Assassin. Arcane or Psionic. [3.5]

[D4rkh0rus]

When Talking about the Assassin class, the prestige one.

What is the more powerful approach?
Arcane with UMD or psionic variant with UMD?

(considering that scrolls // wands will be scarce if any)


Also, The build Im working on, would end up with +15 bab at lvl 20, with about 1 or 2 or less compared to other 3/4 classes until lvl 12+ (where UT kicks in and assassin effectively becomes Almost-full BaB)

with items and the like, would I be able to effectively hit big stuff?

I considered doing an extended wraithstrike on first round then using wraithstrike (as a wand) every other round... but Is there another way to either make just about everything easy to hit, or making your to-hit real high?

If anyone's wondering its going to be a Dex/Int focused assassin. (mainly works on skills with factotum adding int to str/dex and Keen intellect for wisdom skills.)

Right now, the build would go like this...
Factotum 3/Cloistered Cleric 1/Fighter 1 (Drow fighter variant)/Assassin 1-4 and 6-8/Uncanny trickster 3(on assassin, effectively making it assassin 9)/Swordsage 1
(not in that order)

Would these feats work?
Keen Intellect (unaproachable east one), Darkstalker, Weapon finesse, TWF, Craven, Snap kick, Shadow blade, Staggering strike.

[MirddinEmris]

Well, probably the psionic one because it doesn't require Assassin to sing

[Pluto!]

I think the Arcane version is much better at dishing out damage than the psionic versions, and that's the one thing the Assassin does really well, so it's probably what you're using it for in the first place. Plus the Arcane version tends to have slightly better swift spells on its native list, but that's more an aesthetic difference than anything meaningful.

But to be fair, I think the Mind's Eye psionic version* will be able to yield the most overall powerful character of any of the Assassin variants, just that assumes a much more manifester-heavy build than you're considering.

EDIT:*As opposed to the Psionic Assassin in Secrets of Sarlona. There are two of them which is just outright confusing.


Well, probably the psionic one because it doesn't require Assassin to sing
That's funny. I never thought about that.