Character Advancement Thread

At 4th level, whenever a rogue deals sneak attack damage to a foe, she can also debilitate the target of her attack, causing it to take a penalty for 1 round (this is in addition to any penalty caused by a rogue talent or other special ability). The rogue can choose to apply any one of the following penalties when the damage is dealt.

Bewildered: The target becomes bewildered, taking a –2 penalty to AC. The target takes an additional –2 penalty to AC against all attacks made by the rogue. At 10th level and 16th level, the penalty to AC against attacks made by the rogue increases by –2 (to a total maximum of –8).

Disoriented: The target takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls. In addition, the target takes an additional –2 penalty on all attack rolls it makes against the rogue. At 10th level and 16th level, the penalty on attack rolls made against the rogue increases by –2 (to a total maximum of –8).

Hampered: All of the target’s speeds are reduced by half (to a minimum of 5 feet). In addition, the target cannot take a 5-foot step.

These penalties do not stack with themselves, but additional attacks that deal sneak attack damage extend the duration by 1 round. A creature cannot suffer from more than one penalty from this ability at a time. If a new penalty is applied, the old penalty immediately ends. Any form of healing applied to a target suffering from one of these penalties also removes the penalty.

At 4th level, a rogue can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She cannot be caught flat-footed, nor does she lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible. She still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. A rogue with this ability can still lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against her.

If a rogue already has uncanny dodge from a different class, she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.

As a standard action while in an area of dim light or darkness, a rogue with this talent can coalesce wisps of shadow into a quasi-real, functional item. The rogue must choose whether to make a crowbar, 50 feet of silk rope, a glass cutter, a light melee weapon with which she is proficient, a reversible cloak, thieves’ tools, or a wire saw; the GM may allow other similar items. The rogue can use such items for a number of minutes per day equal to 10 plus her rogue level. This duration does not need to be consecutive, but it must be used in 1-minute increments.

An item created with this ability remains until the rogue is no longer touching it, or until the rogue runs out of duration for this talent, at which time it dissolves. A rogue can select this talent more than once, gaining an additional 10 minutes of duration each time this talent is selected. If a rogue has selected this talent at least twice, she adds 50 feet of silk rope with a grappling hook, a masterwork light melee weapon with which she is proficient, and masterwork thieves’ tools to the list of things she can create.