff skill check opposed by the Sense Motive skill of the creature that spotted her. If this check succeeds, the target assumes that the noise was something innocent and disregards the detection. This ability can only be used once during a given Stealth attempt. If the same creature detects the rogue’s presence again, the ability has no effect.

Dirty Sneak (Ex)

^{N SA}Benefit: When the rogue hits a foe with a sneak attack, she can as a swift action attempt a dirty trick combat maneuver check. In addition to the normal conditions that can be applied with dirty trick, this talent can stagger the target if the check is successful.

Disease Use (Ex)

^{U R}Benefit: A rogue with this talent can apply filth from garbage, a sewer, a city street, a polluted area, or long-unwashed clothing or fur to a weapon as a standard action. Doing so causes the weapon to inflict filth fever on its next strike. If the rogue has access to something that specifically transmits another disease, she can use that disease instead. The initial save DC of this disease is 10 + 1/2 the rogue's Heal check modifier or the normal DC if that is higher.

The weapon stays infected for 6 hours and can be used repeatedly during this time. The rogue does not risk exposure to this disease unless she is damaged by the weapon.

Distracting Attack (Ex)

^SABenefit: A rogue with this talent can make sneak attacks with subtle flourishes that disorient and distract her enemy. When she hits a creature with a melee attack that deals sneak attack damage, she can cause the creature to become flat-footed against one target of her choosing until the beginning of her next turn. Creatures with uncanny dodge are immune to distracting attack.

Doomed (Su)

^N Benefit: You have picked up a doom (as the doomed warrior class feature) as a result of your roguish activities. Preferably, this should reflect events in your career.

Escaping Stunt (Ex)

^U Prerequisite: Trained in Escape Artist.

Benefit: A rogue with this talent can attempt an Escape Artist check in place of a Reflex saving throw against any effect that would impose the entangled condition on her or otherwise tie her up and physically restrain her.

Additionally, when she is the target of a grapple combat maneuver, a rogue with this talent can use her Escape Artist skill modifier +10 in place of her CMD against that combat maneuver attempt.

Esoteric Scholar (Ex)

^{U R} Benefit: A rogue with this talent may attempt a Knowledge check, even when she is not trained in that Knowledge skill. The rogue gains a +4 bonus on untrained Knowledge checks, and all knowledge skills become class skills.

Evasion (Ex)

^N Benefit: This is the same as the 2nd level rogue class ability of the same name, made available to archetypes that give up this ability.

Expert Leaper (Ex)

Benefit: When making jump checks, the rogue is always considered to have a running start. Also, when the rogue deliberately falls, a DC 15 Acrobatics check allows her to ignore the first 20 feet fallen, instead of the first 10 feet.

Face in the Crowd (Ex)

^R Benefit: A rogue with this talent can blend into groups easily. Opposed Perception and Sense Motive checks take a –5 penalty when made against the rogue's Bluff, Disguise, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth checks if she's within 30 feet of at least two non-hostile characters of her apparent creature type. This penalty increases to –10 if she's within 30 feet of at least eight such creatures or is currently in a square occupied by a crowd. These are distraction penalties, and do not stack with other distraction penalties.

False Friend (Ex)

The following rogue talent may be chosen by any rogue who qualifies, though it is more common among kitsune rogues.

Benefit: A rogue with this talent gains a +4 bonus when making Bluff checks to convince someone she has never met or who doesn't know her well that they are previously acquainted or know each other well. She can use Bluff as it was Diplomacy to improve attitude by doing so (and gains the noted bonus).

Familiar (Ex)

Benefit: Benefit: You gain a familiar as the familiar option of the wizard’s arcane bond class feature. This ability functions exactly like that part of the class feature. If lost, this familiar can be replaced at no cost simply by acquiring a new animal to be a familiar. If have an Improved Familiar and lose it, a new familiar must be summoned at the usual cost of 200 gp per mariner level. The ritual takes 8 hours to complete.

Fast Fingers (Ex)

^U Benefit: A rogue with this talent can roll two dice while making a Sleight of Hand check and take the better result.

Fast Getaway (Ex)

Benefit: After attempting a sneak attack or Sleight of Hand check, a rogue with this talent can spend a move action to take the withdraw action. She can move no more than her speed during this movement.

Fast Stealth (Ex)

Benefit: This ability allows a rogue to move at full speed using the Stealth skill without penalty.

Faster Than The Eye (Ex)

Benefit: The rogue gains a +4 bonus on initiative checks. If the rogue acts before all enemies and bystanders in the first round of combat, and successfully uses Stealth to hide before the end of her turn, she was able to escape before she was noticed; enemies and bystanders newer saw that she was there.

Finesse Rogue

Benefit: A rogue that selects this talent gains Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat.

Firearm Training (Ex)

Benefit: A rogue with this talent gains Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearms) and Gunsmithing as a bonus feat.

Follow Clues (Ex)

Benefit: A rogue with this talent can use Perception to follow tracks as per the Survival skill.

Follow Up (Ex)

^N This is from the investigator archetype.

An investigator can roll twice on any Diplomacy check made to gather information, and receives the information for both results. This takes the same amount of time as one check. If the lesser of the two checks reveals false information, the rogue is aware of it.

Getaway Artist (Ex)

Benefit: A rogue with this talent adds Fly, Handle Animal, and Ride to her list of class skills, and gains a +2 bonus on all driving checks and on all checks during a chase.

Grit (Ex)

Prerequisite: Firearm training talent

Benefit: A rogue with this talent gains the Amateur Gunslinger feat and one grit feat of her choice. She must fulfill the prerequisites of the grit feat in order to choose it.

Guileful Polyglot (Ex)

^R Benefit: A rogue with this talent gains two additional languages per rank in Linguistics instead of one. A rogue with this talent who does not have any ranks in Linguistics gains one additional language.

Hard to Fool (Ex)

^U Benefit: A rogue with this talent can roll two dice while making a Sense Motive check, and take the better result.

Hold Breath (Ex)

^R Benefit: A rogue with this talent can hold her breath three times as long as normal. For most rogues this ends up being Constitution x6 rounds.

Honeyed Words (Ex)

^U Benefit: The rogue can roll two dice while making a Bluff check, and take the better result.

Iron Guts (Ex)

^R Benefit: A rogue with this talent has a cast-iron stomach and an iron constitution. She gains a +4 bonus on all Fortitude saves against poisons and drugs, including social drugs such as alcohol, as well as on spells and effects that cause the rogue to be nauseated or sickened.

Ki Pool (Ex)

Benefit: A rogue with this talent gains a small ki pool. This ki pool is similar to a ninja’s ki pool, but the rogue’s ki pool does not grant any extra attacks. The rogue gains a number of ki points equal to her Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). These ki points replenish at the start of each day. If she already has a ki pool, or gains a ki pool later, she gains half her Wisdom bonus (minimum 1) as bonus ki points to her ki pool. She can spend a ki point to gain a +10-foot bonus to movement until the end of her turn.

Last Ditch Effort (Ex)

^R Benefit: A rogue with this ability who activates a trap may immediately attempt a Disable Device check to disarm it. If this check is successful, the trap still triggers, but the effect is delayed until after the rogue's next turn. If the trap is disabled or destroyed before then, it will not activate.

Lasting Poison (Ex)

^R Benefit: A rogue with this talent can apply poison to a weapon in such a way that it is effective for a number of successful attacks equal to her Dexterity modifier (minimum two) instead of one.

Ledge Walker (Ex)

^R Benefit: This ability allows a rogue to move along narrow, uneven, or slippery surfaces (such as ice) at full speed using the Acrobatics skill without penalty and can take 10 while doing so. In addition, a rogue with this talent is not flat-footed when using Acrobatics to move along such surfaces, and retains her Dexterity bonus to AC.

Lethal Trapsmith (Ex)

^N Prerequisite: Trapfinding, Quick Trapsmith, Trap Sense

Benefit: Your Quick Trapsmith traps cause double hit-point damage and no longer suffer a saving throw penalty for being extraordinary.

Major Magic (Sp)

Prerequisite: Minor magic rogue talent

Benefit: A rogue with this talent gains the ability to cast a 1st-level spell from the sorcerer/wizard spell list once per day as a spell-like ability for every 2 rogue levels she possesses. The rogue's caster level for this ability is equal to her rogue level. The save DC for this spell is 11 + the rogue's Intelligence or Charisma modifier, whichever is higher.

Measure the Mark (Ex)

^N This is from the cutpurse archetype.

Benefit: When a rogue with this talent makes a Sleight of Hand check to take something from a creature, the target makes its Perception check before the rogue makes her Sleight of Hand check, and the rogue knows the Perception check result. She can decide whether or not to make the check based on the results of the target’s Perception check. If she tries again before the situation has significantly changed, the target's Perception check remains the same.

Minor Magic (Sp)

^{U R} Benefit: A rogue with this talent gains the ability to cast two 0-level spell from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. These spells can be cast at will as a spell-like ability. The save DC for this spell is 10 + the rogue's Intelligence or Charisma modifier, whichever is higher.

Nimble Climber (Ex)

^R Benefit: A rogue with this ability does not lose her Dexterity bonus to armor class when climbing. A rogue with this talent also gets a +10 modifier on Climb checks to catch herself or a falling companion. There is no falling damage when she stops a fall in this manner. She can also take a –10 penalty on a Climb check to move at full speed while climbing.

Ninja Trick (Ex)

Benefit: A rogue with this talent can choose a trick from the ninja trick list. The rogue can choose but cannot use talents that require ki points, unless she has a ki pool.

Special: A rogue can pick this talent more than once.

Note: A rogue cannot choose a ninja trick with the same name as a rogue talent.

Offensive Defense (Ex)

^SA Benefit: When a rogue with this talent hits a creature with a melee attack that deals sneak attack damage, the rogue gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC for each sneak attack die rolled for one round.

Outsmart Traps (Ex)

^N Prerequisite: Trapfinding.

Benefit: A rogue with this talent can bypass a trap without triggering it. After successfully disabling a trap, he can opt to bypass it (with his party) and leave it in place, armed and ready to be triggered. If he attempts to disarm or to use the cunning trigger rogue talent on the same trap again within 30 days, he is automatically successful.

Peerless Maneuver (Ex)

^U Benefit: A rogue with this talent can roll two dice while making an Acrobatics check, and take the better result.

Philologist (Ex)

Benefit: A rogue with this talent can roll two dice while making a Linguistics check, and take the better result. She never risks drawing a false conclusion from a failed Wisdom check after a failed Linguistics check.

Poison Use (Ex)

^N Benefit: A rogue with this talent is trained in the use of poison and cannot accidentally poison herself when applying poison to a blade.

Positioning Attack (Ex)

^U Benefit: When a rogue with this talent hits a creature with a melee attack, she can move up to 30 feet without provoking attacks of opportunity. The movement must end in a space adjacent to the creature hit with the melee attack.

Powerful Sneak (Ex)

^{R SA} Benefit: A rogue with this talent can reroll any sneak attack damage dice that result in 1s. She can reroll multiple dice, but she can't reroll any individual die more than once per attack.

Provide Distraction (Ex)

Benefit: You can use patter and body language to deflect searchers from hidden items. You may make a Bluff check when a searcher looks for secret compartments and hidden items, if the result is higher than the normal Perception DC to spot the item, use the Bluff check as the DC of the Perception check.

Quick Disable (Ex)

^R Benefit: Any Disable Device check requires a standard action. The rogue can make a disable device check as a swift action at a -20 penalty.

Quick Disguise (Ex)

^R Benefit: A rogue with this talent can use the items at hand and seemingly innocuous material hidden on her person to create startlingly effective disguises, reducing the amount of time it takes to create a disguise using the Disguise skill to a full-Round action.

Quick Scrounge (Ex)

Benefit: The rogue can search a creature, object, or area in half as much time as normal. If her Perception check would normally require a full-round action or less, it becomes one step shorter along the following progression: full-round action, standard action, move action, swift action, immediate action. An intentional search as outlined in the Perception skill can be made as a swift action.

This talent has no effect on Perception checks that are attempted as free actions or Perception checks that don't require an action.

Quick Steal (Ex)

^N This is inspired by the mouser swashbuckler archetype.

As a swift action the rogue can attempt a steal combat maneuver check against a creature she just hit with a melee attack. This does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Quick Trapsmith (Ex)

^R Prerequisite: Trapfinding.

Benefit: You can use the ranger trap ability, and you know how to set all the exceptional traps, but no supernatural ones. There is no limit on the traps you can set daily, but you must supply components for each. For traps that benefit from multiple uses of the ranger's trap ability, you can spend the equivalent of a number of uses on each trap equal to your Intelligence bonus (minimum 1). You can trigger a trap you have set as an immediate action when within sneak attack range of the trap—normally 30 ft.

Resiliency (Ex)

^{R U} Benefit: A rogue with this ability can gain a number of temporary hit points equal to the rogue's level. Activating this ability is a free action that can only be performed when she is brought to below 0 hit points. This ability can be used to prevent her from dying. These temporary hit points last for 10 minutes,and during this time, the rogue cannot use this ability. If the rogue's hit points drop below 0 due to the loss of these temporary hit points, she falls unconscious but is automatically stabilized.

Riding Stunt (Ex)

Prerequisite: Trained in Ride.

Benefit: A rogue with this talent gains Ride as a class skill and takes no penalty on Ride checks when riding a mount bareback instead of the normal –5 penalty. When using the Ride skill to make a mount leap, a rogue with this talent can use her Ride modifier or her mount's jump modifier, whichever is higher, instead of using the lower of the two.

A rogue with this talent can take 10 when using the Ride skill to soften a fall from her mount or to perform a fast mount or dismount, even under stress or when in combat.

Finally, a rogue with this talent can attempt a DC 15 Ride check to recover from a position of cover as a free action instead of as a move action. Failing this check results in the recovery requiring a move action as normal.

Rogue Crawl (Ex)

Benefit: While prone, a rogue with this ability can move at half speed. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. A rogue with this talent can take a 5-foot step while crawling, and she reduces her attack roll and AC penalties for being prone by 2.

Rope Master (Ex)

Benefit: A rogue with this ability gains a climb speed equal to her land speed when using rope, can take 10 when using Acrobatics to move over a rope even when in danger or distracted, and is not flatfooted when balancing on a rope. A rope master also gains a +4 bonus when determining the DC to escape bonds when she ties up a creature and when using Escape Artist to escape ropes, and can use Escape Artist to escape rope bonds as a move action.

Rumormonger (Ex)

^{U R} Rumormonger is revised to not be an advanced talent.

Benefit: A rogue with this talent can attempt to spread a rumor through a settlement by spending 1d4 hours and making a Bluff check. The DC is based on the size of the settlement, and it takes a week for the rumor to propagate through the settlement. If the check succeeds, the rumor is practically accepted as fact within the community; each 5 the check exceeded the DC decreases the time it takes the rumor to propagate by 1d4 days (to a minimum of one day). A failed check means the rumor failed to gain traction, while failing by 5 or more causes the opposite of the rumor or some other competing theory involving the rumor’s subject to take hold. The DC depends on the size of the settlement: Thorp 10, Hamlet 12, Village 15, Small town 18, Large town 20, Small city 25, Large City 30, Metropolis 35.

Sacred Sneak Attack (Su)

^U Prerequisite: Good alignment

Benefit: When making a sneak attack against an undead creature or evil outsider, the damage from that attack is considered good-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Sacrifice Self (Ex)

Prerequisites: Evasion

Benefit: A rogue who makes a successful Reflex save against an area effect can ignore the benefits of her evasion ability to shield an adjacent ally against the effect, essentially halving the damage that ally would normally take. A rogue with improved evasion can attempt a secondary save against her ally's damage. If the save is successful, neither she nor her ally takes any damage. A rogue must have evasion in order to select this talent, and she must have improved evasion to benefit from the secondary effect.

Sapping (Ex)

^N A rogue with this talent can inflict great harm on objects. When striking an unattended object, or when sundering an item of an opponent that is outflanked or denied the use of their Dexterity bonus to armor class, the rogue can inflict sneak attack damage to that object. The sapper must be in sneak attack range (normally 30 ft.) to use this with a ranged attack.

This also increases the digging/tunnel building speed of the rogue; each dice of sneak attack the rogue has increases the digging speed by 50%. With 1d6 sneak attack, the rogue digs at 150% speed, and 2d6 sneak attack he digs at 200% speed and so on.

Scavenger (Ex)

Benefit: A rogue with this talent can pick up and stow an object as a swift action or as a part of a movement action instead of two separate move actions.

Slippery Mind (Ex)

^R Slippery Mind is now a basic rogue talent.

Benefit: This ability represents the rogue's ability to wriggle free from magical effects that would otherwise control or compel her. If a rogue 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.

This works in parallel with Hard to Fool and other things that give additional saving throws, possibly giving you more than one additional roll in a round.

Slow Reactions (Ex)

^{U SA} Benefit: Opponents damaged by the rogue's sneak attack can't make attacks of opportunity for 1 round.

Snap Shot (Ex)

^R Benefit: A rogue with this talent may act first in a surprise round, regardless of her initiative, but she may only take an attack action with a ready ranged weapon. Her normal initiative roll is used in subsequent rounds. If two or more rogues possess this talent, their initiative determines the order in which they act, but they all go before any other creature. If a rogue is prevented from acting in the surprise round, this talent has no effect.

Sneaky Maneuver (Ex)

^R Benefit: Anytime a rogue with this talent could sneak attack a foe, she may attempt a combat maneuver instead. This combat maneuver does not trigger an attack of opportunity and gains a bonus of +1 per die of sneak attack damage the rogue can inflict. The rogue must have the action to spend on the maneuver, usually a standard action or an attack, as appropriate for the combat maneuver.

Sniper (Ex)

^{N SA} The rogue can deal sneak attack damage with ranged attacks at any distance, rather than within 30 feet.

Spin Yarn (Ex)

Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Bluff and Perform (oratory) checks. By speaking for one minute and succeeding at a Bluff or Perform (oratory) check (DC 10 + each listener's Sense motive or twice the listener's Will save bonus against charm effects, whichever is higher), you can fascinate listeners with an unlikely tale of great adventure. You need to make another check every 10 minutes to keep your audience's attention. Make one check against each creature within 20 ft.

Stand Up (Ex)

Benefit: A rogue with this ability can stand up from a prone position as a free action on her turn. This does not provoke attacks of opportunity for standing up while threatened by a foe.

Steal the Story (Ex)

The following rogue talent may be chosen by any rogue who qualifies, though it is more common among kitsune rogues.

Benefit: While another individual attempts to give an account of an event or improve a creature's attitude, you can make a Bluff check opposed against a speaker's Diplomacy to deftly interject comments or statements over the course of the storytelling that cause the individual to muddle specific details. This will discredit, insult, and humiliate the speaker. If the check succeeds, the speaker does not succeed at informing listeners about what she was trying to say and the attitude of anyone who heard the altered story worsens by one step. The target is allowed a Sense Motive check (DC equal to your Bluff check) to figure out that you made deliberate attempts to confuse the story.

Stealth Exploit (Ex)

^N Benefit: If at any point during your turn you are successfully hidden using Stealth, you can exploit that condition fully. You retain the advantages of being hidden until the end of your current turn. If you did something to reveal yourself during your turn, you can still make a new Stealth roll to resume being hidden, but must fulfill all normal conditions to do this and suffer all normal modifiers.

Stealth Stunt (Ex)

^R Prerequisite: Trained in Stealth.

Benefit: When benefiting from concealment or cover, a rogue with this talent can forgo an attack of opportunity to attempt a Stealth check against the provoking opponent's CMD. Success makes the rogue hidden, as if she successfully used Stealth. Using this ability does not count against the rogue's available attacks of opportunity for the round.

Stealthy Sniper (Ex)

^R Stealthy sniper used to be an advanced talent.

Benefit: When a rogue with this talent uses the Stealth skill to snipe, she only suffers a –10 penalty on the Stealth check, instead of –20

Stem the Flow (Su)

^{R SA} Benefit: When making a successful sneak attack against a creature with the ability to channel energy, the rogue may prevent the target from channeling energy for a number of rounds equal to half her rogue level.

Strong Impression (Ex)

Benefit: A rogue who selects this talent gains Intimidating Prowess as a bonus feat.

Strong Stroke (Ex)

Benefit: A rogue with this talent rolls twice when making Swim checks and takes the better result. If she already rolls twice while making a Swim check because of another ability or effect, she gains a +2 insight bonus on both of those rolls instead. If the rogue is under the effect of a spell or ability that forces her to roll two dice and take the worse result, she only needs to roll 1d20 while making Swim checks.

Sure-Footed (Ex)

^N This is the same as the vigilante talent of the same name.

The rogue can move at full speed while using the Stealth and Acrobatics skills without penalty. At 8th level, he can move at full speed across difficult terrain.

Surprise Attack (Ex)

Benefit: During the surprise round, opponents are always considered flat-footed to a rogue with this ability, even if they have already acted.

Surprise Strike (Ex)

^N This is the same as the vigilante talent of the same name.

The rogue gains a greater advantage when his foe is unable to defend herself. Whenever he makes an attack against a foe that is denied her Dexterity bonus to AC, he gains a +1 bonus on his attack roll. This bonus increases to +2 at 8th level and to +3 at 16th level.

Survivalist (Ex)

Benefit: A rogue with this talent adds Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge (nature), and Survival to her list of class skills.

Swift Poison (Ex)

^R Benefit: A rogue with this talent can apply poison to a weapon as a move or swift action, instead of a standard action.

Swimming Stunt (Ex)

^{SA R} Prerequisite: Trained in Swim.

Benefit: When making a sneak attack against an opponent underwater or otherwise holding its breath for some reason, the rogue can reduce the number of total rounds her opponent can hold its breath by 1 round per point of sneak attack damage.

Terrain Mastery (Ex)

^R Benefit: A rogue with this talent gains a favored terrain as the ranger ability of the same name, though the favored terrain ability does not increase with her level as the ranger’s ability does. This gives her a +2 bonus on initiative checks and Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, and Survival skill checks when he is in this terrain. A rogue traveling through her favored terrain normally leaves no trail and cannot be tracked (though she may leave a trail if she so chooses).

Special: A rogue can take this ability multiple times, each time applying it to a new terrain, and granting all favored terrains a +2 increase to the favored terrain bonus. The terrain bonus can be greater than 1/2 the rogue's level or +8, whichever is less.

Throat Jab (Ex)

^{N SA} This is the same as the rogue talent of the same name.

The rogue's hidden strike jabs his opponent in the throat, preventing that opponent from speaking until the rogue's next turn. (If the rogue uses this ability on the surprise round, it lasts until the end of his first full turn after the surprise round.) This prevents the target from calling out for help, using spells with verbal components, or doing anything else that requires speaking. The target cannot be affected by that rogue's throat jab again for 24 hours.

Trap Spotter (Ex)

Benefit: Whenever a rogue with this talent comes within 10 feet of a trap, she receives an immediate Perception skill check to notice the trap. This check should be made in secret by the GM.

Trapfinding (Ex)

^N You gain trapfinding. The talent is made available for archetypes that give up this ability.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

^N Benefit: This is the same as the 4th level rogue class ability of the same name, made available to archetypes that give up this ability.

Underfoot (Ex)

^N This is inspired by the mouser swashbuckler archetype.

Benefit: If a foe whose size is larger than the rogue's is adjacent to her and misses her with a melee attack, the rogue can as an immediate action move 5 feet into an area of the attacker's space. This movement does not count against the rogue's movement the next round, and it doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity. While the rogue is within a foe's space, she is considered to take the same space as the foe.

While the rogue is within her foe's space, the rogue gains cover from all attacks, and the rogue and all of her allies adjacent to the foe are considered to be flanking the foe. The rogue can leave the foe's space unhindered and without provoking attacks of opportunity. If the foe moves the rogue can along with it as an immediate action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. A foe that moves 10 ft. or more can try to scrape off the rogue with a successful CMB check as a part of movement, if successful the rogue must position herself in any empty square the enemy moved from or through. If the rogue is grappled, the attacker can place the rogue in any adjacent square.

Underhanded (Ex)

^{U SA} Benefit: A rogue with this talent gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal a weapon. Furthermore, if she makes a sneak attack during a surprise round using a concealed weapon that her opponent didn’t know about, she does not have to roll sneak attack damage, the sneak attack deals maximum damage.

Wall Scramble (Ex)

Benefit: A rogue with this talent rolls twice when making Climb checks and takes the better of the two rolls. If she already rolls twice while making a Climb check because of another ability or effect, she gains a +2 insight bonus on both of those rolls instead.

Weapon Training

Benefit: A rogue that selects this talent gains Weapon Focus as a bonus feat.

Advanced Rogue Talents

These talents cannot be selected until the rogue has the advanced talents ability, which rogues normally get at level 10. Archetypes may gain access to advanced talents sooner, later, or not at all.

Another Day (Ex)

^U Prerequisite: Advanced talents

Benefit: When the rogue would be reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by a melee attack, she can take a 5-foot step as an immediate action. If the movement takes her out of the reach of the attack, she takes no damage from the attack. The rogue is staggered until the end of her next turn.

Combat Snatcher (Ex)

Prerequisite: Advanced talents

Benefit: A rogue with this talent can make a Sleight of Hand check in place of a combat maneuver check when attempting the disarm or steal combat maneuvers. This stacks with bonuses on the maneuver check, such as those from feats.

Confounding Blades (Ex)

^SA Prerequisites: Advanced talents, slow reactions

Benefit: When a rogue with this talent hits a creature with a melee weapon and deals sneak attack damage, her target cannot make attacks of opportunity for 1d4+1 rounds.

Crippling Strike (Ex)

^SA Prerequisite: Advanced talents

Benefit: A rogue with this ability can sneak attack opponents with such precision that her blows weaken and hamper them. An opponent damaged by one of her sneak attacks also takes 2 points of Strength damage.

Cutting Edge

Prerequisite(s): Advanced talents, rogue's edge

Benefit: A rogue with this ability immediately selects two additional skills with her rogue's edge ability. She can select this advanced talent multiple times.

Deadly Cocktail (Ex)

Prerequisite: Advanced talents

Benefit: A rogue with this talent can apply two doses of poison to a weapon at once. These can be separate poisons, in which case they both affect the target individually, or two doses of the same toxin, in which case the poisons’ frequency is extended by 50% and the save DC increases by +2. This talent is an exception to the rule that injury poisons can only be delivered one dose at a time.

Deadly Sneak (Ex)

^{R SA} Prerequisite: Advanced talents, powerful sneak rogue talent

Benefit: : When a rogue with this talent uses the powerful sneak talent, she rerolls all sneak attack dice that resulted in 1s or 2s. She can reroll multiple dice, but she can't reroll any individual die more than once per attack.

Defensive Roll (Ex)

^R Prerequisite: Advanced talents

Benefit: With this advanced talent, the rogue can roll with a potentially lethal blow to take less damage from it than she otherwise would. When she would be reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by damage, the rogue can attempt to roll with the damage. To use this ability, the rogue must attempt a Reflex saving throw (DC = 10 +1 1/2 damage dealt). If the save succeeds, she takes only half damage from the blow; if it fails, she takes full damage. She must be aware of the attack and able to react to it in order to execute her defensive roll—if she is denied her Dexterity bonus to AC, she can't use this ability. Since this effect would not normally allow a character to make a Reflex save for half damage, the rogue's evasion ability does not apply to the defensive roll.

Dispelling Attack (Sp)

^SA Prerequisite: Advanced talents, major magic rogue talent

Benefit: Opponents that are dealt sneak attack damage by a rogue with this ability are affected by a targeted dispel magic, targeting the lowest-level spell effect active on the target. The caster level for this ability is equal to the rogue's level.

Double Debilitation* (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Advanced talents, Debilitating injury

Benefit: Whenever the rogue inflicts a penalty against a target using the debilitating injury class feature, she can select two penalties to inflict. The target can never be subject to more than two penalties in this way at one time. If any additional penalties are inflicted, any previous penalties immediately end. Any effect that heals damage to the target negates both of the penalties.

Fast Tumble (Ex)

Prerequisite: Advanced talents

Benefit: When a rogue with this talent uses Acrobatics to move at full speed through a threatened square without provoking an attack of opportunity, the DC of the Acrobatics check does not increase by 10.

Frugal Trapsmith (Ex)

Prerequisite: Advanced talents

^R Benefit: When a rogue with this talent constructs a mechanical trap, she only pays 33% of the normal cost. This works out to 10% of the market price of the trap. She also constructs traps at 10 times the normal rate.

Feat

Prerequisite: Advanced talents

Benefit: A rogue may gain any feat that she qualifies for in place of a rogue talent.

Getaway Master (Ex)

Prerequisite: Advanced talents, getaway artist talent

Benefit: A rogue with this talent gains a +10 bonus on all drive checks.

Hamstring Strike (Ex)

^{SA R} Prerequisite: Advanced talents

Benefit: Anytime a rogue with this talent deals damage with a sneak attack, she may try to hamstring her opponent. The target is knocked prone and it's speed is reduced by half until the target is at full hit points. A successful Fortitude save (DC = 10 + 1/2 the rogue's level + the rogue's Dexterity modifier) negates the loss of speed.

Hard Mind (Ex)

This talent has been renamed to avoid confusions with the basic talent hard to fool.

Prerequisite: Advanced talents

Benefit: A rogue with this talent is hard to fool with mind-affecting effects. At the start of her turn, if she is subject to any mind-affecting spells or effects, she can make a Will saving throw with a standard DC for the effect, and if she succeeds at the check, she is no longer subject to the mind-affecting effect. She can make this saving throw even against mind-affecting effects that normally don’t allow a saving throw. In those cases, calculate the saving throw DC as if the spell or effect did allow a saving throw.

Hide in Plain Sight (Ex)

^R Prerequisite: Advanced talents

Benefit: A rogue with this talent and the favored terrain ability (ranger class feature or rogue talent) can use the Stealth skill to hide in any favored terrain, even while being observed and regardless of cover or concealment.

If she lacks this ability, she can select a single terrain from the ranger’s favored terrain list and can use the ability in that terrain.

Hunter’s Surprise (Ex)

^R Prerequisite: Advanced talents

Benefit: At the end of her turn, a rogue with this talent can designate a single enemy as her prey as a free action. Until the end of her next turn, she can add her sneak attack damage to all attacks made against her prey, even if she is not flanking it or it is not flat-footed.

Improved Evasion (Ex)

^R Prerequisites: Advanced talents, Evasion talent or class feature

Benefit: This works like evasion, except that while the rogue still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, she henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless rogue does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Knock-Out Blow (Ex)

^{R SA} Prerequisite: Advanced talents

Benefit: The rogue can attempt to knock out an opponent as a swift action when she inflicts damage with a sneak attack in a surprise round. The target falls unconscious for 1d4 minutes. A successful Fortitude save reduces this effect to staggered for the target's next turn. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the rogue’s level + the rogue’s Intelligence modifier.

Light Walker (Ex)

^R Prerequisite(s): Advanced talents, ledge walker

Benefit: The rogue can move at full speed through difficult terrain and can take 5-foot steps into difficult terrain. She can always take 10 on Acrobatics checks to move in hazardous terrain.

Master of Disguise (Ex)

^U Prerequisite: Advanced talents

Benefit: A rogue with this talent gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks.

Opportunist (Ex)

^R Prerequisite: Advanced talents

Benefit: As an immediate action, the rogue can make an attack of opportunity against an opponent who has just been struck for damage in melee by another character. She can only do this once per turn against each opponent.

Pounce Down (Ex)

Prerequisites: Advanced tricks.

Benefit: When you do a jumping charge an opponent at least 10 ft. below you, you can do a pounce, as the monster ability. Reduce any falling damage you take by the damage the target takes from the first attack in the charge.

Quick Shot (Ex)

^R Prerequisite(s): Advanced talents

Benefit: Whenever the rogue rolls initiative, she can also make a ranged attack as an immediate action. She can use this ability only if she has a weapon in hand and it is loaded (if applicable). If more than one rogue has this talent, their initiative check results determine the order in which they make their attacks. After these attacks are resolved, the round proceeds as normal.

Redirect Attack (Ex)

^{R U} Prerequisite: Advanced talents

Benefit: When a rogue with this talent is missed with an attack, she can redirect the attack to strike at a creature adjacent to her (including the attacker) with an immediate action. The creature that made the attack against the rogue must make a new attack roll against the new target.

Returning Weapon (Ex)

^N This is the same as the vigilante talent of the same name.

Prerequisite: Underfoot.

The rogue has a signature type of thrown weapon that returns to her. Choose a type of thrown weapon, such as throwing axes. Whenever the rogue uses that type of weapon, it automatically returns as if it had the returning property. At 14th level, if the rogue chose a type of thrown weapon that is treated as ammunition, such as shuriken, and buys a set of 50 magic ammunition of that type, he automatically replenishes them at no cost and never runs out. If he chose a non-ammunition thrown weapon instead, he can apply the magical properties of the first weapon he throws in a round to any non-magical thrown weapons of that type he throws that round. This allows him to make a full attack with the benefits of his magical thrown weapon, even though it only returns next round.

Skill Mastery

Prerequisite: Advanced talents

Benefit: The rogue becomes so confident in the use of certain skills that she can use them reliably even under adverse conditions. The rogue selects a number of skills equal to her Intelligence modifier. When making a skill check with one of the selected skills (or any of the skills selected through the rogue's edge class feature), she can take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent her from doing so. A rogue can gain this special ability multiple times, selecting additional skills for skill mastery to apply to each time.

Special: A rogue may gain this special ability multiple times, selecting additional skills for skill mastery to apply to each time.

Thoughtful Reexamining (Ex)

^U Prerequisite: Advanced talents

Benefit: As a full-round action, a rogue with this talent can spend a standard action to reroll a Knowledge, Linguistics, Sense Motive, or Perception skill check to try to gain new or better information from the roll. This reroll can be made any time during the same day as the original check, and even if the issue is no longer at hand, the rogue can reexamine her memory of the issue.

Underfoot Acrobatics (Ex)

^N This is inspired by the mouser swashbuckler archetype.

Prerequisite: Underfoot.

Benefit: The rogue can now use Underfoot as an immediate action when an adjacent enemy of a larger size than hers makes an attack. This requires an Acrobatics roll against the foe's CMD, with a +4 circumstance bonus on the roll for each size category the foe is larger than the rogue. If the rogue is flanking the foe, she gets an additional +4 circumstance bonus on the Acrobatics check.

Unwitting Ally (Ex)

Prerequisite: Advanced talents

Benefit: A rogue with this talent can spend a swift action to attempt to make an opponent act like an ally for purposes of providing a flank until the beginning of the rogue’s next turn. The opponent must be able to hear and see the rogue, and the rogue must succeed at a Bluff check opposed by the opponent’s Sense Motive. If the check succeeds, the opponent acts as an ally for the purpose of providing a flank.

Notes

New

New rogue talent.

Revision

Revision of an existing rogue talent.

Sneak Attack

Adds effects to a rogue's sneak attack. Only one of these talents can be applied to an individual attack and the decision must be made before the attack roll is made.

Unlimited Use

Limit on daily uses removed.

See Also

• Original Paizo Rogue Talents
• Pre-Unchained Paizo Rogue Talents
• Original Unchained Rogue Talents

External Links

• Original Rogue Talents Table at d20srd.com

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