Preface: The Ebon Saint is a prestige class out of Complete Psionic. In my opinion, It's better than a normal lurk and should be taken in lieu. To understand the Ebon Saint, look first to;
Dictum Mortuum's
Lurk HandbookWyvernSlayer's
Lurk's Buildguide and CompendiumExpanded Classes for alternative augment lists
A Cursory glance of the Ebon saint tells us that it's not really a warrior, what with D6 hit dice and medium BAB.
Not really a rogue what with 4+ skills and 1 sneak attack die over 5 levels.
Not really a manifester, what with a loss of a manifester level at level 1.
Not really anti-caster with no spell resistance and only 2 good saves.
But all these incompletes and partial sums add up to something. I don't really know what that is, but let's call it the Ebon Saint.
Let's look at the entry requirements.
- 8 ranks in bluff, disguise, hide, and move silently. Means the minimum level for entry is level 6. Very good skill reqs for making a sneaky character.
- needs the feats combat expertise and improved feint. Important to note, that feint isn't that helpful without a Lurk entry.
- Needs 1 pp to enter. I know you're thinking "sup hidden talent" but this class improves manifesting, so the only (good) way to enter is through a manifesting class.
- Sneak Attack OR Psionic Sneak Attack 1d6
They're pretty much driving the point home that this is for a sneaky character.
Lets look at what it gains over 5 levels
- Sneak Attack. Yah, 1 of them....
- Dire Strike. This mechanic is what makes ebon saint an ok class, rather than a good class. It requires you to spend one round observing your target of the dire strike, like an assassin's death attack reduced to one round. One round of doing nothing. The benefit is that you gain an insight bonus vs your target to your AC and attack bonus. Only against your target. This maybe be good for BBEG's or any fight where there is a toughie in the group, but otherwise useless. What's worse is this is the only way you can use your Dire Augments.
- Shadowfriend. A decent class features, lets you add your EB level to hide and move silently checks when Psionically focusued.
- Dire Augments. Here's the meat and taters of the build. They are;
- Read thoughts for 3 pp, which the dc can be pumped up on a 2pp for 1 basis
- Mind Interrogation, which lets you answer 1 question per strike if the victim knows it. Interesting to note that this does not allow a save is not technically a [Mind Affecting] ability, so it's usable vs Immune, which is why I love this class
- Steal Form. More and less powerful than the Alter Form spell. Lets you alter form with whatever you dire strike with all the limitation of alter form, but since this is keyed off what you strike, you're not restricted to type. But you have to rely on your DM for the forms.
- Disappear from mind lets you use cloud mind on them, and if you stay away long enough, they forget the last encounter. The damage has to be nonlethal though :/
You can use your Dire Augments 3 + class level times per day. If you think that "that's not a lot, I should have normal lurk augments to supplement my dire Augmentations" then
NO!! BAD
YOU FOR THINKING THAT! Augments are fundementally different from D.Augments. Augments function on your attacks, while D.Augments function on your
self. That does not mean you
shouldn't use lurks; the point is that these are separate mechanics as well as you have enough D.Augmentations per day.
My favorite build would be
Human
1- Rogue able learner Open
2- Psion(nomad or egoist)
3- Psion
4- Psion
5- Psion
6- Anarchic Initiate
7- Anarchic Initiate
8- E.Saint
9- E.Saint
10- Sanctified mind
11- Sanctified mind
12- Sanctified mind
13- Sanctified mind
14- Sanctified mind
15- Sanctified mind
16- E.Saint
17- E.Saint
18- E.Saint
19- Anarchic Initiate
20- Anarchic Initiate
The alter form lets you avoid having to use Metamorphic power, and allows it works beautifully. Or you could look at it the other way and think that (normal and greater) metamorphisis make the later form redundant.
