[3.5] Curiosity got killed by the cat, and so did many others.

[A.A.King]

I was looking for some prestige classes that advance Sneak Attack Damage and wile looking over Assassin and its Death Attack and saw the clause:
"does not detect the assassin or recognize the assassin as an enemy"
The bold part obviously being the part I care about. Because it came to mind that in general, you wouldn't recognize a normal House Cat as being an enemy. Yes, I am going towards Tibbits here, who in their cat form are very difficult to distinguish from real cats. Imagine a staring contest with what you believe to be a cat and then, 3 rounds later, BOOM! You're dead.

So what I'm trying to create here is a Tibbit Rogue/Assassin who is mainly focused on using Sneak Attack and Death Attack whiles in cat form. What I already have in the form of nessesary feats are "Weapon Finesse" (obviously), "Underfoot Combat" & "Confound the Big Folk" (they help take advantage of my tiny size) and "Surrogate Casting" (for the assassin's spells)

I'm just wondering, where to go from here. At level 15 you've maxed out on Assassin, leaving me 5 levels open for another prestige class which I would like to also advance sneak attack but I don't really know one that fits well. I'm also wondering what feats and items I should take to further take advantage of me being a cat and/or to cover the disadvantages.

Could the playground help me with this?

[karkus]

Here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fools/20030401c) is a pretty good source for your information; feels pretty balanced, too (just don't waste half a dozen feats on the Flop chain :smallwink:).

Also, just looking like a friendly person for 18 seconds can give you an opening for a Death Attack! That alone is cool enough, although I can see why you want to go for Tibbit.

[Phelix-Mu]

Well, Warshaper is always a good way to pad a couple levels if you can qualify. It's just a strong choice, not that it's particularly key to the build.

Of course, no sneak attack there.

Arcane Trickster might be worth looking at, actually. I believe its sneak attack progression is pretty good. And Ranged Legerdemain stands to be a nifty thing for a cat-shaped sneaky character to be able to do.

Mindspy might also be worth looking at. You'd need a dip in something else to qualify, I think, but it still might be worth it.

The only thing cooler than being a cat with a death attack is being a cat with a death attack that can read a victim's mind before the killing.

[A.A.King]

I looked at Arcane Trickster but I believe Assassins don't get Mage Hand and I believe my Assassin spells although they can qualify me, they couldn't profit from Arcane Trickster if I'm already a level 10 Assassin.

[Big Fau]

Levels in any other class that grants Death Attack. Those levels stack with Assassin levels to determine the save DC, and you want it as high as you can possibly get it.

[nedz]

I looked at Arcane Trickster but I believe Assassins don't get Mage Hand and I believe my Assassin spells although they can qualify me, they couldn't profit from Arcane Trickster if I'm already a level 10 Assassin.

You can get Mage Hand from a feat in CArc. Since it's an SLA though whether this qualifies is debatable — YMMV.

There's always Unseen Seer, if you have a couple of divination spells.

[chaos_redefined]

You can get Mage Hand from a feat in CArc. Since it's an SLA though whether this qualifies is debatable — YMMV.

There's always Unseen Seer, if you have a couple of divination spells.

Complete Arcane specifically states SLA's qualify, iirc. It's how the warlock can qualify for things.

As for feats, you can also pick up Ability Focus (Death Attack). +2 to the DC is good I hear.

[A.A.King]

Qualifying for Arcane Trickster isn't the only problem I have with that class for this build. The fact that it can't give me extra Spells per day beyond the maximum of Assassin makes it a lot less appealing. Why take something which can advance spell casting but doesn't for you?

What I didn't know about Death Attack is that different classes that give Death Attack stack, giving me a few questions

1) What's the source for that? Because when I look at "Dark Hunter" for example, it mentions that its Sneak Attack damage stacks with that of other sources
2) Would the increase in DC happen even if the class hasn't given me Death Attack yet? Sticking with the same example, would I have to wait till 5th Level "Dark Hunter" to ad 5 to the DC of my Death Attack or would an Assassin 10/Dark Hunter 2 have a Death Attack with a save DC of 22+Int modifier ?

[Karnith]

1) What's the source for that? Because when I look at "Dark Hunter" for example, it mentions that its Sneak Attack damage stacks with that of other sources
A class's Death Attack ability will say if it stacks with Death Attack abilities from other classes. See for example the Telflammar Shadowlord, in Unapproachable East.

At 6th level, a Telflammar shadowlord gains the ability to make a death attack as the assassin ability. If the shadowlord has levels in the assassin prestige class [...], he may add his assassin and Telflammar shadowlord class levels together to calculate the save DC of his death attack.
The Black Dog and Black Flame Zealot also have similar stacking language, and there are probably other sources with it as well.

[Piggy Knowles]

Maybe...

Tibbit, Rogue 1/Binder 1/Paladin of Tyranny 3/Assassin 10/Evangelist 2/Uncanny Trickster 3

Take a major bloodline in... something. Doesn't much matter.

Bind Focalor for Aura of Sadness, to combine with your PoT's Aura of Despair for -4 to saves. Also, use the Evangelist's Inspire Dread for an additional -4. (Pearl of Speech is your friend.)

Ability Focus (death attack), for fun.

Start with an Int of 18, +5 tome +5 levels +6 enhancement for an Int of 34.

DC should be 10 + 15 (assassin/bloodline/uncanny trickster) +2 (ability focus) +1 (assassin's dagger) +2 (bracers of murder) +12 (intelligence), or DC 42. You'll also be granting anyone within proximity to you a -8 to their saves, so it's an effective DC of 50.

So, in other words, you're just a pretty little cat. They come to pet you and find that they're filled with sadness and despair, but somehow are just compelled to keep petting this friendly cat, despite the feelings of dread surrounding them.

Then... you flash your adorable little cat belly. Who can resist? I mean, sure, every cat scratches you when you pet them there, but they think it's OK, they can handle a little cat scra--

[Big Fau]

Legacy Champion may be easier than trying to qualify for both Assassin and Shadowlord/Black Flame Zealot/Whatever. It isn't a full +5 to your Death Attack DC, but it works nicely and can give you a very nifty toy to play with (Mutable Legacies are nice).

[A.A.King]

Using those Auras isn't really as sneaky as I would like to be. Also, doesn't having a Major Bloodline and 20 Class Levels mean you are ECL 23?