AGENT OF THE DAI LIFor the Earth King.The Dai Li are an elite group of warriors loyal to the Earth Kingdom. They utilize their mastery over the element they represent to incapacitate foes quickly, quietly, and efficiently. Their training with a new style of earthbending has let them become masters of grappling, a very useful tool when apprehending criminals.
BECOMING AN AGENT OF THE DAI LIAlmost all members of this class are taught under a teacher who was either previously a member or is currently a member of the Earth Kingdom's secret police.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTSSkills: Autohypnosis 4 ranks, Gather Information 4 ranks, Survival 4 ranks
Feats: Dai Li Initiate, Improved Grapple, Ranged Pin
Seeds: Imprison, Earth Blast
Special: Must have been trained initially by a past or present member of the Dai Li.
Class SkillsThe Agent of the Dai Li's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis {wis), Balance (dex), Bluff (cha), Climb (str), Concentration (con), Craft (int), Diplomacy (cha), Escape Artist (dex), Gather Information (Hide (dex), Jump (str), Knowledge (religion) (int), Knowledge (history) (int), Knowledge (planes) (int), Listen (wis), Move Silently (dex), Perform (cha), Profession (wis), Sense Motive (wis), Spot (wis), and Tumble (dex).
Skills Points at Each Level: 6 + int
Hit Dice: d8
| | | | | Special Abilities | Advanced Bending, Dextrous Combatant, Size Doesn't Matter Urban Tracking | Mobility, Track | Non-Lethal Takedown, Grappling Master +2 | Burrow | Ignore Cover, Master Tracker | Flawless Movement | Hidden in Earth | Perfect Movement | Hide in Plain Sight | Escape Master |
| Speed | +0 | +10 | +10 | +20 | +20 | +30 | +30 | +40 | +40 | +50 |
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Weapon Proficiencies: An Agent of the Dai Li gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.
Advanced Bending: The Agent of the Dai Li class counts as full bending level advancement. You gain no other benefits of the class, such as new seeds, class features, etc.
Dextrous Combatant: The Dai Li focus on a more elusive, fast moving style of earthbending. Their dedication to speed trades heavy armors for elusive defenses. You add your dexterity modifier to your fortitude save, as long as you are wearing light or no armor. In addition, you gain the Dextrous Combatant feat, even if you don't meet the prerequisites.
Urban Tracking: You gain Urban Tracking as a bonus feat. In addition, you may add your Wisdom modifier to Gather Information checks.
Size Doesn't Matter: Beginning to prove your worth as a grappling master, you learn to ignore the size of your opponent. You are treated as your size or your opponent's size, whichever is larger, when grappling. This even applies to grappling using Dai Li Initiate.
Mobility: You gain the Mobility feat, even if you do not meet the prerequisites. In addition, you can move around more efficiently, granting a bonus to all jump and climb checks equal to your class level, and a speed bonus as presented on the class chart. These bonuses only apply while you are in contact with a bendable material and while you are wearing light or no armor. The speed bonus is a direct improvement to your base land speed, and every ability that refers to it gains the appropriate boost as well.
Track: You gain the Track feat.
Non-Lethal Takedown: You know that a dead criminal is a useless criminal. Beginning at level 2, you can substitute non-lethal damage at will. In addition, you can opt to leave an air hole in the cocoon when you Imprison a creature.
Grappling Master: You gain a bonus to all grapple checks. This bonus begins at +2, and increases by 2 again at levels 6 and 9. You lose this bonus if you wear medium or heavier armor.
Burrow: You gain a burrow speed equal to one half your land speed, rounded down, minimum of 5'. If you already have a burrow speed, it is increased by this amount. You can only burrow through bendable material (usually earth and rock).
Ignore Cover: You've mastered the ability of striking those you have a harder time seeing. Any earthbending attack you make can originate from any location within range of the attack, effectively negating cover as long as the new originating spot has no cover between it and the target. For instance, if you fired an Earth Blast as a target behind a low wall, and there was a pile of earth behind the wall right next to the target, you would not take any cover penalties on the attack. Miss chances still apply, and you must still know where the target is.
Master Tracker: You no longer take penalties for moving faster while tracking. In addition, you may add your Charisma modifier to survival checks. Finally, you add your class level to all survival and gather information checks used to track a creature.
Flawless Movement: You no longer leave a trail when moving through earth. When moving on or in a bendable material, it is nearly impossible to track you. Anyone attempting to do so takes a -20 penalty on the attempt.
Hidden in Earth: Your ambush training leads you to be well hidden from prying eyes. When you are inside a bendable material, you can see without obstruction out of the tile(s) you occupy, while benefiting from Improved Cover against all those outside of it. If you choose to remain completely submerged in the earth, granting total cover, it takes a move action to switch between total cover and improved cover.
Perfect Movement: You motions are so precise that no terrain can impede you. You are no longer hindered by any difficult terrain in any way, and you retain your Mobility bonus while not on a bendable surface. In addition, you may make an additional 5' step in a round. You lose this bonus if wearing medium or heavier armor.
Hide in Plain Sight: You can use the Hide skill even while being observed, as long as you are in contact with a bendable material.
Escape Master: You have become so adept in the ways of grappling that it is nearly impossible for others to hold you. As long as you are touching earth, and are wearing light or no armor, you cannot be pinned. In addition, you gain a bonus to grapple checks made to escape or resist a grapple equal to twice your class level.
PLAYING AN AGENT OF THE DAI LIUsually serving the Earth King, you will tend to be deployed to control crime that regular police forces cannot. As such a commitment to orders is typically a view most hold.
Combat: Ambushes are the primary tool for you. A good encounter for a member of the Dai Li involves hitting the target with a pin immediately before they even know what happened.
Advancement: Most members of the Dai Li will either continue in the Bender class when finished with this one, although some do use the Energy Bender to help imporve their own abilities. Some utilize the Monk for the improvement to speed, however, and some take levels in Ranger to help with their tracking.
Resources: The Dai Li, being a special part of the Earth Kingdom's police force, have access to many restricted areas and technologies, some of which are not even known by the outside, aside from rumors.
AGENTS OF THE DAI LI IN THE WORLDI would have gotten away with it, but there was this guy in the ground, see, and he pinned me with stone handcuffs almost immediately.Most people who know of the Dai Li expect to see an evil, unrelenting, corrupt officer who will use any excuse to disappear you into the night. Those who know of the Dai Li as they actually exist still are nervous when they come to talk, as they generally do not talk to those who aren't in some sort of trouble.
Daily Life: The Dai Li frequently undergo training exercises to hone their abilities. They tend to get up early, exercise often, and eat well. When on assignment, they tend to be extremely professional.
Notables: The first Dai Li agents were thought to have been trained by Avatar Kyoshi. This would makes sense, as some of their movements more closely resemble those of other elements, especially water. During the 100 Year War, however, the rumors began as to the evil nature of the organization, rumors which remain today. During that time, it is rumored that the organization brainwashed people into ignoring the war, and disappeared those who spoke out about the war. Long Fang was the man thought to be responsible for this change in the organization.
Organizations: The Dai Li are the secret police force of the Earth Kingdom. Many people know that they exist, however very few know anything true about the organization. Being part of the Earth Kingdom police force allows them more freedom to do what they need to in order to capture and interrogate criminals or enemies of the state.
NPC ReactionWhen an NPC finds out that someone is a member of the Dai Li, they generally are nervous and scared about what the Dai Li can and will do to them. NPCs generally run off of the rumors about the disappearances that surround the Dai Li, thinking that brainwashing is soon to come for them.
AGENTS OF THE DAI LI IN THE GAMEAgents of the Dai Li are designed to work on the same level of power as the Bender class. This class works well with the power structure of that class when compared to others.
Adaptation: This class works well in any setting that allows for the Bender. If moving this to a setting without the Dai Li organization, simply rename the class and feat, as there are no organization specific mechanics.
Encounters: The Dai Li typically attack in overwhelming numbers with an ambush. They do not like to lose, and will attempt to hit every party member with a grappling Earth Blast in the surprise round. They are swift group workers, so much caution should be heeded by the party if they have reason to believe that the Dai Li are after them.