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Brom
2007-12-23, 06:03 AM
This is the Assassin base class. My idea in this class was to make something that emphasized on debilitation and death, but had little in the ways of defensive. Another thing I wanted to do was make it comparable to the Rogue without overpowering it, which I feel I did nicely by lowering it's hit die, taking away armor prof. and limiting the Assassin if he wore armor, taking away Evasion & Uncanny Dodge, and taking away Trapfinding, effectively retooling him to become useful in games where traps weren't an issue, but to make one wish there was a Rogue in other circumstances. When making class comparisons, please compare either to a Rogue fullclass of equal level, or for Death attack/hiding abilities to a Rogue 5/Shadowdancer 2/Assassin 1/add in X other classes here, because those are what I used, and I'm not fully sure that was a compatible comparison.

Anyways, here it is. For fluff, read below.

Assassin

There is a reason people fear the dark; for what could happen to them, unseen, without them knowing. There is a simple, traditional wisdom; if you cannot see them, they cannot see you. And whenever there is someone who speaks that traditional wisdom, there is someone who defies it with unerring senses and a lethal intent. These are Assassins, the lethal killers of Sarthas and trained combatants who are skilled at removing opposition in a single strike in numerous ways. They need not even kill – although they frequently do – but can instead make their strikes terrify, disturb, or cause bleeding wounds. Assassins are present in most major cities, usually maintaining small, cover offices and connections where those with the money or incentive can task them with a mission, usually to kill, gather information from, or capture people designated.
Adventures:
Assassins travel for numerous reasons – they seek to see someone important die, for either their own gain or for far more personal reasons. They also travel for more equipment and money, for use back home where they truly practice their craft. Others adventure to practice their craft and perfect in it places where they can freely pick up and leave without too much hassle or fuss. Many assassins will join a group without revealing the truth of their profession, maintaining a façade of lies and deceit while out afield while garnering the ability to enter a town, perform a job or two, and then go back to adventuring with the rest of the group.
Characteristics:
Assassins favor being the first to strike, and making their damage come not from enchantments or bigger swords, but from the accuracy with which they place their strikes. They rely on a balance of functional equipment and good training to keep them alive. Out of all the classes, the Assassin has the most ability to debilitate foes in a running, lengthy battle and to quietly eliminate enemies without revealing themselves, as well as to kill in one strike. Notably, an assassin has few direct defenses – they wear no armor, no special evasive training or ability to react to flanking opponents. In an active battle, they are highly restricted and weakened.
Alignment:
Despite the ominous title ‘assassin,’ assassin does not imply evil incarnate. Rather, an assassin is someone who murders someone of political importance. And just as being a ruler doesn’t imply good, it does imply being politically important – thus, it’s possible for a Good aligned person to murder an evil aligned ruler and warrant the title assassin. Assassins may have as much or as little respect for the laws and surrounding area as can be possibly imaginable, and there is no one alignment that Assassins embrace. A typical alignment is True Neutral, applying all methods in equal measure with no moral qualm about taking one over the other.
Religion:
Very purposeful and dedicated assassins who ally themselves with a particular fashion will usually take up a religion and patron deity similar to the one of those he serves. Common deities are deities of vengeance, retribution, murder, chaos, law, good, and evil. Deities not so devoted to aspects of human interactions are usually ignored by a religious assassin. Far more common is Assassins who simply don’t have religious beliefs, however.
Background:
Many assassins come from a background of distress and are given purpose by that distress. Calamitous events in their life have made them learn certain skills that enable them to survive. Reports of assassins coming from conquered areas and serving as part of a resistance are not uncommon. Assassins also learn their trade to shape politics in an area to their liking – when unable to change minds with words, an assassin learns to change them with murder. Stories of nobles playing politics during the day and murderer at night are also not uncommon. There are also Assassin monasteries, hidden under cities, in houses of nobility, or in the wilderness where assassins perfect their arts.
Other Classes:
Assassins find more to admire in deliberate, concise planners and thinkers. Well trained and versatile characters are also a subject of admiration for them. For this reason, most Assassins disdain Barbarians, Paladins, and some Rogues & Fighters. They find something to aspire for in Monks, most Fighters and Rogues, and Wizards, however. Wizards in particular they see as the epitome of assassination magic, if they tilt their focus towards that rather than some other ridiculous arcane art. A fireball isn’t the epitome of magical murder, but a Phantasmal Killer is. More importantly, the Wizard must prepare spells to deal with situations he ideally hopes will make conform to his casting repertoire.


For game rule information and stats, look into this next spoiler.

Game Rule Information:
Assassins have the following statistical information.
Abilities: Assassins need Dexterity to give boosts to their Hide & Move Silently skills, arguably two of their most practiced and used skills. The other Dexterity related skills are vital for them, too. In addition, Assassins only employ light weapons, and train in finesse based melee combat, making Dexterity even more important. Intelligence is needed as Assassins are also a skillful group of people who train in everything from Disguise to Jump. Assassins rely on Charisma for their many skills of making strikes that are by their own nature deceptive – strikes that can do everything from make a struck target believe he was struck by someone else to strikes that heal the wound as they pass by and still leave the target dead. Constitution is valuable to increase the Assassins weak fortitude save and low health, and to compensate for lack of armor, and to increase the amount of time an Assassin can attempt Shadow Meld. Wisdom grants assassins their anatomical striking skills, and are vital for their debuffs. The only thing an assassin really doesn’t need is Strength, which gives only a minor boost to damage to a target which should be dead or wishing it was anyways.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: D4

BAB: As Rogue
Fort Save: As Rogue
Reflex Save: As Rogue
Will Save: As Rogue
Skills/level: As Rogue – 8 + Intelligence Modifier
Class Skills: Balance, Bluff, Climb, Craft, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Forgery Gather Information, Heal, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge, Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Tumble, Use Rope
Level Abilities
1st Death Attack I
2nd Poison Use, Finesse
3rd First Person I
4th Practiced, Still Posture
5th Quick to the Blade
6th Death Attack II
7th Shadow Meld
8th Murderous Pairing
9th First Person II
10th Practiced, Mobile
11th Hide in Plain Sight
12th Death Attack III
13th Duo of Slaughter
14th Run of Pain, Stalk
15th First Person III
16th Deadly Coupling
17th Ambidextrous, Vanish
18th Phantom, Hunt
19th Deaths Hail
20th Death Attack IV

Assassin Strikes Known Assassin Strike Quality Level Sneak Attack Damage Bonus
1 Anatomical Least +1d6
1 Anatomical Least +1d6
2 Anatomical Least +2d6
2 Anatomical Least +2d6
3 Anatomical Lesser +3d6
3 Anatomical Lesser +3d6
4 Anatomical Lesser +4d6
4 Anatomical Lesser +4d6
5 Anatomical Damaging +5d6
5 Anatomical Damaging +5d6
6 Anatomical Damaging +6d6
6 Anatomical Damaging +6d6
7 Anatomical Debilitating +7d6
7 Anatomical Debilitating +7d6
8 Anatomical Debilitating +8d6
8 Anatomical Debilitating +8d6
9 Anatomical Fatal +9d6
9 Anatomical Fatal +9d6
10 Anatomical Fatal +10d6
10 Anatomical Fatal +10d6


Armor & Weapon Proficiencies:

Trained to blend in and avoid detection, the Assassin disdains armor and the additional weight and compromised silence it brings. Unless said otherwise, no Assassin abilities function with armor on. The assassin is familiar with all simple weapons, hand crossbows, light & heavy repeating crossbows, and any 3 light martial weapons of his choice.


For class ability descriptions, not including Anatomical/Assassins strike descriptions, read below.
Sneak Attack Bonus Damage:

The Assassin has a Sneak Attack Bonus Damage progression equal to the Rogues.

Death Attack I:

The Assassins career starts when he learns Death Attack I. When the Assassin learns Death Attack I, he is able to kill with a single strike. In order to use Death Attack, he must:

1) Study a subject for three rounds at a distance of no more than 10 feet.
2) Must not be considered a threat by the subject he is studying.
3) Must inflict Sneak Attack damage on the subject he is studying w/ a melee weapon.
4) Can take no other actions than hiding, following the subject, talking, and observing, and each round must take a standard action observing.

If and when the Assassin manages to do all of this, the target he hits must make a savings throw equal to 10 + damage dealt or die outright as the blade inflicts a lethal wound.

Poison Use:

The Assassin is accomplished at applying poisons to his weapons, and risks nothing in attempting to apply them to his weaponry.

Finesse:

The assassin is skilled at making flicking, flowing and dance like moves while attacking his enemies instead of relying on punching holes in his enemy through brute strength. He gains Weapon Finesse, as the feat.

First Person I:

The Assassin, 1/encounter, treats his Initiative as 5 higher than what he really rolled.

Practiced:

The assassin has become more confident and able to utilize the skills of his trade that allow him to perform effectively in the field. The assassin adds one point of his intelligence modifier to all skills on the Assassin skill list/2 levels.

Still Posture:

On any Hide check made in a position of concealment where the Assassins skill check exceeds 10 + his Assassin level, the Assassin treats his position as one of total concealment instead.

Quick to the Blade:

The assassins many battles have taught him that having your blade out first and having your draw smooth enough where it doesn’t hamper with the other things you might wish to do in a given moment is of the utmost importance. He gains Quick Draw as the feat.

Death Attack II:

The efficiency of the Assassins’ death attack has improved, and he has garnered expertise in applying ranged weaponry efficiently. Death Attack II functions as Death Attack I with the following exceptions:

1) The assassin can study the target from a range of 20 feet instead of 10 feet.
2) The Assassin can use Death Attack by inflicting a sneak attack with a ranged weapon.
3) The Assassin can take any actions so long as he spend a standard action each round studying his target.

Shadow Meld:

The Assassin is skilled at holding himself immobile to Hide while people look for him. If he is unobserved, the Assassin can press himself into a shadow and narrow his visible profile, hiding. He may do such for a number of rounds equal to his Constitution modifier. The Assassin, each round afterwards, must make a DC 5 + number of rounds spent after the initial minutes hiding or become fatigued and unable to Hide in this fashion.

Murderous Pairing:

The Assassin has began studying the effectiveness of making not one but two deadly attacks against a studied opponent, and has decided to study two weapon combat overall. He gains Two-Weapon-Fighting, as the feat.

First Person II:

1/encounter, the Assassin may treat his initiative as 10 higher than it actually is.

Practiced:

The Assassins ability to utilize his skills increases even further as time has taught him ins and outs that makes others, even others with the same skills, pale in comparison. He adds his Intelligence modifier + ½ his assassin class levels to all skills on the Assassin skill list.

Mobile:

The Assassin is accomplished at evading attacks that he knows he will encounter when attempting to make his moves. He gains Mobility as the feat, automatically.

Hide in Plain Sight:

This functions as the Shadowdancer (DMG pg 194) ability of the same name.

Death Attack III:

The Assassin has performed enough Death Attacks in his career to make his attacks land just right, to make the killing blow truly lethal, as he intends. This functions as Death Attack II with the following exceptions:

1) The Assassin can study his target from a distance of 30 feet.
2) The Assassins Death Attack DC is 15 + damage dealt.

Duo of Slaughter:

The Assassin is particularly accomplished at making Death come in twos, and his initial forays into the study of two weapon combat have proven effective, so he has begun training with a renewed vigor in two weapon combat. He gains Improved Two Weapon Fighting, as the feat.

Run of Pain:

The Assassin is skilled at using his attacks while on the move, splitting up his painful strikes on the move. He gains Spring Attack, as the feat.

Stalk:

The Assassin is skilled at following a single target without his or her or its notice, evading detection with exceptional skill. The target must be within 30 feet of the Assassin, or else he cannot accurately shadow its movements. When he is, whenever the target attempts to make a Spot, Listen, or Search check where he could potentially detect the Assassin, the Assassins Hide & Move Silently rolls are treated as 10 higher than they actually were. Additionally, the Assassin can accept, at a -10 penalty, to make Hide & Move Silently checks only against the designated targets while remaining plain and easy to see for others.

First Person III:

The Assassin can, 3/encounter, treat his Initiative as five higher than it actually is, 2/encounter treat it as 10 higher than it actually is, and 1/encounter treat it as 20 higher than it actually is. These do not stack.

Deadly Coupling:

The Assassin has trained himself in accurate combat with a pair of light blades, striking every time with unerring precision while still wielding two weapons. He gains Greater-Two-Weapon Fighting, as the feat.

Ambidextrous:

The Assassin is no longer bound by the natural limitations of Two-Weapon Fighting, and wields both blades like natural extensions of his body. He gains a +4 bonus to all attack rolls and damage rolls when using two weapons.

Vanish:

The Assassin kills and vanishes without a trace, an act that took far more practice than the typical person could believe. Whenever he makes a death attack, so long as he is within five feet of a place that has a shadow, would grant concealment, or has cover, he can take a five foot step and become invisible. People who see his Death Attack can make a DC 10 + Assassin Hide Check to realize he was there and that they saw him, but the Assassin himself cannot be seen. The Assassin can move five feet per round, making a new Hide check every round in order to remain hidden. If he doesn’t move, he remains invisible.

Phantom:

The Assassin defies imagination; that he could once have been present and before you is something to be unsure of. When the Assassin makes a Hide check and succeeds against an opponents Spot check, the enemy must make a Will Save of 10 + ½ the Assassins Hide check result or make himself believe that he hasn’t actually seen the Assassin, unintentionally forgetting that the Assassin was ever there.

Deaths Hail:

The Assassin, upon making Death Attacks, may make another Death Attack to every creature within five feet. Each time, the DC goes down by five cumulatively, and ceases to function when a creature succeeds on his savings throw. Otherwise, the Assassin makes Death Attacks until no more creatures within five feet are alive. The Assassin may choose not to target a creature with this attack, but doing makes him unable to make any more Death Attacks as part of the round.

Death Attack IV:

Death Attack IV functions like Death Attack III, with the following exceptions:

1) The Assassin can maximize the damage of a number of sneak attack dice equal to his Intelligence Modifier to a maximum of five, effectively increasing the Save DC.
2) The Assassin only needs to observe an opponent for a single round in order to make a Death Attack.
3) The Assassin can study his opponents from a distance of sixty feet.


For information on assassins strikes and stuff, read below.


Assassin Strikes:

An Assassin strike is something that the Assassin can inflict with any Sneak Attack by lowering the amount of Sneak Attack Dice his rolls as bonus damage. These strikes are called Anatomical strikes. Anatomical strikes are strikes that are directed at a part of the subjects body and hamper him in some way. Every four levels, the Assassin gains two new Anatomical Strikes of increasing quality. He must pick from a list of 4 abilities that are Anatomical. The Assassin has four of every grade. Assassin Strike quality are divided into five categories:

1) Least – the strike hampers the enemy in some minor way, much as a 0-1st level spells might.
2) Lesser – the strike hampers the enemy in a noteworthy way, much as a 2-3rd level spell might.
3) Damaging – the Strike hampers the enemy in a significant way, often enough to make that opponent die several rounds sooner that it otherwise might. Debilitation is on par with that of a 4-5th level spell.
4) Debilitating – The strike hampers the enemy in a fashion which leaves them mostly useless and completely negates at least one of their tactical options. Debilitation is on par with a 6-7th level spell.
5) Fatal – The enemy is basically dead on his feet for the time being…and will probably just be outright dead in a short while. Debilitation is on par with an 8-9th level spell.

The more powerful the ability is, the more damage the Assassin is forced to sacrifice. For example, a Fatal level Deceptive ability makes the Assassins’ Death Attack utterly unnoticeable – only by making a DC 10 + Assassins Sleight of Hand roll Spot check would you be able to notice that the Assassin leaned forward, drew a weapon and sliced his opponents neck in a single strike, and then sheathed it and resumed his position prior to leaning forward; this requires sacrificing 5d6 damage dice from ones Sneak Attack, which also lowers the DC of the Death Attack. A Least ability, however, such as Heel Slice, makes it so the Assassin rolls one of his d6 Sneak Attack dice as a d4, and if the opponent fails his savings throw, the opponent cannot run more than 1x his base land speed without needing to make a balance check with a DC of 10 + damage dealt or fall prone. The abilities are as follows:

Anatomical:

Least Grade – roll one sneak attack dice as a d4:

1) Foot stab: The Assassin dives low and stabs the opponent in the foot or heel. To perform a Foot Stab, the Assassin must make a successful sneak attack. If he does, the victim must make a fortitude savings throw equal to 10 + Damage Dealt or become unable to run more than 1x his base land speed.
2) Hand Stab: The Assassin stabs his foe in the hand, making holding anything of small or smaller size impossible. Note that the foe cannot be moving when this is done, and cannot be greater than Medium size.
3) Hamstring I: The Assassin hits the opponent behind the knee and hamstrings him. The targets’ move speed is reduced by 5 feet for 2 rounds.
4) Throat Punch: The Assassin punches his target in the throat, impeding speech. The target cannot vocalize for 2 rounds.

Lesser Grade – Subtract 2d6 from Sneak Attack Damage

1) Chest slice: The Assassin makes a wide, shallow cut across the victims chest, aiming more to cause a large bleeding wound rather than a deep, damaging one. The victim bleeds a number of points every round equal to the Assassins Wisdom modifier upon failing a DC 10 + damage dealt fortitude save for a number of rounds equal to ½ the Assassins level.
2) Shoulder Stab: The Assassin plunges his weapon into a nerve cluster located in the victims shoulder. The victim must make a Fortitude save equal to 10 + damage dealt or become unable to move that arm for 2 rounds.
3) Eye Gauge: The Assassin makes an unarmed sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage against the target. If he succeeds, the target is blinded for 2 rounds (no save.)
4) Hamstring II: The Assassin hamstrings his opponent, diving low and making a precise cut. The opponent cannot run more than 2x his move speed, and his move speed is reduced by 10 feet for 3 rounds.

Damaging Grade – Subtract 3d6 from Sneak Attack Damage

1) Arterial Cut: The assassin cuts the artery running on the front of an opponents arms, causing a significant bleed. The opponent takes twice the Assassins Wisdom modifier in damage every round upon failing a DC 10 + damage dealt Fortitude save for a number of rounds equal to ½ the Assassins level.
2) Concussive Strike: The Assassin brings both of his hands over the victims head, inflicting a nonlethal sneak attack. If the Assassin succeeds, the victim is deafened for 5 rounds (no save).
3) Kidney Stab: The Assassin aims a careful stab into the kidney of his victim, causing toxins to fill the blood of his opponent. The opponent is sickened upon failing a DC 10 + Damage dealt Fortitude save, and remains sickened for 10 rounds.
4) Hamstring III: The Assassin hamstrings his opponent, diving low and making a precise cut. The opponents move speed is reduced by 15 feet for four rounds, and cannot move more than 1x his move speed.

Debilitating Grade – Subtract 4d6 from Sneak Attack Damage

1) Arterial Sunder: The Assassin puts his blade accurately through a small artery, cutting it completely in half. The opponent bleeds a number of hit points every round equal to 3x the Assassins Wisdom modifier for a number of rounds equal to ½ the Assassins level.
2) Liver Puncture: The Assassin drives his blade through the opponents liver, opening a hole on both sides of it. The opponent has a -10 to all Fortitude saves vs poisons until he receives a Cure spells or heals naturally, which takes twice as long. The opponent is also sickened upon failing a DC 10 + damage dealt fortitude save until the liver puncture is healed.
3) Crush Windpipe: The Assassin makes a nonlethal sneak attack and punches the enemy in the throat, making it impossible for him to talk and causing him to suffocate until his hit points are healed.
4) Hamstring IV: The Assassin Hamstrings his opponent, diving low and making a precise cut. The opponents move speed is reduced by 20 feet. In addition, whenever the opponent moves, he must make a balance check equal to 10 + damage dealt or fall prone.

Fatal Grade – Subtract 5d6 from Sneak Attack Damage

1) Vessel Cleave: The Assassin cuts through many different arteries and vessels with a single cut aimed at his victim’s chest. The victim bleeds a number of points per round equal to four times the Assassins wisdom modifier for a number of rounds equal to the Assassins level.
2) Hamstring IV: The Assassin Hamstrings his opponent, diving low and making a precise cut. The opponent loses use of his legs until his health is healed.
3) Toxic Blood: The Assassin punctures both kidneys and the liver, sacrificing damage for the ability to mess with his opponents body. Upon failing a DC 10 + damage dealt fortitude save, the Assassin makes his opponent nauseated. In addition, the opponent fails any fortitude save to resist poison and disease until he has had Remove Poison and Heal cast on him.
4) Temple Strike: The Assassin strikes an opponent with a nonlethal unarmed attack to the temple, and the victim loses all ability to speak, hear, and see. This is negated with a Fortitude and Will save with a DC of 10 + damage taken. If either save is failed, the victim becomes blind, deaf, and mute.


Anyways, this was what I've been working on from 7:00 PM to 3:02 AM. Just now posted it. I may stay up for half an hour. IF you want, you can subscribe to the rest of my campaign world by reading the below post, ''connecting to forum'' to see what this would look like when compared to the rest of my campaign world changes.

ShadowyFigure
2007-12-23, 06:10 AM
I prsent to you the class table generator. (http://www.pifro.com/dnd/index.php)

Use it. Will look over your class now.

Brom
2007-12-23, 06:15 AM
I'm going to bed, but post anyways, I want to see your thoughts.