Table 1-8 : The Thief-Acrobat

Skills : Balance 8 ranks, Climb 8 ranks, jump 8 ranks, Tumble 8 ranks .

Special : The character must have the evasion ability and be a member in good standing of the local thieves' guild .

etect evil, elements, 'Class Skills undead, good, anctuary, wounds, d person, rnisdirecThe thief-acrobat's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Wis), Disable Device (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Innuendo (Wis), Jump (Str), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Search (Int), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex) . See Chapter 4 of the Player's Handbook for skill descriptions.

Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All the following are class features of the thief-acrobat prestige class .

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Thief-acrobats are proficient with all simple weapons. With the exception of sneak attacks, the thief-acrobat cannot use any of her class features while wearing armor bulkier than light .

Kip Up (Ex) : A thief-acrobat can stand up from a prone position as a free action.

Unbounded Leap (Ex) : A thief-acrobat's height does not limit her jumping distance (horizontal or vertical) .

Fast Balance (Ex) : At 2nd level, the thief-acrobat gains the ability to balance easily on a precarious surface . A successful Balance check (for DCs, see the Balance skill description in Chapter 4 of the Player's Handbook) allows her to move her speed rather than half her speed under such conditions .

Improved Trip: At 2nd level, the thief-acrobat gains Improved Trip as a bonus feat, even if she does not have the Expertise feat prerequisite .

Improved Evasion (Ex) : At 3rd level, the thief-acrobat gains improved evasion (see the Rogue section in Chapter 3 of the Player's Handbook) if she does not already have it.

Slow Fall (Ex) : At 3rd level, the thief-acrobat also gains the slow fall ability (see the Monk section in Chapter 3 of the Player's Handbook). Initially, she takes falling damage as though each fall were 20 feet shorter than it actually is. The falling distance that she can ignore increases by 10 feet for every three thief- acrobat levels she gains. If the character already has the slow fall ability from a previous class, the distances do not stack.

Defensive Fighting Bonus : The fact that the thief acrobat is perpetually whirling and spinning makes her a difficult target to hit . When fighting defensively, she gains a +4 dodge bonus to AC rather than the normal +2 bonus or the +3 bonus for having 5 or more ranks in Tumble . When executing the total defense standard action, she gains a +8 dodge bonus to AC rather than the usual +4 bonus or the +6 bonus for having 5 or more ranks in Tumble .