“It starts innocuously enough; some local pets go missing. Once, twice in a couple of weeks. Nobody gives it too much mind. Then, a child doesn’t make it home before dark. And three days later, the alleyway just outside the morgue starts smelling awfully coppery…by the time the fifth adult’s corpse is found, there’re already rumors; it feeds on fear, tracks you by your heartbeat. There’s no real evidence for any of it, but you know what they say; fear is contagious…”
-Frankie Sherman, who arrived shortly before the bodies did
The Slasher is an archetype for Thief.
Darkened Streets (Ex)
The slasher’s actions become legendary in their chosen area. While in his social identity, the slasher can spend 1 week building a legend among the locals of any community of no more than about 200 individuals. This could be the entire community or a smaller neighborhood in a larger settlement. He must spend at least 4 hours each day socializing and making contacts. After spending 1 week doing this, he gains a +4 circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks whenever he is in his thief identity. This bonus applies only while he is near the community in which he has gained a legend; he must be within a number of miles equal to his thief level.
Additionally, while building his thief identity’s legend, the slasher may build renown or obscurity for their social identity.
Renown: While in his social identity, all NPCs in the slasher’s area of renown have a starting attitude toward him that is one category better, as long as each person’s initial attitude would have at least been indifferent.
Obscurity: While the slasher is in his area of obscurity, he no longer needs to succeed at Disguise checks to appear as his social identity while assuming that identity. He still has to attempt Disguise checks when NPCs within this settlement are confronted with indisputable proof that the slasher could be more than he appears to be, such as when he uses a thief talent while in his social identity.
This ability replaces the social talent gained at 1st level.
Devour Hope (Su)
As a swift action, the slasher can take nonlethal damage equal to his Thief level. Damage taken this way cannot be reduced by any means. Until the end of this turn, any successful attacks he performs deal additional dark damage equal to half his Thief level plus his Charisma modifier. If this ability deals dark damage to a creature under a fear effect, the slasher heals a number of points of damage equal to the dark damage dealt.
This ability replaces and counts as sneak attack.
Stalk Victim (Ex)
When the slasher successfully uses the Size Up ability, he inflicts the debraved condition instead of scanned.
This ability modifies size up.
Thrilling Tremors (Su)
The slasher’s debilitating injury ability is treated as a supernatural mind-affecting ability. It is also treated as a fear effect exclusively for the purposes of immunity.
This alters debilitating injury.
Slasher Talent
At 2nd level, a slasher can select from any of the following slasher talents, in addition to their thief talents.
Hunter’s Blink (Su):
As a standard action while in their area of legend, the slasher can teleport to any unoccupied space within a close range. Each time the slasher uses this ability they must wait 1d4+1 rounds before using it again.
Prerequisite: Urban Explorer
Dark Passenger (Su):
When a creature adjacent to the slasher teleports, he may teleport to an unoccupied square adjacent to that creature’s destination as an immediate action.
Prerequisite: Hunter’s Blink
Distressing Tremors (Su):
When a slasher applies a penalty from Debilitating Injury, he may additionally apply the debraved condition for a number of rounds equal to his Charisma modifier.
Prerequisite: Thief 4
Iconic Weapon (Ex):
While in your area of legend, you may treat a masterwork weapon as a masterwork tool for Intimidate, using the weapon’s enhancement bonus if higher. The circumstance bonus from an iconic weapon stacks with the circumstance bonus from darkened streets.
Prerequisite: None
Bloodhound (Ex):
The slasher gains the scent feature, and considers creatures under a fear effect to be a strong scent and bleeding creatures to be overpowering.
Prerequisite: None
Unkillable Horror (Su):
The slasher gains DR 2/Bludgeoning and access to the Stoic limit break mode. For every five thief levels, the DR increases by 2.
Prerequisite: None
Disrupting Tremors (Su):
When a slasher would apply a penalty from Debilitating Injury, he may instead add the emotion component to each spell or spell-like ability the target uses for a number of rounds equal to his Charisma modifier. This is in addition to any other components the spell already requires, and doesn’t replace the somatic component. The target’s spell-like abilities require this emotion component, even though they normally don’t need spell components.
Prerequisite: Thief 4
Power of Fear (Ex)
At 6th level, the slasher gains +1 to Intimidate checks to demoralize debraved creatures. At 10th, 14th and 18th level, the bonus increases by an additional +1.
This replaces power of knowledge.
Instinctive Malice (Su)
Starting at 6th level, once per day, while the slasher is in his thief identity, he may spend a standard action letting his malicious intent take over completely. For a minute afterwards, he is treated as being in his area of legend, but may not switch back to his social identity during that duration. At 12th level, this becomes usable thrice per day.
This replaces many guises and everyman.
Hunting Grounds (Ex)
Word of the slasher’s deeds spreads. He can build a legend in a single community of up to 5,000 individuals or up to two communities of no more than 2,000 individuals each. The bonus while he is in his social identity remains unchanged, but the circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks from his darkened streets feature while he is in his thief identity increases to +6.
This ability replaces the social talent gained at 7th level.
Remember Me (Ex)
Fear and the slasher’s name go hand in hand. He can build a legend in a single community of up to 25,000 individuals or up to two smaller cities of no more than 10,000 individuals each. The bonus while he is in his social identity remains unchanged, but the circumstance bonus to Intimidate from his darkened streets feature while he is in his thief identity increases to +8.
This ability replaces the social talent gained at 11th level.
