Ceiling Cat is studying you for 3 rounds!

[Hirax]

I'm finally rolling up an assassin after brainstorming ideas for one a while back (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=197409). Any new ideas related to this character concept would be appreciated.

I've decided that I want to be a tibbit that never leaves cat form, and get a magic item of spider climb as soon as I can so that I can be Ceiling Cat. I will then exercise ultra stealth prowess thanks to cats having a size bonus to hiding. Then a cat's bite and claw attacks will suffice for death attacking people (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0780.html), though I'll probably add some strap on feycraft claws for weapon finesse.

I plan to wear a glamered gnome twistcloth and battle cloak that are made for a cat, so that they disappear when I become human. The glamering is so that people can't tell I'm wearing armor. All magic items except weapons, armor, shields, and robes function as normal and meld with your new shape when you change forms as a tibbit.

The DM is being generous and giving us flaws, and we're starting at level 6. Here's my tentative plan for feats:
F: Twistcloth proficiency
F: Parrying shield
1: Darkstalker
3: Natural spell (houseruled to work with shapeshifters)
6: Ability focus (death attack)
And all death attack boosting feats beyond this point

Build is undecided other than assassin at level 6, I'll probably go for one posted in my earlier brainstorming thread.

[Yorrin]

Everyone (myself included) makes the same mistake when rolling their first assassin: they put too many resources into Death Attack. Don't get me wrong: it's a great ability. But prepare to have a plan B.... and maybe a plan C.

You'll want to grab Craven to keep your SA damage relevant.

I personally like dropping a level into Warlock right before my Assassin level and choosing Darkness, and then going over to DotU and using all the darkness-feats from there. Not only does it allow you to set up your DA more often, but it also gives you some options for getting out after you've succeeded/failed your DA. In fact, more than one level of Warlock (to get that Spider Climb, for example) might be beneficial. It also lets you SA/DA at a range of 30ft on a touch attack (good ol' EB).

[Ditto]

You may wish to review the assassin builds submitted in this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178202). Two of them are even tibbits!

[Greenish]

1) Pick Battle Jump.
2) Obtain some manner of Pounce.
3) Obtain climb speed or Spider Climb effect (warlock 1 is handy).
4) Wait in the ceiling.
5) Death from the Above.

[Cieyrin]

Firstly, Natural Attacks are already Light Weapons, so you can finesse to your hearts content right out of the box.

Secondly, Death Attack expends after you land a hit, so there isn't any flurry of Death Attacks. Trust me, I judged for Iron Chef: Assassin, I know way too much about Assassin now.

Thirdly, Battle Cloaks are Exotic Shields, so you may want a dip in Fighter to trade proficiency with Towers for Battle Cloak, go Sneak Attack Fighter so your Sneak dice don't suffer and go from there. Rogue 1/Sneak Attack Fighter 1/Rogue +3/Assassin X can work pretty nicely and front loads your sneak dice so you're rolling with 2d6 at 2nd.

[Greenish]

Firstly, Natural Attacks are already Light Weapons, so you can finesse to your hearts content right out of the box.I think he means to use the feycraft to save a feat.

[ILM]

There are a bunch of debuffing feats in DotU that let you trade SA dice for penalties to saves that happen to stack: Sickening Strike, Terrifying Strike, Aleval School. Total of -6 to saves assuming no particular resistances. Follow it up with a Death Attack as your second attack.

[Cieyrin]

I think he means to use the feycraft to save a feat.

But can you actually make new claws like that? :smallconfused:


There are a bunch of debuffing feats in DotU that let you trade SA dice for penalties to saves that happen to stack: Sickening Strike, Terrifying Strike, Aleval School. Total of -6 to saves assuming no particular resistances. Follow it up with a Death Attack as your second attack.

Seems legit and I recall IC: Assassin having these show up in at least one build, though i'm not sure whether, once you set up the Death Attack, you can choose which facestab goes for the throat. I think it might be a 2 round setup or some such. Still a good idea, just not as quick.

[Greenish]

But can you actually make new claws like that? :smallconfused:There are claw bracers from A&EG, if my memory serves, that are strapped on instead of being held. They leave your hands free, so you could probably have them even if you have paws.

Of course, they wouldn't be natural claw attacks but normal manufactured weapon attacks.

He could use Exoticist for proficiency and combine that with SA fighter (they're technically variants, but trade different things away).

[ILM]

Seems legit and I recall IC: Assassin having these show up in at least one build, though i'm not sure whether, once you set up the Death Attack, you can choose which facestab goes for the throat. I think it might be a 2 round setup or some such. Still a good idea, just not as quick.
Well, the rules on Death Attack only state this:

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.

If a death attack is attempted and fails (the victim makes her save) or if the assassin does not launch the attack within 3 rounds of completing the study, 3 new rounds of study are required before he can attempt another death attack.
So a) a death attack isn't its own action, you just need a successful sneak attack - for instance, as part of a full-round action, and b) the only thing it says is that you have to do it within 3 rounds of completing the study. Do note that the limitations about staying focused and undetected only apply to the actual 3 rounds of studying, not whatever happens afterwards. Pretty sure this one-two stab works by RAW.

Also, there's an obscure guild in an obscure Web Enhancement of Dragons of Faerun (an obscure book) that grants you a massive +4 DC to death attack benefit for being Favored in Guild. Very setting/campaign/RP specific though, I guess.