KATJEMERAN ASSASSIN

Salorras Paragon: Katjemeran Assassin · Base path: Scoundrel (Rogue) — sworn poisoner-killer of the Fatal Contracts guild of Katjemeran. A 10-level 3.5e prestige class for the master poisoners and anatomists of the Fatal Contracts — the ranked killers known in their own tongue as the rasjacaras.

The assassins of the city-state of Katjemeran, known also as the rasjacaras, have raised the art of poisoning and their knowledge of anatomy and physiology to the highest level, making them insidious hunters of their marks. A rasjacaro usually works for the guild of the Fatal Contracts — Rasjacaras in the local tongue — though more than a few break from the organization and act alone. Of course, members who turn renegade most often end up hunted by the guild itself. Wherever these people belong, what matters is that they are the deadliest users of poisonous substances in Asmeda, and they usually obey the guild’s orders, acting independently only in rarer cases.

Within the guild of the Fatal Contracts many call themselves rasjacaras, but only a very small number of them are true “masters” of the kind. The members who belong to it pass through various harsh trials by which they must prove themselves worthy to rise into the higher strata of the assassins. This advancement gives them the chance to be hired at better rates on the contracts their clients sign, and to gain greater leverage in the guild’s internal affairs. The one certainty is that strict self-discipline and respect for the hierarchical pyramid of the organization are needed to earn the title of rasjacaro.

The extensive knowledge of anatomy the Katjemeran assassins acquire grants them several new abilities. In time they learn to strike their opponents in their vulnerable points, using an alternative application of the way sneak attack works. These assassins also place great importance on the study of chemical admixtures, which helps them brew unique distillates that reinforce the action of their poisons.

In matters of faith, the assassins of Katjemeran take no clear stand toward any one deity. They may be godless, while the more devout tend to follow doctrines that align with the convictions of a paid killer — those of Nerkan Thak’Ar, of Galiena, of Othrax, or of The Weapon.

The road of these paid executioners is usually walked by scoundrels and legatees, and in some cases by bards, while it is not unlikely to find fighters or wizards among the members of the Fatal Contracts.

The Katjemeran assassins always wear carved metal masks over their faces, depicting birds and signifying their place in the hierarchy of the Fatal Contracts — raven, eagle, owl, and condor in ascending order of seniority, the supreme rank held by the Ανώτατος Rasjacaro (Yrjaani Trialanddaris).

Hit Die: d6.

Requirements

To qualify to become a Katjemeran assassin, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Alignment: Any non-chaotic.

Skills: Hide 4 ranks, Move Silently 4 ranks, Craft (poisonmaking) 8 ranks.

Feats: Skill Focus (Craft [poisonmaking]).

Special: Sneak attack +2d6 class feature.

Special: The character must be inducted into the organization of the Fatal Contracts, based in the namesake capital of Katjemeran, and must swear to serve the Highest Contract — Rasjavi Diira in the local tongue — until death. They must also spend a period cloistered in the hideout of the rasjacaras, to be trained accordingly for the first mission a superior within the guild will assign them.

The Katjemeran Assassin

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort	Ref	Will	Special
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	Backstab (sneak attack +1d6), death attack, poison use, poisonmaking admixtures, save vs. poison +1
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+0	Uncanny dodge
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+1	Backstab (sneak attack +2d6), poison expert
4th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Stunning strike, save vs. poison +2
5th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Backstab (sneak attack +3d6), quick poison apply
6th	+4	+2	+5	+2	Improved uncanny dodge, save vs. poison +3
7th	+5	+2	+5	+2	Backstab (sneak attack +4d6), poison enchantment
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+2	Crippling strike, save vs. poison +4
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+3	Backstab (sneak attack +5d6), poison expert
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+3	Master poisoner, save vs. poison +5

Class Skills

The Katjemeran assassin’s class skills (and the key ability for each) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are features of the Katjemeran assassin prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency. A Katjemeran assassin is proficient with the crossbow (hand, light, or heavy), dagger (any type), dart, rapier, sap, shortbow (normal and composite), and short sword. They are proficient with light armor and bucklers, but not with other shields. In their training the rasjacaras give particular weight to weapons that are silent and small enough to conceal easily about their person.

Backstab (Sneak Attack). The assassin’s anatomical mastery sharpens the lethal opening strike. They gain sneak attack +1d6 at 1st level, increasing by a further +1d6 at 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level (to +5d6). This stacks with sneak attack from any other class (such as the scoundrel) and functions in all respects as the standard sneak attack: it applies when the target is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC or is flanked, works at range only within 30 feet, strikes only living creatures with discernible anatomy, and the extra dice are not multiplied on a critical hit. With a sap or an unarmed strike the assassin may deal the sneak-attack damage as nonlethal damage without the usual penalty.

Death Attack (Ex). If a Katjemeran assassin studies a victim for 3 rounds and then makes a sneak attack with a melee weapon that deals damage, the sneak attack has the additional effect of possibly killing or paralyzing the target (assassin’s choice). While studying the victim, the assassin can undertake other actions so long as their attention stays focused on the target and the target is not aware of the assassin as an enemy. If the victim of a death attack fails a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the assassin’s class level + the assassin’s Intelligence modifier) against the kill effect, they die; against the paralysis effect, they are rendered helpless and unable to act for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per assassin class level. The assassin must declare which effect they are using before making the attack roll. If the victim’s saving throw succeeds, the attack is simply a normal sneak attack. Once the assassin has completed the 3 rounds of study, the death attack must be made within the next 3 rounds; if those rounds pass, or if the attack misses, a fresh 3 rounds of study are required before another death attack can be attempted.

Poison Use. The members of the Fatal Contracts are trained extensively in the use of toxins and poisons and never risk accidentally poisoning themselves when applying poison to a weapon.

Poisonmaking Admixtures (Ex). The Katjemeran assassins learn early to cut their poisons with cheaper substitutes without the toxins losing their action. They produce twice the quantity from a poison’s base ingredients (and at the price of one), so that each vial of poison a rasjacaro crafts holds 2 uses instead of 1.

Save vs. Poison (Ex). In the “school” of the Fatal Contracts, members are trained against all manner of poisonous substances to the point that their bodies acquire heightened resistance to the action of toxins. As a result they gain a natural bonus on their saving throws against poison: +1 at 1st level, rising by +1 at every even class level thereafter (+2 at 4th, +3 at 6th, +4 at 8th, +5 at 10th).

Uncanny Dodge (Ex). At 2nd level, a Katjemeran assassin retains their Dexterity bonus to AC even when caught flat-footed or struck by an unseen attacker (they still lose it if immobilized). An assassin who already has uncanny dodge from another class instead gains improved uncanny dodge (see below).

Poison Expert (Ex). At 3rd level the assassin’s poisons grow stronger. After long hours at the alchemical bench and trials in the craft of toxins, they learn to brew more potent venoms. The assassin chooses one type of poison (contact, ingested, inhaled, or injury); the save DC of poisons of that type that they craft increases by +1 (applying to both the initial and the secondary damage), and the secondary damage of those poisons takes effect in half the usual time (5 rounds). At 9th level the assassin gains this ability again and must choose a new poison type. This affects only poisons the assassin personally brews — not natural poisons a creature has as a racial trait, nor poisons already in the character’s possession. The assassin may choose not to apply the increased DC to a poison they craft.

Stunning Strike (Ex). At 4th level, a rasjacaro can reckon their opponent’s vulnerable points with greater precision, knowing from anatomy where nerve clusters lie that can “numb” the brain. Stunning strike is an alternative use of sneak attack: provided the target would be subject to sneak attack, the assassin may deal 1d6 less sneak-attack damage to add a stun effect (Fortitude DC 10 + the assassin’s class level + their Intelligence modifier). If the attack hits and the target fails the save, it is stunned for 1 round and takes the reduced sneak-attack damage; if the save succeeds, the target merely takes the reduced damage. Stunning strike can be used only once per round. The assassin may weaken the sneak-attack damage further to extend the stun: for each additional 1d6 of sneak attack sacrificed (down to a minimum of +1d6), the potential stun duration grows — 2d6 sacrificed yields 1d2 rounds, 3d6 yields 1d3 rounds, and so on. The save DC is unaffected. If the blow would also stun by some other means, the durations stack, and any separate saving throws are rolled independently.

Quick Poison Apply (Ex). After hundreds of applications of poison, a 5th-level rasjacaro can coat their weapons far more swiftly. Applying poison becomes a move action rather than a standard action. They may also do it as a swift action, risking a 15% chance to botch the application — wasting the poison and possibly poisoning themselves if they then fail the appropriate saving throw.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex). At 6th level, a rasjacaro can no longer be flanked, denying enemies the ability to sneak attack them by flanking — unless the attacker has at least four more class levels (in classes that grant sneak attack) than the assassin has Katjemeran assassin levels. If the character already has uncanny dodge from another class (such as barbarian or scoundrel), the levels from those classes stack to determine this threshold.

Poison Enchantment (Ex). At 7th level, the assassin learns the most arcane art of the rasjacaras — the blending of poison and magic into a single hybrid liquid. They can now craft poisons of double action: that of the poison plus that of an oil or potion. To do so the assassin must possess an oil or potion and a poison, then make a Craft (poisonmaking) check over 8 hours to see whether they successfully combined the two. The DC of the check equals the poison’s base Craft DC plus the oil’s or potion’s caster level. If the oil or potion has an effect that allows a saving throw, the victim must make two separate saves — one against the poison and one against the oil or potion. The mixture must be made with care, matching the poison’s delivery type (contact, ingested, inhaled, injury) to the form of the magic (oil or potion): oils combine best with contact and injury poisons, which act through touch or a wound, while potions combine best with ingested and inhaled poisons, which act through swallowing or breathing. If the poison was itself crafted by the assassin as a poison expert or master poisoner of the matching type, the combined poison keeps those benefits (a larger poison-damage die, +1 DC, and the halved secondary onset); the DC of the oil or potion is never altered by them.

Crippling Strike (Ex). The knowledge of anatomy and physiology a rasjacaro holds at 8th level lets them locate every spinal nerve ending of their victims with ease. Crippling strike works exactly as stunning strike, except that it inflicts paralysis instead of a stun, and the assassin’s sneak attack must be reduced by at least 2d6 to use it.

Master Poisoner (Ex). At 10th and final level, the Katjemeran assassin becomes a master of the kind, learning to raise the toxin content of a poison type in which they are already a poison expert. The assassin chooses one of the two poison types in which they qualify as poison expert; the poison-damage die of poisons of that type that they craft increases by one category, per the Poison Advancement table below. The assassin may apply this ability more than once to a single poison they craft (three times maximum), raising the poison-damage die by up to three categories. Each additional application requires 1 more day of work, a Craft (poisonmaking) DC +3 higher than the previous, and costs exactly double the previous price (so double-distillation is base DC +3 at double the base cost, triple-distillation is base DC +6 at quadruple the base cost, and so on).

Poison Advancement

Normal Poison Damage	Master Poisoner Damage
1d2	1d4
1d4	1d6
1d6	1d8
1d8 or 2d4	1d10 or 2d5
1d10 or 2d5	1d12 or 2d6
1d12 or 2d6	2d8
2d12 or 3d8	3d10

Ex-Katjemeran Assassins

If an assassin of Katjemeran violates the code of rules the Highest Contract lays down, or treats a client’s signed “sacred” contract with contempt by endlessly stalling its completion, they are deemed a traitor to the guild of the Fatal Contracts. As a consequence they lose whatever rank they held on the guild’s hierarchical ladder and are hunted by their former “brothers and sisters,” to be “tried” before the Ανώτατος Rasjacaro. Should this happen, the character does not lose any of the special features this prestige class grants, for they were earned purely through personal effort.