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The Neoclassic
2009-03-23, 03:05 PM
How much does an assassin charge to kill a target (it'd be based on level somewhat, I'd assume?)? If an assassin wants to rid himself of a body, how much might he be willing to pay for someone to take it off his hands?

Additionally, who else besides an assassin might have a body that they want taken off their hands, either for a proper but secret burial or just, well, to get rid of it so it isn't found by anyone else?

EDIT: This is for 3.5 D&D, by the way!

Eloel
2009-03-23, 03:16 PM
Assuming 3.5, here's what 'I' would charge.

700gp + 70gp/HD of creature to assassinate. (Based off of spells like Blasphemy)
450gp to take a body off your hands (Plane Shift costs that much from NPCs)

Rockphed
2009-03-23, 03:20 PM
Why do you ask?

If you are playing D&D, the player characters should probably be the assassins, in which case they should be given enough money for however hard of an encounter the assassination will be. Or you could offer them nowhere near enough money to make them think it will be easy. Then they have a motive for revenge against whoever hired them.

If, on the other hand, the PCs are about to run into an assassin(who they might even need to stop from killing somebody,) then the amount of money they find on his dead carcass should(again) be about enough to make up for however difficult the encounter was. Or, if the assassin was going after somebody not very important, then a much smaller sum of gold.

As for hiding bodies, that largely depends on where you are and how much information can actually be extracted from the corpse. If the assassin is really good at it and doesn't let the target see him, then he will probably just leave the body where it falls. If he is a bit more clumsy, then he will probably throw the body in a river. If he is extemely pious, then his weapon is probably a shovel and he will dig the grave himself.

afroakuma
2009-03-23, 03:30 PM
Well, assassins could be hired for set fees in 2.5...

I couldn't give a set price, but you'd need to factor in the cost of appropriate magical protections, item charges, recon to perform, the relative risk level, escape from retribution clauses...

I'd say the cost should at minimum have as factors a base price (for the service itself as well as removal of evidence incriminating to the client), the target's difficulty (CR, HD, class levels, whatever), the assassin's ability (same), the difference between the previous two numbers and be topped off with expenses incurred plus a healing surcharge.

hamishspence
2009-03-23, 03:47 PM
epic Handbook, while focused at high level, had a assassin pricing guide- and also, a general rule for how powerful assassin was, relative to client.

(contractor is the person who hires the assassin, client is the target- interesting choice of name :smallamused:)

afroakuma
2009-03-23, 05:46 PM
Well, I worked out a formula of sorts as an Excel spreadsheet... it's fairly involved, but it gives a fair spectrum of results. It factors in target's CR, assassin's CR, difference between the two, risk factor and market value for services, and excludes healing surcharges and expenses.

I based the prices on appropriate treasure values for an encounter of a given ECL, as shown in the DMG.

For example, you could hire a level 1 assassin to take out a CR 1 target for 300 gp, plus expenses and the assassin's healing surcharge. This fee would stipulate that the assassin makes the hit and does not take any of the target's belongings, whether for himself or for you. If the contract stipulated that the assassin could take what he pleased, the price would drop. Similarly, there would be a percentage off the top for stealing goods and bringing them to you.

The Neoclassic
2009-03-23, 06:03 PM
Well, I worked out a formula of sorts as an Excel spreadsheet... it's fairly involved, but it gives a fair spectrum of results. It factors in target's CR, assassin's CR, difference between the two, risk factor and market value for services, and excludes healing surcharges and expenses.

I based the prices on appropriate treasure values for an encounter of a given ECL, as shown in the DMG.

For example, you could hire a level 1 assassin to take out a CR 1 target for 300 gp, plus expenses and the assassin's healing surcharge. This fee would stipulate that the assassin makes the hit and does not take any of the target's belongings, whether for himself or for you. If the contract stipulated that the assassin could take what he pleased, the price would drop. Similarly, there would be a percentage off the top for stealing goods and bringing them to you.

I'd love to see this formula!

I still need suggestions for body disposal. Basically, the idea is that the assassins' guild often can't just leave a dead body lying around- too easy for the target to just get resurrected. However, the assassins' guild is pious and honorable, so they believe all their targets should receive proper funeral rites and such. They subcontract this job to an independent organization; they pay the organization some money, drop off the body, and the body will get all the proper preparations and rites and then buried somewhere that can't be found by any curious family member who might want to dig up the remains for a resurrection spell or such.

quick_comment
2009-03-23, 06:12 PM
Who do your assassins worship? If its any sort of fire based god, they could make a proper burial by burning the body.

You could also have a spellcaster working for the assassins guild who polymorphs the body into a statue, or teleports it to a burial chamber deep underground.

lsfreak
2009-03-23, 07:11 PM
Depends entirely on what a proper method of "burial" is. These might not work for your standard D&D gods, but...
It might be funeral pyre where the ashes are spread to the wind. It might be placed into a swamp to be returned to the earth as quickly as possible. It might be put in a place where it would quickly be picked clean by scavengers to make sure as little decay infected the earth as possible and then buried in a communal grave. Perhaps their stripped bones are used to create shrines and the like. It might be a regular burial but in a hidden, sacred place. Might be a belief in no afterlife, where the body is respectfully given their own extradimentional space which is then ceremonially destroyed.

Xefas
2009-03-23, 07:25 PM
How about 450g for a Plane Shifting of the corpse to the Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia or similar good-aligned plane? I mean, that seems like a fairly grand burial to me. That is, if the Archons don't immediately Plane Shift it back to you with a fine for littering taped to it.

If you send it to the Positive Energy plane, it'll get consumed and assimilated into the big sea of life, which is kind of like recycling, I guess.

If you send it to the Negative Energy plane, it might just get up and dig its own grave.

The Elemental Plane of Fire would be the grandest cremation ever.

Actually, now that I think about it, Plane Shift to the Elemental Plane of Earth is kind of an instant burial, right?

elonin
2009-03-23, 07:36 PM
I disagree with the amount to charge for an assassination atempt. The price should be linked to the expertise of the assassin. For example if you want someone noteworthy to do the act you'll have to pay the price even if you want a 0 level person to be the target. Another thing to think about is an attempt on noble who might be low level (how often do they go dungeon delving) but demanding a heftier sum due to the protection they likley have.

afroakuma
2009-03-23, 07:42 PM
Well, there's no such thing as a 0-level person in 3.5, but even so the formula would provide for it. As for the other, the fee is based on the ECL of the kill. If a level 3 noble has a level 11 bodyguard and you contract a level 7 assassin, the fee would be 6700 gp plus expenses and healing surcharge. A level 9 assassin would be more prepared, and charge only 6200 gp. A level 10 assassin would estimate less risk, but command a higher fee, balancing out at 6400 gp.

Jack_Simth
2009-03-23, 07:54 PM
I'd love to see this formula!

I'm of the opposite opinion. There shouldn't be a formula at all (unless assassination is effectively legal, and widely practiced).

See, if it's handled by the underworld, most people won't talk about it, and it'll be really tricky to compare prices. What you'll end up with is assassins charging a fairly flat amount per hit, with little to no impact for what the target is, and the assassin will reply with what amounts to a "yes" or a "no" to performing the hit in question. You might get a setup where you offer a fixed bounty for a particular assassination, and wait until it's done. You might get a setup where you ask an assassin, he scouts things out a bit, and gives you a bid. What you won't get is a formulaic response. This has modern equivalents in above-board businesses. As part of my job, I schedule a particular type of technician to do various things. Having scheduled quite a few of these guys across the nation, I can say reasonably certainty that there is no relationship between how much a technician of this type charges and how well he does the job. The cost of hiring these guys is dominated by the cost of hiring other people who do the same job who happen to be in the same area. It's a fairly low-demand profession, so it's reasonably common for the person we contact to pretty much be the only person within a half-hour's drive who does it ... which basically means the guy sets his own prices, as his competition is essentially nil (although if it's too high, we pay someone else to drive an hour or more to get the job done).

Now, you're specifically speaking about a guild of assassins, who will have some guidelines... but it'll be the same, for most intents and purposes. An intermediary will draw up a contract, sure - but he's either thinking about who he thinks can pull it off and how much they charge him, or he's thinking about how much he can wring out of the person who's hiring the hit. It's only when you get into competition and advertising - either assassins bidding for contracts, or "clients" checking listed prices for hits and selecting the cheapest guy who they think will meet all criteria and won't bungle the job. In something where you do not get either of those scenarios, you'll get utterly arbitrary pricing (regardless of whether it's set at the guild level, or at the individual assassin level).

As it's realistically going to be arbitrary anyway, I'd suggest going with Rockphed's suggestion. If the players are doing the hit, base it on the effective CR of the hit vs. however much treasure the PC's will loot so that it works out to the proper reward for an encounter of that CR. If the PC's are hitting the assassin, set it up so that the assassin is carrying the correct amount of loot so that it's the proper reward for an encounter of that CR.


I still need suggestions for body disposal. Basically, the idea is that the assassins' guild often can't just leave a dead body lying around- too easy for the target to just get resurrected. However, the assassins' guild is pious and honorable, so they believe all their targets should receive proper funeral rites and such. They subcontract this job to an independent organization; they pay the organization some money, drop off the body, and the body will get all the proper preparations and rites and then buried somewhere that can't be found by any curious family member who might want to dig up the remains for a resurrection spell or such.
You have the exact same scenario here as you do for the cost of the assassination in the first place. The cost is utterly arbitrary. You can price a Plane Shift spell, sure. But that's also arbitrary, in that you're selecting the specific method of disposal, and using list rates for that - and you're not including the "... and how much for me not to report you" bit. Granted, proxies for assassinations kinda make for a self-regulating profession (the guy who's the go-between for the professional hit man and the person that hires professional hit men can't exactly afford to let either party think he's cheating them... because he knows EXACTLY what their go-to solution is for that sort of thing), but everything relating to it? Not so much.

elonin
2009-03-23, 07:57 PM
I must simply disagree. Someone who is more experienced will charge more not less. Think of it this way someone who is higher level is more likely to be sucessful and more likely to get away if the mark manages to live and less likely to leave evidence to implicate the customer. The encounter price etc doesn't capture it correctly.


In reply to Jack Smith (who posted while I was adding my post) that sounds really good. Of course the prices will be high in any event unless it's above board like the morag tong in morrowind (legal with warrent).

Stephen_E
2009-03-23, 08:13 PM
I agree with Jack Smith that there is unlikely to be a formula as such.

If on the otherhand you're just looking for a general outline I'd suggest something along these lines.

Formula Elements -
Level of Assassin
Estimated CR of target (including known defenses)

There would be a flat amount based on Assassin Level.
Probably a flat amount based on targets CR,
And a modifier based on the relationship betweenTarget CR/Assassin Level.
The last is the trickiest because you have two competing views. The lower level assassin wanting more for a difficult job vs the higher level assassin been more likely to succeed and customers pay more for guaranteed success. I suspect you need two equations to represent this.

Note that I make no mention of ECL or HD. As a general rule there is no in game way of calculating such things therefore they can't be used in a formula.

Stephen E

The Neoclassic
2009-03-23, 08:23 PM
Let me be clear: I'm not saying that the assassins' guild will just pop info into the formula and generate a number. I want the formula from a metagame perspective to help me get a baseline estimate for what the assassins would charge in a specific situation.

Jack_Simth
2009-03-23, 08:32 PM
Let me be clear: I'm not saying that the assassins' guild will just pop info into the formula and generate a number. I want the formula from a metagame perspective to help me get a baseline estimate for what the assassins would charge in a specific situation.
So you're looking at it from the perspective of getting WBL about right - which is exactly Rockphed's suggestion.

If the players are doing the hit, figure out exactly what treasure amount the Encounter Level of the hit is expected to have. Add the costs the players will be charged for proper body disposal (an arbitrary number!), subtract the loot the players will be permitted to take from away from the hit. You have your number.

If the players are killing the assassin, figure the assassin's Encounter Level, and figure out exactly what treasure amount the Encounter Level of the assassin is expected to be. Subtract the cost of the assassin's equipment (which he carries with him, of course). The remainder is the cash on him - and is the "50% down" on the hit (that is, his fee was twice that, but he only got the half-down, as the PC's killed him before he could collect the remainder). You have your number.

quick_comment
2009-03-23, 08:40 PM
There are several factors influencing the price of a hit:

1) The skill of the assassin. Higher level costs more. They charge more because they can demand more. If you want to kill a well protected person, you MUST pay the higher cost for a higher level killer. If you want to kill a lower level person, then you can higher a lower level assassin.

2) The difficulty of the hit. Murdering hobo Bob with a knife is going to cost way less than slipping undetectable poison into the Baron's tea

3) The cost to the assassin. They will want to be reimbursed for the costs of poisons, bribes, disguises, etc.

4) Other ad hoc things, like the political aims of the assassins guild, who is paying them protection money, etc.

The Neoclassic
2009-03-23, 08:53 PM
If the players are doing the hit, figure out exactly what treasure amount the Encounter Level of the hit is expected to have. Add the costs the players will be charged for proper body disposal (an arbitrary number!), subtract the loot the players will be permitted to take from away from the hit. You have your number.

If the players are killing the assassin, figure the assassin's Encounter Level, and figure out exactly what treasure amount the Encounter Level of the assassin is expected to be. Subtract the cost of the assassin's equipment (which he carries with him, of course). The remainder is the cash on him - and is the "50% down" on the hit (that is, his fee was twice that, but he only got the half-down, as the PC's killed him before he could collect the remainder). You have your number.

I appreciate the suggestion, but I'm looking for a rather viable, regular economic microsystem, rather than one based purely on PC involvement. The assassins and those who dispose of the bodies are all NPCs; how the PCs get involved could be through one of several ways, but not directly robbing the assassin or disposing of the body. The latter formula you mention seems like a good starting point though; I think I can use that.

afroakuma
2009-03-23, 09:01 PM
Jack: I do not mean to suggest a hard and fast formula used in-world, but rather an explicitly metagame formula to estimate what the appropriate expense should be to hire an assassin for a given job.


I must simply disagree. Someone who is more experienced will charge more not less.

On average, yes, and my formula took that into account. However, for a harder job, a more complex job, anyone will charge more. As Jack Simth said, it's an underworld business, and there's unlikely to be much price comparison. You don't shop around for assassins, you find one who's willing to do the job and you negotiate like hell.


Think of it this way someone who is higher level is more likely to be sucessful and more likely to get away if the mark manages to live and less likely to leave evidence to implicate the customer. The encounter price etc doesn't capture it correctly.

As I said, I did factor in a heightened cost based on the skill of the assassin, but the difficulty of the job will always be a factor. You want a level 13 assassin to do a hit on a level 18 sorcerer, expect to pay a steep premium. Level 13 assassin vs. a level 13 paladin, maybe in the ballpark of 13000 gp plus incidentals. Level 13 assassin vs. level 18 sorcerer - at least 73000 gp, and probably an advance of another 10000, 15000 gp for magical protections. My formula doesn't calculate for an ECL 6 levels higher, because I assume the risk-to-reward ration becomes too high.

It's the same as any major hit - if you pull off a tough job, you want to collect enough off of it to get away for a good long while afterwards.

Now, a professional's got steep fees, but they're pretty steady - they can take on whatever you've got for them. That same level 18 sorcerer targeted by a matched-level killer would command a lesser price (41000 plus incidentals) because to him, it's just another job.

As I said, I concocted the formula to help DMs estimate what an assassin should charge, not to give hard, fast numbers. The formula includes two rounding functions to scrub the numbers for that reason.

Tiki Snakes
2009-03-23, 09:33 PM
Well, clearly, the assassin wouldn't be available for 'hire', for Assassins kill out of devotion to their God! *flogs the horse* It's not dead! It's not!

Er, yes.

Also, on an even remotely serious note, This is what Orcs are for. Also any number of other fun folks. Stalk the target, Kill the target, Eat the target, job done. ^_^

You know it makes sense.

(Also, the correct price is whatever the assassin can get away with charging. If the PC's are hiring, think of a number and start adding 0's. If they're being hired, not so much, because market forces WILL undercut such treasure-obsessed people as your average PC.

Oracle_Hunter
2009-03-23, 10:07 PM
Body Disposal
I think this should be priced by "finality."

Tier I is "complementary body disposal" - basically the Assassin popping the body into a Bag of Holding (Type II for 5K should accommodate whole bodies) and then ditching it wherever convenient. Mostly this would be tossing it in the sewers, throwing it in the bay (weighed down, of course), or feeding it to the Ghouls at the local Death Cult. If you're hiring an assassin, you should be paying enough to get this one for "free."

Tier II is "assured destruction" - the body will never be found. I think the cheapest way for a permanent Guild to do this is to keep a Permanent Wall of Fire (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wallOfFire.htm) in their Guildhall for the express purpose of having a fire hot enough to turn those bones completely into ash. Periodically some poor mook will have to scoop up the ashes, collect them in a Bag of Holding and dissolve them in a swift flowing river. I'm pretty sure that low-concentration saltwater solutions (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0626.html) don't count as "parts of the body" for Resurrection (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/resurrection.htm) purposes. :smalltongue:

Or, ff you can afford to have a 10th level cleric permanently on the payroll, the "Plane Shift to the Elemental Plane of Fire" route is even cheaper.

This, of course, costs extra - likely a flat fee, since there is no incremental cost in disposing of bodies in this way. All the Assassin needs to do is carry his Bag of Holding back to the Guild and drop it down a pit into the Permanent Wall of Fire.

Tier III is "never coming back" - the body will be disposed of like in Tier II, but this time, the soul itself is going to be captured too. Obviously, this requires Trap The Soul (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/trapTheSoul.htm), likely enchanted on the pommel of a dagger for a Trigger-Style Trap. In a way, this is the easiest form of assassination - the Assassin sticks the dagger in the target and leaves it there. When the target is overcome by the Sympathy spell, it touches the pommel and is Trapped. The Gem can then be stored any way you'd like - given the the client, put in a Bag of Holding which is then ruptured, etc. - and the client will know, with certainty, that their enemy is never coming back.

The sheer expense of getting these daggers made will make the Assassins charge a hefty premium for this service (provided they are powerful enough to have a 15th level Wizard available) but you gotta admit - it's Final :smallamused:

EDIT:
It should be noted that for low-leveled targets, you wouldn't hire an "assassin." At most you might hire a thug or a hitman - some low-level freelancer who usually acts as a gang enforcer. I'm pretty sure those guys can be bought for less than 100 GP - sometimes much less.

The Glyphstone
2009-03-23, 10:18 PM
Tier 3 can be made much cheaper with a Thinaun metal weapon (traps the soul in the blade). Still expensive, but not as much.

Valentyne
2009-03-23, 10:19 PM
As to body disposal I really wonder if that would be an issue...

Depending on the reason for the assassination, the employer may want the body to be found...perhaps as a warning to rivals? Or they want the body to be found but want it to not seem like a murder (for inheritance reasons?) Of course the later would jack the price up a notch too I should think.

But I would image a guild of assassins would have an established manor to deal with bodies that shouldn't be found. Perhaps the local tanner works for them and dumps them in his "tanning stew"? Heck even have one of the assassin have a cover identity as the tanner....go further and put their hideout under the tannery.

Oracle_Hunter
2009-03-23, 10:21 PM
Tier 3 can be made much cheaper with a Thinaun metal weapon (traps the soul in the blade). Still expensive, but not as much.

What's the cost of that?

The "Trap the Soul" dagger costs HD x 1K GP (Trap the Soul spell components) + 1.5K GP (Sympathy spell components) + 2 GP (Dagger cost) - all of which is going to be eaten by the client, of course :smallbiggrin:

EDIT:

As to body disposal I really wonder if that would be an issue...

Well, in a world where Raise Dead is available for 6,125 gp per scroll (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/scrolls.htm) you'll probably want to destroy the body pretty thoroughly if you really want the target to stay dead.

Emperor Tippy
2009-03-23, 10:34 PM
Assassin level x 1,000 GP plus expenses, that's a general formula. It can easily be significantly higher depending upon the target (assassinating the level 20 wizard king who uses all of the various defenses is going to cost you upwards of a million GP).

m4x0r
2009-03-23, 10:42 PM
http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Economic-Hit-John-Perkins/dp/1576753018

QED

afroakuma
2009-03-23, 11:36 PM
Assassin level x 1,000 GP plus expenses, that's a general formula.

I wouldn't pay some level one mook 1000 gp to off someone within his capabilities. Nor would I not be able to then off said mook and reclaim said cash.


It can easily be significantly higher depending upon the target (assassinating the level 20 wizard king who uses all of the various defenses is going to cost you upwards of a million GP).

A) We really can't go by your wizard kings, Tippy. There's not enough cash in all the world. :smallamused:

B) Depends on your definition. I'd put a rather expensive clause in there regarding killing off clones, invading genesis demiplanes etc. but assuming nothing particularly excessive, I'd say the job could be done for somewhat less. The right selection of save-or-dies can nail anyone.

TheCountAlucard
2009-03-24, 01:36 AM
Heck, for a Tier III, all you need is an assassin with the Harvester of Souls feat (Elder Evils). No spells, no special metals, just have to be able to make a coup de grace.

The_Werebear
2009-03-24, 01:49 AM
Random idea for body disposal in an area where people are actively evil/don't give a crap/approve of cannibalism: Butcher hacks it up for free to sell it.

Nightson
2009-03-24, 02:10 AM
Bury the body in the graveyard in a lead lined coffin.

Oracle_Hunter
2009-03-24, 03:20 AM
Heck, for a Tier III, all you need is an assassin with the Harvester of Souls feat (Elder Evils). No spells, no special metals, just have to be able to make a coup de grace.

How's that work?

One reason I like the Trap The Soul route is that you can deliver the target's soul right to your patron. I'm sure there are people out there who'd pay extra just for that :smallamused:

Talic
2009-03-24, 04:36 AM
As assassination is generally a taboo service, and generally highly black market, the price should vary.

Start with the CR of the assassin.
multiply this by the HD of the target x 50. (no higher than the HD of the assassin

So, a level 1 character would charge 50g per kill.
A level 5 character would charge 250g per hd of the target.
A level 10 would charge 500 gold per HD of the target to kill.
A level 20 character would charge 1000g per HD. So a 20 hd creature? 20,000g bounty.

Factor in "plus expenses" and you have a good baseline.

DisgruntledFrog
2009-03-24, 07:48 AM
Talic's guidelines are excellent but instead of basing it on the target's HD, you might consider basing it on the encouter challenge rating of the assassination (as the target might be a 1HD nobleman who just happens to be holed up in the King's castle, guarded by 100 men).

I don't think you need to add expenses though. It should be up to the assassin how much he wants to mitigate risk through use of expendible items. That's why the reward scales up based on ECR!

So it boils down to: Reward = Risk x Reputation x Arbitrary value of a life

Talic
2009-03-24, 05:29 PM
Talic's guidelines are excellent but instead of basing it on the target's HD, you might consider basing it on the encouter challenge rating of the assassination (as the target might be a 1HD nobleman who just happens to be holed up in the King's castle, guarded by 100 men).

I don't think you need to add expenses though. It should be up to the assassin how much he wants to mitigate risk through use of expendible items. That's why the reward scales up based on ECR!

So it boils down to: Reward = Risk x Reputation x Arbitrary value of a life

CR can't be researched. HD can. Assassins dont always go for everyone when they're behind walls.

Tiki Snakes
2009-03-24, 07:36 PM
CR can't be researched. HD can. Assassins dont always go for everyone when they're behind walls.

Surely you mean the reverse?

You can research an abstract concept covering both general health, energy, luck, and a dozen other things, but you can't research the general fighting capabilities of your target and any people likely to be with him at the time?

O_o

chiasaur11
2009-03-24, 07:59 PM
We forget some special factors.

I.E. If it's Sam Vimes or Havelock Vetinari, there's a flat rate of "More money than exists, has ever existed, and ever will exist."

Jack_Simth
2009-03-24, 08:03 PM
Surely you mean the reverse?

You can research an abstract concept covering both general health, energy, luck, and a dozen other things, but you can't research the general fighting capabilities of your target and any people likely to be with him at the time?

O_o
Perhaps it would be better rephrased:

The rules as written make a specific allowance for researching the number of hit dice a creature has (see the spell Trap the Soul). The rules as written do not make a specific allowance for researching CR, level, and so on.

Dervag
2009-03-24, 08:13 PM
We forget some special factors.

I.E. If it's Sam Vimes or Havelock Vetinari, there's a flat rate of "More money than exists, has ever existed, and ever will exist."I'd call it a flat rate of "no." They're not even willing to do it for an arbitrary hypothetical amount of money greater than any amount that will ever exist. They just aren't willing to do it.

But it amounts to the same thing in the end.

Assassin89
2009-03-24, 08:26 PM
If we consider the importance of targets, rates might change.

Low importance (commoner no one cares about) - 50gp per assassin HD
Medium importance (Mayor of a village) - 500gp per assassin HD
High importance (King of a great country)- 5000gp per assassin HD

Of course, the exact price could vary from assassin to assassin.

TheCountAlucard
2009-03-24, 10:32 PM
How's that work?

It's simply what it does. Provided you have the feat, when you coup de grace an opponent, you automatically steal their soul, making it nigh-impossible to resurrect said opponent without someone killing you.

Oracle_Hunter
2009-03-24, 11:12 PM
It's simply what it does. Provided you have the feat, when you coup de grace an opponent, you automatically steal their soul, making it nigh-impossible to resurrect said opponent without someone killing you.

But I mean, does the soul get binded to your body or something? Or is it locked in some random prison dimension? How can you rescue such a soul?

Also: ?

DisgruntledFrog
2009-03-25, 06:42 AM
@Jack Smith/Talic: Yeah that's true, but as an OOC mechanism for the DM to be able to estimate what his NPC will charge it works better. In character, it's not hard to whip up a knowledge/gather information/various stealthy skills based mechanic to allow an assassin to get a "risk" number that could be based upon the ECR.

For example;

Gather information check at DC = 10 + ECR gives the risk (i.e. ECR). Failure by less than 5 gives ECR +/- 2 (DMs discretion). Failure by greater than 5 reveals no information. Further checks are at +2 difficulty.
+2 circumstance bonus for succesful knowledge check, bardic knowledge check, for following the target unseen for a day or detailed information on target being made available.
+2 to DC if target is aware of the threat.

Assassin's reputation is determined by character level +/- factors such as reknown, past failures, etc at DM's discretion. DC 15 gather information or bardic knowledge check can verify a stated reputation.

Assassin determines the fee by multiplying Risk x Reputation x 50.