How to handle npc assassins?

[LordHenry]

In a current campaign my players are in Luskan. Due to recent events, they have drawn the attention of the thieve's guild, specialised in assassinations.
Now I have created some important NPCs of the guild.
My problem is: How are my lvl 8-9 players supposed to survive an assassination? The NPC I have in mind are around lvl 10. So far I have got a daggerspell mage and a telflammar shadowlord, and a homebrewed soulknife... all of which could potentially kill them in just 1 turn.

The problem somehow is: This is what they are supposed to do. So I could either make them weaker, but then they would suck at their "job".
How have you handled assassins in your campaigns?

[Flickerdart]

A guild of assassins will have multiple contracts going on at any given time. They will not have their best people available for every job, especially since this one isn't paid. A smart guild would test the waters with a lower-level guy who's cheap, expendable, and can't be traced back to the guild; individual assassins might hire goons to do the same thing.

If your PCs can't handle a CR10 encounter, don't send a CR10 encounter against them.

A low level assassin build I've used is Illusionist 5/Assassin 1. Use Hold Person or Bands of Steel to immobilize someone and then CdG (if there's just one guy), use your high Int to deliver a Death Attack that's likely to succeed (if you don't want to waste spells), use fog spells and Stinking Cloud to confuse your victims, flank with summons, deliver nasty touch spells with a choice Improved Familiar...loads of great options that can challenge a party without needing to rely on level advantage.

[ArcturusV]

Well the key is prior warning. An assassination plot is more about who catches who off guard rather than direct combat power. Least it should be about that. You don't focus on pure combat potential so much as a game of cat and mouse to set up the position where either the assassin is forced into an unfavorable fight, or the assassin has set up a perfect chance to take someone out with minimal fuss.

So they need to know that an assassin is after them. Which is easy to do. Hell, if they pissed off a guild, the guild probably will TELL them that they are going to be assassinated. The Guild likely wants not the bodies, but the "respect". It doesn't matter to them if the players die, or if they publicly grovel and beg for their lives, pay restitutions, etc. The net gain is the same for the Guild, in their perspective.

So once you let them know that there's an assassin or thee after them, it's basically plotting out. The players will focus less on just pure combat against the Assassin, and more about how to avoid the assassin popping in next to them while they're taking a bath or something.

So you turn it from a single combat encounter into an entire adventure session. That's how I'd do it.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

The guild doesn't necessarily just go kill anyone who 'gets their attention' unless it's obvious that it was intentional. The guild could send a few enforcers (with hidden backup) to inform the PCs that they've stepped on someone's toes and now they have to do something/pay up to make up for it.

[Emperor Tippy]

I have absolutely not problem assassinating players both out of the blue and with some warning.

A Craft Contingent Dimensional Hop only costs 600 GP and will move them 15 feet. Set the triggering condition as "someone attempts to assassinate me". PC's should prepare for these kinds of things, or become happy with paying for resurrections.

[Flickerdart]

I have absolutely not problem assassinating players both out of the blue and with some warning.

A Craft Contingent Dimensional Hop only costs 600 GP and will move them 15 feet. Set the triggering condition as "someone attempts to assassinate me". PC's should prepare for these kinds of things, or become happy with paying for resurrections.
I'm pretty sure any one player in your games could reliably take on an entire party of ECL+2 soulknives or daggerspell mages.

[LordHenry]

Unfortunately, I banned the contingency spell, so that is not an option.
But how on earth did I forget about resurrection?! On the one hand, I don't like to change the game world because my players did some stupid stuff (and it is in the assassin's nature to either one-shot people or suck at what they are doing), on the other hand, I don't want to create challanges too big for them.
But with resurrection available, a player death is way more harmless. No idea how I did not account for that...
Also, I really like the idea with contracts and hired assassins who use subordinates. And with a warning/failed assassination they might be alarmed that they better watch out or risk dying.

On a side note: How much would you think would be normal to charge for the assassination of a strong person that is very capable of self-defense? (said lvl 9ish PC's)

[LordHenry]

I'm pretty sure any one player in your games could reliably take on an entire party of ECL+2 soulknives or daggerspell mages.

While I am also sure that his players are more optimised than mine, the problem in this case is the nature of an assassination. In a "normal" outright combat, my players would not have much problems.

[Flickerdart]

On a side note: How much would you think would be normal to charge for the assassination of a strong person that is very capable of self-defense? (said lvl 9ish PC's)
The amount of treasure that such an encounter would produce if a PC were killing a monster seems like a good guideline.

[ArcturusV]

Entirely depends. At the very least the Cost needs to be covered. So expenses like spellcasting required, consumable items expended, etc, should be covered by the employer. Other than that? DMG has some guidelines for it. But I don't like that guideline. By that mark you'd be paying something like 3 sp per day for the services of an "Assassin", which seems pretty off target to me.

I'd go with some other formula like Level of the Assassin (Multiple equal to estimated target CR/ECL) x 100 GP.

So thus hiring a level 1 no name to kill Old Man Henderson, the level 1 Dirt Farmer, would cost 100 GP. Seems about the right feeling for it. While hiring a level 10 assassin to assassinate two level 8 adventurers would end up costing 16,000 GP.

Your 3 level 10 assassins hunting down a party of 4 level 8 PCs ends up 96,000 GP.

[Seharvepernfan]

Well, the way I'd handle it in my games is: don't overdo it.

Does the assassin really need to have ten levels focused on assassination? Other than the wizards in the hosttower, is there even anybody in Luskan that you would need ten levels in order to assassinate them? Assassins are a specialty, so even a lower level one can wipe out a higher level party.

Whoever it is that's going against the party, have him be either 5th level and very focused on assassination, or 6th or 7th and mostly focused. Have him hire a lower level assassin and some goons (as mentioned earlier) to "test the waters" or help him/her do the job when the time comes.

Let's assume you have a human rogue 5/assassin 1. Basic feats are Imp Init, TWF, UMD focus, and Ability Focus (Death Attack). Decent dex, int, and cha (I'd make his weakness be con).
He's stealthy, he's good at lying, disguises, UMD, and a handful of other things. He can use poison, he can cast a spell (probably disguise self or true strike), and he has 4d6 sneak attack. Assuming NPC wealth, he has 5,600gp, and I'd probably have him spend about a third of that on half-price or even 1/3-price poisons (assassin's guild and all).

Hell, if the guild is financing him, arrows of slaying and (specific) bane/unholdy hand crossbow bolts aren't out of the question.

Okay. Is anybody having even a little bit of trouble imagining how this guy can wipe out an unsuspecting party in a large city? 'Cuz I'm not.

My point is: it doesn't take much. Send somebody lower level after them, and let that person have a big gaping weakness (like low AC and con).

[Emperor Tippy]

I'm pretty sure any one player in your games could reliably take on an entire party of ECL+2 soulknives or daggerspell mages.

Depends.


Unfortunately, I banned the contingency spell, so that is not an option.
Craft Contingency is an item from Complete Arcane.


On a side note: How much would you think would be normal to charge for the assassination of a strong person that is very capable of self-defense? (said lvl 9ish PC's)
HD*HD*1000 GP is my general rule of thumb. So 100K or so, plus expenses. It also depends on how thorough an Assassination is desired.

I mean if you are willing to pay then the assassin will be an advanced Shadesteel Golem with Rudimentary Intelligence and Permanent Emanation: AMF along with Craft Contingent Greater Celerity, Craft Contingent Forcecage, and a controller who has a Ring of Three Wish's. The Golem is Wished in right next to the target which triggers the closed Forecage around them and the Greater Celerity before triggering the AMF. The target now eats a full attack (minus all magic items and defenses and flatfooted) with a Thinaun weapon.

Or you can pay some Warrior in a bar ten GP and hope it works.

----
The thing that needs to be recognized by both the players and the DM is that by 10th level the PC's are a Power in the setting. Their personal wealth and power is enough to move nations and their actions *matter* on at least a national scale generally. By this point they either expect an attack at any time, in any place, by unknown forces specifically geared to kill them or they die. Every action has pushback, every time you stop a bad guy or complete a quest your actions benefit some factions and harm others (directly or indirectly). Those factions will respond.

[Seharvepernfan]

by 10th level the PC's are a Power in the setting. Their personal wealth and power is enough to move nations and their actions *matter* on at least a national scale generally.

Not really in Faerun, though.

[Emperor Tippy]

Not really in Faerun, though.

Even in FR they are a power, even if they aren't a great power.

10th level is noticeable impact on national politics level.