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View Full Version : How do I get a higher Death Attack DC?



BizzaroStormy
2009-02-25, 12:15 AM
Alright, the main questions are obvious but there are a few stipulations.

1. My character is level 10 and has his first 5 levels in ninja and the other 5 in assassin. This part is non-negotiable.

2. I need methods other than Increasing my INT modifier or Assassin class levels.

3. I can spend 16,000 on another item, but doing so would reduce my AC by 4 so I'm very reluctant to do so unless the bonus is high.

4. I've already taken Ability Focus.

arguskos
2009-02-25, 12:18 AM
There is always the Assassin's Dagger (18,302 gp). It gives a random +1 bonus to Death Attack DC. I bet you can ask your DM for a version that isn't a +2 dagger, so you can cut the price down quite a bit. Beyond that, I don't know much, sorry. :smallfrown:

BizzaroStormy
2009-02-25, 12:19 AM
Problem with that is the fact that (A) Thats more gold than I can spend, and (B) If I could spend that much, I would be trading 4 AC for it...not worth it.

Iku Rex
2009-02-25, 12:25 AM
Bracers of Murder from Drow of the Underdark. +2 DC, +2 attack and damage against flat-footed targets, reroll ones on sneak attack or sudden strike, 8000 gp.

BizzaroStormy
2009-02-25, 12:30 AM
Wow really!?! Theres gotta be some catch to that.

Iku Rex
2009-02-25, 12:34 AM
There's no catch.

SilentNight
2009-02-25, 01:27 AM
Damn that's broken, other than that I'd have to say your only option is to take ability focus again, there's nothing that says it doesn't stack with itself.

Zaq
2009-02-25, 01:31 AM
Damn that's broken, other than that I'd have to say your only option is to take ability focus again, there's nothing that says it doesn't stack with itself.

Well, nothing except for this...


Ability Focus [General]

Choose one of the creature’s special attacks.
Prerequisite

Special attack.
Benefit

Add +2 to the DC for all saving throws against the special attack on which the creature focuses.
Special

A creature can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time the creature takes the feat it applies to a different special attack.

Emphasis mine.

Sstoopidtallkid
2009-02-25, 01:33 AM
Bracers of Murder from Drow of the Underdark. +2 DC, +2 attack and damage against flat-footed targets, reroll ones on sneak attack or sudden strike, 8000 gp.Theres about 5 feats included in that. Weak feats, but still. Seriously, someone at WotC needs to lay off the sauce.

Myatar_Panwar
2009-02-25, 01:35 AM
Holy @#$# I did not know about that feat!

It would work with stunning fist, yes?

Zaq
2009-02-25, 01:40 AM
Stunning Fist, Eldritch Essences, Hexblade's Curse, anything of that sort. Very handy for things like that. If you want it on paper, it's MM1, p. 303.

Oracle_Hunter
2009-02-25, 01:45 AM
If it comes from the Drow, it has to be broken. :smallbiggrin:

enygmatic_me
2009-02-25, 01:56 AM
Have you seen the Telflammar Shadowlord class? They also get death attack. It's FR based and not easy to get into, but it should give you everything you need and more (Shadow Pounce).

Person_Man
2009-02-25, 10:12 AM
Put a debuff spell into a Spell Storing weapon. A nice DM will let the spell effect go off before the Death Attack Save. Same deal with any poison that deals Con damage.

BizzaroStormy
2009-02-25, 02:52 PM
Put a debuff spell into a Spell Storing weapon. A nice DM will let the spell effect go off before the Death Attack Save. Same deal with any poison that deals Con damage.

Only flaw with that is that it would require the I be able to cast a spell that hurt their FORT save. I can't rely on a caster to charge the thing up every 5 minutes.

As for the class, it's a prestige class if I'm not mistaken, meaning that I wouldn't have access to it for 5 more levels.

Skjaldbakka
2009-02-25, 03:16 PM
The Black Flame Zealot class also has Death Attack, but you would have to shoot for assassin/blz from lvl 1, since it is a cleric/rogue gish type class.

But the PrC thing would be more of a way to make your Death Attack DC continue to go up after you finish assassin. You are looking for ways to ramp it up now, correct?


Put a debuff spell into a Spell Storing weapon. A nice DM will let the spell effect go off before the Death Attack Save. Same deal with any poison that deals Con damage.

May be just me, but that makes no sense. I would not allow it to work that way, personally. The spell going off first is dubious at best, and the poison hitting first is ridiculous. By RAW, pretty sure all the saves associated with an attack are simultaneous.

Also, you probably don't want to set a precedent for your DM here. If multiple effects from an attack that allow a save go in an order that is to the detriment of the target, you get attacked more than anything you fight.

Do you really want to tell the Dm that you when you are hit with a death attack from a spellstoring dagger of venom that you want to make the save for the bestow curse (-6 con) first, the Poison spell second (-1d10con), and then make the Death Attach save? Because that is what you are saying when you make that argument for when you try to pull that off.

wow, that turned out longer than expected.

Ganurath
2009-02-25, 03:21 PM
Only flaw with that is that it would require the I be able to cast a spell that hurt their FORT save. I can't rely on a caster to charge the thing up every 5 minutes.

As for the class, it's a prestige class if I'm not mistaken, meaning that I wouldn't have access to it for 5 more levels.Use Magic Device is a beautiful thing.

BizzaroStormy
2009-02-25, 04:49 PM
Is BFZ a base class? If not, then it doesn't help me. I really doubt the game will go past level 13 so another prestige class isn't going to help me.

Assassin89
2009-02-25, 05:18 PM
Is BFZ a base class? If not, then it doesn't help me. I really doubt the game will go past level 13 so another prestige class isn't going to help me.

Black Flame Zealot is a prestige class from Complete Divine, meaning that you are out of luck.

enygmatic_me
2009-02-25, 08:17 PM
Is BFZ a base class? If not, then it doesn't help me. I really doubt the game will go past level 13 so another prestige class isn't going to help me.

Well, you have 3 levels, at least, you can take another PrC for. To be honest though, an significant boost to the DC is going to come from levels. If you only have 10-13 levels to play with then you really are only going to have a DC that reflects that.

BizzaroStormy
2009-02-25, 09:51 PM
Like I said, unless the other prestige class offers some better abilities or uses a different ability mod for its death attack, there'd really be no point in doing anything other than assassin.

SilentNight
2009-02-25, 10:22 PM
Only flaw with that is that it would require the I be able to cast a spell that hurt their FORT save. I can't rely on a caster to charge the thing up every 5 minutes.

As for the class, it's a prestige class if I'm not mistaken, meaning that I wouldn't have access to it for 5 more levels.

Softening, last spell on the list here (http://www.giantitp.com/articles/YO77aL61ienz8No9lbv.html). Just have your party caster take it. Game doesn't start for a bit.

Hawriel
2009-02-25, 10:32 PM
There's no catch.

Tell me again what happens to drow magic in sunlight.

RTGoodman
2009-02-25, 10:51 PM
Tell me again what happens to drow magic in sunlight.

Nothing by RAW in 3.x, unless I'm mistaken. Or unless there's a specific exception in the item's description or in the magic items chapter of DotU.

graymachine
2009-02-25, 10:56 PM
Well, it's not very helpful, but if you are wanting to increase your chances with your death attack then you need to focus on lowering the target's save rather than increasing your DC. I've played several Assassins and, while there are things you can do to help eleviate the heavy lose of effective death attack, these are very very limited. Ultimately, by the time you top out on Assassin levels your death attack will be almost completely useless against anything but trivial challenges. Therefore, you have to hurt the target's save. I'd recommend pouring over the Assassin spell lists, especially the Spell Compendium.

The only other thing I can think of it to make your character's age in the Venerable category for your race. The +3 to INT will help a little and the physical drawbacks can be countered, at some expense, with magic.

Aside from that, I can only think of some indirect help; make your character a Skulk from Races of Destiny. The crazy bonuses to rogue/ninja skills will offset your monetary requirements, allowing you to spend more cash on this specifically. Furthermore, the ability to hide at full run with no penalty is nice.

wadledo
2009-02-25, 11:16 PM
Tell me again what happens to drow magic in sunlight.

That's only certain materials, which are pretty much useless outside of the Underdark anyway.

Darrin
2009-02-25, 11:21 PM
There is always the Assassin's Dagger (18,302 gp). It gives a random +1 bonus to Death Attack DC. I bet you can ask your DM for a version that isn't a +2 dagger, so you can cut the price down quite a bit. Beyond that, I don't know much, sorry. :smallfrown:

Viperblade (MIC p. 63) is cheaper, 6302 GP. +1 dagger, 5 charges, it envenoms the blade with poison as a swift action, deals 1d6 Con damage (primary and secondary). Fortitude DC depends on how many charges you spend, from DC 12 to DC 18.

I'd also take a look at the Alchemical Weapon Capsules in Complete Adventurer, p. 121. For 450 GP, you can load three doses of poison into your weapon and spread them onto the blade as a swift action.

Fishy
2009-02-25, 11:24 PM
Tome of Magic? Take the Bind Vestige and Improved Bind Vestige feats, and you have access to Focalor's Aura of Sadness. There are drawbacks, (Prerequisite: Emo, basically) but anything you stand next to gets a -2 to all saves, skills, and attacks. No save, get sad, and then die.

Of course, if you're death attacking with a ranged weapon, its kinda useless. But every bit helps, no?

Iku Rex
2009-02-26, 12:00 AM
Tell me again what happens to drow magic in sunlight.Ok. Nothing.

"For generations, the drow utilized a process that caused their magic items to disintegrate when exposed to sunlight, in the hope of making them less attractive to potential thieves and invaders. This practice has all but died out in modern times, ..." -- DotU 29

The sunlight vulnerability is a special feature of "drowcraft" magic weapons and armor, described in Underdark and DotU. They're not common, and cost extra (+1 ability).

BizzaroStormy
2009-02-26, 12:20 AM
Well, it's not very helpful, but if you are wanting to increase your chances with your death attack then you need to focus on lowering the target's save rather than increasing your DC. I've played several Assassins and, while there are things you can do to help eleviate the heavy lose of effective death attack, these are very very limited. Ultimately, by the time you top out on Assassin levels your death attack will be almost completely useless against anything but trivial challenges. Therefore, you have to hurt the target's save. I'd recommend pouring over the Assassin spell lists, especially the Spell Compendium.

The only other thing I can think of it to make your character's age in the Venerable category for your race. The +3 to INT will help a little and the physical drawbacks can be countered, at some expense, with magic.

Aside from that, I can only think of some indirect help; make your character a Skulk from Races of Destiny. The crazy bonuses to rogue/ninja skills will offset your monetary requirements, allowing you to spend more cash on this specifically. Furthermore, the ability to hide at full run with no penalty is nice.

Well I never really though that the issue of age would come up but its already set in stone. Plus if my character were to be put into the venerable category of the homebrewed race im using, he'd probably only have anywhere from 6 months to a year left to live.

Person_Man
2009-02-26, 12:35 AM
Tome of Magic? Take the Bind Vestige and Improved Bind Vestige feats, and you have access to Focalor's Aura of Sadness. There are drawbacks, (Prerequisite: Emo, basically) but anything you stand next to gets a -2 to all saves, skills, and attacks. No save, get sad, and then die.

Of course, if you're death attacking with a ranged weapon, its kinda useless. But every bit helps, no?


Death Attack: If an assassin studies his victim for 3 rounds and then makes a sneak attack with a melee weapon that successfully deals damage, the sneak attack has the additional effect of possibly either paralyzing or killing the target (assassin's choice). While studying the victim, the assassin can undertake other actions so long as his attention stays focused on the target and the target does not detect the assassin or recognize the assassin as an enemy. If the victim of such an attack fails a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the assassin's class level + the assassin's Int modifier) against the kill effect, she dies. If the saving throw fails against the paralysis effect, the victim is rendered helpless and unable to act for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per level of the assassin. If the victim’s saving throw succeeds, the attack is just a normal sneak attack. Once the assassin has completed the 3 rounds of study, he must make the death attack within the next 3 rounds.

You could throw a melee weapon, but even then you'd have to be within 30 feet for Sneak Attack. So most of time what you suggest would be a great idea.

Bugbeartrap
2009-02-26, 12:47 AM
You could throw a melee weapon, but even then you'd have to be within 30 feet for Sneak Attack. So most of time what you suggest would be a great idea.

Gah, ninja'd! One exception is an assassin spell... I want to say snipers shot, but I'm not sure.

Also, the concept of an assassin who does what he does because he only has a short time to live is pretty awesome in my book. Kinda reminds me of Saw too.

Dhavaer
2009-02-26, 12:57 AM
Gah, ninja'd! One exception is an assassin spell... I want to say snipers shot, but I'm not sure.

You're right, it's Sniper's Shot.

lvl 1 fighter
2009-02-26, 05:33 AM
- Hexblades Curse (Hexblade 1)
- Aura of Despair (Paladin of Tyranny lvl 3)

Both are -2 to Saves.

BizzaroStormy
2009-02-26, 02:42 PM
- Hexblades Curse (Hexblade 1)
- Aura of Despair (Paladin of Tyranny lvl 3)

Both are -2 to Saves.

Ok...now I'm getting annoyed. Did anyone even bother to read the first post?

Here it is again, edited for empahsis.

1. My character is level 10 and has his first 5 levels in ninja and the other 5 in assassin. This part is non-negotiable.

Starbuck_II
2009-02-26, 02:53 PM
Ok...now I'm getting annoyed. Did anyone even bother to read the first post?

Here it is again, edited for empahsis.

1. My character is level 10 and has his first 5 levels in ninja and the other 5 in assassin. This part is non-negotiable.

What you aren't getting is there are more than 10 levels in D&D.
They are just letting you know you could be 5 ninja/5 Assasin then add some Hexblade, or Paladin of Tyrant.

Btw, the binding feats are for non Binders so they work best for yuo if you want to only be Ninja/Asasain

lvl 1 fighter
2009-02-26, 02:54 PM
Ok...now I'm getting annoyed. Did anyone even bother to read the first post?

Here it is again, edited for empahsis.

1. My character is level 10 and has his first 5 levels in ninja and the other 5 in assassin. This part is non-negotiable.

You also said the game is going to level 13. Take a Hexblade level at 11th level. The curse can be activated as free action, right before you Death Attack the target.

Or, you know, keep shouting in big red letters. That works too.