I have long since retired my old (and original) character, a sorcerer. I've never played any other class I'd like to start over with a new one, an assassin, but am not sure where to begin. The only thing I know for sure is I'd like him to be human. Could anyone here offer some advice for a beginner player (might as well treat me like one cause that's how I feel - LOL) on creating an assassin template/skills/feats/abilities? I'm used to the old GreyHawk adventures and I know a lot has changed and been added to by now with Ed. 4.
Out of curiosity, has anyone here played an assassin character?
Any advice is much appreciated, thanx
some more advice: INFORMATION
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Funniest thing I ever did with him was, there was this arena going on (which the other players were participating in) and the king I was supposed to kill was watching from his little personal box. I buffed myself up, then swooped in as a bird, turned into a tiger, pounced him, killed him instantly, snatched his ring to prove he was dead, and shaped into a legendary eagle and got the hell out of there before the guards got into the room. my DM was NOT happy with me though. (apparently it was supposed to be harder to do that than it was.)
First is what combination of rogue/monk/ranger/swashbucker/other do you want to use to get into assassin?
Second is your fighting style: archer, two weapon fighting, power attacking two handed weapon?
Seriously read the posting guidelines and follow them, or you won't be getting help from anyone. Too many people come to this board with a 'kthnxbai' attitude, and that won't get you anywhere.
K, look I don't need to be attacked. For ya'll's information I DID read the guidlines but I can't give the answers if I don't have any. I came here looking for suggestions and asking if such a character type was possible.
To those who have been kind enough to answer my questions, Operation_Shoestring and markalreadyknows, I do thank you and you've given me a great deal of help with your ideas.
A few questions need to be answered.
First is what combination of rogue/monk/ranger/swashbucker/other do you want to use to get into assassin?
Second is your fighting style: archer, two weapon fighting, power attacking two handed weapon?
To your first question, I guess I was thinking in terms of Rogue Class since there isn't an Assassin Class (or is there?)
Second, is it possible to work with archer AND two weapon fighting? Since I guess it would depend on who I the character was killing and where.
Operation_shoestring, one question, what is a "diplomancer"? I've never heard of such a thing.
To your first question, I guess I was thinking in terms of Rogue Class since there isn't an Assassin Class (or is there?)
Second, is it possible to work with archer AND two weapon fighting? Since I guess it would depend on who I the character was killing and where.
The assassin PrC is in the DMG.
Doing both archery and two weapon fighting is very feat intensive and even a fighter with all of his feas wouldn't be able to pull both off effectively. Pick one or the other
Tossing around a save or die with DCs of 30+ is no joking matter. The issue of 3 rounds of study can be dealt with via hide in plain sight and a good hide/move silently. Focusing on int will also net you a whole ton of skill points, which never hurts.
In closing, the assassin still gets sneak attack progression for those times death attack just isn't viable (immunity to death effects, for one) and if you're creative with the spells assassins get, you can do some pretty interesting things. Glibness, for example, is always fun. You might be able to argue some other spells ought to be on the assassin spell list. Glibness sets the precedent that you could argue other certain bard only spells onto the assassin spell list (improvisation comes to mind).
Warblade 5 / Dark stalker 5 / Assassin 10 With almost full BaB, maxed out death attack, intelligence synergy, spells and maneuvers (like iron heart surge) this guy should be a rather classic assassin. I originally built it for drow play (losing two levels of assassin while keeping +16 BaB).
Swordsage 20. Simple, simple, simple.
Rogue 5 / Assassin 9 / Teflammar shadowlord 6.
The best "assassin" is either a Full Caster or a Diplomancer. If you actually want to take levels in the Assassin Prc, that's a much different matter.
+1
The assassin PrC is in the DMG.
Doing both archery and two weapon fighting is very feat intensive and even a fighter with all of his feas wouldn't be able to pull both off effectively. Pick one or the other
Thanks, I see your point (about the feat requirements). So, I would have to select dagger over archery. It seems more plausible and versitile.
Ieniemienie, thanks so much for the link - it's been EXTREMELY helpful.
Zodar0 and unundindur, thanks for your insight. It seems I've chosen a very challenging class for myself, but I'm still going to go for it.
So, thusly I have my character:
Ember, coming up from the rogue class to be an assassin.
Tenatively speaking (a friend of mine is starting a game but it's still in the "thought process") I plan to have him function under the guise of mercenary.
I'm going to start him out as a first level character and move up from there just to be safe and get a feel for playing him.
It looks like I have a good beginning, I guess. Using the handy-dandy little link that Ieniemienie posted, I've ironed out his (Ember's) special attack [Sneak attack +1d6, death attack, poison use]. The skills however are going to be a bit trickier. I'm going to take Zodar0's advice and really try to increase my character's int. score.
In closing, the assassin still gets sneak attack progression for those times death attack just isn't viable (immunity to death effects, for one) and if you're creative with the spells assassins get, you can do some pretty interesting things. Glibness, for example, is always fun. You might be able to argue some other spells ought to be on the assassin spell list. Glibness sets the precedent that you could argue other certain bard only spells onto the assassin spell list (improvisation comes to mind).
This is something that I'd never have thought of. Thank you for the creative idea; I shall be delving into it deeper.
I'm of the opinion that if you're going to play an assassin, you should make your death attack something to be feared. This will require massively pumping up your int score (a score in the 30s is possible if you really reach for it). I *think* you can take ability focus(death attack) for an extra 2 DC. Use an assassin's dagger (enchant it further with enhancements of your choosing, just use it as the base item) for another +2 DC.
Tossing around a save or die with DCs of 30+ is no joking matter. The issue of 3 rounds of study can be dealt with via hide in plain sight and a good hide/move silently. Focusing on int will also net you a whole ton of skill points, which never hurts.
In closing, the assassin still gets sneak attack progression for those times death attack just isn't viable (immunity to death effects, for one) and if you're creative with the spells assassins get, you can do some pretty interesting things. Glibness, for example, is always fun. You might be able to argue some other spells ought to be on the assassin spell list. Glibness sets the precedent that you could argue other certain bard only spells onto the assassin spell list (improvisation comes to mind).
Complete Mage gives you access to a spell to decrease the amount of time needed to perform a Death Attack.
An Assassin's Death Attack doesn't have the Death descriptor, so things with immunity to Death effects are not immune to it. The only provisor on using a Death Attack is 3 rounds of undetected watching and sneak attacking the target. Get a way to sneak attack your targe (Penetrating Strike, Demolotion Crystal etc) and you can Death Attack what you want. Including Undead and Constructs.
If we assume an intelligence of 30, that should lead to a fort DC of 40 by level 20 (10+15(class), +2 (ability focus), +2 (bracers of murder), +1 (assassin's dagger), +10 intelligence.
Operation_shoestring, one question, what is a "diplomancer"? I've never heard of such a thing.
A character with maxed/optimized diplomacy checks. Diplomacy check of 177 as a move action = HAX.
Complete Mage gives you access to a spell to decrease the amount of time needed to perform a Death Attack.
An Assassin's Death Attack doesn't have the Death descriptor, so things with immunity to Death effects are not immune to it. The only provisor on using a Death Attack is 3 rounds of undetected watching and sneak attacking the target. Get a way to sneak attack your targe (Penetrating Strike, Demolotion Crystal etc) and you can Death Attack what you want. Including Undead and Constructs.
Would it be the same for a sorcerer character as a Complete Mage? I mean would, or should I say could, a sorcerer have access to that same spell?
If you want to pump death attack, remember to get 15 levels of death-attack classes, and "bracers of murder" from the book "drow of the underdark". For a mere 8.000gp those bracers are incredible.
If we assume an intelligence of 30, that should lead to a fort DC of 40 by level 20 (10+15(class), +2 (ability focus), +2 (bracers of murder), +1 (assassin's dagger), +10 intelligence.
That sounds good to me, and it gives me something that I could really build my assassin towards. I think intelligence would be important (and would give a good base) whether he's a mage/sorcerer type assassin or not.
A character with maxed/optimized diplomacy checks. Diplomacy check of 177 as a move action = HAX.
Oh, okay. Thank you for explaining that
I never heard the term before.Would it be the same for a sorcerer character as a Complete Mage? I mean would, or should I say could, a sorcerer have access to that same spell?
Oh dear.
Complete Mage is a book. Not a class.
It gives spellcaster characters (especially wizards and sorcerers) a lot more options.
So yes, a sorcerer (or wizard) is probably exactly what would have access to that.