Beginning at 4th level, a halfling sling master can call upon her ancestors and forebears, granting her the ability to cast a small number of divine spells.

To prepare or cast a spell, a halfling sling master must have a Charisma score of 10 + the spell’s level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a halfling sling master’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the halfling sling master’s Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a halfling sling master can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Halfling Sling Master. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she had a high Charisma score. When Table: Halfling Sling Master indicates that the halfling sling master gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, she gains only the bonus spells she would be entitled to based on her Charisma score for that spell level.

A halfling sling master must spend 1 hour per day in quiet meditation with her ancestors’ spirits to regain her daily allotment of spells. A halfling sling master may prepare and cast any spell on the halfling sling master spell list (see right), provided that she can cast spells of that level. She must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation.

Through 3rd level, a halfling sling master has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, her caster level is equal to her halfling sling master level –3.

Sling Trick (Ex)

At 5th level, and every 6 levels thereafter, the halfling sling master can select from one of the tricks listed below. Once she makes this selection, it cannot be changed.

Bend It (Ex)

As a standard action, the halfling sling master can clatter a sling bullet off a solid object, causing it to carom into a nearby foe. In this manner, she can strike a foe that has complete cover. She must be able to see the solid surface, and her target must be within 15 ft. of the spot she strikes. This attack takes a –2 penalty, and the target is treated as having concealment rather than cover (20% miss chance).

Blinding Blow (Ex)

The halfling sling master can trade 1d6 points of precision damage to strike the foe in the eyes, causing it to gain the blinded condition for 1d2+1 rounds. The target must have functional eyes for this ability to work.

Deafening Strike (Ex)

The halfling sling master can trade 1d6 points of precision damage to strike her foe’s ears or temples, causing it to gain the deafened condition for 1d2+1 rounds. The target must have functional ears for this ability to work.

Opportunist (Ex)

The halfling sling master must be 11th level or higher to select this ability. Once per round, the halfling sling master can make an attack of opportunity against an opponent who has just been struck for damage in melee by another character. This attack counts as an attack of opportunity for that round. Even a halfling sling master with the Combat Reflexes feat can’t use the opportunist ability more than once per round.

Painful Shot (Ex)

The halfling sling master with this ability is capable of causing great pain with her shots. Whenever she makes an attack with her sling that qualifies for precision damage, she can opt to forgo the 2d6 points of precision damage and instead inflict a –2 penalty to the target’s Strength. This penalty lasts for 1d3+1 rounds. The halfling sling master must have at least 2d6 points of precision damage to select this ability.

Stones from Above (Ex)

Whenever the halfling sling master uses her sling while striking from higher ground, she gains a +2 bonus to the attack, rather than receiving no bonus. In addition, her racial bonus to the Climb skill increases to +4.

Surprising Strike (Ex)

Once per encounter, the halfling sling master can catch a single foe off guard. The manner in doing so varies according to each encounter. For example, she may strike just as an ally also attacks; fire her sling in an unexpected direction; or briefly duck behind cover, causing the foe to temporarily lose sight of her. Whatever the method, for 1 round the chosen target loses its Dexterity bonus against the halfling sling master (whether or not the target has such a bonus), allowing the halfling sling master to gain her precision damage. If the target has uncanny dodge, treat the halfling sling master as a rogue equal to her class level to determine whether she can overcome it.

Two For One (Ex)

As a full-round action, the halfling sling master can fire her sling bullets in such a way as to cause them to ricochet off one target and strike another. The two targets must be adjacent to one another; she uses her highest attack bonus for both attacks, but each attack takes a –2 penalty due to the spin she must impart to create the ricochet effect.

Camouflage (Ex)

At 6th level, a halfling sling master may use the Stealth skill to hide in any natural environment, even if she does not have cover or concealment.

Lightfoot (Ex)

A halfling sling master spends her life in the forests, often far from home. Starting at 7th level, a halfling sling master may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as thorns, briars, overgrown areas, or similar terrain) at her normal speed without taking damage or suffering other impairment. Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion, however, still affect her.

In addition, the halfling sling master leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. She may choose to leave a trail if she so desires.

Superior Stealth (Ex)

A halfling sling master uses stealth and trickery to her advantage in combat. Beginning at 8th level, her size bonus to Stealth checks doubles from +4 to +8; if her size changes from Small (such as through a reduce person spell) this bonus does not increase further. In addition, she takes only a –5 penalty while using the sniping feature of the Stealth skill, instead of the standard –20 penalty.

Enchant Bullet (Su)

Beginning at 9th level, the halfling sling master gains the ability to imbue sling bullets (no other weapons) with ambient, divine energy once per day. She must spend 15 min. communing with her ancestors’ spirits to gain this ability; at the end of the ritual, she imbues up to 50 sling bullets with an enhancement of her choice.

At 9th level, she may imbue any ability up to a +1 enhancement. Every 3 levels thereafter, the bonus increases by +1.

The halfling sling master may spend these bonuses as she sees fit. For example, a 12th-level halfling sling master could enhance her arrows with a +2 bonus, or she could enhance them with a +1 bonus and the flaming ability. Once the abilities are set, they cannot be changed until the next day’s ritual. Unlike when crafting magical weapons, the halfling sling master need not invest an initial +1 enhancement bonus before imbuing the sling bullets with special properties. For example, a 12th-level halfling sling master could imbue her sling bullets with bane and flaming.

These enchantments vanish at the end of each day.

Close Combat Shot (Ex)

Beginning at 10th level, the halfling sling master no longer provokes attacks of opportunity when making a ranged attack with her sling. When making other ranged attacks, such as throwing a dagger, she provokes as normal.

Take Aim (Ex)

At 13th level, a halfling sling master may spend a full round to aim at a target. If the target remains stationary (moves no more than 5 ft.), she may add half her class level to all ranged attacks she makes against that target within the next round.

Threatening Shot (Ex)

Beginning at 16th level, the halfling sling master is so deadly with her sling that she may flank targets. She threatens an area at 10 ft. away, but not adjacent.