Character build Help

[AaronWho]

Hello all, I am trying to get back into DnD after a period of not playing and have been building a new character roadmap I want to use, but would like to do something that may be OP and wanted to get some thoughts.

I love the Rogue Assassinate ability at level 3, but everything else they do until 17 sucks, would it be too OP for me to build a Rogue Scout, but replace the level 3 ability Skirmisher with that of the Assassinate, but otherwise everything else is the same.

Thanks

[Specter]

Probably not. Assassinate is only good at the first round of combat, whereas Skirmisher is always on.

[Spacehamster]

Assassinate is one of those abilities that sound amazing but rarely gets pulled off unless you are an all stealth party,
altho a part of it that some people seem to not give assassinate credit for is that if you go before an enemy you gain advantage
on your attacks against it for the first round even if you did not pull off the surprise. :)

[bid]

I love the Rogue Assassinate ability at level 3
Nah.
As the other told you, it's a trap.

Think of it this way: a party of 4 players will do "4" damage on the first round. If they stand back and let you ambush, you will do "2" damage on the first round, and then you get killed because they have no one else in range to attack.

[MxKit]

I wouldn't call Assassinate a trap. The auto-advantage is very nice to have by itself, and surprise isn't as hard to pull off as some people say, though it is harder than a lot of people think. It's also not deadly to be close enough to make a surprise attack while having your party hang back 30 feet from you, since you can Sneak Attack with Assassinate at range, then use your move action to fall back to them, then have everyone rush in after that initial wasted-to-surprise round is over.

However, I wouldn't say the Assassin's other abilities suck, either. They are very good for the non-combat pillars if your game has any intrigue or subterfuge at all in them. The Assassin is great at disguises and false identities, which makes a lot of sense.

If you don't think those things will come in handy in your particular game, however, I don't think it would be OP to replace Skirmisher with Assassinate and just take the Scout subclass, no. But you'll have to ask your DM, because they might disagree, or they might say it's not OP but they aren't interested in allowing it.

[Quoz]

Assassinate gets a lot better if you can gain the pass without trace spell. Even a dex 8 paladin in full plate can pass a stealth check with a +10 on the roll. If you don't have a caster with that on their spell list, a wood elf can pick it up via the racial feat from Xanthar's.

[Beelzebubba]

Assassinate is one of those abilities that sound amazing but rarely gets pulled off unless you are an all stealth party,
altho a part of it that some people seem to not give assassinate credit for is that if you go before an enemy you gain advantage
on your attacks against it for the first round even if you did not pull off the surprise. :)

Yeah, our Rogue Assassin pulls it off plenty enough. If it's enough to take one foe out immediately, or soften them up so much that one of the other players finishes them off before they act, she's done her job.

[Specter]

It's not a trap option, because of the underrated advantage on the first turn. A common rogue problem is going first and being in a position where you can't sneak attack. You could ready your attack, but that's always a gamble and costs a reaction. Having advantage against who hasn't acted makes your damage much more reliable.

But the crits are rare, yes.

[bid]

A common rogue problem is going first and being in a position where you can't sneak attack.
Yeah, that's the best reason. Only the swashbuckler archetype doesn't have that issue.