Shadow Syndicate enforcers are typically the specialists called in for the former of these errands, and many of their assignments fall into the “persuasion” category. Enforcers know how to bloody an opponent before killing him, and how to intimidate bystanders into following the Syndicate’s wishes. Their brutal and cruel methods of an enforcer invariably make a lasting impression on the minds of witnesses, who thereafter tend to consider opposing the Syndicate to be a very unwise prospect.When working with others, the enforcer often serves a dual role. Not only is he the brute muscle of a group, he also serves as security, as he can intimidate any witnesses into keeping their mouths shut.
Hit Dice: d8
Requirements
In order to qualify to become a Shadow Syndicate Enforcer, a character must meet the following criteria.
Alignment: Any non-good.Base Attack Bonus: +4
Skills: Intimidate 8 ranks.
Feats: Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, Skill Focus (Intimidate).
Special: The character must undergo at least three months of training with the Shadow Syndicate before he learns the necessary skills to become an enforcer.
Class Skills
The Shadow Syndicate Enforcer‘s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special 1 +0 +2 +0 +0 Syndicate, Student of Oppression, Keep Awake 2 +1 +3 +0 +0 Intimidating Edict 3 +2 +3 +1 +1 Sneak Attack +1d6 4 +3 +4 +1 +1 Brutal Grappler 5 +3 +4 +1 +1 Set an Example 6 +4 +5 +2 +2 Sneak Attack +2d6 7 +5 +5 +2 +2 Break Limbs 8 +6 +6 +2 +2 Snarling Orders 9 +6 +6 +3 +3 Sneak Attack +3d6 10 +7 +7 +3 +3 Menacing Aura
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Shadow Syndicate Enforcer prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Shadow Syndicate enforcers gain no further weapon or armor proficiency.
Syndicate (Ex): The Shadow Syndicate enforcer is a member in a sprawling criminal empire. He has access to a number of libraries, training facilities, workshops, and bolt-holes throughout Arseneth and eastern Lanaren. In addition, the Syndicate has allies all throughout eastern Migdalia (including Druskeden, Althea, and Walacia), often in the most unlikely of places. The enforcer may make a Bluff check to leave a message that only another Syndicate member would understand (a symbol painted on a wall, a certain type of tree burning at a certain time of day, etc). The enforcer make a Bluff check, with a DC of 15 for simple messages (such as “under surveillance, stay away”), a DC of 20 for more complex messages (such as “Assassin needed, meet me here in three days”), and a DC of 25 to 30 for very detailed messages (such as “The assassin Albrecht is a spy for the temple of Corbin; kill him, but make it look like an accident”).Failure by 4 or less means that the enforcer fails to get the message across. Failure by 5 or more means that some false information has been implied or inferred by the message. Anyone seeing the message can make a Sense Motive check opposed by the Bluff check the enforcer made to transmit the message in order to intercept the message, though the DC for non-Syndicate members to decode the message in increased by 10. Whether a fellow Syndicate member decides to offer assistance is another matter entirely, but common courtesy is to assist the member sending the message if possible.
Student of Oppression (Ex): Enforcers are monks, though they train in alternate methods of improving their bodies (as well as their coin-pouches). As such, the character may add his enforcer levels to his monk levels for the purposes of determining his unarmed damage, AC bonus, and unarmored speed. Those enforcers who are not monks gain these abilities as if they were a monk of a level equal to their Shadow Syndicate enforcer level.
Keep Awake (Ex): Whenever an enforcer deals enough damage to reduce his target to fewer than 0 hit points, he may instead choose to deal only enough damage to disable that opponent. If the enforcer has dealt a creature nonlethal damage that would otherwise render that creature unconscious, he may choose to only deal enough to render that creature staggered.
Intimidating Edict (Su): Starting at 2nd level, the enforcer is able to use his brutal punishment of one opponent as a warning to others. If the enforcer has used his keep awake ability in full view of bystanders with Intelligence scores of 3 or higher, he may issue an edict admonishing those bystanders to perform or avoid a particular action (such as paying the Syndicate its overdue protection money, a warning not to speak to the guards about the enforcer’s actions, or to forgo organizing a resistance movement against a particular senator).This ability functions as a mass suggestion spell, as if cast by a sorcerer of the enforcer’s character level (Will save DC 10 + the enforcer’s class level + his Charisma modifier). Bystanders suffer a -4 penalty to their saving throws if the person the enforcer keeps awake is a leader or other influential person among those he is intimidating.
A creature may only be affected by one intimidating edict at a time, although they may still be affected by other suggestion spells or abilities normally. Creatures subjected to subsequent intimidating edicts are not affected by new edicts until the previous edict wears off. Intimidating edict is a language-dependant, mind-affecting ability. Using this ability is a free action.
Sneak Attack (Ex): An enforcer can strike an opponent’s vital spots for extra damage. Any time the enforcer’s target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether that opponent actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the enforcer flanks a target, his attack deals extra damage. The extra damage is +1d6 at third level, and an additional 1d6 every three levels thereafter. This ability is otherwise identical to the rogue’s ability of the same name, and stacks with any other form of sneak attack the character may possess.
Brutal Grappler (Ex): By 4th level, the enforcer has learned many of the natural stress points in a creature’s body, and is able to exploit that knowledge to inflict terrible damage to his opponents. The enforcer may add his sneak attack damage to any unarmed damage he deals while grappling an opponent, so long as that creature is susceptible to sneak attack damage.
Set an Example (Su): When a 5th level Shadow Syndicate enforcer uses his keep awake ability on the leader of a group of enemy combatants, he may, as a free action, issue an intimidating edict which affects only those combatants. Such combatants must be in full view of the enforcer and their leader, and must possess Intelligence scores of 3 or higher. The combatants receive a saving throw against the edict as normal, though they do not suffer the usual -4 penalty for witnessing their leader being kept awake. The enforcer may potentially be able to issue two different edicts after keeping awake an enemy leader; one edict to his followers, and one to any bystanders watching the battle.
Break Limbs (Ex): Anytime a 7th level enforcer pins an opponent in a grapple, he may choose to break one of that opponent’s limbs with his next action. He and his opponent make opposed grapple checks; if the enforcer wins, he deals unarmed damage, as well as sneak attack damage, to his opponent, who must then attempt a Fortitude saving throw (DC equal to the amount of damage dealt to the opponent). On a failure, the enforcer snaps one of his opponents limbs (his choice), with the following consequences.A character with a broken limb must attempt a Fortitude saving throw (DC 20) each round he attempts to move or use the broken limb, with failure causing the character to become nauseated with pain for 1 round. A broken leg reduces each a creature’s base land speed to 5 feet, or to one-quarter of its original speed, if the creature has more than two legs. Other forms of movement (such as swimming or climbing) may likely be affected as well, depending upon the creature’s anatomy. A broken arm renders a creature unable to use that limb, and causes the creature to drop anything it was holding in that hand.
Creatures lacking bones (such as squid or oozes) are unaffected by this ability. Creatures immune to critical hits may still be inconvenienced by this ability (a skeleton with a snapped leg still has to hobble awkwardly to move), but are not required to make saving throws to ward off the pain produced by moving the broken limb.
Broken bones can be healed through the use of a regenerate spell, or through long-term care by a healer. Broken bones must be splinted or placed in a cast, and then tended on a weekly basis. Each week, a healer tending to a character with a broken bone may attempt a DC 15 Heal check for long-term care, with a success indicating that the character’s bone is healing properly. It typically takes 6-15 (1d10+5) weeks for a character’s bone to heal completely. During this time, unless the character is considered to be sickened from the pain, though some herbal medications may negate this penalty. A limb which has been properly set may also be healed through standard healing magic, though doing so requires an amount of healing equal to twice the total damage dealt by the attack that broke the limb to begin with.
Snarling Orders (Su): An 8th level enforcer is able to snap his companions out of mental ensnarement through the use of a combination of crude threats, orders, and intimidating gestures. Any ally within 30 feet of the enforcer (including the enforcer himself ) that is affected by a language-dependent magical attack may use the result of an Intimidate check rolled by the enforcer in place of their own saving throw if, after the saving throw is rolled, the Intimidate check result proves to be higher. If a creature within range of the snarling orders is already under the effect of a noninstantaneous language-dependent magical attack, it gains another saving throw against the effect each round it hears the enforcer’s orders, but it must use the enforcer’s Intimidate check result for the save. Snarling orders has no effect against effects that do not allow saves. The enforcer may snarl orders for up one round per class level he possesses, though these rounds need not be consecutive.
Menacing Aura (Su): An intimidating aura surrounds 10th level enforcers when they fight or get angry. Any hostile creature within a 20-foot radius of an enforcer must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + the enforcer’s class level + his Charisma modifier), take a –2 penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or until they successfully hit the enforcer in combat. A creature who successfully saves against or dispels an enforcer’s aura cannot be affected by the same aura for a period of 24 hours.
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