Best Assassin-Like Builds [Archive] - Wizards Community

Best Assassin-Like Builds [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
temillion
04-19-06, 10:58 PM Hey guys I find myself having to make a character I've never made before, so I turn to the masters. Design wise I'm trying to an Assassin like PC, and I'm not sure how to take it, and I've a lot of different questions for you.

Is there any build or starting class better then another?

How good is the Shadowdancer class?

Is ranged better then melee?

How important is poison?

Are there rules for a garotte attack, if so does it have stats?

What should I be considering?

Some build ideas I've been looking at include:

Rogue 3/Fighter 2/Swashbuckler 3/Master Thrower X

Ranger 2/ Rogue 4/ Order of Bow Initiate X

Rogue 7/Shadow Dancer X
DegenerateElite
04-20-06, 12:22 AM The shadow dancer's movement abilities can be replicated by a few spells and items. A 2-level dip into the class would be my recommendation, as Evasion and Hide in Plain Sight are both great abilities.
Poison is good for mages, low Fort saves and hard targets.
I know Dragon Magazine has rules for the garotte, and has a ring with a pull out garotte doing 1d8. Other than that i haven't seen anything. Sorry i don't remember the issue.
Master Thrower is a great class to take.
I would only ever use fighter to gain BAB or feats for Prestige Classes.
The Invisible Blade class from Complete Warrior is an amazing PRC for a rogue, allowing bluff checks as a free action and therefore sneak attack with almost every hit, and it's only 5 levels.
Swashbuckler 3 would be good because it'd allow you to make up for a low Str score.
Rogue 1/Swashbuckler 3/Something 1/Assassin 1/Invisible Blade 5/Master Thrower 5/Something 4

That's what I'd recommend anyway.

Edit:: I need help to actually. Anybody know of how to get a sneaky sorceror?
temillion
04-20-06, 12:27 AM Is the assassin death ability that good?
fnord
04-20-06, 12:53 AM Is the assassin death ability that good?
No. It's highly situational, slow, and not terribly effective.
ShiverTheBard
04-20-06, 01:10 AM Personally, i've become attached to Lurk 5/Ebon Saint 5/Illithid Slayer 10. That gives a decent deal with power points, lots of special abilities to make use of and some great immunities you can't get elsewhere. But of course that's if your willing to go psionic.
runestar
04-20-06, 04:58 AM Nice as a 1-trick pont, using rogue5/assassin10/fatespinner5 - the trick is to crank your death attack dc sky high and insta-off one of the offending enemies. Nice if the target is the sole BBEG or one of a small number, crap if you are facing a horde of weaker foes.
Hellspawn
04-20-06, 05:07 AM @temillion

I know, its not quite what you search for, but maybe you'll get some inspiration from my built. Its a quite special thing because my DM doesn't allow the Assasin Prestige Class so i had to take the Assasin Core Class from the City Works splat book:

Medium sized undead (Human) Mumia Template

Levels: Assasin (3), Wizzard (5), Shadowdancer (2)

HD: 10 D12

BA: 6/1

Specials:

NA +3, Withering touch, Fast Healing, Turn Resistance +2, Undead traits, Assasination (Fort DC 20), Sneak 2D6, Weapon Mastery (Kukri +2 Damage, +1/Sneak Die), Summon Familiar (Cat, +3Move Silently), Scribe scroll, Hide in plain sight, Evasion, Darkvision, Uncanny dodge

Feats:

Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Turn resistance, Silent Spell, Practiced Spellcaster, Dark Stalker (LoM)

@Degenerate

Maybe you can remove the undead template and add two arcane trickster levels (thats how my character will go on) and you have a pretty good Assasin/Wizard gish (perhaps with a little bad spellcasting development)
swanyusd
04-20-06, 11:49 AM The rules for the garrote, wired garrote, and locking garotte are in Song and Silence. Basically, the garrote deals subdual until unconsciousness, the wired will actually kill, and the locking is subdual but you dont have to hold onto it, it literally locks into place chocking out a person until unconscious. It will kill people though.

It is not a terrible weapon to use IF you have an incredible hide/move silent score. You simply do not want to face an opponent with a weapon if you have a garrote readied. Otherwise, if you build a shadow pouncer type character, the locking garrote is INCREDIBLE for taking out enemy casters. They will be too disrupted to cast spells, as they are choking to death. PLUS, it leaves them denied their dex if I remember correctly, because they are grappled. Sneak attacks ahoy.

You really would want 2 feats for sure with a garroter, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (garrote) and Improved Grapple. Everything else is up to you. Remember, though, that you should have other abilities then just garroting the hell out of everything, because some opponents may be large or larger, and its hard to get that high to lock in a garrote.

Hopefully you can have a party wizard cast greater dimension door on you, or just have a wand of it an UMD its use. This will let you jump around the battlefield garroting a creature every round if you make your grapple check.

Hope that helps.
Riodrian
04-20-06, 12:40 PM Use assassin and Monk of the Long Death. The monk of the long death gets death attack at level 7 which stacks with the assassin. Carmandine monk to get Int instead of Wis with your monk ability gets rid of some MAD and makes INT something you can throw a LOT of points into. INT would affect skills, AC, death attack DC, and your assassin spells.

If you want some backup, use a Marrulurk from Sandstorm as your race. Get a death attack of their own that does not not stack, but the Save twice or die is a nice touch.

There was a beautiful build for one on here a few weeks ago, but you'll probably have to do some digging for it.
Saxis
04-20-06, 03:12 PM Whisper Gnome
Rogue 6/Assassin 8/Teflemmar Shadowlord 6

This is a build that I had started. With a couple Lawful Goodies in the party (one being a Dwarf, none the less) I ended up going from Chaotic Evil to Chaotic Neutral and ditched the Assassin idea. Instead, I'm now building a Rogue 10/Shadow Dancer 4/Tef Shadowlord 6.

The Assassin version is a much better for combat. I started with 16 Intelligence, and with +5 Ability boosts, a book of Int +5 and Headband +6, a 32 Intelligence would net me +11 to my Base +24 Death Attack. +35 is comparable to a decent Wail of the Banshee or similar spell. Use an Assassin's Dagger for +37, and then start taking Intelligence boosts and Death Attack boosts in epic levels to jump it up even more. Death Attack can become really useful if you concentrate on it a bit.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
temillion 04-19-06, 10:58 PM	Hey guys I find myself having to make a character I've never made before, so I turn to the masters. Design wise I'm trying to an Assassin like PC, and I'm not sure how to take it, and I've a lot of different questions for you. Is there any build or starting class better then another? How good is the Shadowdancer class? Is ranged better then melee? How important is poison? Are there rules for a garotte attack, if so does it have stats? What should I be considering? Some build ideas I've been looking at include: Rogue 3/Fighter 2/Swashbuckler 3/Master Thrower X Ranger 2/ Rogue 4/ Order of Bow Initiate X Rogue 7/Shadow Dancer X
DegenerateElite 04-20-06, 12:22 AM	The shadow dancer's movement abilities can be replicated by a few spells and items. A 2-level dip into the class would be my recommendation, as Evasion and Hide in Plain Sight are both great abilities. Poison is good for mages, low Fort saves and hard targets. I know Dragon Magazine has rules for the garotte, and has a ring with a pull out garotte doing 1d8. Other than that i haven't seen anything. Sorry i don't remember the issue. Master Thrower is a great class to take. I would only ever use fighter to gain BAB or feats for Prestige Classes. The Invisible Blade class from Complete Warrior is an amazing PRC for a rogue, allowing bluff checks as a free action and therefore sneak attack with almost every hit, and it's only 5 levels. Swashbuckler 3 would be good because it'd allow you to make up for a low Str score. Rogue 1/Swashbuckler 3/Something 1/Assassin 1/Invisible Blade 5/Master Thrower 5/Something 4 That's what I'd recommend anyway. Edit:: I need help to actually. Anybody know of how to get a sneaky sorceror?
temillion 04-20-06, 12:27 AM	Is the assassin death ability that good?
fnord 04-20-06, 12:53 AM	Is the assassin death ability that good? No. It's highly situational, slow, and not terribly effective.
ShiverTheBard 04-20-06, 01:10 AM	Personally, i've become attached to Lurk 5/Ebon Saint 5/Illithid Slayer 10. That gives a decent deal with power points, lots of special abilities to make use of and some great immunities you can't get elsewhere. But of course that's if your willing to go psionic.
runestar 04-20-06, 04:58 AM	Nice as a 1-trick pont, using rogue5/assassin10/fatespinner5 - the trick is to crank your death attack dc sky high and insta-off one of the offending enemies. Nice if the target is the sole BBEG or one of a small number, crap if you are facing a horde of weaker foes.
Hellspawn 04-20-06, 05:07 AM	@temillion I know, its not quite what you search for, but maybe you'll get some inspiration from my built. Its a quite special thing because my DM doesn't allow the Assasin Prestige Class so i had to take the Assasin Core Class from the City Works splat book: Medium sized undead (Human) Mumia Template Levels: Assasin (3), Wizzard (5), Shadowdancer (2) HD: 10 D12 BA: 6/1 Specials: NA +3, Withering touch, Fast Healing, Turn Resistance +2, Undead traits, Assasination (Fort DC 20), Sneak 2D6, Weapon Mastery (Kukri +2 Damage, +1/Sneak Die), Summon Familiar (Cat, +3Move Silently), Scribe scroll, Hide in plain sight, Evasion, Darkvision, Uncanny dodge Feats: Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Turn resistance, Silent Spell, Practiced Spellcaster, Dark Stalker (LoM) @Degenerate Maybe you can remove the undead template and add two arcane trickster levels (thats how my character will go on) and you have a pretty good Assasin/Wizard gish (perhaps with a little bad spellcasting development)
swanyusd 04-20-06, 11:49 AM	The rules for the garrote, wired garrote, and locking garotte are in Song and Silence. Basically, the garrote deals subdual until unconsciousness, the wired will actually kill, and the locking is subdual but you dont have to hold onto it, it literally locks into place chocking out a person until unconscious. It will kill people though. It is not a terrible weapon to use IF you have an incredible hide/move silent score. You simply do not want to face an opponent with a weapon if you have a garrote readied. Otherwise, if you build a shadow pouncer type character, the locking garrote is INCREDIBLE for taking out enemy casters. They will be too disrupted to cast spells, as they are choking to death. PLUS, it leaves them denied their dex if I remember correctly, because they are grappled. Sneak attacks ahoy. You really would want 2 feats for sure with a garroter, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (garrote) and Improved Grapple. Everything else is up to you. Remember, though, that you should have other abilities then just garroting the hell out of everything, because some opponents may be large or larger, and its hard to get that high to lock in a garrote. Hopefully you can have a party wizard cast greater dimension door on you, or just have a wand of it an UMD its use. This will let you jump around the battlefield garroting a creature every round if you make your grapple check. Hope that helps.
Riodrian 04-20-06, 12:40 PM	Use assassin and Monk of the Long Death. The monk of the long death gets death attack at level 7 which stacks with the assassin. Carmandine monk to get Int instead of Wis with your monk ability gets rid of some MAD and makes INT something you can throw a LOT of points into. INT would affect skills, AC, death attack DC, and your assassin spells. If you want some backup, use a Marrulurk from Sandstorm as your race. Get a death attack of their own that does not not stack, but the Save twice or die is a nice touch. There was a beautiful build for one on here a few weeks ago, but you'll probably have to do some digging for it.
Saxis 04-20-06, 03:12 PM	Whisper Gnome Rogue 6/Assassin 8/Teflemmar Shadowlord 6 This is a build that I had started. With a couple Lawful Goodies in the party (one being a Dwarf, none the less) I ended up going from Chaotic Evil to Chaotic Neutral and ditched the Assassin idea. Instead, I'm now building a Rogue 10/Shadow Dancer 4/Tef Shadowlord 6. The Assassin version is a much better for combat. I started with 16 Intelligence, and with +5 Ability boosts, a book of Int +5 and Headband +6, a 32 Intelligence would net me +11 to my Base +24 Death Attack. +35 is comparable to a decent Wail of the Banshee or similar spell. Use an Assassin's Dagger for +37, and then start taking Intelligence boosts and Death Attack boosts in epic levels to jump it up even more. Death Attack can become really useful if you concentrate on it a bit.