Venom Blade (Alchemist/Rogue)

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

The venom blade is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, and short sword. The venom blade is proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

Alchemy (Ex)

This is exactly like the alchemist ability of the same name. Due to his narrow focus, venom blade’s can only use his Craft (alchemy) to create poisons, whether of a plant, animal, or alchemical origin, but not bombs, extracts or mutatgens. Poisons can be made using Craft (alchemy). The DC to make a poison is equal to its Fortitude save DC. Rolling a natural 1 on a Craft skill check while making a poison exposes the venom blade to the poison. A venom blade can create any poison listed on Table 16–2: Sample Poisons (see page 559 of the Core Rulebook) if he has acquired the appropriate components for an individual poison.

Once a venom blade has gained the poison use class feature, he does not risk poisoning himself when using Craft to make poison. When using his Craft (alchemy) to create a poison, a venom blade gains a competence bonus equal to his venom blade level on the Craft (alchemy) check. In addition, a venom blade can use Craft (alchemy) to identify poisons or poisonous plants as if using detect poison. He must hold the poison filled vial or study the plant for 1 round to make such a check. This ability otherwise functions and replaces alchemy.

Sneak Attack

The venom blade gains the rogue’s sneak attack ability. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and increases by 1d6 every three venom blade levels thereafter, to a maximum of +7d6 at 19th level. Sneak attack bonuses from multiple sources stack. This ability and venom bile replace bombs.

Poison Resistance (Ex)

This is exactly like the alchemist ability of the same name, except that the venom blade gains a bonus on all saving throws against poison of +2 at 2nd level, and increases to +4 at 4th level, and again to +6 at 6th level. At 8th level, a venom blade becomes completely immune to poison.

Discovery (Su)

This is exactly like the alchemist ability of the same name, except that the venom blade gains a discovery at 3rd level and every three levels thereafter. However, the venom blade can only select from the following poison discoveries: Concentrate Poison*, Dilution* (poisons only), Enhance Poison, Extend Poison, Poison Conversion†, and Sticky Poison*. (*Advanced Player’s Guide, †Ultimate Combat)

In addition, whenever a venom blade could select a discovery, he can select a rogue talent that he qualifies for instead.

At 12th level, the venom blade can choose advanced rogue talents whenever he could choose a rogue talent, or when he selects the Extra Rogue Talent feat. A venom blade treats his level as his rogue or alchemist level for the purpose of qualifying for rogue talents and discoveries with level-dependent requirements that he's chosen.

Master Poisoner (Ex)

At 3rd level, a venom blade can use Craft (alchemy) to change the type of a poison. This requires 1 hour of work with an alchemist’s lab and a Craft (alchemy) skill check with a DC equal to the poison’s DC. If successful, the poison’s type changes to contact, ingested, inhaled, or injury. If the check fails, the poison is ruined. The venom blade also receives a bonus on Craft (alchemy) skill checks when working with poison equal to 1/2 his venom blade level. This ability replaces brew potion.

Evasion (Ex)

At 4th level, the venom blade gains the rogue’s evasion ability. This ability, uncanny dodge, and improved uncanny dodge replace the alchemist’s extracts ability.

Merged Poison

At 5th level, the venom blade can merge two different ingested type poisons into one. When the poisons are ingested, both poisons take effect. The newly merged poison has a save DC two points higher than the poison with highest DC used in the merging. At 8th level, the venom blade can merge two injury type poisons. At 13th level, a venom blade can merge two contact poisons. This ability replaces throw anything.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

At 6th level, the venom blade gains the rogue’s uncanny dodge ability.

Blood Venom (Ex)

Starting at 8th level, the blood of a venom blade’s blood has become suffused with poison. As such, his blood is treated as an injury type poison that can cause weakness and great pain (see Blood Venom). The venom blade can apply one dose of his blood venom. To obtain a single dose of his blood venom, the venom blade must deal 1d3 points of slashing or piercing damage to himself. A dose of blood venom removed from the venom blade’s body remains potent for 1 day before spoiling. Creatures that engage in combat with the venom blade using slashing or piercing weapons (including natural weapons) have a 10% cumulative chance of being exposed to the venom blade’s blood venom for each consecutive round of combat. If a creature is exposed, it receives the usual save against its effects. The venom blade does not suffer any effects from his poisonous blood. This ability replaces mutagen.

Blood Antidote (Ex)

Starting at 11th level, a venom blade can use 1 dose of blood venom to create 1 dose of antidote that functions like delay poison. This requires 1 hour of work with an alchemist’s lab and a Craft (alchemy) skill check with a DC equal to his blood venom’s DC. Unlike blood venom, an antidote, once created, remains potent until used. This is due to the change it undergoes to its chemical make-up.

At 14th level, 1 dose of blood antidote now functions like neutralize poison. Blood antidote works as a universal cure against any form of poison, including the venom blade’s blood venom. A venom blade can only have a number of antidotes in existence at any given time equal to 1/2 his venom blade level. This ability can be used a number of times per day equal to the venom blade’s Intelligence modifier. This ability replaces discovery at 4th and 16th level.

Virulent Poison (Ex)

At 11th level, the venom blade can enhance poisons already altered by his master poisoner ability. If the venom blade spends half the base cost of the poison, he can make a Craft (alchemy) check with a DC equal to 5 + the save DC of the poison to alter it by one of the following ways: remove the onset time, or reduce the frequency by half (rounded up). The minimum frequency for any poison is 1/round, and any alteration made by this ability in no way affects the poison’s duration. This effect may be applied to a single dose of poison multiple times. If the venom blade fails his Craft (alchemy) check by 4 or less, the gold spent on the alteration is wasted, but the poison is unharmed. If the venom blade fails his Craft (alchemy) check by 5 or more, the poison is destroyed. The venom blade can alter a dose of his blood venom in the same manner, but no additional costs are required. This ability replaces discovery at 10th level.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

At 12th level, the venom blade gains the rogue’s improved uncanny dodge ability.

Venom Skin (Ex)

At 14th level, a venom blade’s body has becomes further suffused with poison. Any creature that bites, engulfs, or swallows the venom blade must make a Fortitude saving throw or be nauseated for 1d4 rounds. The venom blade does not suffer the effect of the poison of his own nauseating flesh. This ability is similar to the alchemist’s Nauseating Flesh discovery . This ability replaces persistent mutagen.

Venom Bile (Ex)

At 17th level, the body of a venom blade is further suffused with poison. The venom blade can regurgitate and spew a line of poisonous bile up to 10 feet, as a standard action, by making a ranged touch attack. Any creature hit by the bile must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the venom blade’s level + the venom blade’s Dexterity modifier) or be afflicted by blood venom. In addition, the venom blade can expend one daily use of this ability to apply blood venom to a weapon by licking or spitting upon the blade as a swift action. The venom blade can use this ability a number of times per day equal to his Dexterity modifier. 

Venom Strike (Ex)

At 20th level, a venom blade’s body is so suffused with poison that he can secrete it from his very pores. The venom blade gains a poison touch with the same effect as his blood venom that requires a melee touch attack to deliver. The physical appearance of how the venom blade generates and delivers his poisonous touch varies from venom blade to venom blade.

In addition, a venom blade can use his poison touch to apply 1 dose of blood venom to any piercing or slashing weapon that is already in his hands, as a free action. Unless otherwise noted by the venom blade, his weapon is always considered to be poisoned. This ability replaces grand discovery.

Rogue Talents

The following rogue talents complement the venom blade multiclass archetype: Befuddling Strike*, Bleeding Attack, Fast Stealth, Iron Guts†, Lasting Poison*, Resiliency, Surprise Attack, or Swift Poison*. (*Advanced Player’s Guide, †Ultimate Combat)

Advanced Talents

The following advanced rogue talents complement the venom blade multiclass archetype: Crippling Strike, Deadly Cocktail*, Hide in Plain Sight†, or Improved Evasion. (*Advanced Player’s Guide, †Ultimate Combat)

*All MultiClass Archetypes (MCAs) and related material are products of MultiClass Productions.