Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Jaime_Wolf 12-10-06, 02:25 AM	I need ideas for nontraditional assassins for a game I'm about to run. Please, keep them assassins (someone who refuses to kill is not a nontraditional assassin, he's not an assassin at all), but as far from the assassin class or hiding in the shadows and stabbing people with daggers as possible. They don't have to be realistic, they simply have to be interesting and, if possible, awesome. And I don't just want "A wizard assassin", I want interesting signature elements or personality types.
Karish 12-10-06, 02:35 AM	An interesting assassin? Simple. Make him a more political creature. Disguises become more of his fortee, he may use items or powers from other classes to enhance this (levels of illusionist, for example). They infiltrate an area looking more as a member of the gentry or government, and instead of knifing their targets, might simply poison a drink, replace a possession of theirs with a deathtrap of some sort, or simply lure them away to be dispatched as needed. This removes the hiding and sneaking and dagging, for the most part, but retains the assassin's nature and type.
Nikku 12-10-06, 08:47 AM	Hmmmmm... We can call this one a "Soul" assassin, this type would be have the patience level that only the best could take. The general gist of it, would be the individual acts and infiltrates to his target [In the way a ninja would become familiar with guards until he could get inside with no questions asked], and once there, he makes his first move. He becomes the individual's best friend, mentor, makeshift family all rolled up into one. He spends his time learning, helping, making life seem great and perfect, say the 'target' wants to impress a lady friend, but can't muster the right words, the assassin would help out, give him the perfect lines, suggestions, everything and once the target's life is just --perfect--, that is when the assassin makes his move. Inch by inch, he begins to orchestrate, and put into motion the complete down-fall of his target's life. In the above target's example, an 'accident' could occur to the now involved woman, or something much worse such as arranging for an affair and to be caught, maybe a an incurable disease, etc, each situation would be catered to what would hurt the target mentally the most. From there, he'd strike another close point which he should know, if his target was a rich nobleman, the assassin would ensure that his status and reputation would be stained, and after that perhaps ensure that his money was stolen, or accused of stealing from another noble or other nefarious deeds. The whole point, is the eventual mental break-down of the target, which in turn, makes him some sort of life-less like living corpse, maybe the target in the end commits suicide, maybe they really believe that they're some sort of walking jynx and turn into a crazy self-proclaimed seer, whatever the assassin's end goal would be, death, insanity, etc, he would push the target ever so gently in the directions of said thing. Down-sides? It sure does take awhile it's not really an overnight thing, so it would take an extremely well-trained individual to not only pull it off right, but to keep his cover and ensure it's not blown or a major mistake. Just a random 5 am idea.
Jaime_Wolf 12-10-06, 04:29 PM	Karish, your idea had already occured to me, but illusionist levels would not be a bad idea... Nikku, I REALLY like that. In fact, that actually could be used (despite what I said about nonlethal assassins in the original post) as a nonlethal assassin. Rather than killing the target, they could make the target's life worthless. Instead of killing the king, make him powerless and pitiful, same effect as killing him really, except perhaps even better because there's no martyrdom possibility. Then again, you'd have to be REALLY careful with it. I imagine the person would notice when everything connected to you starts causing problems. Moreover, many people would suspect foul play before superstition. More ideas are always good. I'm running an assassination-heavy campaign and the more interesting ideas I have for assassins the better.
rbingham2000 12-10-06, 08:36 PM	Nikku, I REALLY like that. In fact, that actually could be used (despite what I said about nonlethal assassins in the original post) as a nonlethal assassin. Rather than killing the target, they could make the target's life worthless. Instead of killing the king, make him powerless and pitiful, same effect as killing him really, except perhaps even better because there's no martyrdom possibility. Indeed. This is a textbook example of Spreading Despair, one of the nastier acts of evil listed in Book of Vile Darkness. An individual who specializes in this kind of evil finds more satisfaction in breaking people than simply killing them.
Khadmus 12-11-06, 07:00 PM	I need ideas for nontraditional assassins for a game I'm about to run. Please, keep them assassins (someone who refuses to kill is not a nontraditional assassin, he's not an assassin at all), but as far from the assassin class or hiding in the shadows and stabbing people with daggers as possible. They don't have to be realistic, they simply have to be interesting and, if possible, awesome. And I don't just want "A wizard assassin", I want interesting signature elements or personality types. Sorry if I'm being a wise-ass, but you can make a "non-killing" assassin. Non-lethal damage, kidnap them, send them to the rest of the guild. Well, that's my idea, basically. A hypocrite assassin using a sap, unarmed attacks, or a merciful weapon. Too squeamish to actually do the killing, so he gets somebody else to do it for him.
Doomed_Penguin 12-11-06, 09:19 PM	I just recently made a Gnome Bard 6 / Assassin 5, who is a local bardtender. It's the perfect guise, people trust you, get drunk around you, tell you things they shouldn't, drink the poison you put in their drinks; etc, etc. He can also use perform (oratory) to implant suggestions and such into the minds of guards or cooks, etc. Really fun, and doesn't have to do much work himself. Plus, it's fun to put ranks into Profession (bartending), lol.
AJ_Impy 12-12-06, 05:58 AM	In a world where cloak and dagger assassinations are common and defended against, where the backstab is expected and prepared for, the blatant assassin is a possibility. The implacable, unstoppable killing machine who appears from nowhere, rips through the target's personal guard or advisors with a twohander and then hacks the intended victim to pieces, without care for witnesses, survival or escape. Tesselated armor could be a useful option, as someone behind a helm is as unidentifiable as someone whose face you never see. Assassins tend to be subtle and hidden: to reverse the archetype but maintain the objective, you get a blatant slaughterer.
Sphinx_the_unMad 12-12-06, 01:58 PM	The most 'non traditional' assassin I've ever seen was this likable good humored assassin. Part of his game was to work as a jester for various people who employed them only to slip some poison in the punch later. Another type of assassin that seems "ignored" is the poisoner assassin...one that perhaps carries several poisons (such as one to paralyze and not kill for the sake of interrogation, another that causes sleep to make the target easy to abduct. Some sort of powerful anticoagulant to help bleed one to death, and of course a strong poison to kill quickly.)
Tektonik 12-12-06, 06:38 PM	A Rog/Spymaster that works as the constable or sheriff for a region. He uses his disguises to commit murders of higher ranking and influential officials in order to get a stranglehold of power and reduce the area to marshal law. An Artificer/Rog that uses items to either kill or set up for a kill. Example: Rug of Welcome(Complete Arcane) placed in the doorway inside the targets house once grappled he comes out and finishes the mark. "Disintegrating hook killer" An Enchanter or Necro of some sort that paralyzes his victims then uses Hook of Dissolution (BoVD) on his victim to leave no trace. For higher level/campaign seed: Succubus/Warlock/Hellfire. Motivated by "seeing things move." She goes to an area of relative peace or stable and uses her alternate form to gain access. After mark is dealt with she falls witnesses the chaos antagonizing it some until she is bored and moves on. For instance: In the town of Tarnich there are 4 Houses that divide the city each with its own niche. Interdependence keeps them from attacking each other in public but it is well known that they each wish to have total control. Then enters our assassin. She first goes to district of house 1 and frames a son of a leader of house 2 (robbery, murder) by use of bluff and suggestion. By this time the PC's get involved our assassin has roles in house 3 as a concubine and house 4 as an informant. She uses suggestion and bluff to make it an all out street war revolving around the execution of the house 1 son. No matter the outcome of that house 3 official learns through pc's or other means about this spy and when confronted she is more than capable of killing them and bolting sparking another set of feuds.
Werrwaaa 12-12-06, 08:22 PM	An Enchanter or Telepath. He never kills anyone, but he uses magic to force other things to kill his target. He can charm deadly monsters, his target's allies, or insight mob violence. Use some protective magics to guise his work and he's golden. An alternate could be a Conjuror, summoning Spectral Assassins and/or fiends who specialize in killing targets, like Assassin Devils or Arrow Devils.
Adolph_Kheebler 12-13-06, 02:16 AM	I had an assassin once who was actually the captain of the local watch. He fulfilled all the duties of his station and the assassin part was really backdoor stuff. No one who hired him as an assassin knew he was the watch captain (disguise and bluff bonuses both in the high 30's). The people who hire him if they guess anything at all guess that he just has handy contacts within the watch. When he got a commission to kill someone, he would work up some phony charge, have them arrested, and either kill them during the arrest (fake a struggle and say the watchmen had no choice) or simply make them dissappear once they get within the prison. He had a few telepath levels as well to help everything along. Modify Memory was his most important power. After he made someone dissappear, he would personally visit the victim's family and friends and make them forget he ever existed. When using this strategy, a high gather information is crucial because you need to get all of them.
Druid_of_the_storm 12-13-06, 07:03 PM	Make him a priest....doesn't have to be a cleric exactly...but a priest would be odd yet effective think of it...he can get a confession from the target then kill him Make him where he won't kill anybody unless they have committed a sin and either he witnessed it or they confessed it to him...make him try to get his targets to admit their sins and pray for forgiveness(kind of religious assassin trying to save their souls before they die by his hand) Political leader: I have sinned father, I have committed adultry(or any other sin) Assassin: Ah my son, tell me what has made you commit this act *conversation continues in the confession booth*...your prayer for forgiveness has been heard my child, now rest easy Political leader:thank you father, thank you for your guidance! Assassin:*blows a poisonous dart through a hole to the other side of the booth, the target is choking on the poison*....You are forgiven...now you may find your way to (enter name of deities home plane)...be at peace my child*target passes away* also if he gets paid for the kill...he donates what is not used for his equipment to the church
Aramist 12-14-06, 09:03 PM	You can make an assasin that is chipper and even has a sort of calling card even, not a good guy but not malevalent. He could be out for the money and have a saying or a show name that everyone knows it's him like "Have sword will slaughter." A little showy because he has a business and doesn't have any dark capes. Shows up kills the guy takes a bow to anyone that sees says his name and disappears. May have a few levels in bard even. Maybe has honor and fights the guy by giving him a dagger or maybe not and prides himself on sneakiness. A wise crack assasin. Problem is Bounty Hunters will always be after him but he will be more famous than the average cloak and dagger.
Werrwaaa 12-14-06, 10:18 PM	You could also have assassins that specialize in a certain prey. The example Occult Slayer in the Complete Warrior is a good example, and the Mage Slayer from Magic of Faerun is another good caster killer. There is the Illithid Slayer class for psionics. Also, there could be a good aligned assassin that kills evil mastermind across the land, taking advantage of Exalted Strike to increase sneak attack damage.
JulesCARV 12-14-06, 11:04 PM	I like the enchanter/telepath idea, but I'd make the assassin specialize in accentuating or inciting existing potential enemies into being violent. For example, if the target has been going through something of a rough spot in her relationship with her husband, the assassin would make it worse, until it degenerated into fights and screaming, and finally, one day, the assassin's target is killed by her husband, poisoned to death or something. The husband's arrested, friends note that they had been increasingly tense for the past few weeks, and the telepathic assassin walks out without anyone suspecting a thing.
Roscoe_Greenbottle 12-14-06, 11:17 PM	How about a bard who uses his skills and charms to get "friendly" with the target and then "takes care of busniess."
AllWillFall2Me 12-16-06, 09:50 PM	The only flaw to the more intricate assassin plots is cutomer satisfaction. If you can't prove you did it, how will you get paid? Unless you demand payment up front. As for a non-traditional assassin, if you read the Cleric Quintet thay had a character named "Ghost" who used a ring of regeneration and a mirror of mind switch to take his target's body, kill his body, and possess his body again, trapping the victim's soul outside, where it went to the afterlife. Making use of one's own weaknesses can be an interesting ploy.
MagnaSecuris 12-16-06, 11:53 PM	An assasin to whom it doesn't matter how the body is killed, he specializes in destroying the soul, to prevent resurrections. Or an assasin who kills the target, then resurrects him. He gets sent the first time to let the target know he's not safe. Then if the people who hired the assasin are still angry, they send him again to make sure the target's not resurrected. How about a bomb-specialist assasin. Or if bombs are a no-go, then one who uses magic like Fireball. Or an assasin who walks up out of the crowd to kill his target during a public appearance. The king is in a parade, then the assasin thows a knife throgh his neck and makes his escape.
SweetZombieJesus 12-19-06, 09:46 AM	A dual wand weilding assassin. Have some levels in force-mage, and craft wand. Get wands with some seriously buffed up magic missles, get near the target and let fly. Have a wand of dispell magic handy for those pesky sheilds. Like a D&D drive-by.
Syltorian 12-19-06, 01:07 PM	Ever seen Hitchcock's the Birds? With the right selection of skill, spells and class features, an assassin could use the local animals and vermin for his misdeeds. Swarms of rats can be rather bad already; many of the warmer parts of the world have a nice selection of spiders, scorpions and snakes, some lethally poisonous, small enough to fit through small openings and generally able to stay undetected. If controlled or well-trained, they can kill and sabotage. You can be spectacular - have someone killed by a huge swarm of rats or sea-gulls in the market square - or make it so that nobody knows it was murder. Scorpions and spiders do hide out in the toilet, after all, and accidents happen. Dominating monsters needs them to be present (not always a given in larger urbanised areas), and most of them will have the guard raise an alarm pretty soon if the target is well defended. Animals are everywhere and get everywhere. Especially if the character is not a druid or a defender of nature - that is too obvious - just someone who knows how to use the forces of nature for himself. If he manages to get those rats or stray dogs infested with the rabies first, so much the better. Works as well as any poison. Besides, once people do find out that the murderer uses animals, you have a panic in your city. Go out and try to think of every animal you see - cats, dogs, squirrels, sparrows, pigeons - as potential murderers.
Shan_TheBabau_Burke 12-19-06, 10:54 PM	Shan "The Babau" Burke is my assassin. He has loads of curly, light red hair and freckles, he looks a bit boyish and he's really sweet and friendly. He's short and on the fat side. He's just a rogue now because he doesn't have the reqirements for assassin, but he's a killer just the same. He lived most of his twenty-four year life as a slave and has seen his wife and child as well as countless friends die just because. Because of all that he's seen and been through, he is non-violent to the point of cowardice, but he will kill if he is asked to do so because he has no idea that killing is wrong. He's seen it so much that to him it's everyday stuff. He was finally bought by a man that runs a mob. This fellow adopted him, treats him very well and once in a while gives him orders to kill someone. Shan thinks the world of him and does it gladly, usually for very little. His favorite tool is a wire garrote. Eventually it will be vorpal. He's also awaiting improved critical with bated breath.
Northwest 12-21-06, 02:49 PM	There are the "Honey-Trap" assassins. Not many people are more vulnerable than in the midst of passion. Another is the witch-hunter that kills for the greater good. He poisons a number of young villagers in order to draw a local necromancer out of hiding (who is looking for the fresh corpses) so that he can put an end to the necromancer's evil.
Roscoe_Greenbottle 12-21-06, 05:10 PM	I was veiw number 445:D
SageBahamut 12-23-06, 12:08 AM	Wizard11 Lich who specializes in suicide assassinations. He runs in and blows up a room suicide-bomber style, resurrects at his distant phylactery, and collects. In fact, any undead assassin gets you that Terminator-esque relentlessness that is psychologically unnerving. Then there is the assassin who always kills his victims with those dagger... Nethil... Neremide... what is that stuff called? The one that stores the first soul that dies touching it? etc. etc. And so keeps all his victims bottled for future use. Maybe he even lets them out once in a while, so he can collect on them again when they get bountied again (as most would be wont to do). Or the one who doesn't kill his victim, but instead drives him insane until he commits suicide. Psions (Telepaths) and Bards would probably be best for this.
Qwicksilver 12-23-06, 01:46 AM	Could have an assassin who's also in the bodyguard business, that'd be great. He heads a business that half of the time happens to shield those who have enough money to ask for protection and then half the time is the same person killing people of importance. Perhaps he could be assassinating the clients of rival businesses, thus pushing his protection business to the top. Who knows, in the end he could become the leader for some kind of mob syndicate. Maybe he could be an assassin who is doing it just for the good money that it offers, perhaps in order to right some kind of injustice or for "the greater good" as he sees it. I'm thinking along the lines of Inigo Montoya becoming a hired goon because revenge doesn't get the bills payed. To keep on the soul theme, perhaps he harvests souls for some kind of unspeakably evil purpose. So his true ends aren't really making money.
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 12-23-06, 12:48 PM	How about an effigy master assassin? He/she researches the target, makes a very realistic construct copy of a pet (the real one is removed from the picture). The construct then somehow kills the target. How to disguise its deadly nature . . . Well, a remote-activated fireball would work. "Did his dog just explode?! :eek: " Or just having mail him a letter full of explosive runes. A neat one would set up overly elaborate traps. The kind that has a marble rolling along a path at one point, a wind-up toy soldier at another, and a really weird death at the end. Overly elaborate is the key. It relies on the victim asking, "What in the Nine Hel-" KA-THUNK! Death by Goldberg machine.
mkill 12-25-06, 04:44 AM	If you can get your hands on the Japanese movie called "Shinobi", this one has a bunch of interesting Ninjas, none of which is the archetypal "masked guy in a pyjama" type. Any of these would make for an interesting assassin.
Ringmereth 12-26-06, 05:00 AM	A mage who specializes in difficult-to-detect arson could make a great killer. Wait for the target to enter an ideal building--one that's flammable, with few entrances and exits--and teleport in under cover of invisibility, use magic to seal off escape routes (wall of force, arcane lock, etc), and tip over a lantern before teleporting or otherwise escaping the place. This would be an ideal way of making deaths look accidental, as well as killing multiple birds with one stone, and a subtle caster is less likely to alert a target to the fact that he's marked for death if a first attempt should fail.
evilgenius 12-26-06, 06:40 PM	If you're going to make a mage assassin, then use Trap the Soul. Give the target a gift - it being the trigger item. Ta-da. Then finish off the guy as necessary. Oh, and you'll need some means of preventing resurrection. Again, a typical assassin fails miserably in this regard. Really, in a world with resurrection, only arcanists and powerful clerics can really assassinate somebody...
TheLastEvilDrow 12-28-06, 02:33 AM	Assassins officially (or just short of) recognized by an absolute leader who enacts assassination plots against seditious elements of the leader's organization, and against enemies of the leader whom could discredit and or cause unpopularity with the leader. If its a theocracy, the assassins could be dedicated to meting out divine justice or retribution. Taking levels as monk and then one (or more if necessary) level in rogue to get all the prerequistes, and then assassins. good foes against high level characters; The ninja class may be appropriate. For more fun apply to an unusual choice of race, like Dwarf or Gnome (humans, elves, and halflings, even half-orcs, too easy to see; but a dwarf or gnome monk-rogue-assassin; now that's scary).
JulesCARV 12-28-06, 12:48 PM	A pure monk can meet the prerequisites for assassin in five levels, which is as soon as a rogue.
PhaedrusXY 12-29-06, 03:14 AM	A monk with the Freezing the Lifeblood feat can be a better assassin than the typical Assassin vs. humanoids. Really, just about any evil character could be an "assassin". Look through the Encounter Resource thread in the What's a DM to Do? forum for tons of ideas. Any undead with the Create Spawn ability could make an effective assassin that can prevent their "marks" from being Ressurected. A clever vampire could even do this without anyone knowing what he/she was. I posted a vampire Telepath in the Encounter Resource Thread that could work for this.
imworlds 12-29-06, 09:46 PM	Some sources come to mind: 1. James Bond villains for over the top assassins with crazy themes. 2. Punisher comic sometimes has villains that have interesting themes. Especially Punisher War Zone (3 or 4). In this series, the ganglords send 4 or 5 different assassins after the Punisher, each with a different style of killing, from a sniper-type to a woman who only uses exotic poisons and insects (she uses a scorpion on one victim). In this batch there is also a bare-knuckle fighter who breaks necks. And another one who plants explosives. 3. I can't think of this author's name but he is the guy who wrote about his life in the CIA (I think his last name is Baur). The movie Syriana is based on his book. CIA agents (especially field agents) worked as assassins and had interesting personalities (often duty bound) that make them more interesting. Most assassins, from what I understand, are very impassioned by their principles or love of ocuntry (versus mere hitmen who are just in it for the money). 4. The original assassin comes from hashishin from the crusades, crazed Muslim fighters who were high on hash when they hunted their prey. These might be interesting sources for material as well. 5. The movie Munich is about a group of every-men who become assassins. You can get a pretty good sense of their characters, flaws and motives in that film. May be an interesting premise to take the basic storyline (about a squad of assassins sent to kill a series of royals or business-men responsible for the funding of a terrorist attack) and trasnplant to another genre. The movie even shows the terrorists sending a hitman (hitwoman) after the assassin squad, and she uses sex as her weapon.