Assassin fix (My version) [PEACH and help]

[TheGeek]

Hey there.

As we all know, the Assassin PrC was designed for evil characters, and as such has all sorts of nasty goodies (if that's not oxymoronic) in it, like poison use and death attacks.

We also know that the Assassin is only fit for a sea-based campaign aboard the Failboat.

So, we turn to the Avenger, but find out that apart from flavor and a neutral alignment, this, too, consists of fail.

Personally, I don't really like the idea of my campaign world's "assassins" using poison. While I won't go so far as to require them to remove a ring finger (come on, who hasn't wanted an Hashashin prestige class with a hidden blade? Admit it), I'd like to go with somethink akin in flavor, the idea of an honorable assassin.

So I'll go with the fluff of the Avenger.

Since I don't want poison use, I've taken the Assassin table and removed the entire poison aspect.


1st+0+0+2+0Sneak attack +1d6, death attack, [Removed Poison Use], spells0
2nd+1+0+3+0 [Removed Poison Resistance +1], uncanny dodge1
3rd+2+1+3+1 Sneak attack +2d620
4th+3+1+4+1 [Removed Poison Resistance +2] 31
5th+3+1+4+1Improved uncanny dodge, sneak attack +3d6320
6th+4+2+5+2 [Removed Poison Resistance +3] 331
7th+5+2+5+2Sneak attack +4d63320
8th+6+2+6+2 [Removed Poison Resistance +4], hide in plain sight3331
9th+6+36+3Sneak attack +5d63332
10th+7+3+7+3 [Removed Poison Resistance +5] 3333

I'd like to also make some big changes, like making it a full BAB class, since rogues that can't hit anything don't get sneak attacks.

What do you all think? Does removing the poison and adding full BAB make this a balanced class? I don't think so myself, but how about you?

[palindrome]

Unless I'm missing something, aside from the Death Attack, there isn't really anything that differentiates this from the rogue. The full BAB would certainly make it functionally MUCH better than the rogue, but the problem with this, is that I don't think a full BAB makes it any more INTERESTING to play.

I'd go for special features that make the assassin more appealing, over against simply upping the BAB. A better BAB doesn't add any flavor, which seems to be something that you're going for with your update. Maybe add some class features that give the assassin some sort of honor bonus if they have a target deserving of death (this is more paladinesque, but hey, who says it can't happen), or something along those lines.

Also, you have a class that shirks poison as dishonorable, but at the same time they get sneak attack damage... it might not be the case but this feels like dissonance to me.