Spying is not a glorious profession, although the most successful spies attract a measure of glamor and respect in certain quarters. Most of the time, skilled spies go unnoticed and unsuspected until their mission is already completed. They may travel as simple tradesman or vagabonds, while other times, they may develop elaborate cover identities as soldiers, members of the court, or even intimates of those in power. Spies may find employ with powerful nobles, military leaders, guild masters, or even spell-casters or intelligent monsters. Some spies are basically mercenary, while others are more like house retainers or military officers. Spying is a dangerous job, for those that are caught are frequently executed or worse, and their patrons are frequently unable to take steps to protect their agents when doing so would expose their involvement. A spy might join an adventuring group under cover, pretending to be a common vagabond, rogue, or warrior. In other cases, they may be part of an entourage that serves a common cause, with the spy playing the part of negotiator, infiltrator, and if need be, assassin.
CLASS FEATURES
Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
Spies are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow and short sword. They are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.
Duplicity (Ex):
The spy may add one half her level (minimum 1) to Disguise and Sense Motive checks and to Bluff checks to fool someone or to deliver a secret message.
Cover Identity (Ex):
Spies rarely advertise the nature of their work. A spy may select one Craft, Perform, or Profession skill and gain a +1 competence bonus on checks. Additionally, the spy may make checks as though trained in that skill, even if she has no ranks in it. Alternatively, instead of a skill, the spy can choose one weapon or one type of armor and suffer only half the usual penalties for nonproficiency. The spy can decide to adopt a new cover identity at any time. When she changes cover identities, the benefits switch over to the new skill or proficiency after 24 hours.
Sneak Attack +1d6 (Ex):
If a spy can catch an opponent when she is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.
The spy’s attack deals extra damage anytime her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the spy flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and increases by 1d6 every two spy levels thereafter. Should the spy score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied. Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.
With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (like a sap, whip, or an unarmed strike), a spy can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty.
The spy must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A spy cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment. This is the same as the rogue ability.
You were badly burned once by volcanic ash, torch-wielding mobs, or some fiery accident, and the scars pain you terribly you whenever you are too near to fire.
Penalties: You take a –1 penalty on saving throws against fire effects. In addition, whenever you are adjacent to open flames or are on fire, you take a –1 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks until you spend an entire round away from fire. These penalties are not cumulative. (An instantaneous fire effect adjacent to you or affecting you causes this penalty to apply until 1 round after it is gone.)
