Is there a "good" or "neutral" class like the assassin?

[eyebreaker7]

They look pretty cool but in order to make one you have to be evil and one requirement is to kill someone just to become an assassin. I don't want to be "evil" :(

[ZamielVanWeber]

BoED has the slayer of Domiel, which is the exalted good equivalent of an assassin. No death attack, but you do get a dubiously useful ability to kill with a touch.

[eyebreaker7]

Oh that's awesome! Thank you. Just wish they weren't restricted to just LG alignment :)

[FaerieGodfather]

In Pathfinder, you've got the Ninja without an alignment requirement...

If 3pp is allowed, the Rogue Genius Guide to the Talented Rogue has pretty much all of the PF Ninja and Assassin class features as options. No real way to get the 3.5 Assassin spell list, which does not exist in PF.

Purple Duck's Prestige Archetypes (and its sequels) reimagine all of the "official Paizo" Prestige Classes as full 20 level base classes-- and idea I thoroughly approve of-- and their version of the Assassin doesn't have penalties for trying to maintain a non-Evil alignment, it just says "good luck have fun" with it.

In 3.5 there's some kind of Exalted assassin Prestige Class in Book of Exalted Deeds, and hopefully someone who allows material from that book into their house will come along with explain it to you.

edit: Ah, good, I see someone already has. Also, seriously, they invent an entire moral rationalization that allows people to be assassins without being Evil-- and they still felt the necessity to tack on an arbitrary "must be Lawful" requirement? I'd normally say something ironic about how there's nothing more Lawful than the extrajudicial execution of defenseless opponents... but then I realized that's pretty much my unironic criticism of how Lawful alignments are presented in D&D. Lawful Good is an oxymoron.

[Nifft]

Meh, it's not that great.

Other than the ability to feel like a badass for writing "Assassin" on your character sheet, there's not much value in the Assassin PrC.

What aspect of the class do you like? There's probably a better option for it.

[FaerieGodfather]

Other than the ability to feel like a badass for writing "Assassin" on your character sheet, there's not much value in the Assassin PrC.

The 3.5 version has "prestige" half-casting with a pretty good spell list that I haven't seen a whole lot of workarounds for getting otherwise.

[Doctor Despair]

I'm not sure of the fluff, but Black Dog is relatively easy to enter and doesn't have the "evil" or "murder" requirement.

Dark Hunter and Justice of Weald and Woe are harder to enter with their BAB requirements, but likewise, similar flavor and abilities, less murder and alignment restrictions.

A Black Flame Zealot, Monk of the Long Death, or Telflammar Shadowlord could at least be neutral.

Of note, however, you don't HAVE to be evil to play an assassin. You only need to be evil to take the first level of assassin; thereafter, you could become good and regret your past actions. If you start at level 3, you could be a Generic Class 2 / Assassin 1 with a good alignment (if you've also taken three bloodline levels before level 2). Technically, you could take assassin at level 2 if you use the Inspire Greatness trick, Lycantropy, Barghest/Dusk Giant polymorphs, or any other sort of early-entry HD-cheese along with retraining or Psychic Reformation, although Primary Contact sadly wouldn't work as you need two skills at rank 8 and that feat explicitly doesn't stack for additional skillpoints.

[eyebreaker7]

I like the rogue abilities and the spell list mostly. Poison use can be fun :P
So I guess you could just do a rogue/wizard or sorcerer. But then you have to level 2 classes to get the same result.

[Uncle Pine]

There's also the Avenger (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20070401a&dcmp=ILC-RSSDND), which is often referred to as the "good-aligned" version of Assassin but it actually has a non-chaotic alignment prerequisite, making it kosher for neutral build as well. The PrC is quite literally identical to Assassin except for the fluff and alignment tied to it, so there you go.
Do note that Avenger doesn't automatically benefit from any support Assassin got from splatbooks (i.e. quite a few nice spells from Spell Compendium). It wouldn't be unreasonable to give access to this Assassin-in-all-but-name to such spells, but be sure to check with your DM in case you're interested in using them.

[Telonius]

The Avenger (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20070401a) prestige class is exactly what you want.

(Do note the date of the publication).

EDIT: Avenge'd.

[eyebreaker7]

The Avenger (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20070401a) prestige class is exactly what you want.


Oh perfect! Thank you :)

[legomaster00156]

Pathfinder has Ragathiel's Crimson Templars (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/other-paizo/c-d/crimson-templar/).

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

The Avenger (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20070401a) prestige class is exactly what you want.

(Do note the date of the publication).

EDIT: Avenge'd.


Oh perfect! Thank you :)

The link includes the date that it was published: 20040401, i.e. April 1, 2007, it's an April Fool's joke.... but it's still legit.

[Biggus]

There's also the Avenger (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20070401a&dcmp=ILC-RSSDND), which is often referred to as the "good-aligned" version of Assassin but it actually has a non-chaotic alignment prerequisite, making it kosher for neutral build as well. The PrC is quite literally identical to Assassin except for the fluff and alignment tied to it, so there you go.
Do note that Avenger doesn't automatically benefit from any support Assassin got from splatbooks (i.e. quite a few nice spells from Spell Compendium). It wouldn't be unreasonable to give access to this Assassin-in-all-but-name to such spells, but be sure to check with your DM in case you're interested in using them.

Funnily enough, the description of the class closely fits a well known Avenger: Black Widow (intelligence-gathering and assassination, but good-aligned). Given her dark past ("red in my ledger") it might even make sense to allow a former Assassin to trade in levels for Avenger levels once they've shown they're committed to their new alignment, in a kind of mirror image of how former Paladins can trade in levels for Blackguard levels.

[Nifft]

The 3.5 version has "prestige" half-casting with a pretty good spell list that I haven't seen a whole lot of workarounds for getting otherwise. Chameleon gets all the spells, earlier and at higher caster level, plus a lot more spells.


I like the rogue abilities and the spell list mostly. Poison use can be fun :P
So I guess you could just do a rogue/wizard or sorcerer. But then you have to level 2 classes to get the same result.

Rogue / Wizard / Arcane Trickster gets more and better spells.

Scout / Wizard / Unseen Seer gets excellent spells, easier bonus damage, more skill points, and actual class features.

Spellthief / Wizard / Unseen Seer (with Master Spellthief) gets skill points, excellent spells, actual class features, and you get to steal spells by stabbing other Wizards.


Poison Use is fun, but not really worth the other stuff, and you can get it from another source.

[ShurikVch]

I like the rogue abilities and the spell list mostly. Poison use can be fun :P
So I guess you could just do a rogue/wizard or sorcerer. But then you have to level 2 classes to get the same result.
Depending on which of "rogue abilities" you need, there are some variants:
Black Flame Zealot (Complete Divine) - 5/10 divine casting progression, Sneak Attack, Poison Use, Death Attack
Cerebral Assassin (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20030207b) - 6/10 manifesting progression
Cultist of the Shattered Peak (Lost Empires of Faerûn) - arcane spellcasting (1st-3rd levels), Sneak Attack, Death Attack
Imaskari Vengeance Taker (Underdark) - 5/10 arcane casting progression, Sneak Attack, Poison Use, Death Attack
Justice of Weald and Woe (Champions of Ruin) - divine spellcasting (1st-4th levels), Sneak Attack, Poison Use, Death Attack
Strifeleader (Faiths and Pantheons) - 7/10 casting progression, Sneak Attack, Death Attack
Telflammar Shadowlord (Unapproachable East) - arcane spellcasting (1st-3rd levels), Death Attack

From non-prestige classes, take note of:
Beguiler (Players Handbook II) - full spontaneous casting and 6+ skill points
Drow Bard (Drow of the Underdark) - Poison Use
Cloistered Cleric (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#clericVariantCloistere dCleric) with Trickery domain
Mystic Urban Ranger with Favored Enemy (Humanoid)
Psychic Rogue (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040723b)

[SirNibbles]

Sworn Slayer from Dragon Magazine #324, page 81 gets something similar to a Death Attack at 5th, but it can also affect Undead or Constructs.