The Shroud

The coin is small, silver and cold: a dagger and a cloud on one side, torn cloth on the other. Whoever pays it has bought a death. Whoever carries it out is a shroud, named for the torn cloth, and for the last cloth the mark will ever wear.

The Registry's Knives. Shrouds are the assassins of the Registry, the most feared killers in Eldriloch. The Registry accepts payment only in its own silver coin, given only to the elite, and its shrouds never refuse a paid contract and never kill without one. Nobody applies. The Registry watches the best entertainers, runners and killers in the underworld, and one day one of them finds a coin under their pillow with a name folded around it. Complete the contract, and you're a shroud. Refuse, and you're the next name.

Prestige Class. The shroud is a prestige class, the way the assassin is in the 3.5 Dungeon Master's Guide. Characters can take it only after meeting its requirements. Most shrouds were entertainers or runners first, and many keep advancing in those classes alongside it.

Hit Die: d6.

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

Skills: Disguise 4 ranks, Hide 8 ranks, Move Silently 8 ranks.

Special: Trusted rank in the Registry (see Joining an Organization), which means having completed at least one Registry contract and carrying its silver coin.

The shroud's class skills (and the key ability for each) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex) and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

All of the following are class features of the shroud prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Shrouds are proficient with the crossbow (hand, light or heavy), dagger, dart, rapier, sap, shortbow, short sword and pocket pistol, and with light armor but not shields.

Last Cloth (Ex): If a shroud studies a victim for 3 rounds and then makes a sneak attack with a melee weapon that deals damage, the attack can also kill or paralyze the victim (shroud's choice). Studying is a standard action, and the victim must not notice the shroud or recognize them as an enemy. The victim makes a Fortitude save (DC 10 + shroud level + Intelligence modifier) or dies, or is paralyzed for 1d6 rounds + 1 round per shroud level. On a success, the attack deals only normal sneak attack damage. If the shroud doesn't attack within 3 rounds of finishing the study, they must study again. An entertainer's Spectacle counts as study for a shroud who is performing it.

Poison Use (Ex): A shroud never risks poisoning themselves when applying poison to a blade. From 2nd level, they gain a bonus on saves against poison that increases with level, as shown on the table.

Sneak Attack (Ex): As the rogue ability. Extra damage from shroud levels stacks with sneak attack, unseen blade and similar abilities from other classes.

Veil of the Registry (Sp): A shroud learns small aetheric tricks of concealment, gaining each as a spell-like ability when shown on the table: disguise self 3/day at 1st, invisibility 2/day at 3rd, darkness 3/day at 5th, misdirection and nondetection 1/day each at 7th, and greater invisibility 1/day at 9th. Caster level equals shroud level. These are aether only and never draw on flux or fibrolite.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): As the rogue ability, at 2nd level. At 5th level, a shroud gains improved uncanny dodge. Levels in other classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level needed to flank the shroud.

Coin of Passage (Ex): At 4th level, showing the Registry's silver coin gives a shroud a +4 bonus on Intimidate and Gather Information checks with anyone in the underworld. The Veil, the Gutter Kings and the Daughters of the Painted Mask will give a shroud shelter for a night without asking whose name is on the contract.

Hide in Plain Sight (Su): At 8th level, a shroud can use the Hide skill even while being observed, as long as they're within 10 feet of a shadow. They can't hide in their own shadow.

The Final Thread (Ex): At 10th level, a shroud needs only 1 round of study to use Last Cloth, and a victim killed by Last Cloth can't be returned to life by raise dead or resurrection. Only true resurrection or miracle can bring them back. The Registry calls it cutting the final thread.