Silver Key
Description:
House Kundarak is the House of Warding, responsible for much of the banking and financial security of Khorvaire. Chief among their resources is the ability to provide safe and secure storage for the collective wealth of the Five Nations and many of the other dragonmarked houses. Needless to say, security for these banking holds is paramount and no one knows that better than the Silver Keys. As the ones responsible for quality control, the Silver Keys are not just security designers, but also testers. Should there ever be a potential loophole, gap or flaw in a Kundarak security system, the Silver Keys are already well aware of it before it ever becomes known by the seedy criminal element... or at least, that is their most sincere intent.
Role: Silver keys are not just rogues, but magical infiltration specialists. It is said that there is no ward, circle or other magical protect that a silver key cannot bypass and as the troubleshooters and quality control experts for House Kundarak, that is probably true.
Source: DGM, pg. 120
Alignment: Although there is no alignment requirement, most silver keys are usually lawful neutral, true neutral or chaotic neutral, depending on how they view the sanctity of ownership and how much respect they give to House Kundarak.
Hit Dice: d8
Requirements:
To qualify to become a silver key, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Race: Dwarf.
Skills: Disable Device 5 ranks, Knowledge (engineering) 5 ranks, Stealth 5 ranks.
Feats: Least True Dragonmark (Mark of Warding, any option).
Special: Trapfinding class feature.
Class Skills:
The silver key's class skills (and the key abilities for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Chr), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Chr), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Chr), Escape Artist (Dex), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex) and Use Magic Device (Chr).
Skill Points at Each Level: 8 + Int modifier.
Table: The Silver Key
Class Features:
All of the following are class features of the silver key prestige class.
Weapons and Armor Proficiency: Silver keys do not gain any new weapon or armor proficiencies.
Extended Trapfinding (Ex): Silver key class levels stack when determining the benefit of the trapfinding class feature.
Improved Dragonmark (Su): At 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th levels, the caster level of your dragonmark spell-like abilities increases by +1. This stacks with other sources that increase the caster level of your dragonmark spell-like abilities.
Crafty Hands (Su): At 2nd level, a silver key can use the Disable Device skill at a range of 60 feet. Working at a distance increases the normal skill check DC by 5 and the silver key cannot take 10 on this check. Any object to be manipulated must weigh 5 points or less. The silver key must still have line of sight to the object being manipulated. The type of action needed remains the same for the Disable Device skill.
Find Wards (Su): At 2nd level, a silver key becomes instantly aware of nearby wards. This acts as a constant Detect Magic ability, but only concerning effects of the abjuration school. The caster level for this is equal to that of your dragonmark spell-like abilities. If this effect is ever dispelled or otherwise ended, it resumes automatically the following round without the need of an action. The silver key must still concentrate for the normal period of time if he wishes to identify the magic detected.
Invisible to Wards (Su): At 4th level, a silver key can expend one use of any of his Least True dragonmark spell-like abilities to become invisible, but only in respect to wards and other similar abjuration effects. This means that spell effects that are capable of detecting creatures, like Alarm or Magic Mouth cannot see the silver key unless they are capable of seeing through an Invisibility effect. If the effect has a Perception skill modifier, then opposed Stealth checks are still required. This includes traps that triggered through magic.
Cunning Body (Su): At 6th level, a silver key gains the ability to expend one use of any of his Least True dragonmark spell-like abilities, as an immediate action, to gain one of the following benefits, chosen at the time of activation, but only if the corresponding threat occurs. This spell-like ability is at the same caster level as your dragonmark spell-like abilities.
If completely submerged in liquid, the silver key gains the benefit of Water Breathing.
If successfully grappled, the silver key gains the benefit of Liberating Command.
If the silver key falls more than 5 feet, he gains the benefit of Feather Fall.
If the silver key is paralyzed, he gains the benefit of Remove Paralysis.
If the silver key also has access to Lesser True dragonmark spell-like abilities, he can expend one use of any of his Lesser True dragonmark spell-like abilities as an immediate action in response to the corresponding threat.
If targeted by a divination spell, the silver key gains the benefit of Nondetection.
If poisoned, the silver gains the benefit of Neutralize Poison.
If the silver key also has access to Greater True dragonmark spell-like abilities, he can expend one use of any of his Greater True dragonmark spell-like abilities as an immediate action in response to the corresponding threat.
If targeted by a charm or compulsion effect, the silver key gains the benefit of Mind Blank.
If targeted by a magical effect that created by a trap (including Symbol spells), the silver key gains the benefit of Spell Resistance.
Regardless of which option is used, once the associated threat has passed, any remaining beneficial effects are dismissed along with it.
Slippery Mind (Ex): At 8th level, a silver key gains the slippery mind class feature, as per the advanced rogue talent of the same name.
Master of Doors (Su): At 10th level, a silver key gains the ability to expend one use of any of his dragonmark spell-like abilities to make a single magical wall, door or gate to treat him as if he was permitted to pass through it without complications. The maximum level of spell effect that this negates is based on level of dragonmark spell-like ability used. Least True dragonmark spell-like abilities up to 3rd levels effects. Lesser True dragonmark spell-like abilities affect up to 6th level effects. Greater True dragonmark spell-like abilities affect up to 9th level effects. As an exception to the magic-psionic transparency, this does not affect psionic powers that provide equivalent effects.
If the effect is capable of designating guests, then the silver key is treated as if he is a guest. If the effect requires a password, then the next phrase the silver key speaks aloud is treated as the password, regardless of it really is or not. If the effect only allows the original caster, then effect treats the silver key as the original caster. This class feature has no effect on abjuration or other protective effects to that do not have a select list of people that are allowed to pass safely, such as as Prismatic Wall. This specifically includes Arcane Lock, Guards and Wards, Hold Portal, Magnificent Mansion, Phase Door and similar effects.