Slayer Lethalities

Lethalities are abilities that represent a significantly greater degree of study and dedication than talents (even advanced talents). The slayer class as described in Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game: PRG:ACG™ already has two sets of fixed lethalities: studied target (gained at 1st, and expanding at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level), and sneak attack (gained at 3rd level and expanding at 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th level). A slayer may take a lethality listed below in place of those abilities when they are first gained, as long as he meets the other prerequisites (if any) of the lethality. If the slayer does not take one of the standard slayer class features when it is first gained, he may select it at the next level it is expanded, gaining the benefits of the base level of the ability. For example if a slayer chooses not to take studied target at 1st level (instead taking the steal power lethality), he may still choose to gain studied target at 5th level, thought the studied target bonuses are only +1. At 10th level, the slayer could choose to expand his studied target bonuses to +2, or select another lethality from the list below.

Lethalities

Blood Magic (Ex)

The slayer can fulfill somatic components for spells gained from the slayer class with a hand holding a weapon for which the slayer has Weapon Focus.

A slayer must have the death magic lethality and the Weapon Focus feat to select this lethality.

Blood Rage (Ex)

The slayer gains the rage ability as the barbarian class feature, but he may only rage when he is at half his normal hit point total or less. Additionally, he has 1/4 as many rounds of rage as a barbarian with a level equal to his slayer level. If a slayer’s blood rage ends because he regains hit points to put him over half his normal total, he is not fatigued, but may not rage again for five minutes.

A slayer may take this lethality a second time to have 1/2 as many rounds of rage as a barbarian of the same level, a third time to have 3/4 as many, and 4 times to have as many rounds of rage.

Deadly Rage

The slayer gains a single rage power, as the barbarian class feature. He must meet all the rage power’s prerequisites, treating his barbarian level as his slayer level -4. His rage powers only function when he is raging and at 1/2 of less his normal hit point total.

A slayer may take this lethality more than once. Each time, it grants a different rage power.

Death Blows

The slayer learns the use of death blows, special attacks and techniques designed to kill with greater speed and efficiency. The slayer learns one death blow when this lethality is selected, and a second death blow two levels later (i.e. if a slayer selects death blows at 5th level he gains one death blow at 5th, and a second at 7th). A slayer can use these death blows a total number of times per day equal to 1/2 his class level + his Intelligence modifier.

Death blows are usually swift actions, but sometimes move or free actions that modify a standard action, usually an attack action. Once a death blow is chosen, it can’t be retrained. A slayer cannot select an individual death blow more than once.

Deadly Attack (Ex): The slayer can make a Bluff check to feint a foe as a swift action. If the slayer is allowed to use other skills to feint, he may use those skills with this death blow.

Death from Above (Ex): If the slayer falls and successfully hit a target at the end of his fall, he may deal half his falling dice of damage to his target. If the slayer’s attack deals more damage to his target than the slayer takes from the fall, the slayer is not knocked prone.

Focused Attack (Ex): The slayer can focus all his attention on killing a single target. As a standard action he may make a single attack against one foe, rolling the attack twice and taking the better of the two rolls. If the attack is a critical threat, he also rolls twice and takes the best result for the confirmation. The slayer is flatfooted against all creatures other than his target until the beginning of his next turn.

Hobbling Attack (Ex): The ranger can use this deadly blow as a free action when he hits with an attack. The target of the attack’s land speed is reduced by 1/2 for 1d4 rounds.

Knife Climb (Ex): If the slayer is prone, as a full round action he may make one melee attack against an adjacent target without taking the normal penalty for attacking while prone. If the attack is successful and deals damage, the slayer may stand from prone as a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Painful Strike (Ex): The slayer can use this deadly blow as a free action before he makes a melee attack. If the attack hits, the target is sickened for 1d4 rounds.

Rattling Strike (Ex): The slayer can use this deadly blow as a free action before he makes a melee attack. If the attack hits, the target is shaken for 1d4 rounds.

Shifting Strike (Ex): If the slayer successfully attacks and damages a foe with a melee attack, he can move 5 feet as a swift action. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity and does not count as a 5-foot step.

Snipe (Ex): The slayer can use this death blow as a swift action. The next ranged attack he makes before the start of his next turn can deal sneak attack damage at any range, rather than be limited to 30 feet.

Threatening Throws (Ex): The slayer can use this death blow as a swift action. Until the start of his next turn, his ranged attacks do not provoke attacks of opportunity. This lethality may be selected more than once. Each time it is selected it gives the slayer an additional deadly blow, and yet another deadly blow 2 levels later.

Death Magic

The slayer gains the ability to cast a small number divine spells drawn from the cleric and witch spell lists. He knows all 1st-level necromancy spells from those lists, as well as spells on the lists with the shadow descriptor or of the shadow subschool. He is considered to have these spells on his spell list (for purposes of things such as spell-completion magic items). A slayer must choose and prepare his spells in advance. To prepare or cast a spell, a slayer must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a slayer’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the slayer’s Intelligence modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a slayer can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment of 1st-level spells is the same as for a ranger of the same level. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score. When the ranger’s spells-per-day indicates that the slayer gets 0 1st level spells per day, he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Intelligence score.

A slayer must spend 1 hour per day in quiet meditation to regain his daily allotment of spells. A slayer may prepare and cast any spell on his spell list, provided that he can cast spells of that level, but he must choose which spells to prepare during his daily meditation. The slayer’s caster level is equal to his class level –3.

A slayer must be at least 5th level to select this edge. A slayer may select this lethality a second time if he is 7th level, a third time if he is 10th level, and a fourth time if he is 13th level. Each time, he gains access to spells of one higher level (2nd level spells if taken twice, third level spells if taken three times, and so on). The slayer’s spells per day for those levels of spell he can cast are always determined by the ranger’s spells-per-day for the same level.

Get Over Here (Ex)

If the slayer successfully strikes a foe while using a weapon from the flail weapon group, he may immediately pull them into an adjacent space. The foe must be one that weighs no more than double the slayer’s maximum load.

A slayer must have the strangler lethality to select this lethality.

Improved Steal Power (Su)

The slayer can have two stolen powers from the steal power lethality, taken from two different victims. The total time the slayer may have stolen powers expands to 10 minutes per slayer level.

A slayer must be 10th level and have the steal power lethality to select this lethality.

Improved Strangler (Ex)

When the slayer deals damage with the strangler lethality, he also does his Strength bonus in damage and any sneak attack damage he has. Creatures immune to sneak attack do not take the sneak attack damage. Additionally, the slayer treats all weapons in the flail weapon group as if they have the grapple special weapon feature.

A slayer must be 9th level and have the strangler lethality to select this lethality.

Master Strangler (Ex)

If the slayer hits a target no more than one size larger than himself with a weapon from the flail weapon group, he deals normal damage and may attempt to start a grapple as a swift action without provoking an attack of opportunity. You may conduct the grapple normally, or simply use the flexible weapon to hold the opponent. If you choose to do the latter, you take a –20 penalty on your CMB check to make and maintain the grapple, but do not gain the grappled condition yourself.

A slayer must be 10th level and have the strangler and improved strangler lethalities to select this lethality.

Steal Power (Su)

The slayer can temporarily absorb the spiritual power of his victims. When the slayer drops a victim to -1 or fewer hit points, he selects one ability or feat from the power list for creatures of the victim’s type (see below) as a free action. The victim need not have the ability stolen, as the slayer creates it from spiritual energies taken by defeating the foe. The slayer keeps that stolen power until he takes a new stolen power from another victim, he dismisses it (as a free action), or he runs out of duration for stolen powers for the day. The slayer can use stolen powers for a maximum of 1 minute per day per slayer level. If the stolen power requires the slayer to make a more specific choice (such as what skill to use with Skill Focus), this choice is permanent and cannot be changed.

Aberration: Amphibious, Darkvision 60 ft., Iron Will, natural armor +2.

Animal: Climb 15 ft., Darkvision 60 ft., Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, low-light vision, natural armor (+2), swim 15 ft.

Construct: Darkvision 60 ft., Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, low-light vision.

Dragon: Darkvision 60 ft., Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, low-light vision, Lunge.

Fey: Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, low-light vision.

Humanoid (aquatic): Low-light vision, natural armor +2, darkvision, swim 15 ft.

Humanoid (dwarf): Darkvision 60 ft., defensive training, greed, hatred, hardy, slow and steady, stability, stonecunning, weapon familiarity.

Humanoid (elf): elf blood, low-light vision, elven immunities, elven magic, keen senses, Skill Focus (choose one skill), weapon familiarity.

Humanoid (giant): Low-light vision, Lunge, natural armor +2, resist energy 10 (choose cold, electricity, or fire), Throw Anything.

Humanoid (gnoll): Darkvision 60 ft., Exotic Weapon Proficiency (dire flail), natural armor +2.

Humanoid (gnome): defensive training, gnome magic, hatred, illusion resistance, keen senses, low-light vision, obsessive, weapon familiarity.

Humanoid (goblinoid): Darkvision 60 ft., goblin fast, Skill Focus (Stealth), natural armor (+2).

Humanoid (halfling): fearless, halfling luck, keen senses, sure-footed, weapon familiarity.

Humanoid (human): Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Skill Focus (choose one skill).

Humanoid (orc): Darkvision 60 ft., ferocity, intimidating, orc blood, weapon familiarity.

Humanoid (reptilian): Darkvision 60 ft., kobold fast (as goblin fast), lizardfolk hold breath, natural armor +2, Skill Focus (choose Acrobatics, Perception, or Stealth).

Magical Beast: Darkvision 60 ft., Great Fortitude, low-light vision, natural armor +2.

Monstrous Humanoid: Darkvision 60 ft., Lightning Reflexes, low-light vision, natural armor +2.

Ooze: Acid resistance 10, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Skill Focus (choose Climb, Escape Artist, or Perception).

Outsider: Darkvision 60 ft., energy resistance 5 (choose one type of energy from acid, cold, electricity, or fire), Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes.

Plant: Low-light vision, Great Fortitude, Iron Will.

Undead: Darkvision 60 ft., Great Fortitude, Iron Will, natural armor (+2), Skill Focus (Stealth).

Vermin: Climb 15 ft., darkvision 60 ft., Great Fortitude, Iron Will, swim 15 ft.

Strangler (Ex)

If the slayer makes a successful combat maneuver to grapple or pin a foe while armed with a weapon from the flail weapon group (battle poi, bladed scarf, chain spear, dire flail, double chained kama, flail, flying blade, heavy flail, kusarigama, kyoketsu shoge, meteor hammer, morningstar, nine-section whip, nunchaku, sansetsukon, scorpion whip, spiked chain, urumi, and whip) he may deal that weapon’s base damage (its damage dice, not including any other bonuses or abilities of the slayer, but including any magic damage the weapon does), and the target cannot make any vocalizations. This prevents verbal components from being completed by the target, as well as any ability dependent on speaking, singing, or calling out.

Talent

The slayer may select a slayer talent for which he meets the prerequisites. This lethality may be selected more than once. Each time it grants a different slayer talent.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

The slayer gains uncanny dodge as the barbarian’s class feature.