Mountebank

Requirements

Alignment: Any nonlawful

Skills: Bluff 8 ranks, Knowledge (arcana or local) 4 ranks, Spellcraft 4 ranks

Feats: Deceitful

Summary

Mountebanks are frauds and con artists, capable of slipping into new identities as others change clothing. While they can fit in just about anywhere they go, they are also adept at getting out of tight situations.

Bards are the most likely to branch into the mountebank prestige class. Their versatile skill selection enables them to meet the class’s Knowledge and Spellcraft requirements and to develop other skills. In addition, the bard’s spellcasting ability enhances the mountebank’s class features.

Rogues, sorcerers, and spellthieves sometimes become mountebanks to improve their battlefield mobility or to enhance existing talents of deception. Spellthief plus mountebank makes an excellent class combination for characters who fight creatures that use spell-like abilities.

Role: Utility DPS

Characteristics: Slippery roguish individuals that can escape most any situation

Source: Complete Scoundrel

Game Rule Information

The Mountebank has the following game statistics.

Abilities: Dexterity for striking while flat footed, and Charisma for your bluff to keep people flat-footed

Alignment: Any Nonlawful

Hit Die: d6

Starting Gold: N/A

Class Skills

The Mountebank's class skills are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana)(Int), Knowledge (local)(Int), Listen (Wis), Open Lock (Dex), Pick Pocket (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis) and Tumble (Dex)

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Mountebank.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Mountebank is proficient with whatever they were already proficient with prior to taking levels in this class.

Tongue of the Devil Ex: Your cunning misdirection leaves others at your mercy. You add your Intelligence bonus (if any) to Bluff checks.

Sneak Attack Ex: Beginning at 2nd level, you deal an extra 1d6 points of damage when you are flanking an opponent or at any time when the target would be denied its Dexterity bonus. See the rogue class feature, PH 50. The extra damage dealt by your sneak attack increases to 2d6 at 5th level and to 3d6 at 8th level. If you get a sneak attack bonus from another source (such as rogue levels), the bonuses on damage stack.

Alter Ego Sp: Starting at 3rd level, you establish an alternate identity. This alter ego has its own distinct physical characteristics, quirks, preferred clothing, and so on. At will, you can switch your form between that of your normal identity and that of your alter ego. This ability works like the alter self spell, except that you can assume only the appearance of your alternate identity. Your caster level for this ability is equal to your mountebank class level.

As you advance in this prestige class, you develop additional alter egos, gaining a new one every three levels beyond 3rd (two at 6th and three at 9th).

Sideslip Su: Beginning at 4th level, you become supernaturally elusive. Once per day as an immediate action, you can transfer yourself from your current space to another up to 20 feet away. This ability otherwise works like the dimension door spell, except that you cannot transport other creatures with you. At 6th level, and at every two levels thereafter, you gain an additional daily use of sideslip.

Slippery Mind Ex: Starting at 7th level, whenever you are affected by an enchantment spell or effect and you fail your saving throw, you can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. You get only one extra chance to succeed on your save using this ability.

Sudden Escape Sp: Beginning at 10th level, you can expend two daily uses of your sideslip ability as a swift action to use Dimension Door, as the spell. Your caster level is equal to your character level.

Table 1-1: Mountebank Progression

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	Tongue of the devil
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+0	Sneak attack +1d6
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+1	Alter ego
4th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Sideslip 1/day
5th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Sneak attack +2d6
6th	+4	+2	+5	+2	Alter ego, sideslip 2/day
7th	+5	+2	+5	+2	Slippery mind
8th	+6	+2	+6	+2	Sideslip 3/day, sneak attack +3d6
9th	+6	+3	+6	+3	Alter ego
10th	+7	+3	+7	+3	Sideslip 4/day, sudden escape