Slayer

Skilled at tracking down targets, slayers are consummate hunters, living for the chase and the deadly stroke that brings it to a close. Slayers spend most of their time honing their weapon skills, studying the habits and anatomy of foes, and practicing combat maneuvers.

Role: The slayer is elusive, and good at finding the opportune time and location to strike. Combining the deadliest talents of rangers and rogues, a slayer’s abilities are all about getting into combat, dealing with a target, and then getting back out again.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Points: 10 per level

Parent Classes: Ranger and rogue.

Starting Wealth: 5d6 × 10 gp (average 175 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills

The slayer receives 1 rank in the following; Acrobatics, Artisan, Awareness, Bluff, Intimidate, Knowledge (Dungeoneering, Geography, and Local), Ride, Stealth, and Survival.

Skill Ranks per Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Table: Slayer
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special
1st +1 +2 +2 +0 Studied target, track
2nd +2 +3 +3 +0 Slayer talent
3rd +3 +3 +3 +1 Sneak attack
4th +4 +4 +4 +1 Slayer talent
5th +5 +4 +4 +1 2nd studied target
6th +6/+1 +5 +5 +2 Slayer talent
7th +7/+2 +5 +5 +2 Stalker
8th +8/+3 +6 +6 +2 Slayer talent
9th +9/+4 +6 +6 +3 Deft slices
10th +10/+5 +7 +7 +3 3rd studied target, advanced talent
11th +11/+6/+1 +7 +7 +3 Swift tracker
12th +12/+7/+2 +8 +8 +4 Advanced talent
13th +13/+8/+3 +8 +8 +4 Slayer’s advance 1/day
14th +14/+9/+4 +9 +9 +4 Quarry, advanced talent
15th +15/+10/+5 +9 +9 +5 4th studied target
16th +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +10 +5 Advanced talent
17th +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +5 Slayer’s advance 2/day
18th +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +11 +6 Advanced talent
19th +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +11 +6 Improved quarry
20th +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +12 +6 5th studied target, master slayer, advanced talent, against the odds

Class Features

The following are the class features of the slayer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A slayer receives proficiency with two weapon groups of their choice in addition to Simple weapons, and receive proficiency with light and medium armor as well as shields.

Studied Target (Ex)

A slayer can study an opponent he can see as a move action. The slayer then gains a +1 bonus on Awareness, Bluff, Knowledge, and Survival checks attempted against that opponent, and a +1 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against it. The DCs of slayer class abilities against that opponent increase by 1. A slayer can only maintain these bonuses against one opponent at a time; these bonuses remain in effect until either the opponent is dead or the slayer studies a new target.

If a slayer deals sneak attack damage to a target, he can study that target as an immediate action, allowing him to apply his studied target bonuses against that target (including to the normal weapon damage roll).

At 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels, the bonuses on weapon attack rolls, damage rolls, and skill checks and to slayer DCs against a studied target increase by 1. In addition, at each such interval, the slayer is able to maintain these bonuses against an additional studied target at the same time. The slayer may discard this connection to a studied target as a free action, allowing him to study another target in its place.

At 7th level, a slayer can study an opponent as a move or swift action.

Track (Ex)

Slayers add a bonus to Survival checks equal to half their level (minimum of 1).

Slayer Talents

As a slayer gains experience, he learns a number of talents that aid him and confound his foes. Starting at 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, a slayer gains one slayer talent. Unless otherwise noted, a slayer cannot select an individual talent more than once.

Talents marked with an asterisk (*) add effects to a slayer’s sneak attack. Only one of these talents can be applied to an individual attack, and the decision of which to use must be made before the attack roll is made.

  • A complete listing of slayer talents can be found here: Slayer Talents

Sneak Attack

At 3rd level, if a slayer catches an opponent unable to defend itself effectively from his attack, he can strike a vital spot for extra damage. The slayer’s attack deals extra damage anytime his target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the slayer flanks his target. This additional damage is 1d6 at 3rd level, and increases by 1d6 every 3 levels thereafter. Should the slayer score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this additional damage is not multiplied.

Sneak attack cannot be dealt against targets immune to critical hits, or targets with concealment.

Stalker (Ex)

At 7th level, a slayer gains his studied target bonus on Bluff, Intimidate, and Stealth checks against his studied opponent.

Deft Slices (Ex)

At 9th level, the slayer is able to spend 1 stamina point to make an additional attack on a full-round attack at a -20 penalty. Additional stamina points can be spent, each time lowering the penalty on this additional attack by 5 (to a minimum of a -5 penalty). This can only be used to grant one additional attack on a full-round attack.

Advanced Talents

At 10th level the slayer can select Advanced Talents. In place of an Advanced Talent, the Slayer can instead take a regular Slayer Talent.

Swift Tracker (Ex)

At 11th level, slayers takes no penalties for tracking individuals when moving at normal speed and they only take a -5 penalty when moving double their move speed.

Slayer’s Advance (Ex)

At 13th level, a slayer can once per day move up to twice his base speed as a move action. He may use Stealth as part of this movement, but takes a –10 penalty to his check for doing so. At 17th level, he can do this twice per day.

Quarry (Ex)

At 14th level, the Slayer can designate a single opponent once per combat as their ‘quarry’ as a swift action and against this opponent they automatically confirm critical hits and their attacks bypass all DR (except by DR/- or DR/Epic).

They can only have one quarry at one time. They also gain a +10 bonus when tracking their Quarry. Dismissing this is a free action.

Improved Quarry (Ex)

At 19th level, the slayer’s ability to hunt his quarry improves. He can now take 20 while using Survival to track his quarry, while moving at normal speed without penalty. He gains a bonus to attack his quarry equal to 5 + half level. If his quarry is killed or dismissed, he can select a new one after 10 minutes have passed.

Master Slayer (Ex)

At 20th level, the slayer becomes a master at capturing or killing his studied targets. As a standard action, he can make a single attack against a studied target at his full attack bonus, choosing one of the following effects:

  • Target is paralyzed for 2d6 rounds.
  • Target is knocked unconscious for 1d4 hours.
  • Target is slain. (Doesn’t affect enemies whose CR is higher than the Slayer’s level).

To resist the additional effect, the target must make a Fortitude save to negate the effect. The DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 Slayer level + Dexterity modifier + Intelligence modifier. Regardless of if the save succeeds or fails, the creature cannot be the target of Master Slayer again for 24 hours.

Against the Odds (Ex)

At 20th level, the slayer is used to fighting when the numbers are not in his favor. When the slayer uses studied target, he can study up to two additional foes with the same action.

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