ROGUE-ASSASSIN KIT

Stalker

Description:  Stalkers boast extensive training in weapon use, scouting, and 
outdoor survival, but they truly make their claim to fame as 'big game hunters.'  
They pride themselves on their ability to find and bring down the most dangerous 
quarry imaginable, and they are experts in taking advantage of terrain and 
neutralizing the strengths of their quarry, taking every advantage for 
themselves.  Stalkers are in high demand by rulers as royal huntsmen, game 
wardens, and even military scouting leaders, as well as private individuals who 
seek out these talented individuals as bodyguards.  Some expeditions are so 
dangerous and demanding that they require the attention of a specialist with 
exceptional combat and stealth skills; they specialize in neutralizing dangerous 
animals as well as monsters of various types, though their skills qualify them 
for a wide range of adventures.  For a determined Stalker, no job is too 
difficult and no enemy too formidable.

Requirements:  In addition to normal Assassin requirements, a Stalker must be 
sufficiently strong and physically fit to take on the privations and dangers of 
the wilderness, requiring at least a 14 in both Strength and Constitution.  
Because of their single-minded focus on hunting in the wilderness and studying 
the ways of animals and monsters, Stalkers tend to avoid contact with other 
humanoid creatures and tend to be lacking in interpersonal skills.  As a result, 
unlike other Assassins, a Stalker has no minimum Charisma requirement.  Stalkers 
may be of any alignment, though those that make a practice of hunting sapient 
humanoid creatures or using deadly poisons tend to be evil.  In addition to the 
standard races capable of producing Assassins, full-blooded elves may become 
Stalkers.

Weapons & Armor:  Stalkers have the usual Assassin weapon and armor 
restrictions.  At least half of a Stalker's weapon proficiencies must be spent 
on the following weapons:  bow (any), crossbow (any), dagger/knife (any), spear 
(any), or sword (any).

Thief Abilities & Modifiers:  Climb Walls, Detect Noise, Escape Bonds, 
Find/Remove Traps, Hide in Shadows, Move Silently

Special Benefits:  Stalkers gain the Backstab ability of common Assassins, 
though their damage multiplier and chance of instant kill should be determined 
based on their actual level, rather than doubling their level.  Unlike other 
Assassins, however, a Stalker's training in hunting and killing creatures of all 
types allows him or her to gain the full normal Backstab bonus (including 
instant kill chance) versus creatures of all body types, rather than merely 
basically humanoid creatures, save that amorphous creatures still suffer no 
extra damage from a Backstab.  Regardless of shape, size H creatures still 
suffer only half the normal damage multiplier, with no chance of instant kill, 
and size G creatures cannot be effectively backstabbed, as it is very difficult 
to land a truly lethal blow upon such enormous creatures.

Master of the Hunt:  Regardless of terrain type, a Stalker gains a +1 bonus to 
his or her Hunting proficiency for every three levels of experience (rounding 
up), and like a Ranger his or her Tracking proficiency does not suffer the usual 
-6 penalty (though it does not automatically increase with his or her level).  
Once in position after having followed their prey through the use of these 
proficiencies, Stalkers often use their ability to Backstab (at half their 
normal level) with missile weapons at short range to bring down their prey more 
efficiently.

In addition to this hunting ability, each time a Stalker takes proficiency in 
Survival (see Terrain Mastery below) they may select one natural animal from 
that terrain type and one other creature type native to that terrain (which can 
be anything from another different natural animal to a monster of some sort or 
even a humanoid race) for careful study into their habits, combat abilities, and 
overall strengths and weaknesses.  The type chosen must be a specific creature 
type (e.g., brown bears, frost giants), not a general type (e.g., bears, 
giants).  This careful study grants a Stalker a +1 bonus to attack and damage 
rolls as well as Armor Class when he or she is fighting against members of that 
species, and this bonus is increased to +2 when fighting them in the terrain 
type where they were studied.  In addition, if he or she attempts a Backstab 
against a member of that species, this damage bonus is added in before the 
damage multiplier is applied.  If a Stalker uses his or her Poison Mastery 
ability to brews a poison for use against a creature type he or she has studied, 
the poison applies a -2 saving throw penalty (not cumulative) to creatures of 
that species but grants a +2 bonus to saving throws for creatures of other 
types.

If proficiency in Survival in a given terrain type is selected more than once, a 
Stalker can elect to learn about new creature types or can relearn the same 
creature(s) again, with each additional 'slot' spent increasing the bonus by +1, 
but only while in that terrain type.  That is, the first time a creature type is 
learned, the basic bonus applies to all terrain types and environments with an 
extra +1 bonus within the specific terrain type; further slots spent to study 
that creature type increase the bonus only when fighting in the terrain type in 
which the creature type was studied, as part of this study and skill involves 
dealing with such creatures in their native environment (i.e., the terrain type 
learned in Survival).

For example, if a 1st level Stalker learns Survival (Forest) and selects brown 
bear and centaur as his or her objects of study, he or she gains a +1 bonus in 
all situations against brown bears and centaurs (+2 in Forest terrain).  If 
either creature type is studied again in any terrain context, the additional 
study increases the Stalker's bonus only when fighting in that terrain type.  
Hence, if our Stalker later learned Survival (Mountain) and studied brown bears 
and griffons, he or she would gain a universal +1 bonus against griffons (+2 in 
Mountains) and would increase his or her bonus against brown bears to +2, but 
only when fighting them in the mountains (i.e., his or her bonus when fighting 
brown bears in Forests would still be only +2 and in other terrains only +1).

Terrain Mastery:  Stalkers are experts in learning all of the ins and outs of 
terrain types of all sorts, and they can learn the Survival non-weapon 
proficiency for only a single slot for each terrain type chosen.  In addition to 
the usual benefits of the proficiency, whenever a Stalker is in a terrain for 
which he or she knows Survival he or she gains a +10 bonus to all of his or her 
thieving abilities and his or her Back Protection ability and also gains a +2 
bonus to his or her Herbalism, Hunting, and Tracking proficiencies (note that 
others attempting to use Tracking against a Stalker in terrain that he or she 
has studied suffer a -2 penalty to do so).  If the Animal Lore or Monster Lore 
proficiencies are known, they also receive a +2 bonus.  Note that it is possible 
for a Stalker to learn Survival in a particular terrain type more than once, 
with each additional slot adding a +2 bonus to his or her Survival proficiency 
check.  In addition, the above benefits are gained cumulatively for each time 
the Stalker has learned the proficiency (i.e., learning Survival (Mountain) 
three times would result in a +30 (or +6, as appropriate) bonus to his or her 
skills while in the mountains).

Wild Fighting:  Their intensive study of predators and animals of all types 
enables Stalkers to mimic some of their attack styles and methods and 
incorporate them into their own combat actions.  As a result of this intensive 
training, Stalkers do not suffer an initiative penalty when fighting a creature 
with a weapon when they themselves are unarmed.  When attacking with their bare 
hands, they gain multiple attacks as a fighter of equal level, and each 'attack' 
(actually a sequence of stylized animalistic maneuvers) inflicts 1d4 points of 
damage plus the Stalker's Strength bonus.  In addition, if the attack roll is 5 
or more higher than that needed to score a hit (or a natural 20 in any event), 
the target must save vs. paralyzation or be stunned for 1d6 rounds.  Creatures 
larger than size L cannot be stunned and suffer only half damage from the 
Stalker's blows.  Half of the damage inflicted by these blows is only temporary 
and will be healed immediately if the target spends a full turn at rest.

In addition to this unusual unarmed combat style, Stalkers can incorporate their 
predatory expertise into combat with weapons, which results in a ferocious and 
unpredictable flurry of blows that recalls elements that appears utterly devoid 
of grace or discipline but which actually requires careful study and practice by 
a Stalker in order to attempt.  Wild Fighting (as it is called) is very 
strenuous and can be used for a total number of rounds each day equal to the 
Stalker's level, and each time it is used the Stalker must rest after he or she 
stops fighting for 1 turn for each round spent Wild Fighting and will suffer a -
4 penalty to all die rolls until this rest period has been completed.

When engaged in Wild Fighting, a Stalker suffers a -2 penalty to his or her 
attack rolls and Armor Class, but he or she also gains one additional attack per 
round and any successful melee attack inflicts an additional +2 points of 
damage.  In addition, their opponent must save vs. paralyzation, modified by 
their Dexterity and the difference between the Stalker's level and their own, or 
else be so disoriented and distracted by the Stalker's bizarre combat maneuvers 
and lightning fast feints and strikes that they lose their Dexterity AC bonus or 
suffer a +1 Armor Class penalty (whichever is worse) for as long as the Stalker 
engages them in melee, as often blundering into attacks as evading them while 
trying to get away from the Stalker's ferocious onslaught.  Thus, a Stalker's 
companions can take advantage of his or her attacks to assist their own.  This 
ability functions only with respect to humanoid opponents or to a creature type 
that the Stalker has studied (see Master of the Hunt above); other creatures are 
not impressed by the Stalker's combat style and suffer no penalties.

Special Hindrances:  A Stalker's focus on hunting and slaying vicious beasts of 
all sorts precludes learning the skills of deception and infiltration that 
characterizes typical Assassins.  Hence, a Stalker is unable to use the 
Assassination and Masquerade abilities of a typical Assassin.  They also devote 
so much study to their hunting and survival skills that they do not devote as 
much time to the study of poisons as a typical Assassin, gaining Poison Mastery 
as an Assassin of half their actual level (i.e., manufacture of poisons is not 
learned until 4th level, and new poisons are learned only every two levels 
thereafter).  Non-evil Stalkers will tend to learn only nonlethal poisons and 
poison antidotes, especially paralytic or incapacitating poisons for use in 
trapping their prey.  Likewise, it is rare for good-aligned Stalkers to study 
humanoid races (other than giants, giant-kin, and the goblinoid races) with 
their Master of the Hunt ability, though evil Stalkers frequently make such a 
study (particularly if they have chosen Survival (Urban) as one of their areas 
of study).

Required Proficiencies:  Anatomy, Herbalism, Hunting, Tracking
Preferred Proficiencies:  Alertness, Ambush, Animal Lore, Animal Noise, 
Awareness, Blind-fighting, Bowyer/Fletcher, Camouflage, Close-quarter Fighting, 
Direction Sense, Disguise, Display Weapon Prowess, Distance Sense, Endurance, 
Fire-building, Monster Lore, Mountaineering, Navigation, Riding (Land-based), 
Rope Use, Running, Set Snares, Signaling, Survival, Swimming, Trail Marking, 
Trail Signs, Trailing, Weaponsmithing