Killing a killer

[Malapterus]

I've gotten an interesting opportunity to play an NPC. Now, I don't intend to go through with the NPC's motive, but I'd still like to build a guy who seems like he -could- have pulled his plan off if the heroes hadn't arrived.

He's an assassin, who needs to kill another assassin. A level 10 assassin who needs to kill the master of his assassin's guild without any help from his guildmates, or them knowing he is planning it, and the same is true for outsiders. He is in this alone.

The master is probably a rogue/monk but might be full-classed either.

So! Let's figure out some ideas for a rogue whose purpose is to bite off more than he can chew and still swallow it!

I'm limited to Human, Elf, Half-Elf, Dwarf, and Gnome. No Goblins or Kobolds, I'm afraid.

No sourcebooks or anything, the DM wants to keep it simple.

[dragoeniex]

Are you looking more for build advice, motivation and character ideas, or little column A little column B?

I'd say go for a gnomish assassin since they're less commonly associated with being able to neatly slide daggers between your vertebrae. Which, y'know, comes in handy for someone who needs to get close enough to do exactly that.

Maybe this character goes out of their way to seem silly and unassuming. Maybe they have a genuinely bright sense of humor.

It's just hard to be genuinely jolly when you're focused on a 100+ year grudge match with the person who got ahead by stealing credit for a job you did.



Aaaaand if you're more just wanting build advice, a gnomish arcane trickster sounds hecka fun.

[dragoeniex]

I should also ask if you mean "assassin" as in "a character who assassinates people" or as in "no I'm making an actual assassin rogue."

Assassin: the occupation that can also be your subclass.

[Malapterus]

I'm currently looking at someone with an arcane aspect but still capable of sneak attack and such, with a spell attack. Physically weak but mentally powerful with more tricks up his sleeve than fingers and a lot of experience despite being a low level.

Arcane Trickster is obvious, but possibly a Rogue/Sorcerer multiclass would work as well.

[krugaan]

I'm currently looking at someone with an arcane aspect but still capable of sneak attack and such, with a spell attack. Physically weak but mentally powerful with more tricks up his sleeve than fingers and a lot of experience despite being a low level.

Arcane Trickster is obvious, but possibly a Rogue/Sorcerer multiclass would work as well.

Whisper bard sounds almost perfect.

edit: psychic damage leaves no visible scars (I think).

[Malapterus]

Whisper bard sounds almost perfect.

edit: psychic damage leaves no visible scars (I think).

Where's that from?

[Throne12]

Whisper bard sounds almost perfect.

edit: psychic damage leaves no visible scars (I think).

He said no splat books. DM wants him to keep it simple.

[Throne12]

Where's that from?

It's in the book Xander's guide to everything.

[Throne12]

I'll say a tricky cleric. It Duplicity ability creates a illusion of your self and you can cast spell from it. It also dont take damage. So you can see the target use your duplicity ability can cast spells like spirit guardian, spiritual weapon, and inflected wounds. And quickly kill him oh dont for get Silence so no one can hear his screams.

[Malapterus]

I'll say a tricky cleric. It Duplicity ability creates a illusion of your self and you can cast spell from it. It also dont take damage. So you can see the target use your duplicity ability can cast spells like spirit guardian, spiritual weapon, and inflected wounds. And quickly kill him oh dont for get Silence so no one can hear his screams.

I'm just an NPC so I don't want to -actually- kill him, just for people to believe I could have.

[Unoriginal]

If you want a simple NPC, just take the Assassin NPC statblock and buff it up a bit.

[Contrast]

I feel like the most important question is - do you care about getting away with it? Are you just interested in murdering him (vengeance or the like) or is it just a means to another goal and you want to be able to walk away after.

That changes the potential approaches quite significantly.

More broadly, you need to give us more information. We can tell you to poison him or stab him or whatever but without knowing a bit more information about who he is or how he lives his life that's about as specific as we're going to be able to get. Amusingly, if he's an actual assassin as well, you probably don't want to be one given there's a decent chance he'll have Alert.

If bard, try to poison him (as in inflict the poisoned condition) and then throw 10 knives into the air and cast Animate Object. Bonus points if you use the weapons of some of the other guildmembers so it looks like they ganged up and attacked him. Problem is isolating him as you can't concentrate on Silence as well.

[solidork]

Be a Bard, Sorcerer or Wizard.

Cast Suggestion, instructing him that he is in danger and needs to Dimension Door with you to safety.

Cast Dimension Door straight up 400ft and cast Feather Fall on yourself.

[GlenSmash!]

If you want a simple NPC, just take the Assassin NPC statblock and buff it up a bit.

This is what i would do. Take the Assassin stat block and give it a couple of spells I think the NPC would have.

Recalculate CR if necessary.

[krugaan]

He said no splat books. DM wants him to keep it simple.

Ah, whoops.

[Malapterus]

ALRIGHT guys it looks like my options are much more restricted than I thought.

It's going to be a level 10 Human, 5 levels of Monk and 5 of Warlock (monk levels required).

I'd like to be able to turn invisible and I'd like to be able to pull off a good Trip attack,