Class Help, Making an Assassin Like Character.

[BoutsofInsanity]

So I am thinking of making an assassin like character, someone who stealthy, one shots things, talks in a low gruff voice, I would love to make use of the Playgrounds vast source knowledge, could yall let me know.

Tome of Battle is not allowed.

My initial though is a rogue prestige to assassin. Ive heard ninjas arent too bad, so a ninja to assassin is another idea. I was curious on class ideas, feat choices, and other options.

Ideas please?

[Sucrose]

So I am thinking of making an assassin like character, someone who stealthy, one shots things, talks in a low gruff voice, I would love to make use of the Playgrounds vast source knowledge, could yall let me know.

Tome of Battle is not allowed.

My initial though is a rogue prestige to assassin. Ive heard ninjas arent too bad, so a ninja to assassin is another idea. I was curious on class ideas, feat choices, and other options.

Ideas please?

Ninja aren't horrible, but they are generally inferior to rogues, unless you really want literal invisibility at level 1. Assassin is fairly solid, especially if you have Spell Compendium to expand the spell list.

This guide (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8711233) has some pretty good ideas for many playstyles.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Check some builds from here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178202) it might give you an idea on how to build or play an Assassin (the Prg. Class)

[Krazzman]

I would recommend to not use the Assassin Prestige Class.

I tried it about...5 times? And it was never as effective as my rogues (even with their expanded spell list) that went for another Gish attempt.

The Assassin Prestige Class just Provides 3 Things: Spells, Poison Use, Death Attack.

A gished Rogue probably runs better, since the Death Attack is, at least in my eyes, pretty useless later in the game, since a normal BBEG Caster has counter measures to being sneaked, and most Monsters have a riddiculus high fort save on that level.

Have a nice Day,
Krazzman

[Lord Ruby34]

I would recommend the Assassin PrC.

I've used it, or seen it used, at least three times.

Death attack is worthless, but the spells are nice and it continues your SA progression. It does hurt your skill points though, so don't expect to be the greatest skill monkey ever.

[Hirax]

Pour yourself a drink and have a read through this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=197409), it has plenty of good stuff as well.

[Dusk Eclipse]

I would recommend the Assassin PrC.

I've used it, or seen it used, at least three times.

Death attack is worthless, but the spells are nice and it continues your SA progression. It does hurt your skill points though, so don't expect to be the greatest skill monkey ever.

The expanded Assassin spell-list is awesome and if you really want to use, it is possible to make use of Death Attack; but in reality it is too much effort for lackluster results. Just use debuffing tricks like Staggering and/or sickening strike.

[Flickerdart]

There's a little spell in the PHB2 called "Hunter's Eye", which gives you sneak attack dice equal to 1/3 your caster level. While this is a Ranger spell, meaning that their result will usually suck, there are two ways to get your hands on it with a much higher caster level:

Cleric/Prestige Ranger can boost his CL to ludicrous heights using Divine Spell Power, the Oracle domain, a Bead of Karma and others. He can then Persist the spell to last the whole day, and inflict devastating sneak attacks that make the Rogue cry.
Rogue/Wizard/Unseen Seer/Arcane Trickster. Unseen Seer boosts your CL for divination spells, and there are many other ways for Wizards to increase theirs. While you won't have a caster level as good as the Cleric's, you have innate Sneak Attack dice (6d6) to even the odds.

Both builds have 9th level spells, so feel free to grab some spell-storing arrows and hit your target with a painful spell as well as a fistful of sneak attack damage while buffing yourself sky-high. A number of spells (also Ranger divinations, so both builds have access to them) continue to improve your ranged sneak attacks (such as uncapping the range), meaning that you can be a legitimate rooftop sniper. Use spells like gravestrike or golemstrike to hit things normally immune, and if you ever run out, then you can fall back on the mighty spellcasting powers of a Cleric or Wizard.

[Treblain]

What about a Warlock/Rogue? You can sneak attack with Eldritch Blast (up to 250' if you take Eldritch Spear and a wand of Sniper's Shot!), cast Darkness at-will, use Spider Climb at-will, and go into Arcane Trickster to advance sneak attack and invocations. At higher levels you can teleport and leave a duplicate behind, create shadows, turn invisible, summon spider swarms, and lots of other shadowy sneaky stuff.

If you like the idea of warlock but want to go melee, see the melee warlock guide (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=159708).

The assassin PrC is fine in spite of the fact that death attack doesn't work too well. If you want to cripple your enemies with an assassin-type character, look into poisons.

[hex0]

The Psychic Assassin is a bit better than the regular one, imho. They get mind cripple (and other special abilities)

Psychic Rogue 5 (or maybe Psychic Rogue 2/Factotum 3 with Practied Manifester)/Psychic Assassin 10/Assassin 5

or

Psychic Rogue 5/Psychic Assassin 5/Assassin 10

Or throw in some Slayer for some BAB boost.

Something interesting?

Spellthief 1/Psychic Rogue 2/Swashbuckler 3/Assassin 5/Arcane Trickster 3/Psychic Assassin 5/Arcane Trickster 1

If you can get Daring Outlaw to stack for Spellthief and Psychic Rogue, that would be nice too. Otherwise, you'll get to steal any spell for free once a day. :smallbiggrin:

[Human Paragon 3]

Some of the above builds seem a bit hardcore for what you are looking for. I don't think 9th level spells are what you're looking for here, but feel free to ignore this if I am mistaken.

Here's a build that I love for assassin, that most great optimizers hate. It depends on some alternate class features, but especially the Kung-fu Genius feat. The build does not function without it, so if you cannot get access to it, or the other feat just like it, disregard the build.

It goes Monk 5/Assassin 10.

The feats and ACFs you need are:

Kung-fu genius to make you INT-focused instead of WIS. INT is the casting stat of assassin, and Death Attack keys off of INT as well.

There is a monk alternate class feature in Examplars of Evil that trades evasion for greater invisibility as an SLA. This is a big upgrade, and perfect for an assassin.

In PHB II, there is a monk ACF called Decisive Strike which replaces flurry of blows. It lets you make a single attack at double damage instead of the flurry of misses. Great for one-shotting enemies. Better still, it gives +2 to stunning fist attempts, which is good, because you should use all the rest of your feats on stunning fist, combining it with death attack once you are able. A stunned enemy can take no actions. Speaking is an action. If you want to silelntly kill somebody, stunning fist is a great way to do so. Thanks to Kung-Fu Genius, stunning fist also keys off of INT instead of WIS.

You can walk up behind dudes and break their necks steven segal style. Very cool, very fun build.

If you don't like Monk and have access to Dungeonscape, you can create a similar character with Factotum 5 / Assassin 10.

[hex0]

The assassin PrC is fine in spite of the fact that death attack doesn't work too well. If you want to cripple your enemies with an assassin-type character, look into poisons.

Invisibility et al, Assassin's Dagger, Headband of Intellect, Ability Focus, the ability to take 15 levels of a mix of Assassin and Psychic Assassin?

[hex0]

Some of the above builds seem a bit hardcore for what you are looking for. I don't think 9th level spells are what you're looking for here, but feel free to ignore this if I am mistaken.

Here's a build that I love for assassin, that most great optimizers hate. It depends on some alternate class features, but especially the Kung-fu Genius feat. The build does not function without it, so if you cannot get access to it, or the other feat just like it, disregard the build.

It goes Monk 5/Assassin 10.

The feats and ACFs you need are:

Kung-fu genius to make you INT-focused instead of WIS. INT is the casting stat of assassin, and Death Attack keys off of INT as well.

There is a monk alternate class feature in Examplars of Evil that trades evasion for greater invisibility as an SLA. This is a big upgrade, and perfect for an assassin.

In PHB II, there is a monk ACF called Decisive Strike which replaces flurry of blows. It lets you make a single attack at double damage instead of the flurry of misses. Great for one-shotting enemies. Better still, it gives +2 to stunning fist attempts, which is good, because you should use all the rest of your feats on stunning fist, combining it with death attack once you are able. A stunned enemy can take no actions. Speaking is an action. If you want to silelntly kill somebody, stunning fist is a great way to do so. Thanks to Kung-Fu Genius, stunning fist also keys off of INT instead of WIS.

You can walk up behind dudes and break their necks steven segal style. Very cool, very fun build.

If you don't like Monk and have access to Dungeonscape, you can create a similar character with Factotum 5 / Assassin 10.

VERY nice ACFs for this.

You can do a bit of both: Monk 2/Factotum 3 (INT to almost everything) instead of Monk 5

Or if you still want to get evasion and take Psychic Rogue

Monk 2/Psychic Rogue 2/Rogue 1/Psychic Assassin 5/Assassin 10

[gorfnab]

Rogue 5/ Assassin 9/ Telfammar Shadowlord 6 - Shadow Pouncing is fun

[MunsterJujus]

This is something I was looking at this weekend between radio interviews and job applications. Everything can be found on the Pathfinder D20 website if that is allowed.

Two builds:

This build is more of an Altier from Assassin's Creed assassin. Hide in the crowd to study your target, attack quickly, then in the confusion use a crowd to escape.

Bandit Rogue 4 - Get full actions in a surprise round
Dervish Dancer Bard 3 - Self Buff for Assassinations
Lion Blade 7 - More self buffs, Secret Step to get throw crowds, and Hide in Plane Sight
Assassin 6 - Gets you to quite death


Maybe more Traditional. But less filled out.
Knife Master Rogue 5 - d8's on sneak attacks for daggers d4 for other weapons
Shadow Dancer 4 - for shadow jump 40 ft.
Assassin * - however long you want to be in it
Other *- to what evey you want

Again this is something I just slapped together this weekend, please don't hurt me.

Edit: Forgot one more - wait in the crowd then hit and run.

Scout Rogue 8 - Move more than 10 ft and attack you add sneak attack
Arcane Duelist Bard 3 - to get Arcane Strike and Disruptive
Lion Blade 4 - +10 ft movement
Assassin 5 - True Death
Basically if you charge the target you get +8d6 on the first attack

Off to my cave again....

[deuxhero]

I
The Assassin Prestige Class just Provides 3 Things: Spells, Poison Use, Death Attack.


Forgot one nice little thing: Hide in Plain Sight.

MUCH latter than the Shadowdancer, but still handy.

[Frosty]

Use the Ninja class from Pathfinder instead. Straight up better than the 3.5 Rogue (and some would say straight up better than Pathfinder Rogue as well): http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/alternate-classes/ninja

You get d8 HD, poison use, a ki pool that can grant you things like extra attacks, invisibility, bonuses to acrobatics, swift action Disguise Self, and other cool stuff. Oh, and you get Sneak Attack instead of Sudden Strike that 3.5 Ninja gets.

[nyjastul69]

A Factotum might be able to pull off what you're looking for. It'll depend upon some rulings from your DM of course. Font of Inspiration being the most important I think.