What is better shadow dancer or Assassin class ? [Archive] - Wizards Community

What is better shadow dancer or Assassin class ? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Revan54115110
07-13-07, 11:53 AM What is better shadow dancer or Assassin class ?

Ok now I admit that I like using both at the same time but what do you think is better the class shadow dancer or assassin ?
serow_#R
07-13-07, 12:20 PM Better at doing what?
Fallenangel359
07-13-07, 12:25 PM first level of shadowdancer is a rediculous dip, and its requirements beg for spring attack, which would means you make 2 hide checks per round... one to prevent being seen while attacking, and one 2 prevent being seen after attacking

After that, there is an error in the shadowdancer class
it says you get a shadow with 2 additional HD per 3 levels of the class, and then it goes off to say you get a shadow with 2 hd... it supposed to be 5, then 7, then 9

This error actually got copied into ELH due to bad wording

Assassin is a mean class, but isn't as versitile, or as fast as shadowdancer
Lotus Crane
07-13-07, 01:45 PM It depends on what you want to do. Shadowdancers are better scouts/spies, while Assassins are obviously better at actually killing people. They're well-balanced enough against each other that there's no clearly superior choice, which is a good thing.
Confusion567
07-13-07, 06:10 PM The way it looks to me, the shadowdancer is better at "dancing" around the battlefield, damaging key targets and harrying mages while hopping in and out of invisibility. The assassin, on the other hand, picks a target at a time, and that target dies. Period.

Shadowdancers have better movement abilities and stealth and tricks, whereas assassins deal massive amounts of damage (or just instant death) to a single target at a time.
madbliza
07-13-07, 06:28 PM Personally, I feel the Assassin class is better because they get spells that give them an edge over the Shadowdancer. Albeit not much, but in DnD an edge is an edge.
Empirate
07-19-07, 09:35 AM These spells are also the most debated part of the Assassin class. Actually, not many people seem to like that Assassins get spells at all! They don't seem to fit the flavor. I'd really like to scrap the spells and introduce certain assassination tricks like sniping, getting more out of poison use, seduction or disguise tricks and so on.
BTW, there is no reason why Assassins shouldn't take the spring attack feat tree. And by 7th (?) level, they get HiPS, too. From that point on, Shadowdancers literally can't hold a candle to them!
The_Shaman
07-19-07, 11:37 AM Well, spells are what you make of them. You will find more than a few "spells" in CAdv, CoRuin, and other sources that are "tricks" with some supernatural taste than what you would expect from "real" magic.

Anyway, I am a bit ambivalent towards the shadowdancer - I see few, if any, abilities past lvl 2 that you can not get even better with another class or PrC.
ravenshrike
07-20-07, 06:33 PM SD is a much better dip class. The only thing the Assassin really gets that's useful, given that wizards generally do the death attack better with spells, and can do several in a row, is their poison use. Does anyone know why this hasn't been turned into a feat? Seriously, if TWF is a feat, poison use should damn well be a feat.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Revan54115110 07-13-07, 11:53 AM	What is better shadow dancer or Assassin class ? Ok now I admit that I like using both at the same time but what do you think is better the class shadow dancer or assassin ?
serow_#R 07-13-07, 12:20 PM	Better at doing what?
Fallenangel359 07-13-07, 12:25 PM	first level of shadowdancer is a rediculous dip, and its requirements beg for spring attack, which would means you make 2 hide checks per round... one to prevent being seen while attacking, and one 2 prevent being seen after attacking After that, there is an error in the shadowdancer class it says you get a shadow with 2 additional HD per 3 levels of the class, and then it goes off to say you get a shadow with 2 hd... it supposed to be 5, then 7, then 9 This error actually got copied into ELH due to bad wording Assassin is a mean class, but isn't as versitile, or as fast as shadowdancer
Lotus Crane 07-13-07, 01:45 PM	It depends on what you want to do. Shadowdancers are better scouts/spies, while Assassins are obviously better at actually killing people. They're well-balanced enough against each other that there's no clearly superior choice, which is a good thing.
Confusion567 07-13-07, 06:10 PM	The way it looks to me, the shadowdancer is better at "dancing" around the battlefield, damaging key targets and harrying mages while hopping in and out of invisibility. The assassin, on the other hand, picks a target at a time, and that target dies. Period. Shadowdancers have better movement abilities and stealth and tricks, whereas assassins deal massive amounts of damage (or just instant death) to a single target at a time.
madbliza 07-13-07, 06:28 PM	Personally, I feel the Assassin class is better because they get spells that give them an edge over the Shadowdancer. Albeit not much, but in DnD an edge is an edge.
Empirate 07-19-07, 09:35 AM	These spells are also the most debated part of the Assassin class. Actually, not many people seem to like that Assassins get spells at all! They don't seem to fit the flavor. I'd really like to scrap the spells and introduce certain assassination tricks like sniping, getting more out of poison use, seduction or disguise tricks and so on. BTW, there is no reason why Assassins shouldn't take the spring attack feat tree. And by 7th (?) level, they get HiPS, too. From that point on, Shadowdancers literally can't hold a candle to them!
The_Shaman 07-19-07, 11:37 AM	Well, spells are what you make of them. You will find more than a few "spells" in CAdv, CoRuin, and other sources that are "tricks" with some supernatural taste than what you would expect from "real" magic. Anyway, I am a bit ambivalent towards the shadowdancer - I see few, if any, abilities past lvl 2 that you can not get even better with another class or PrC.
ravenshrike 07-20-07, 06:33 PM	SD is a much better dip class. The only thing the Assassin really gets that's useful, given that wizards generally do the death attack better with spells, and can do several in a row, is their poison use. Does anyone know why this hasn't been turned into a feat? Seriously, if TWF is a feat, poison use should damn well be a feat.