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Vulkarius
2010-02-17, 08:23 PM
I was playing around with the character builder and came across the Revenant character race. It seemed very interesting to me and it suggested that it makes a good build for the assassin/rogue/warlock class. They also have a racial ability that allows you to take feats/paragon(and epic) path options from a specific race you choose when you build the character.

I was wondering if the assassin was a good class to pick for me. It sounds interesting but I was wondering if I could play it effectively (I've only played a few sessions of DND 4E). Also what race would you suggest that I choose to take feats/paragon tiers from for the assassin build?

Are there any other classes that would be good for the revenant? Like the ranger? Also what race would go along good with this class?

Thanks!

Thajocoth
2010-02-18, 10:31 AM
I made a Revenant Assassin once. It was fun. It was for a 1-shot though. I wouldn't make a Revenant for a longer game. The fact that you continue to stay up while below 0 makes you very likely to hit negative bloodied and simply die without saves.

I had Tiefling as my race, took the feat to gain Infernal Wrath, then took the Tiefling feat that replaces Infernal Wrath with a daily transformation. We were level 10. I survived, somehow. Assassin was a lot of fun... I took Mark of, I think Passage... Added 1 to my teleport distance, which meant my class feature let me teleport into a lot more useful places. I might bring him back for something again in the future.

incubus5075
2010-02-18, 10:43 AM
Drow have ALOT of feats. i played assassin for a long time and died once an encounter till I figured out how to lay. You hide, shroud, attack, run away. use your shade ability to your advantage. Stick behind the defender and find a way to get reach. I recommend a spiked chain for flavor. Remember allies provide cover to you and most creatures don't have reach. Grab a cloak of translocation (?) to help against ranged. You have LOW HP so remember that. Assassin was awesome for surprise rounds. Scout ahead of party, shroud the biggest monster you find. Wait till your party charges or whatever. Come out of the shadows/drop from a tree/ we and hit the baddie for some serious hurt. Then run.

Or just get a defender swordmage ally. my life expectancy went way higher after he joined :)

cupkeyk
2010-02-18, 05:05 PM
The assassin is a horrible striker. It has controller hitpoints, mediocre AC and is in melee often. That said, the shroud mechanic is pretty easy to use, assuming you reconnoiter. You scout ahead, when you find baddies, put four shrouds on a guy and report back to your party. You and your party attack, you hit the guy you shrouded. If it survives, use a minor to shroud him again. next round, begin with a shroud and then attack. This makes your first two rounds better than a rogue's (an assassin's 6d6 vs a rogue's 4d6) but from then on you'll be worse off(an assassin's 1d6 vs. a rogue's 2d6). Considering an average combat runs for eight rounds, the rogue wins over the assassin.

Revenant's make good assassins, they also make good rangers, warlocks and rogues maybe wardens. Take note that warlocks are not considered strikers, they are single target controllers/off tanks (a sort of defender) because of their weak damage output, status effects and high con combined with renewing temporary hitpoints. Rangers are the top of the striker heirarchy while rogues are third, after the barbarian. Assassin is third to the last, just before the monk and the avenger.

Any race that has an adjustment to dex can make a good assassin, simply because as a class, they have so little support that any race could do.

Vulkarius
2010-02-18, 06:11 PM
Thanks! maybe I'll make a ranger. The assasin sounds like there isn't alot of play room for strategy other that hit and run. As for the stay up after 0 HP couldn't I just run away or hang back and pick the enemies off with ranged attacks? Are there any benefits to being undead and living at the same time?

DSCrankshaw
2010-02-18, 06:29 PM
The assassin is a horrible striker. It has controller hitpoints, mediocre AC and is in melee often. That said, the shroud mechanic is pretty easy to use, assuming you reconnoiter. You scout ahead, when you find baddies, put four shrouds on a guy and report back to your party. You and your party attack, you hit the guy you shrouded. If it survives, use a minor to shroud him again. next round, begin with a shroud and then attack. This makes your first two rounds better than a rogue's (an assassin's 6d6 vs a rogue's 4d6) but from then on you'll be worse off(an assassin's 1d6 vs. a rogue's 2d6). Considering an average combat runs for eight rounds, the rogue wins over the assassin.

It's best to add at least two shrouds before triggering them (though you should be attacking each round). That way it does damage on a miss, and increases average DPR.

cupkeyk
2010-02-18, 09:14 PM
but then you're putting two eggs in a single basket instead of having one egg each basket. given that to hits are always 45-55% spreading it out like that actually decreases your dpr.

but then, yes, twf ranger is far better!