Shadow Thief

Alignment

Any.

Hit Die

d8.

Class Skills

The Shadow Thief's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at 1st Level

(8 + Int modifier) ×4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level

8 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Shadow Thief.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Shadow Thieves are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, and short sword. Shadow Thieves are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

Sneak Attack

If a Shadow Thief can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

The Shadow Thief's attack deals extra damage any time her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the Shadow Thief flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 2nd level, and it increases by 1d6 every three Shadow Thief levels thereafter. Should the Shadow Thief 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 sap (blackjack) or an unarmed strike, a Shadow Thief 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.

A Shadow Thief can sneak attack only living creatures with discernible anatomies--undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to sneak attacks. The Shadow Thief 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 Shadow Thief cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.

Evasion (Ex)

At 3rd level and higher, a Shadow Thief can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the Shadow Thief is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless Shadow Thief does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Improved Evasion (Ex)

This ability, gained at 10th level, works like evasion (see above). A Shadow Thief takes no damage at all on successful saving throws against attacks that allow a Reflex saving throw for half damage. What's more, she takes only half damage even if she fails her saving throw.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

Starting at 4th level, a Shadow Thief can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

If a Shadow Thief already has uncanny dodge from a different class she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

A Shadow Thief of 8th level or higher can no longer be flanked.

This defense denies another Shadow Thief the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more Shadow Thief levels than the target does.

If a character already has uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum Shadow Thief level required to flank the character.

Crippling Strike (Ex)

At 13th level a Shadow Thief gains the ability to 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. Ability points lost to damage return on their own at the rate of 1 point per day for each damaged ability.

Hide in Plain Sight (Su)

A Shadow Thief can use the Hide skill even while being observed. As long as she is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, a Shadow Thief can hide herself from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind. She cannot, however, hide in her own shadow.

Unseen Weapon (Su)

As a standard action, the Shadow Thief can wrap her weapon in a layer of shifting shadows. This causes it to darken, become less distinct, and leave a trail of shadow behind as it moves. The effect can be dismissed with a free action, by dropping it, or sheathing it.

Once per day for every other Shadow Thief level (1st, 3rd, 5th, etc.) one power of the unseen weapon can be activated as a swift action. At first level she can use Unerring Strike. As the Shadow Thief advances, new powers are gained.

Unerring Strike: Your next melee attack ignores any miss chance due to concealment or total concealment. This choice is gained at 1st level.

Ephemeral Weapon: Your next melee attack deals an extra 2d6 points of damage, as extraplanar darkness momentarily replaces portions of your opponent's body. This choice is gained at 11th level.

Shadow Strike: Your next melee attack is resolved as a melee touch attack, ignoring armor and natural armor. This ability is gained at 16th level.

At 19th level the unseen weapon abilities can be used as a free action, although the Shadow Thief is still limited to one use per two levels per day, and the same abilities do not stack.

Wreath in Shadow (Su)

At 6th level, the shadows engulfing her weapon can now cover her body, granting a circumstance bonus equal to the Shadow Thief's level divided by four, rounded down, to Hide and Move Silently.

Further, her understanding of shadows grants the Shadow Thief Darkvision 60' (Ex).

Darksight (Ex)

Her connection to shadow grows stronger, extending her Darkvision to 120' and enabling the Shadow Thief to see perfectly in darkness, even of the magical variety.

Touched By Shadow (Ex)

The stuff of shadow has begun to seep into the Shadow Thief's very essence, enabling her to be light on her feet. At 15th level she gains +10' to all forms of movement and one step of improvement to flight.

Infused With Shadow (Ex)

Something kind of neat and shadowy. =p

Consumed By Shadow (Su)

Upon reaching 20th level, the Shadow Thief can become the stuff of shadows. In this form, she gains the Incoporeal sub-types with all that entails. (Hit only by magic weapons, spells, spell-like and supernatural abilities. 50% miss from copoeral attacks. No natural armor, but deflection bonus based on Charisma. Passing through objects. Attacks ignore armor, however no special attack is grained innately. Always Moves Silently. Etc.)