Velvet Blade

Velvet blades specialize in infiltrating the upper echelons of society, mingling with nobles and courtiers, and killing them. Velvet blades are often born into the aristocracy, with an intricate understanding of the inner workings of upper class society. Though a few velvet blades are unhinged maniacs who enjoy preying on their peers, most of these well-heeled bounty hunters assume a professional demeanor and hire themselves out to other nobles or well-connected criminal organizations.

Class Skills

A velvet blade adds Diplomacy and Knowledge (nobility) to her list of class skills, instead of Knowledge (dungeoneering) and Survival.

This alters the bounty hunter's class skills.

Studied Socialite (Ex)

A velvet blade focuses her studies on social infiltration rather than brute force, believing it is easier to kill an opponent quietly and unprepared than in a loud battle. She adds her studied target bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Intimidate, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth, and Survival checks against studied opponents, as well as to the DCs of bounty hunter class abilities she uses against such opponents. She never gains a bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls from her studied target ability.

Additionally, the velvet blade can study several targets at once. The maximum number of studied targets a velvet blade may have at once is increased by her Cha mod. As a full-round action, the velvet blade can study up to her maximum number of targets in 60 ft; when she does this, all previously studied targets are dropped.

This ability alters studied target.

Courtly Graces (Ex)

A velvet blade spends long hours memorizing etiquette and family lineages of royalty and other prominent families. She gains a bonus on Knowledge (nobility) checks equal to half her bounty hunter level (minimum +1).

This ability replaces sniper.

Treacherous Blade (Ex)

At 3rd level, a velvet blade can capitalize on how others underestimate her and allow her close to them, assuming she is harmless. She gains the Betrayer feat as a bonus feat, whether or not she meets the prerequisites. Additionally, when making her first attack against a studied target that believes her to be harmless or to be an ally, the attack counts as a sneak attack, even if the target isn’t flanked or denied its Dexterity bonus to AC, and the velvet blade gains +2d6 bonus sneak attack damage, increasing by 1d6 at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter.

Even if she immediately attacks the target again (such as by continuing a full attack), only the first attack gains these benefits, since the target immediately realizes the velvet blade is something more than she seemed.

Silent Dispatch (Ex)

At 11th level, a velvet blade becomes adept at taking out her targets quietly. When the velvet blade ambushes an enemy or enemies unaware of her presence, she can attempt a Stealth check at a –5 penalty. The result indicates the DC of Perception checks to hear the velvet blade's attacks. Other enemies present can still see the attack; this talent only prevents the sounds of battle from alerting others.

This ability replaces swift tracker.