PROPOSAL: New PRC - Nightsong Infiltrator

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VillageGreenWitch
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PROPOSAL: New PRC - Nightsong Infiltrator

Unread post by VillageGreenWitch »

[Disclaimer: this is not an own idea or based on own research, but a PrC Kaedrin has composed on the base of the Nightsong Infiltrator PrC as introduced in "Complete Advrnturer". I just changed it a little bit, see notes below.
For more of his wonderful work see: http://nwn2customcontent.wikidot.com/ ]


Nightsong Infiltrator

PRESTIGE CLASS: This class is not available at character creation and must be unlocked by meeting special requirements, listed below. This class has 10 levels.

An expert at breaking into "secure" areas, a nightsong infiltrator is the perfect thief and the perfect spy. Whether she is there to steal gold, information, jewels, or secrets, an infiltrator is trained to do her job quickly and efficiently. She practices extensively with locks and traps, focusing on doing her job under pressure and in unfavorable conditions.

Rogues most frequently and most easily become nightsong infiltrators. Bards, urban rangers, and intelligent fighters can make good members of the class as well. Rarer, but possible, are spellcasting nightsong infiltrators who use spells to get in and out of place. When working as part of a team, a nightsong infiltrator works best as the advance scout and point person, while the other team members take care of the threats that she is unable to deal with (guards, mostly).

Requirements:

Feats: Alertness, Evasion
Skills: Disable Device 10 Ranks, Open Lock 5 Ranks, Search 5 Ranks, Hide 5 Ranks, Move Silently 5 Ranks.

Class Features:

Hit Die: d6
Base Attack Bonus: Medium.
High Saves: Reflex.
Weapon Proficiencies: None.
Armor Proficiencies: None.
Skill Points: 8 + Int modifier.
Class Skills: Appraise, Bluff, Craft Alchemy, Craft Armor, Craft Trap, Craft Weapon, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Hide, Listen, Lore: Local, Lore: Arch-Engineering, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spot, and Tumble.

Class Abilities:

Level 1: Teamwork Trap Sense +1, Trapfinding
Level 2: Skill Focus (Tumbling), Teamwork Infiltration +2
Level 3: Adrenaline Boost 1/day, Trackless Step (self)
Level 4: Teamwork Sneak Attack 1d6, Teamwork Trap Sense +2
Level 5: Defensive Roll, Adrenaline Boost 2/day
Level 6: Skill Focus (Disable Device), Skill Focus (Open Locks), Skill Focus (Search)
Level 7: Teamwork Trap Sense +3, Trackless Step (allies)
Level 8: Teamwork Infiltration +4, Teamwork Sneak Attack 2d6
Level 9: Adrenaline Boost 3/day
Level 10: Hide in plain sight, Teamwork Trap Sense +4, Improved Evasion

Teamwork Trap Sense +1: The nightsong infiltrator grants herself and her allies (within 30 feet) a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps. This ability improves to +2 at 4th level, +3 at 7th level, and +4 at 10th level.

Trapfinding: Nightsong infiltrators can now use the Disable Device skill to overcome traps with a DC of 20 or more as a Rogue.

Teamwork Infiltration +2: The nightsong infiltrator grants herself and her allies (within 30 feet) a +2 competence bonus the following skills: Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, and Tumble. This bonus improves to +4 at 8th level.

Adrenaline Boost: You can exhort your allies to discover a reservoir of energy they didn't think they had. Once per day, as a standard action, you can grant temporary hit points equal to your nightsong infiltrator level to all of your allies within 30 feet (but not to yourself). If the ally's current hit point total is no more than half his full normal hit points, the number of temporary hit points granted to that character is doubled. The temporary hit points last for up to 1 minute per nightsong infiltrator level. At 5th level you can use this ability twice per day and three times per day at 9th level.

Teamwork Sneak Attack: The nightsong infiltrator grants herself and her allies (within 30 feet) a 1d6 sneak attack bonus when flanking an opponent or any time the target would be denied its Dexterity bonus. This bonus increases to 2d6 at 8th level.

Trackless Step (allies): The nightsong infiltrator can grant the trackless step ability to her allies. This benefit lasts for 24 hours.
Notes

Changes to Kaedrins Implementation
I added Hide and Move Silently as prerequisites, added the class skills Disguise, Escape Artist, Lore: Arch-Engineering and Local and Sense Motive and (most importantly of all) moved Improved Evasion to level 10.

Why do I want to see this PrC included?

Because BG:TSCC lacks a viable alternative to Assassin and Shadowdancer in my opinion.
Both these classes come with a certain RP that is rather restricting. (Darkness addict here, hitman there). Those who just want to be a great teamplayer to have around would get another option with this PrC.
(Not to mention that this isn't the strongest PrC offensively, but a great choice for those that are - just as me - skilladdicted, defensive players).
Last edited by VillageGreenWitch on Sun May 28, 2023 12:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: PROPOSAL: New PRC - Nightsong Infiltrator

Unread post by Face »

Just let Rogues pick hips at there funky levelsjust like cripling strike.
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Re: PROPOSAL: New PRC - Nightsong Infiltrator

Unread post by dzidek1983 »

Face wrote:Just let Rogues pick hips at there funky levelsjust like cripling strike.
Yeah...
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Re: PROPOSAL: New PRC - Nightsong Infiltrator

Unread post by chad878262 »

Regarding Rogues taking HiPS, it has been discussed in QC before and I wish we would do this. Also discussed giving it to Rogues all the way at 20 (and wouldn't that be a pain to level a rogue to!?!?) For whatever reason was a no go. Though the Hide in the Shadows ability is supposed to be improved to be more useful... Still not as good as HiPS, but changes should make it a viable alternative for those that don't want SD/Assassin in their build.
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Theodore01
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Re: PROPOSAL: New PRC - Nightsong Infiltrator

Unread post by Theodore01 »

chad878262 wrote:Regarding Rogues taking HiPS, it has been discussed in QC before and I wish we would do this. Also discussed giving it to Rogues all the way at 20 (and wouldn't that be a pain to level a rogue to!?!?) For whatever reason was a no go. Though the Hide in the Shadows ability is supposed to be improved to be more useful... Still not as good as HiPS, but changes should make it a viable alternative for those that don't want SD/Assassin in their build.
Then just replace HIPS with the 'improved' Hide in the Shadows ability for all to enjoy ;)
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Re: PROPOSAL: New PRC - Nightsong Infiltrator

Unread post by VillageGreenWitch »

6 years later ...

... the wonderful "hide in the shadows" feat got introduced to BG:TSCC and removed again, to be replaced with the "create diversion" feat which, as far as I tested it, can only be used somewhat reliable if you are a Bard and have +x to all skills.
Otherwise your Bluff and Hide Skill are too low to be used reliably - especially since there are no items available (or to find) that boost both skills (a deliberate decision, as I learnt - I don't understand that, to be honest, but that's probably nothing that will change at all).
The fact that hide is rolled with a -10 malus, raises the difficulty even further.

So my point from the original post still stands:
There is no real alternative to get HIPS, aside from Hitman (Assassin) and Darkness addict (Shadowdancer).

(To be fair, there is the option to burn two rogue bonus feats for HIPS. But that means taking rogue to 24+ and thereby further restricting the build options for rogue characters.)

In the six years since the original proposal there has been the introduction of many many improvements for fighter, clerics and wizard archetype builds.
A few examples:

Aoe/summon caster types get a free, undispellable +10 AC without ANY compromises to make (CE + FD + acrobatics as class skill).
You can have cleric/wizard hybrids with Mystic Theurge.
You can play a shifter that is (power-wise) on par with STR Bards and Dragon Druids.

Rogue types got the (sadly completely broken) Master Spy PrC and a PrC (Thief Acrobat) that's rather a fighter than a rogue PrC (it's awesome, don't get me wrong, just mechanically better fitting a fighter type, especially since it needs another 2 feats as prereq - and feats are nothing you have to spare as a rogue ).

If you want to play a classical thief you are at the same level as 2017.
And if you want a thief that's neither a murderer nor a 3-level-SD-dipper (taking SD to 10 has no point at all still, since it mechanically weakens a thief), you are on your own.

Taking all this into account I'd like to propose fixing Master Spy class (not sure if this is possible, though) and implementing the Nightsong Infiltrator from Complete Adventurer (a source book where several of our PrCs come from already).

The NI offers a completely different approach to high-level-rogue-RP, an approach that's based on teamwork and skills.
And yes, it offers HIPS and a route to Epic Dodge - at the expense of Sneak Attack dice.
A classical trade-in.

*Dips invisible hat*
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Louvaine
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Re: PROPOSAL: New PRC - Nightsong Infiltrator

Unread post by Louvaine »

Ranger also gets sort of a HiPS, and Cavestalker has the same. That's an option for nature inclined characters, but for your classical city cut purse there's either SD or Assassin. We could use something else that's reliable. It'd be fun.

I love the idea a Master Spy could disappear into crowd (like in Assassin's Creee) or toss some smoky powder and make their HiPS that way. Anyway. Anything would be nice.
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