Altaïr ibn-La'Ahad in 5th edition, based on gameplay

[Arkhios]

First of all, this is just an "experiment-for-fun" rather than a character I'd play (although, if it turns out viable, why not).

I recently re-started the first Assassins Creed and it had me thinking how would you make Altaïr as accurately as possible. I'd imagine Fighter X/Rogue Y is the best solution, although I'm not sure how many levels of each, and in which order. I do agree that he could be just a rogue, but I felt that he's not just a rogue, and since he is quite athletic, he might even be a Champion (Remarkable Athlete!)
On the other hand, Battle Master's Combat Superiority would cover most of the abilities with the maneuvers.

I believe that since assassins are exceptional climbers, they train to have quite high strength, as well as dexterity, which would hint that Altaïr would have somewhat equal strength and dexterity, and since Thief is exceptionally good climber, I might be a little more inclined to that route instead of assassin. Also, he can pack a relatively good punch with unarmed strikes, and could as well be wearing no armor at all, which could mean he has a few levels of monk, as well. Way of the Open Hand seems most fitting for this.

Preferring light or no armor, I would say that he starts with Strength and Dexterity 16, each. Other than that, he might not have that high constitution, but quite obviously he has relatively high wisdom and is proficient with the saves (which would mean resilient Wisdom at some point). Altaïr is brash and not very diplomatic, so his charisma should probably be rather low. He seems to be rather intelligent on average, which would safely put him at least int 10.

And so, I'm looking at the following array @1st level (with 27 point buy)...
(9) Str 15+1
(9) Dex 15+1
(4) Con 12
(2) Int 10
(3) Wis 11+1
(0) Cha 8
(=27)

Altaïr is particularly defensive fighter when it comes to open combat, and prefers to use one weapon and the other hand free, excelling when using counter-strikes, which led me to think he'd have the Dueling Fighting Style. Since, however, Altaïr does excel in counter strikes, primarily Riposte, he might be Battle Master as well.

I think I'll go with the following build (Battle Master 6/Thief 10/Open Hand Monk 4):


Rogue1 Expertise (Athletics, Acrobatics), Sneak Attack 1d6, Thieves' Cant; Resilient (Wisdom 12)
Fighter1 Dueling Fighting Style, Second Wind
Fighter2 Action Surge
Fighter3 Combat Superiority, Student of War
Fighter4 Dexterity +2 (18)
Rogue2 Cunning Action
Rogue3 Fast Hands, Second-Story Work, Sneak Attack 2d6
Fighter5 Extra Attack
Fighter6 Wisdom +2 (14)
Rogue4 Wisdom +2 (16)
Monk1 Unarmored Defense (10 + Dex + Wis), Martial Arts (1d4)
Rogue5 Uncanny Dodge, Sneak Attack 3d6
Rogue6 Expertise (Stealth, Sleight of Hand)
Rogue7 Sneak Attack 4d6
Rogue8 Dexterity +2 (20)
Monk2 Ki, Unarmored Movement (+10 ft.)
Monk3 Open Hand Technique, Deflect Missiles
Monk4 Wisdom +2 (18), Slow Fall
Rogue9 Supreme Sneak, Sneak Attack 5d6
Rogue10 Wisdom +2 (20)

[Caelestion]

The key thing which says Assassin to me is how useless you are at killing things unless you get the drop on someone. (This is much more relevant in the later games to be fair, as Altair is a beast either way).

You'd have to homebrew a feat for Eagle Vision to give advantage on Investigation, Insight and Perception checks when moving slowly and taking the Search action, and then maybe take the Athlete feat for the free-running, but replacing the +1 Str or Dex with the Second-Story bonus to add your Dex modifier to jump distances.

[RickAllison]

The key thing which says Assassin to me is how useless you are at killing things unless you get the drop on someone. (This is much more relevant in the later games to be fair, as Altair is a beast either way).

............

"Dagger counter-kill, counter-kill, counter-kill."

Or in later games, "Bare-handed counter to take weapon, brutal murder with their own blade." There was something so satisfying about ripping that giant axe from the heavy enemy's hands and cleaving parts of him in two.

While later games do make it so some enemies prevent you from just countering everything they do, they are easy to pick out and you gain tools like the throwing knives that effectively deal with them. I don't think the easier killing is from a damage boost like Assassinate, but from just getting the clear shot so the attack actually lands. Having the ability to climb all over the place seems much more in line with the Assassins than a redundant ability.

[Arkhios]

The key thing which says Assassin to me is how useless you are at killing things unless you get the drop on someone. (This is much more relevant in the later games to be fair, as Altair is a beast either way).

You'd have to homebrew a feat for Eagle Vision to give advantage on Investigation, Insight and Perception checks when moving slowly and taking the Search action, and then maybe take the Athlete feat for the free-running, but replacing the +1 Str or Dex with the Second-Story bonus to add your Dex modifier to jump distances.

Haha, humor aside, you don't really have to homebrew Eagle Vision. Observant Feat does that remarably well (especially for Arno Dorian style investigative preparation).

Athlete is, of course, a good feat I simply forgot. Insight is easily taken care of by having expertise.

[Caelestion]

How would you handle Eagle Vision's signature ability (being able to eyeball potential allies and enemies on sight), without it being a feat? That would have to be one hell of an Insight check, if the GM allowed it at all.

[Syll]

I think monk's Unarmored Movement fits the theme pretty well, considering the parkour focus of those games

Edit: though I see now you have some monk levels towards the end, but i think it might be a bit late to get the ability to run up walls

[Arkhios]

I think monk's Unarmored Movement fits the theme pretty well, considering the parkour focus of those games

Edit: though I see now you have some monk levels towards the end, but i think it might be a bit late to get the ability to run up walls

Maybe from Ezio and forward, but in-game Altaïr is actually pretty clumsy and doesn't run walls as much as his descendants after him.

[Syll]

Maybe from Ezio and forward, but in-game Altaïr is actually pretty clumsy and doesn't run walls as much as his descendants after him.

It's been quite awhile, and i only played 1&2 , but running up walls to escape guards is a prominent memory of the game for me. That and the swan diving off of buildings into hay (slow fall?)

[Arkhios]

It's been quite awhile, and i only played 1&2 , but running up walls to escape guards is a prominent memory of the game for me. That and the swan diving off of buildings into hay (slow fall?)

Swan diving = definitely Slow Fall-esque.
But running up walls? Nah, climbing. And almost frustratingly slow at that, too. (Compared to his descendants such as Ezio)

Altaïr is certainly fast at running on even surfaces, and can jump far, but he's so slow at climbing that it almost causes a headache after playing the sequels :P

Ezio is the wonderchild in terms of wallrunning and other acrobatic and athletic stunts.

[Caelestion]

Altair couldn't swim and Ezio couldn't climb trees, but Arno has the distressing ability to not enter windows without jumping from side to side a few times first. :smallwink:

[Syll]

Swan diving = definitely Slow Fall-esque.
But running up walls? Nah, climbing. And almost frustratingly slow at that, too. (Compared to his descendants such as Ezio)

Altaïr is certainly fast at running on even surfaces, and can jump far, but he's so slow at climbing that it almost causes a headache after playing the sequels :P

Ezio is the wonderchild in terms of wallrunning and other acrobatic and athletic stunts.

'Up' may have not been the best descriptor for me to use. I mean running perpendicular to the ground... I.e. a crowded market street and running on the side of the walls over stalls to avoid the crowd, but still ending your run on the ground

Edit: plus the extra move speed fits too.... and fluff wise Altaïr could hide in crowds of monks/clergy :p

[Fishyninja]

And so, I'm looking at the following array @1st level (with 27 point buy)...
(9) Str 15+1
(9) Dex 15+1
(4) Con 12
(2) Int 10
(3) Wis 11+1
(0) Cha 8
(=27)

I think I'll go with the following build (Battle Master 6/Thief 10/Open Hand Monk 4)


I agree entirely with this, the only thing I would change (and this is for my preference_ is drop Dex and Str to 14+1's (Yes Odd number I know) and either bump up Int or Wis. As you said he is a realtively intelligent individual and as the game progresses he becomes more wise so I would possibly bump those up by 1. 10 being average I feel he should be at least an 11 (training, history, lots of side skills etc).

[War_lord]

'Up' may have not been the best descriptor for me to use. I mean running perpendicular to the ground... I.e. a crowded market street and running on the side of the walls over stalls to avoid the crowd, but still ending your run on the ground

Edit: plus the extra move speed fits too.... and fluff wise Altaïr could hide in crowds of monks/clergy :p

That first part is just a matter of high acrobatics. Altaïr isn't a Monk, he has an armory hanging off him at all times.

Altaïr's pretty clearly a Thief:

Second-Story Work: By human standards Altaïr is an incredible climber.

Supreme Sneak: Altaïr is pretty much unnoticeable unless he draws attention to himself.

Use Magic Device Pretty obvious, Altaïr is one of few who can actually possess and use an Apple of Eden without either getting life drained or being driven mad.

[Arkhios]

'Up' may have not been the best descriptor for me to use. I mean running perpendicular to the ground... I.e. a crowded market street and running on the side of the walls over stalls to avoid the crowd, but still ending your run on the ground

Edit: plus the extra move speed fits too.... and fluff wise Altaïr could hide in crowds of monks/clergy :p

Oh, perpendicular running. Now I see what you mean. In that sense, yes, Altaïr could indeed have more monk levels. And to be honest, Altaïr was pretty lame at stealth kills, but absolutely a beast in defensive close combat as unwanted as it was (or was it?) to end up in.

With that in mind, he could have been a Monk 9/Thief 5/Battle Master 6 (yes, even if that means a redundant Extra Attack from two classes).

And I suppose the stats could be slightly different too:
(5) Str 13+1
(7) Dex 14+1
(4) Con 12
(4) Int 12
(7) Wis 13+1
(0) Cha 8
With ASI/feats:
Observant (Wis +1 -> 15), Athletic (Dex +1 -> 16), Resilient (Wis +1 -> 16), Dexterity +2 (18), Wisdom +2 (18), Dexterity or Wisdom +2 (20)


That first part is just a matter of high acrobatics. Altaïr isn't a Monk, he has an armory hanging off him at all times.

Altaïr's pretty clearly a Thief:

Second-Story Work: By human standards Altaïr is an incredible climber.

Supreme Sneak: Altaïr is pretty much unnoticeable unless he draws attention to himself.

Use Magic Device Pretty obvious, Altaïr is one of few who can actually possess and use an Apple of Eden without either getting life drained or being driven mad.

Daggers and a (short)sword are monk weapons, but otherwise VERY good points, especially on UMD.

[Brother Oni]

That first part is just a matter of high acrobatics. Altaïr isn't a Monk, he has an armory hanging off him at all times.

I think you're confusing Altair with his descendants - a sword, dagger, Hidden Blade and about a dozen throwing knives was all he had.

Ezio was tooled up to the teeth (ridiculously so in the later games) with Connor not too far behind; Edward had enough dakka to make a 40K ork green (well green-er) with envy. I can't say for the other games as I stopped getting them after Black Flag.

[Talderas]

Altair couldn't swim and Ezio couldn't climb trees, but Arno has the distressing ability to not enter windows without jumping from side to side a few times first. :smallwink:

Currently playing Unity so I laughed at this.

That said, I think people are maybe applying too much of the engine/design constriction to Altair and not realizing that every main series game seemed to have some improvement to the parkour system.

Remember, until Unity there was no button to tell your character, "Climb down the building sensibly instead of jumping off it like a mad-man or fall the entire distance hoping to grab onto something to avoid dying." Because if we used what the characters did in the game as what they could really do it would mean Altair, Ezio, Connor, Edward Kenway, and Shay Cormack all had no real concept of how to climb down. It wasn't until Arno that climbing up was performed far more fluidly.

[Arkhios]

Currently playing Unity so I laughed at this.

That said, I think people are maybe applying too much of the engine/design constriction to Altair and not realizing that every main series game seemed to have some improvement to the parkour system.

Remember, until Unity there was no button to tell your character, "Climb down the building sensibly instead of jumping off it like a mad-man or fall the entire distance hoping to grab onto something to avoid dying." Because if we used what the characters did in the game as what they could really do it would mean Altair, Ezio, Connor, Edward Kenway, and Shay Cormack all had no real concept of how to climb down. It wasn't until Arno that climbing up was performed far more fluidly.

Couldn't agree more. And actually, part of the fun is to build Altaïr as close to the First game's version as possible. Even if it means Altaïr would lack something that his descendants have.

[Caelestion]

Use Magic Device Pretty obvious, Altaïr is one of few who can actually possess and use an Apple of Eden without either getting life drained or being driven mad.

Part of that is extensive study and the other is genetics, and (to paraphrase Einstein) I'm not sure about the first.

[Brother Oni]

Even if it means Altaïr would lack something that his descendants have.

You mean aside from a finger? :smalltongue:

[JackOfAllBuilds]

Ranger spell-less variant Hunter 4, Fighter Battle Master 6 Theif 10, Acolyte

Duelist & Two weapon fighting styles, collosus slayer hunting style, daggers and short swords, sweeping attack/parry/riposte/disarming attack

[Arkhios]

You mean aside from a finger? :smalltongue:

Haha! Good one :smallbiggrin:


Ranger spell-less variant Hunter 4, Fighter Battle Master 6 Theif 10, Acolyte

Duelist & Two weapon fighting styles, collosus slayer hunting style, daggers and short swords, sweeping attack/parry/riposte/disarming attack

Altaïr didn't dual wield, ever. Otherwise, good suggestion.

The only time he used both hands in a fight was when making a hidden blade finishing move, combined with a series of punches (flurry of blows?).

Otherwise he's always using one weapon at a time, and best with deflecting attacks.

I'd imagine the following tactic to always apply:

Use Action to Dodge. If/when target misses you, use reaction to riposte (maneuver) for crazy damage (in fact, I think Swashbuckler instead of thief might work as well, since Altaïr is capable of doing tremendous damage with a single hit (sneak attack+superiority dice), regardless of allies next to the target or not).

Or, even better (?): Use Action to Attack multiple times, if monk, use Bonus Action to Dodge, and follow up with the above.