Weapon and Armor Proficiency: You gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Invoking: At each level, with the exception of 1st level and 6th level, you gain new invocations known, increased damage with
eldritch blast, increased damage and save DC with
breath weapon, effective level to determe which breath effects are available to you, maximum surge points stored, and an increase in invoker level as if you had also gained a level in an invoking class to which you belonged before gaining the Viz-Jaq'taar Hunter level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained.
You do not add these levels to your existing class for the purpose of new breath effects gained. Instead, see the Trap Effect ability.
Spellcasting: At each level, with the exception of 3rd level and 8th level, you gain additional spells per day, spells known, and caster as if you had also gained a level in whatever arcane spellcasting class you belonged to before you added the prestige class. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus feats, metamagic or item creation feats, familiar special abilities, and so on). This essentially means that you add the level of Viz-Jaq'taar Hunter to the level of whatever arcane spellcasting class you have, then determine spells per day, spells known, and caster level accordingly.
If you had more than one arcane spellcasting class before you became a Viz-Jaq'taar Hunter, you must decide to which class you add each new level of Viz-Jaq'taar Hunter for the purpose of determining spells per day, spells known, and caster level.
If you had no arcane spellcasting class before you became a Viz-Jaq'taar Hunter, you gain the spellcasting capabilities of a 1st level Bard at 1st level instead of an increased arcane spellcaster level, and you may choose to improve these spellcasting abilities as normal at later levels. If you gain spellcasting this way, you use the Assassin spell list in addition to the Bard spell list.
Claw Mastery (Ex): You may use your unarmed strike damage in place of the base damage of claw-like weapons when you use them (if beneficial). Spiked gauntlets, punching daggers, kukris, and the claw and rake natural attacks are considered to be claw-like weapons. At the DM's discretion, other weapons may also be included.
Fire Blast (Ex): The Viz-Jaq'taar train in the use of a variety of alchemical compounds and mechanical devices in an effort to perform the functions of magic without relying on magical effects. Rather than drawing on supernatural powers, you can instead use alchemical compounds to create an explosion of fire similar to a Dragonfire Adept's Breath Weapon. This Fire Blast functions as your normal Breath Weapon, except that it is considered an extraordinary ability instead of a supernatural ability where beneficial. If you do not already have the Breath Weapon ability as a Dragonfire Adept, treat your Viz-Jaq'taar Hunter level as your effective Dragonfire Adept level to determine the damage and save DC of the Breath Weapon that this mimics. Despite the name of this ability, Fire Blast uses the same type of energy as your Breath Weapon would, even if it is not fire.
Unarmed Strike: The discipline of the Viz-Jaq'taar trains both the body and mind. Add your Viz-Jaq'taar Hunter level to your effective Monk level to determine your unarmed damage. If you aren't a Monk, you gain the unarmed damage ability of a Monk of your Viz-Jaq'taar Hunter level.
Expanded Invocation List: At 2nd level, add the following invocations to your invocation list. You can learn them as normal, whether through normal class levels or through other means (such as the Extra Invocation feat).
Least - Endure Exposure, Magic Insight
Lesser - Energy Resistance, Unseen Entry
Trap Effect: At 2nd, 5th, 7th, and 10th level, you can select one of the trap effects listed below for which you meet the prerequisites. These trap effects function like a Dragonfire Adept's breath effects, except that they come from a different list. Trap effects count as breath effects for the purpose of meeting prerequisites.
Blade Fury
Minimum Level: 5th level Viz-Jaq'taar Hunter
You can launch a flurry of razor-sharp disks at your enemies. Rather than using your breath weapon normally, you make a number of thrown weapon attacks, as though with razor-sharp disks similar to shuriken. You may make up to one such attack for each die of damage that your breath weapon normally deals. These attacks have a range increment equal to one half the normal range of your line-shaped breath, and each one deals 1d6 points of magical adamantine slashing damage, regardless of your size. You may add half your Strength bonus (if positive) to each such attack's damage. You may direct each attack at the same or different targets. These attacks are considered to be attacks with claw-like weapons.
You can choose to apply any one other breath effect that you know to the same breath weapon. The area of your breath weapon is considered to be the spaces of the targets you attack, regardless of whether or not you hit them.
Blade Sentinel
Minimum Level: 2nd level Viz-Jaq'taar Hunter
You learn to make disposable devices that magnetically levitate small blades in an area, slicing anyone foolish enough to get close. A Blade Sentinel has only half the range as a normal breath and deals only half the normal damage as magical adamantine slashing damage instead of fire damage. However, whenever any creature moves through a space targeted by the breath, and again each round at the beginning of the turn of any creature that remains there, the Blade Sentinel deals its damage again to that creature, allowing another Reflex save for half damage. A Blade Sentinel lasts for 5 rounds.
You can apply this breath effect only to a line-shaped breath weapon.
Blade Shield
Minimum Level: 10th level Viz-Jaq'taar Hunter
You learn to make disposable devices that magnetically levitate small blades around you, deflecting blows and slicing your attackers. A Blade Shield grants you a deflection bonus to your armor class equal to the number of dice of damage that your breath weapon would normally deal. Instead of dealing damage in an area, a Blade Shield deals its damage to any creature that attacks you in melee with a natural weapon or a non-reach manufactured weapon (including touch attacks, such as to deliver a touch spell or to initiate a trip attempt). A Blade Shield also deals this damage each round at the beginning of your turn to each creature is a grapple with you. It deals half the breath weapon's normal damage as magical adamantine slashing damage instead of fire damage, although a Reflex save is still allowed for half damage. A Blade Shield lasts for 2 rounds. You can use a Blade Shield as a swift action instead of a standard action.
You cannot apply any other breath effects to a Blade Shield, even those that normally allow you to apply other breath effects.
Death Blast
Minimum Level: 10th level Viz-Jaq'taar Hunter
You can incorporate a potent chemical catalyst into your breath weapon. The catalyst reacts with large amounts of dead or dying tissue, causing it to detonate destructively. Any living creature in the area of your breath weapon with less than half of its maximum hit points (after resolving the effects of your breath weapon) suffers an additional 1d6 points of damage. Any dead creature within the area (including those killed or destroyed by this effect, but not including still-animated undead) immediately explodes, destroying the body and damaging nearby creatures within a 20 foot radius burst. Any still-living creatures (or still-animated in the case of nonliving creatures) within the area, other than yourself, must make make a Reflex save or suffer additional bludgeoning damage equal to half your breath weapon's initial damage.
Detonated corpses are destroyed, although sufficient remains remain for a resurrection spell, and the explosion leaves the corpse's equipment undamaged for some unexplained reason. Once exploded, a corpse cannot be detonated once more by this trap effect.
Sentry Trap
Minimum Level: 5th level Viz-Jaq'taar Hunter
You can store a use of your breath weapon in a small, hidden, disposable trap that automatically activates once an enemy is within range. You can place this trap anywhere within 30 feet. The Search DC to find it and the Disable Device DC to disarm it are each equal to the normal save DC of your breath weapon. At the beginning of each of your turns, if an opponent is within range of the trap, the trap releases the stored breath weapon from its position, targeting the breath directly at that opponent. The trap can release the stored breath up to 2 times before the release of energy disables it, although the each time it does so other than the first, the breath only deals half the normal damage, or has its save DC reduced by 4 if it deals no damage. A Sentry Trap's simple make and poor materials cause it to overload and disable itself after 1 minute, even if it hasn't been disabled earlier. Once disabled, the trap releases its energy in a small, harmless explosion, reducing its components to worthless scrap.
You must make all decisions about the breath weapon when you create the trap, such as the shape and which breath effects you apply. You are considered to have used any applicable options when you create the trap, not when it releases the breath. You may still use your breath weapon normally even when it is also stored in a Sentry Trap, even creating other Sentry Traps.
You can choose to apply any one other breath effect that you know to the same breath weapon.
Staggering Blast
Minimum Level: 5th level Viz-Jaq'taar Hunter
Your breath weapon deals electricity damage instead of fire damage. A successful Fortitude save halves the damage (instead of a Reflex save), but creatures that fail the save are also staggered for 1 round.
You can apply this breath effect only to a line-shaped breath weapon.
Shock Web
Minimum Level: 2nd level Viz-Jaq'taar Hunter
You can make and toss a small collection of mechanical devices that arc electricity between them once deployed. Instead of your breath's normal damage, Shock Web scatters electrified caltrops in a cone, covering a number of spaces of your choice within the cone. You can cover up to one space per die of damage normally dealt by your breath weapon. The spaces covered must be contiguous. The caltrops created by this effect have an attack bonus equal to the save DC of your breath minus 10, and deal additional electricity damage equal to half the fire damage normally dealt by your breath weapon. Creatures within a space covered by these caltrops, or that move through them, still suffer one point of electricity damage for each die of damage your breath weapon normally deals each round that they are not hit by the caltrops (even if they pick their way through carefully and are not attacked at all). The caltrops last for 2 rounds, after which the arcing electricity melts them into harmless, worthless slag.
You can apply this breath effect only to a cone-shaped breath weapon.
Wake of Fire
Minimum Level: 2nd level Viz-Jaq'taar Hunter
Any creature damaged by your breath weapon is also set on fire, dealing an additional 1d6 points of fire damage each round until the creature puts itself out (usually requiring a DC 15 Reflex save). Unlike normal, creatures set on fire this way do not suffer an additional 1d6 points of damage for being set on fire.
You can apply this breath effect only to a cone-shaped breath weapon.
: At 3rd level, you gain Track as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet its prerequisites. If you already possess the Track feat, you may instead select any feat for which you qualify.
Trapfinding (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain the Trapfinding ability, as per the Rogue ability of the same name.
Bonus Feat: At 4th level, and again at 8th level, you gain a bonus feat of your choice from the following list. You must qualify for it, as normal. You may select Extra Invocation, Nimble Fingers, Skill Focus, Tactile Trapsmith, any Breath feat, or any Item Creation feat. You need not meet the Dragonblood subtype requirements of Breath feats that you select in this way, but you must still meet all other requirements of those feats.
Favored Enemy (arcanists) (Ex): Vis-Jaq'taar Hunters are trained to battle mages, hunting down rogue mages who turned to demonic magic. Starting at 6th level, due to your extensive study of mages and training in the proper techniques for combating them, you gain a +2 bonus on Listen, Sense Motive, Search, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against any creature capable of using arcane spells, invocations, or spell-like abilities. Likewise, you get a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against such creatures, and a bonus to the save DC of your Breath Weapon and Fire Trap abilities equal to half that amount. At 10th level the bonuses increase to +4.
Swift Tracker (Ex): At 9th level, you gain the Swift Tracker ability, as per the Ranger ability of the same name.
