Dagger Master (3.5e Class)

Dagger Master

Lady Warrior By Robbreptile

A Dagger Master is never without a blade or 10. He knows how to use them, hide them, and carries a plethora of them. He masters the blade with not only fighting, but his skills. He can stab with easy, and always has a backup weapon, so make sure you are on his good side.

Making a Dagger Master

A Dagger Master is a versatile character and can fit in to most groups depending on how he is played. He always has a weapon or 2 on hand.

Abilities: Dex, and Strength.

Races: Humans, and Halflings take to this class with ease.

Alignment: Any

Starting Gold: 4d4 gp

Starting Age: Simple

Table: The Dagger Master

Hit Die: d6

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	Sneak Stab +1d8, Hidden Blade
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+0	Evasion
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+1	Sneak Stab +2d8, Blade Sense +1
4th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Uncanny Dodge
5th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Sneak Stab +3d8
6th	+4	+2	+5	+2	Blade Sense +2
7th	+5	+2	+5	+2	Sneak Stab +4d8
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+2	Improved Uncanny Dodge
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+3	Sneak Stab +5d8, Blade Sense +3
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+3	Special Ability
11th	+8/+3	+3	+7	+3	Sneak Stab +6d8
12th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+4	Blade Sense +4
13th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+4	Sneak Stab +7d8, Special Ability
14th	+10/+5	+4	+9	+4
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+9	+5	Sneak Stab +8d8, Blade Sense +5
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+5	Special Ability
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+5	Sneak Stab +9d8
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+6	Blade Sense +6
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+6	Sneak Stab +10d8, Special Ability
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+6
Class Skills (8 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Appraise (Int), 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), Knowledge (local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), Use Rope (Dex).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Dagger Master.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Dagger Masters are proficient with all simple weapons. Dagger Masters are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

Sneak Stab: A Dagger Master focuses his ability to deal sneak attack damage with daggers and similar weapons to such a degree that he can deal more sneak attack damage with those weapons at the expense of sneak attacks with other weapons. When he makes a sneak attack with a dagger, kerambit, kukri, punching daggers, starknife, or swordbreaker dagger (Advanced Player's Guide 178), he uses d8s to roll sneak attack damage instead of d6s. For sneak attacks with all other weapons, he uses d4s instead of d6s. This ability is identical in all other ways to sneak attack.

Hidden Blade: A knife master adds 1/2 his level on Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal a light blade.

Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level and higher, a Dagger Master can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the Dagger Master is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless Dagger Master does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Blade Sense (Ex): At 3rd level, a knife master is so skilled in combat involving light blades that he gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made against his with light blades. This bonus increases by +1 for every three levels, to a maximum of +6 at 18th level.

Blade sense bonuses gained from multiple classes stack.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 4th level, a Dagger Master can react to danger before his senses would normally allow his to do so. He retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

If a Dagger Master already has uncanny dodge from a different class he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): A Dagger Master of 8th level or higher can no longer be flanked.

This defense denies another Dagger Master the ability to sneak Stab the character by flanking his, unless the attacker has at least four more Dagger Master levels than the target does.

If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum Dagger Master level required to flank the character.

Special Abilities: On attaining 10th level, and at every three levels thereafter (13th, 16th, and 19th), a Dagger Master gains a special ability of his choice from among the following options.

Crippling Strike (Ex): A Dagger Master with this ability can sneak Stab opponents with such precision that his blows weaken and hamper them. An opponent damaged by one of his sneak Stabs also takes 2 points of Strength damage. Ability points lost to damage return on their own at the rate of 1 point per day for each damaged ability.

Defensive Roll (Ex): The Dagger Master can roll with a potentially lethal blow to take less damage from it than he otherwise would. Once per day, when he would be reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by damage in combat (from a weapon or other blow, not a spell or special ability), the Dagger Master can attempt to roll with the damage. To use this ability, the Dagger Master must attempt a Reflex saving throw (DC=damage dealt). If the save succeeds, he takes only half damage from the blow; if it fails, he takes full damage. He must be aware of the attack and able to react to it in order to execute his defensive roll—if he is denied his Dexterity bonus to AC, he can’t use this ability. Since this effect would not normally allow a character to make a Reflex save for half damage, the Dagger Master's evasion ability does not apply to the defensive roll.

Improved Evasion (Ex): This ability works like evasion, except that while the Dagger Master still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks henceforth he henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless Dagger Master does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Opportunist (Ex): Once per round, the Dagger Master can make an attack of opportunity against an opponent who has just been struck for damage in melee by another character. This attack counts as the Dagger Master's attack of opportunity for that round. Even a Dagger Master with the Combat Reflexes feat can’t use the opportunist ability more than once per round.

Skill Mastery: The Dagger Master becomes so certain in the use of certain skills that he can use them reliably even under adverse conditions.

Upon gaining this ability, he selects a number of skills equal to 3 + his Intelligence modifier. When making a skill check with one of these skills, he may take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent his from doing so. A Dagger Master may gain this special ability multiple times, selecting additional skills for it to apply to each time.

Slippery Mind (Ex): This ability represents the Dagger Master's ability to wriggle free from magical effects that would otherwise control or compel his. If a Dagger Master with slippery mind is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails his saving throw, he can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. He gets only this one extra chance to succeed on his saving throw.

Deft Palm (Ex): A Dagger Master with this special ability can make a Sleight of Hand check to conceal a weapon while holding it in plain sight, even while he is being observed.

Underhanded* (Ex): A Dagger Master with this special ability gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal a weapon. Furthermore, if he makes a sneak stab during the surprise round using a concealed weapon that his opponent didn't know about, he does not have to roll sneak stab damage, and the sneak stab deals maximum damage. A Dagger Master can only use the underhanded special ability a number of times per day equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 0).

Weapon Snatcher (Ex): A Dagger Master with this special ability can make a Sleight of Hand check in place of a combat maneuver check when attempting to disarm an opponent.

Feat: A Dagger Master may gain a bonus feat in place of a special ability.

Epic Dagger Master

Table: The Epic Dagger Master

Hit Die: d6

Level	Special
21st	Sneak Stab +11d8, Blade Sense +7
22nd
23rd	Sneak Stab +12d8
24th	Blade Sense +8, Bonus Feat
25th	Sneak Stab +13d8
26th
27th	Sneak Stab +14d8, Blade Sense +9
28th	Bonus Feat
29th	Sneak Stab +15d8
30th	Blade Sense +10
8 + Int modifier skill points per level.

Sneak Stab: The epic Dagger Master’s sneak stab damage increases by +1d8 at every odd-numbered level.

Special Abilities: The Dagger Master does not gain additional Dagger Master special abilities after 19th level, but can choose one of the Dagger Master class special abilities (crippling strike, defensive roll, improved evasion, opportunist, skill mastery, or slippery mind) instead of a bonus feat.

Blade Sense (Ex): The epic Dagger Master's bonus increases by +1 every three levels higher than 18th.

Bonus Feats: The epic Dagger Master gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic Dagger Master feats) every four levels after 20th.

Epic Dagger Master Bonus Feat List: Blinding Speed, Dexterous Fortitude, Dexterous Will, Epic Dodge, Epic Reputation, Epic Skill Focus, Epic Speed, Improved Combat Reflexes, Improved Sneak Attack, Legendary Climber, Lingering Damage, Self-Concealment, Sneak Attack of Opportunity, Spellcasting Harrier, Superior Initiative, Uncanny Accuracy. The Dagger Master may choose a special Dagger Master ability instead of a bonus feat.

Halfling Dagger Master Starting Package

Weapons: 2 Daggers and a Light crossbow

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 8 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty
sleight of hand	4	Dex	—
Balance	4	Dex	—
Gather Information	4	Cha	—
Intimidate	4	Cha	—
Move silently	4	Dex	—
Perform Knife trick	4	Cha	—
Sense Motive	4	Cha	—
Spot	4	Wis	—
Tumble	4	Dex	—
Hide	4	Dex	—

Feat: Quick Draw

Gear: Leather Armor, Backpack with waterskin, one day's trail rations, bedroll, stack, and flint and steel. Thieves tools, hooded lantern, 3 pints of oil, and case of 10 bolts.

Gold: 4d4

• Most changes taken from Pathfinder knife fighter rogue variant.

Playing a Dagger Master

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Dagger Masters in the World

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Dagger Master Lore

Characters with ranks in can research to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

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Dagger Masters in the Game

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