An assassin brought into the fold as a young man and trained in the arts of death, his specialty was killing from a distance and never being nor tracked during his hunt. However, he always strove for the most effective way of dispatching his target and so he delved into the crypts and libraries in order to research his idea. What he found was a way to displace himself to travel through the Astral Planes temporarily, eventually manipulating the magics to kill from afar through this alternate dimension. Eventually he was able to track his target without hinderance and kill a foe from anywhere at any time.
Greed often gets the better of us though, and rumor has it that the assassin was forever trapped in the Astral Sea while attempting to perfect his techniques. Stories begin to spread every time someone is killed in the middle of a town with no witness of a murderer, claiming that this astral killer is still able to reach through the vail and kill at will. You know how the imagination will travel...The wood has an almost translucent look to it as the black core is nearly visible. Carved runes along along the front edge of the curve seem to resist this insubstantial affect. Despite it's aged look, the steel rings book-ending the handle and the end caps still shine as if freshly polished. The black cotton bindings hangs loose around the finely sculpted grip of the bow. When you grip the bow tightly enough, you feel a tingling sensation run up your arm as you see your hand begin to disappear as the bow pulses in and out of reality.
RequirementsTo successfully wield the
Bow of the Astral Assassin to its fullest potential, a character must meet the following requirements:
Feats: Far Shot, Weapon Focus (Longbow)
Skills: Perception 4 ranks, Survival 4 ranks
Alignment: Within one step of Chaotic Good
| Weapon Level | Minimum Wielder Level | Ability |
| 1 | --- | +1 Longbow |
| 2 | 4 | Locate Creature (3/day) |
| 3 | 6 | Death Attack 1d6 |
| 4 | 8 | +2 Longbow |
| 5 | 10 | Dimensional Step |
| 6 | 12 | Near Horizon |
| 7 | 14 | +3 Longbow |
| 8 | 16 | Assassin's Strike (3/day) |
| 9 | 18 | Astral Perception |
| 10 | 20 | +4 Longbow |
Martial Two-Handed Ranged Weapon
Critical x3
Range 120'
Piercing
Damage 1d8
Weight 2 lb
Cost
Priceless ArtifactLocate Creature (Sp): At 2nd weapon level, the wielder can divine the location as a target as if using the spell
Locate Creature, however they must have a piece of their target (such as hair, skin, or tooth) wrapped within the grip of the bow.
Death Attack (Ex): At 3rd weapon level, the wielder gains the ability
death attack and gains 1d6
sneak attack damage. This damage stacks with any
sneak attack damage provided to the wielder by classes or feats.
Dimensional Step (Sp): At 5th weapon level, the wielder can produce the spell-like effects of
dimensional door once per target, though there is no limit to the range of which the wielder may travel. However, he is limited in an arrival destination to within 400 ft. of his target. The wielder may not use this ability again until he has killed his target or has procured a new target.
Near Horizon (Su): At 6th weapon level, the wielder can seemingly bend the world as the space between them and their target is condensed. Any attacks made against their target with the weapon are treated as if made within 30 feet, however the wielder must have line of sight for this ability to work.
Assassin’s Strike (Ex): At 7th weapon level, the wielder becomes keenly aware of their target and in tune with their attack. As a full-round action, the wielder may make a single attack, gaining a +20 insight bonus and the ability to make a death attack at ranged, provided they could also make a
sneak attack.
Astral Perception (Su): At 9th weapon level, the weapon provides its wielder with a miraculous tool for assassination. As a swift action, the wielder may begin to place himself in a state of planar flux, phasing between the Material and Astral Planes. For 3 rounds, the wielder may not move or take any other actions while performing this transition, however they may take these rounds as the time needed to study their target as part of a
death attack. Once complete, the next attack made will travel in the Astral Plane. So long as the wielder knows the target's location through
Locate Creature he treats the target as if he has line of sight, also ignoring any concealment or cover the target may have.
After the attack, the wielder must make a concentration check (DC 18). If the check succeeds then they return to the Material Plane safely. However, if the wielder fails then then they will be stuck in the Astral Plane until summoned by a
plane shift spell or a
dimensional gate is opened. Spells such as
planar binding will not deter this outcome. The bow remains in the Material Plane.
