The Master Trickster (CR25/MR10)

This small being appears like a halfling male with brown eyes, brown short cropped hair, wearing black leather armor and wielding a halfling sling staff. As you watch him, he smiles and disappears right before your eyes.

XP 1,638,400

CG Medium male outsider (mythic, native) Spell Thief 20/Trickster 10; Master Rogue template 

Init +28; Senses blindsight 60 feet, darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision, true seeing; Perception +53 

Auras aura of blending, aura of good (overwhelming), aura of silence (10 ft.), protective aura (20 ft.)


DEFENSE


AC 69, touch 40, flat-footed 59 (+21 armor [enduring armor], +5 deflection, +10 Dex, +7 insight, +10 

natural, +6 sacred)

hp 310 (20d10+100 plus 40 mythic); regeneration 10 (evil weapons and effects)

Fort +16, Ref +27, Will +23; +10 vs. traps, Mantle of the Master Trickster 

Defensive Abilities evasion, hard to kill, improved evasion, improved uncanny dodge, immortal, 

uncanny dodge, unstoppable; DR 15/magic and epic, and 5/—; Immune acid, cold, fear, petrification, poison; Resist electricity 20, fire 20; SR 21


OFFENSE


Speed 20 ft. 

Melee +4 holy speed adamantine short sword of subtlety +29/+24/+19 (1d6+8/17-20, +4 

attack/damage on sneak attacks)

Ranged +4 dancing distance seeking staff-sling of infinite bullets called Zinger +30/+25/+20 

(1d8+17/19-20/x4; see Equipment below)

Special Attacks cantrips, sneak attack +7d6, surprise strike, spells 

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 25th, concentration +32) 

    At will—disguise self, vanish

    3/day—invisibility, mirror image, shadow weapon

    1/day—greater invisibility, mislead

Mythic Spells 1st–magic missile, true strike; 2nd–spider climb; 3rd–lightning bolt; 5th–dimension 

door, invisibility (greater), mislead 

Spells Prepared (CL 20th, concentration +27)

    4th (3/day)—dimension door, globe of invulnerability (lesser), invisibility (greater), mislead, passwall

  3rd (5/day)—ablative barrier, healing thief, hold person, invisibility sphere, lightning bolt (DC 20), water breathing

    2nd (6/day)—burning arc (DC 19), fog cloud, locate object, mirror image, raven’s flight, resist energy 

    1st (6/day)—charm person, identify, magic missile (DC 18), ray of enfeeblement, shield, true strike 

    0th (at will)—detect magic, drench, ghost sound, mage hand, read magic, touch of fatigue


STATISTICS


Str 16, Dex 30, Con 20, Int 24, Wis 22, Cha 21

Base Atk +15; CMB +17; CMD +58 

Feats Deadly Aim, Deadly Aim (M), Deadly Slinger, Improved Critical (halfling sling staff), Improved 

Critical (M, halfling sling staff), Improved Critical (short sword), Improved Initiative, Improved Initiative (M), Improved Piercing Shot, Improved Precise Shot, Piercing Shot, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Precise Slinger, Quick Draw, Rapid Shot, Sling Sniper, Taunt, Weapon Finesse (short sword), Weapon Focus (halfling sling staff)

Skills Acrobatics +38, Bluff +18, Climb +27, Disable Device +67, Knowledge (arcana) +34, Perception 

+53, Sense Motive +43, Sleight of Hand +40, Spellcraft +39, Stealth +84, Survival +24, Use Magic Device +33

Languages Common, Dragon, Elven, Halfling, Giant, Goblin, Orc, Undercommon, truespeech

SQ advanced talents (crippling strike, deadly sneak, improved evasion, hide in plain sight [all terrains], 

skill mastery [take 10 anytime on all Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, Disable Device, Knowledge (arcana), Perception, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Stealth, and Use Magical Devices checks]), arcane reservoir (23 points), arcanist exploits (deadly sneak attack, quick study), greater exploits (greater filching, resourceful casting), greater spell access (0–drench, touch of fatigue; 1st–charm person, ray of enfeeblement; 2nd–burning arc, raven’s flight; 3rd–fireball, hold person; 4th–globe of invulnerability (lesser), secure shelter), regeneration 10, rogue talents (fast picks, fast stealth, powerful sneak quick disable, sacred sneak attack), spell filching (4th), +4 bonus on all Disable Device, Perception, Sense Motive, and Stealth skill checks, +4 bonus on Initiative checks, the Master Rogue template featues


SPECIAL ABILITIES


Ambush (Ex)

The Master Trickster is adept at setting up and responding to well-executed surprise attacks. He ignores anything less than total concealment caused by darkness, fog, and smoke. In addition, if he is able to act in the surprise round, he treats the surprise round as a normal round in respects to the types of actions he can take.


Aura of Blending (Ex)

The Master Trickster is surrounded by an aura that allows him to better blend in with his surroundings. As long as the Master Trickster remains still, he gains a +20 bonus on Stealth checks, and it can use Stealth even if it is being observed. His armor and equipment blends in perfectly with the surroundings, and any armor check penalties on Stealth checks are negated. If the Master Trickster moves at all, the effects of this aura end until he again chooses to remain completely still.


Aura of Silence (Su)

The Master Trickster is constantly surrounded by the effects of a silence spell. This prevents any sound from emanating within 10 feet of him, and the aura can be activated and deactivated as a free action.


Cunning (Ex)

The Master Trickster always has a trick up his sleeves. Once per day, after rolling an attack roll, skill check, or saving throw, the Master Trickster may immediately re-roll the check and must take the second result, to a maximum of 4 times per day. 


Deadly Strikes (Ex)

The Master Trickster learns to make attacks that weaken and incapacitate his enemies. The Master Trickster has learned a maximum of 4 deadly strikes. Each deadly strike adds an effect to his sneak attack ability. Whenever the Master Trickster makes a successful sneak attack to deal damage to one target, he can choose to forgo a portion of his sneak attack damage to cause the target to receive the additional effect from one of the deadly strikes possessed by the Master Trickster. This choice is made when the sneak attack is made. The target receives a Fortitude save to avoid the effects of a deadly strike. If the save is successful, the target takes the sneak attack damage as normal, but not the effects of the deadly strike. Unless otherwise noted, the DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the Master Trickster’s Hit Dice (or level) + the Master Trickster’s Intelligence modifier.

The Master Trickster knows the following deadly strikes.



Dimensional Shift (Su) 

The Master Trickster can teleport to a nearby space as a swift action as if using dimension door. This movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity. He must be able to see the space that he is moving into. He cannot take other creatures with him when he uses this ability. The Master Trickster can move up to 50 feet and can use this ability 10 times per day.


Divine Immortality (Ex) 

The Master Trickster has been granted long life by the gods (1,000 years), and no longer takes penalties to his physical ability scores from advanced age. 


Face in the Crowd (Sp) 

As a standard action, the Master Trickster can cause himself to appear so normal, mundane, and unexceptional that he blends in to his surroundings. All creatures within 30 feet treat the Master Trickster as if he belonged there, effectively ignoring him. Creatures outside of this area may notice that he appears out of place, but as soon as they approach within 30 feet they are affected by the magic and no longer think something is amiss. If the Master Trickster interacts with an affected creature in any way, it gains a Will save (DC 27) to disbelieve the illusion and notice him. The effect lasts for 20 minutes, or until the illusion is dispelled. The minutes do not need to be consecutive, but must be used in 1-minute increments. This is a mind-affecting phantasm effect. 


This ability does not turn the Master Trickster invisible and opponents are not considered flat-footed. It does not allow the Master Trickster to disguise himself as a specific individual, type of person, or member of another race, so he cannot blend into a group of uniformed guards or appear as a member of an individual’s family, and a human cannot blend into a group of gnolls. The Master Trickster can blend in with any group made up of different types of people, such as a crowd of courtiers in a king’s throne room, and he can disguise himself (either through magic or more mundane means) to appear as a specific type of person or another race (such as a uniformed guard or a gnoll) before using this ability.


Human Shadow

The Master Trickster seems to pop up wherever humans are found, in part because he actively supports and moves with human explorers, settlers, and travelers without drawing attention to himself. The Master Trickster can use Stealth to hide behind creatures at least one size category larger than himself, without any other source of concealment or cover. As long as he is within 30 feet of a human, he gains a +2 racial bonus on Sleight of Hand checks and Stealth checks. 


Master of Invisibility (Sp) 

The Master Trickster can make himself invisible as a swift action for up to 20 rounds per day. These rounds do not need to be consecutive. This otherwise functions as greater invisibility.


Master Spell Thief (Su)

The Master Trickster is incredibly dangerous to spellcasters when dealing sneak attack damage. Each time he deals sneak attack damage against creatures with magical abilities, he can choose one of the following three effects: The target …



Regardless of the effect chosen, the target receives a Will save to negate the additional effect. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the spell thief’s level + the spell thief’s Intelligence modifier. Once a creature has been the target of a master spell strike, regardless of whether or not the save is made, that creature is immune to that spell thief’s master spell strike for 24 hours. Creatures that are immune to sneak attack damage are also immune to this ability. This ability replaces master strike.


Protective Aura (Su)

The Master Trickster emanates a protective aura that protects against attacks made or effects created by evil creatures. He provides a +4 deflection bonus to AC and a +4 resistance bonus on saving throws to anyone within 20 feet of him. This ability otherwise functions as a magic circle against evil effect and a lesser globe of invulnerability with a caster level equal to his Hit Dice.


Shadow Jump (Su)

The Master Trickster gains the ability to travel between shadows as if by means of a dimension door spell. The limitation is that the magical transport must begin and end in an area with at least some dim light. The Master Trickster can jump up to a total of 320 feet each day in this way and can be split among many jumps, but each one, no matter how small, counts as a 10-foot increment.


Shadow Step (Sp) 

The Master Trickster can use this ability to walk through the Shadow Plane and reappear as a standard action. He can travel up to 600 feet per day in this fashion, either in a single round or broken up across multiple shadow steps. This movement must be used in 5-foot increments and does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Travel through the Shadow Plane is imprecise; when he arrives, you re-enter 1 square off target, as per the rules for thrown splash weapons (see Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook). If this would place the Master Trickster in an occupied square, he instead arrives in the nearest safe location. When he arrives, he is cloaked in shadow and gains concealment as the blur spell for 1 round. The Master Trickster may bring other willing creatures with him, but he must expend an equal amount of distance for each additional creature brought with him. They likewise re-enter off target (roll location for each creature) and are cloaked in shadow for 1 round.


Spell Filching (Su)

By making a successful sneak attack against an arcane spellcaster (bard, magus, summoner, etc.), the Master Trickster can attempt to learn a spell that the spellcaster knows. Select one spell available to the target spellcaster (this must be a spell on the sorcerer/wizard spell list); the Master Trickster then gains the knowledge of this spell for 24 hours, as if it had been prepared. During this time, the Master Trickster may write it down using the normal rules for copying a spell from another source. Once the Master Trickster has learned it, he may prepare the spell normally. The Master Trickster can attempt to learn from 0th–level up to 4th–level spells at 14th level. The Master Trickster can learn (filch) only one spell in this way at a time. 


Sudden Feint (Ex)

The Master Trickster becomes an expert at catching her enemies off-guard. As a move action, the Master Trickster can make a Bluff check to feint in combat. If the check is successful, this causes the The Master Trickster’s opponent to be denied his Dexterity bonus to his AC against the Master Trickster’s next attack. The DC of this check is equal to 10 + the opponent’s base attack bonus + opponent’s Wisdom modifier. If the opponent is trained in Sense Motive, the DC is instead equal to 10 + the opponent’s Sense Motive bonus, if higher.


Surprise Strike (Ex)

As a swift action, The Master Trickster can expend one use of mythic power to make a melee attack or ranged attack against a target within 30 feet, in addition to any other attacks he makes this round. When the Master Trickster makes a surprise strike, the target is considered flat-footed regardless of any class features or abilities it might have, and he adds your tier to the attack roll. Damage from this attack bypasses damage reduction.


Trap Mastery (Ex)

The Master Trickster possesses an intuitive sense concerning all manner of traps and ambushes. He adds 1/2 his level to all skill checks made to build, disarm, or locate traps, and to any skill checks made to determine awareness in a surprise round (minimum +1). The Master Trickster can also use Disable Device to disarm magic traps. In addition, the Master Trickster adds 10 as a competence bonus to all saving throws associated with traps and their effects (such as spells and poison), and as a dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps, and attacks that are part of a readied action.


Truespeech (Su) 

The Master Trickster can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level 20th). This ability is always active.


Wanderlust 

The Master Trickster loves travel and maps. He receives a +2 bonus on Knowledge (geography) and Survival checks. When casting spells or using abilities that provide or enhance movement, the Master Trickster treats his caster level as +1 higher than normal. 


MYTHIC ABILITIES


Mythic Powers hard to kill, mythic power (23/day), surge (+1d12), amazing initiative (+10), 

recuperation, mythic saving throws, force of     will, unstoppable, immortal, legendary hero 

Path Powers bloody streak, divine source, fearless, longevity, mythic spellcasting (7 spells), path 

dabbling (enduring armor, archmage path), precision critical, ranged disable, shadow stealth, supreme stealth (blindsight), supreme trickster, trickster attack (surprise strike)


ECOLOGY


Environment any 

Organization solitary (unique) or 2-4 (Stonewatch: The Archwizard of Assentia, The Divine Emissary 

of Light, The Grand Sage, The First Guardian, The Horned Champion, The Patriarch of the Mithral Forest)

Equipment +4 dancing distance seeking avalanche staff-sling of infinite bullets called Zinger (see 

below), +4 holy speed adamantine short sword of subtlety, Mantle of the Master Trickster (see below), hoarder’s pouches (see below), amulet of proof against detection and location, figurine of wondrous power (ebony fly), horn of fog, immovable rods (2), rod of security, universal solvent (4 doses)


SPECIAL ITEMS


Hoarder’s Pouches These two leather pouches each function as a bag of holding III, handy 

haversack, and pathfinder’s pouch. The Master Trickster can also pull mundane and minor magical items from either pouch as if he had the Well-Prepared feat, up to three times per day. When confronted with a situation that calls for a particular mundane item of equipment, the Master Trickster may make a Sleight of Hand check with a DC of 10 plus the item’s cost in gold pieces to “happen” to have such an item in his pouch. In addition, he can make a Sleight of Hand check with a DC of 25 to “happen” to have a particular minor magical item (up to 250 gp) in his pouch, once per day. The item must be something that fits inside the pouch. 

Mantle of the Master Trickster (Unique Item) These black rogue’s clothes have the glamered 

armor property and functions as a +5 cloak of resistance, cloak of minor displacement (20% miss chance), robe of blending, and hat of disguise; Belt functions as a belt of security and a belt of shadowform (Dex +6, incorporeal form); Boots function as acrobat slippers, boots of the cat, boots of levitation, and slippers of feather step; Bracers function as +8 bracers of armor with the greater shadow (+15 Stealth) and greater slick (+15 Escape Artist) armor properties; Eyes function as eyes of the dragon (granting darkvision 120 ft., blindsense 60 ft., and he can see four times as well as humans in dim light) and truesight goggles; Gloves function as apprentices cheating gloves, gloves of reconnaissance, gloves of storing, and trapspringer’s gloves; Ring (Adamantine) functions as a +5 ring of protection, a ring of improved climbing, and a ring of sustenance; Ring (Gold) functions as a ring of chameleon power, ring of freedom of movement, and ring of invisibility. 

Tattoo (Raven) The Master Trickster has a permanent raven tattoo (mythic barkskin) that grants him 

a permanent +10 bonus to his natural armor, DR 10/magic, and DR 5/epic.

Zinger, Staff-Sling of the Halfling Trickster (Legendary Greater Artifact) +4 dancing distance

seeking avalanche staff-sling of infinite bullets (see Zinger description) 



The Master Trickster's Faith

The Master Trickster is the former mortal halfling hero Blackroot Brambleburr. As the Master Trickster, he has drawn the interest of both Éna, Goddess of Stealth and Luck, and Ambra Quickfoot, Goddess of Travel and Freedom and represents the epitome of trickery, subterfuge, adventure, and curiosity upon the World of Stonehelm. As a quasi deity, the Master Trickster is the patron of stealth, thievery for the good of others, travel, adventure, freedom, and luck. His worshipers include bards, illusionists, investigators, rogues, skalds, swashbucklers, treasure hunters, travelers, and entrepreneurs, and those in search of adventure. 


The Master Trickster's holy symbol is a golden triangle with a lock pick and travel pouch engraved upon it, and his favored weapon is the halfling staff-sling.


The Master Trickster grants access to the Liberation, Luck, Travel, and Trickery domains, and to the Deception, Espionage, Exploration, Fate, Freedom, Innuendo, Thievery, and Trade subdomains.


The Master Trickster can be located in one of two places; in the town of Dicksville in the Kingdom of Wynshorn, or in the Guild Hall of the Trickster in the City of Seker-Ankh. Additionally, he can be encountered traveling the remote roads and highways of the world.