3.5 Assassin's Fix?

[Dusk Eclipse]

Is there a good assassin fix somewhere in this board? my search fu is extremely weak so I didn't find it.

Also try to avoid a ToB fix, while I like the book, I want to see other options beside a swordsage.

Thanks in advance

[Oslecamo]

Actually the assassin is one of the most balanced Prcs out there. It's very close to the power of the rogue, the class wich is suposed to take it.

It grants good sneak attack progression, one good save, slitly less skill points but gets spells and some extra abilities in return.

If you want something more powerfull than a rogue, then I present you the ToB power level assassin class:

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HD: d6
Skill Points: 6+Int Mod
Class Skills

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The assassin’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft: Poison Making (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Iaijutsu Focus (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (local) + any 3 others (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex).

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|

Special

|Speed Bonus

1st|

+0

|

+0

|

+2

|

+0

|Sneak Attack +1d6; Trapfinding; Death Attack|

+0 ft.

2nd|

+1

|

+0

|

+3

|

+0

|Evasion; Dagger Apprentice; Maneuvers|

+0 ft.

3rd|

+2

|

+1

|

+3

|

+1

|Sneak Attack +2d6; Bonus Feat; Maneuvers|

+10 ft.

4th|

+3

|

+1

|

+4

|

+1

|Slow Fall 20ft.; Uncanny Dodge; Maneuvers|

+10 ft.

5th|

+3

|

+1

|

+4

|

+1

|Sneak Attack +3d6; Penetrating Strike; Maneuvers|

+10 ft.

6th|

+4

|

+2

|

+5

|

+2

|Slow Fall 30ft.; Dagger Initiate; Bonus Feat; Maneuvers|

+20 ft.

7th|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|

+2

|Sneak Attack +4d6; Bonus Feat; Maneuvers|

+20 ft.

8th|

+6/1

|

+2

|

+6

|

+2

|Slow Fall 40ft.; Improved Uncanny Dodge|

+20 ft.

9th|

+6/1

|

+3

|

+6

|

+3

|Sneak Attack +5d6; Bonus Feat; Maneuvers|

+30 ft.

10th|

+7/2

|

+3

|

+7

|

+3

|Slow Fall 50ft.; Dagger Master; Improved Evasion; Maneuvers|

+30 ft.

11th|

+8/3

|

+3

|

+7

|

+3

|Sneak Attack +6d6; Bonus Feat|

+30 ft.

12th|

+9/4

|

+4

|

+8

|

+4

|Slow Fall 60ft.; Poison Expert; Maneuvers|

+40 ft.

13th|

+9/4

|

+4

|

+8

|

+4

|Sneak Attack +7d6; Maneuvers|

+40 ft.

14th|

+10/5

|

+4

|

+9

|

+4

|Slow Fall 70ft.; Hide in Plane Sight; Maneuvers|

+40 ft.

15th|

+11/6/1

|

+5

|

+9

|

+5

|Sneak Attack +8d6; Maneuvers|

+50 ft.

16th|

+12/7/2

|

+5

|

+10

|

+5

|Slow Fall 80ft.; Skill Mastery|

+50 ft.

17th|

+12/7/2

|

+5

|

+10

|

+5

|Sneak Attack +9d6|

+50 ft.

18th|

+13/8/3

|

+6

|

+11

|

+6

|Slow Fall 90ft.|

+60 ft.

19th|

+14/9/4

|

+6

|

+11

|

+6

|Sneak Attack +10d6|

+60 ft.

20th|

+15/10/5

|

+6

|

+12

|

+6

|Slow Fall any distance; Shadow Mind|

+60 ft.

[/table]

Trapfinding
Assassins can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20.

Finding a nonmagical trap has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic trap has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.

Assassins can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.

An Assassin who beats a trap’s DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with her party) without disarming it.

Sneak Attack
If an assassin can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

The assassin’s attack deals extra damage any time her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the assassin flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and it increases by 1d6 every two rogue levels thereafter. Should the assassin score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied.

Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

With a sap (blackjack) or an unarmed strike, an assassin can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual -4 penalty.

An assassin can sneak attack only living creatures with discernible anatomies—undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to sneak attacks. The assassin must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. An assassin cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.

Death Attack
If an assassin studies his victim for 3 rounds and then makes a sneak attack with a dagger that successfully deals damage, the sneak attack has the additional effect of possibly either paralyzing or killing the target (assassin’s choice). While studying the victim, the assassin can undertake other actions so long as his attention stays focused on the target and the target does not detect the assassin or recognize the assassin as an enemy. If the victim of such an attack fails a Fortitude save (DC equal to the assassin’s class level + the assassin’s Int modifier) against the kill effect, she dies. If the saving throw fails against the paralysis effect, the victim is rendered helpless and unable to act for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per level of the assassin. If the victim’s saving throw succeeds and the assassin chose the killing effect, the attack is a normal sneak attack that deals normal sneak attack damage plus an additional (assassin‘s class level)d6 damage. If the assassin chose the paralyzing effect, the attack is a normal sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage. Once the assassin has completed the 3 rounds of study, he must make the death attack within the next 3 rounds.

If a death attack is attempted and fails (the victim makes her save) or if the assassin does not launch the attack within 3 rounds of completing the study, 3 new rounds of study are required before he can attempt another death attack.

So long as all other conditions needed to make a death attack are met, any of the assassin’s strike maneuvers can be used to deliver the attack

Dagger Apprentice (Ex)
Starting at 2nd level, when wielding a dagger you may use your Dexterity modifier in place of your strength modifier on attack rolls. Dagger Apprentice can be used in place of Weapon Finesse to qualify for a feat, prestige class, or other special ability. If this substitution allows you to gain a benefit that normally applies to all finesse weapons, it instead applies only to daggers.

Evasion (Ex)
At 2nd level and higher, an assassin can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the assassin is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless assassin does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Bonus Feats
At 3rd level, an assassin gains Quick Draw as a bonus feat. At 6th level, she gains Two-Weapon Fighting as a bonus feat. At 7th level, she gains Leap of the Heavens as a bonus feat. At 9th level, she gains Up the Walls as a bonus feat. At 11th level, she gains Spring Attack as a bonus feat. A monk need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to gain them and is always considered Psionically Focused for purposes of the Up the Walls feat (and for no other purpose).

Fast Movement (Ex)
At 3rd level, an assassin gains an enhancement bonus to her speed, as shown on Table: The Assassin. An assassin loses this extra speed if she isn’t wearing light armor or no armor.

Slow Fall (Ex)
At 4th level or higher, an assassin within arm’s reach of a wall can use it to slow her descent. When first using this ability, she takes damage as if the fall were 20 feet shorter than it actually is. The assassin’s ability to slow her fall (that is, to reduce the effective distance of the fall when next to a wall) improves with her assassin level until at 20th level she can use a nearby wall to slow her descent and fall any distance without harm.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
Starting at 4th level, an assassin can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

If an assassin already has uncanny dodge from a different class she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

Penetrating Strike (Ex)
Starting at 5th level, when wielding a dagger you can sneak attack creatures normally immune (undead, constructs, etc.) to sneak attacks, dealing half the damage you would deal to a non-immune creature.

Dagger Initiate (Ex)
Starting at 6th level, when you attack with a dagger you may add your Dexterity modifier as a bonus on melee damage for attacks made with the weapon.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
At 8th level, an assassin can no longer be flanked, since he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies rogues the ability to use flank attacks to sneak attack the assassin. The exception to this defense is that a rogue at least four levels higher than the assassin can flank him (and thus sneak attack him).

If a character gains uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge, and the levels from those classes stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.

Improved Evasion (Ex)
At 10th level, a monk’s evasion ability improves. She still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, but henceforth she takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Dagger Master (Ex)
Starting at 10th level, when you wield a dagger in each hand you may attack once with each dagger as a standard action. If you use a Strike Maneuver you may attack once with your off hand weapon but the off hand attack doesn’t gain the benefits of the strike.

When you attack with two daggers the penalty you take on attack rolls for fighting with two weapons is reduced by 2.

Poison Expert (Ex)
At 10th level, assassins are fully trained in the use of poison and never risk accidentally poisoning themselves when applying poison to a blade. By virtue of the many accidentally poisonings suffered by the assassin over the years and the massive quantities of antivenom that she has imbibed, she has built up an immunity to poisons of all kinds.

Hide in Plain Sight (Ex)
At 14th level, an assassin can use the Hide skill even while being observed. As long as he is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, an assassin can hide himself from view in the open without having anything to actually hide behind. He cannot, however, hide in his own shadow.


Skill Mastery
At 16th level the assassin becomes so certain in the use of certain skills that she can use them reliably even under adverse conditions.

Upon gaining this ability, she selects a number of skills equal to 1 + her Intelligence modifier. When making a skill check with one of these skills, she may take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent her from doing so.

Shadow Mind (Ex)
At 20th level the assassin has reached the pinnacle of her profession and gains this ability.
The assassin knows whenever anyone, anywhere attempts to gain information about her through the use of divination spells, powers, or abilities and she chooses what the creature learns. This applies to such spells as true seeing, see invisible, detect magic, detect thoughts, and others. For example, if a human assassin was polymorphed into an elf and something viewed her while under the effects of true seeing the assassin chooses what that creature views as the truth (she appears to be the elf, she appears to be a dragon polymorphed into an elf, whatever the assassin decides). The assassin is also protected against all spells that influence her thoughts or emotions as well, she is aware of any attempted tampering and can choose what the effects are. For example, if a wizard uses Mind Rape on her then he will view whatever memories the assassin allows him to, or fake memories created by the assassin, and any alterations that he chooses to make are known to the assassin but don’t affect her. As far as the wizard can detect though, the spell worked exactly as it was supposed to. This ability can be used in place of the Slippery Mind class feature to meet the prerequisites for any item, feat, or prestige class.


Maneuvers
Starting at 2nd level Assassin’s gain maneuvers and stances according to the table below. These maneuvers, while in many ways similar to those in the Tome of Battle, are different in the following ways. If one multiclasses into a martial adept class, those levels and your assassin levels do not stack. These maneuvers likewise can’t be recovered along with your martial adept maneuvers. These maneuvers don’t meet the prerequisites for any other maneuvers, feats, prestige classes, or items unless the maneuver, feat, prestige class, or item specifically states that they do. All assassin maneuvers are considered to be extraordinary abilities unless that maneuvers description notes otherwise. None of the assassin’s maneuvers provoke attacks of opportunity when initiated or are affected by spell resistance.

At 3rd level an Assassin can ready 1 maneuver that he knows, the number of readied maneuvers increases as the assassin levels until he reaches the point where he can ready 4 maneuvers at once at level 15. You ready
your maneuvers by meditating and exercising for 5 minutes. The maneuvers you choose remain readied until you decide to meditate again and change them. You need not sleep or rest for any long period of time to ready your maneuvers; any time you spend 5 minutes in meditation, you can change your readied maneuvers.

You begin an encounter with all your readied maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times you might have already used them since you chose them. When you initiate a maneuver, you expend it for the current encounter, so each of your readied maneuvers can be used once per encounter (unless you recover them, as described below).

Every time an assassin successfully lands a sneak attack that deals damage she may recover any 1 expended maneuver or switch any 1 of her currently readied or expended maneuvers for any 1 other maneuver that she knows.

Maneuvers Table

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{table=head]Level|Maneuvers Gained|Stances Gained|Maneuvers and Stances Lost|Maneuvers Readied
2| |Child of Shadow<br>Step of the Wind| |0
3|Chilling Blade<br>Cloak of Deception<br>Sudden Leap<br>Sapphire Nightmare Blade| | |1
4|Shadow Jaunt<br>Distracting Shadow| | |1
5|Emerald Razor<br>Shade Strike| | |1
6| |Dance of the Spider| |2
7|Lighting Recovery<br>Freezing Blade<br>Slashing Tornado| |Chilling Blade|2
9|Dancing Mongoose<br>Shadow Stride|Hearing the Air|Shadow Jaunt|2
10|Shadow Tempest<br>Moment of Alacrity| | |2
12|Ghost Blade<br>Stalker in the Night| | |3
13|Quicksilver Motion<br>Shadow Blade| |Freezing Blade|3
14|Shadow Blink<br>Raging Mongoose|Balance on the Sky|Shadow Stride<br>Dancing Mongoose<br>Slashing Tornado<br>Step of the Wind<br>Dance of the Spider|3
15|One With Shadow| | |4[/table]

Maneuver's Descriptions

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Chilling Blade

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CHILLING BLADE
Assassin (Boost) [Cold]
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of turn

Your blade becomes chill to the touch as it sweeps toward your foe in an elegant arc.

A subtle yet precise twisting of your blade unlocks the power of the shadows. When you initiate this maneuver, water trails from your melee weapon as the moisture in the air condenses on the blade. For the rest of your turn, your melee attacks deal an extra 1d6 points of cold damage + 1 point per Assassin level.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Cloak of Deception

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CLOAK OF DECEPTION
Assassin (Boost)
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of turn

The shadows around you seem to surge forward and engulf you. For a brief moment, they render you invisible.

When you initiate this maneuver, you turn invisible, as the greater invisibility spell (PH 245). You remain invisible until the end of your current turn.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Sudden Leap

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SUDDEN LEAP
Assassin (Boost)
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

You leap to a new position in the blink of an eye, leaving your opponents baffled.

You can make a Jump check as a swift action and move the distance determined by your check result. You
provoke attacks of opportunity with this movement, and you must move in a straight line. As with any movement, you can attempt a Tumble check to avoid any attacks you provoke with this sudden leap. You can’t move through enemies, unless you succeed on the appropriate Tumble check.

Sapphire Nightmare Blade

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SAPPHIRE NIGHTMARE BLADE
Assassin (Strike)
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature

Your study your enemy for a brief moment, watching his defensive maneuvers and making a strike timed to take advantage of a lull in his vigilance.

The sapphire nightmare blade is one of the most basic, but important, maneuvers that an Assassin studies. It illustrates that a keen mind can pierce even the toughest defenses. You attempt a Concentration check as part of this maneuver, using the target creature’s AC as the DC of the check. You then make a single melee attack against your target. The attack is also part of this maneuver. If your Concentration check succeeds, the target is flat-footed against your attack, and you deal an extra 1d6 points of damage. If your check fails,
your attack is made with a –2 penalty and deals normal damage.

Shadow Jaunt

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SHADOW JAUNT
Assassin [Teleportation]
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: 50 ft.
Target: You

A cloud of shadow energy engulfs you, spins into a tiny mote, and disappears. A moment later, this shadowy cloud appears across the battlefield and expels you from it.

As part of this maneuver, you disappear in a cloud of darkness and teleport up to 50 feet away. You don‘t need either line of sight or line of effect to your destination to use this maneuver, if you lack either you may instead specify a direction and distance to move. If you attempt to use this maneuver to move into an occupied space, you do not move, and the maneuver is expended but has no effect.

Distracting Shadow

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DISTRACTING SHADOW
Assassin (Boost)
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: 30 ft.
Effect: One summoned shadow elemental
Duration: End of turn

A wave of shadow sweeps over the area, converging into a small shade next to your foe.

This boost allows you to conjure a Small Shadow elemental (side bar) to threaten your enemy, providing you or an ally with the benefit of a flanking position. You can use this ability to place the elemental in any space within range. The elemental remains until the end of your current turn. It threatens all creatures within its reach. It takes no actions or attacks of opportunity during your turn.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Shadow Elemental

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Shadow Elemental, Small
Size/Type: Small Elemental (Cold, Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 2d8 (9 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +3 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-3
Attack: Slam +3 melee (1d4 plus 1d4 cold)
Full Attack: Slam +3 melee (1d4 plus 1d4 cold)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: ---
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits, immunity to cold, vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +4, Will +0
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +2, Spot +3
Feats: Dodge, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 3 HD (Small)
Level Adjustment: —

Emerald Razor

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EMERALD RAZOR
Assassin (Strike)
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature

You stare at your enemy, studying his every move. You mentally probe his defenses in search of a weakness. A lesser warrior could spent long minutes pondering this problem, but you see an opening and seize upon it in an instant.

Your understanding of combat, your keenly honed mind, and your capability to read your opponents make you a deadly combatant. When you focus your mind, even the most elusive opponent becomes an easy target. As part of this maneuver, make a single melee attack against an opponent. This is a touch attack rather than a standard melee attack. If you hit, you deal normal melee damage.

Shade Strike

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SHADE STRIKE
Assassin (Strike)
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature or unattended
object

Like a shadow, you strike with exacting precision, hitting the weak point present in even the toughest of defenses.

As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. This attack deals an extra 2d6 points of damage and automatically overcomes damage reduction and hardness.

Lighting Recovery

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LIGHTNING RECOVERY
Assassin (Counter)
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You

Your foe twists out of the way of your initial attack, but your weapon becomes a blur as you reverse direction and strike at him again with lightning speed. In the blink of an eye, you complete your at tack and resume your defensive posture. This maneuver embodies the ethos of speed and energy that the Assassin exemplifies.

If one of your melee attacks misses, you can initiate this maneuver to reroll that attack roll with a +2 bonus.

Freezing Blade

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FREEZING BLADE
Assassin (Boost) [Cold]
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of turn

Your weapon seems to absorb the ambient heat, causing those around you to shiver in the sudden cold.

You focus the energy around you, feeding it to your dagger’s shadow. Until the end of your turn, your melee attacks deal an extra 2d6 points of cold damage + 1 point per assassin level.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Slashing Tornado

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SLASHING TORNADO
Assassin (Strike)
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: All adjacent opponents

Your dagger leaves a shadowy afterimage as you spin in a circle, slashing every enemy around you across the gut.

When you initiate this strike, you make a melee attack against every opponent adjacent to you. Resolve each attack separately. You gain a +2 bonus on each of these attacks, which are otherwise made at your highest attack bonus.

Dancing Mongoose

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DANCING MONGOOSE
Assassin (Boost)
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of turn

You swing your weapons about you in a blur of speed, making a series of devastating attacks in the space of a single breath.

You make a flurry of deadly attacks. After initiating this boost, you can make one additional attack with each weapon you wield (to a maximum of two extra attacks if you wield two or more weapons). These extra attacks are made at your highest attack bonus for each of your respective weapons. All of these attacks must be directed against the same opponent.

Shadow Stride

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SHADOW STRIDE
Assassin [Teleportation]
Initiation Action: 1 move action or 1 standard action (assassin’s choice)
Range: 50 ft.
Target: You

You dissipate into a puff of black shadow. A moment later, the shadow coalesces, and you appear fifty feet away.

This maneuver functions as the shadow jaunt maneuver, except that it can be initiated as either a move action or a standard action (assassin‘s choice).

Shadow Tempest

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SHADOW TEMPEST
Assassin (Strike)
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
Range: Personal
Target: You

You move in a blur, leaving shadowy afterimages in your wake as you twirl around the battlefield, slicing into your foes as you move.

As part of this maneuver, you move up to your speed. Each time you exit a square adjacent to an enemy, you can first make a single melee attack against that foe. You cannot attack a single enemy more than once with this maneuver, this overrides the Dagger Master class feature. Your movement provokes attacks of opportunity, as normal.

Moment of Alacrity

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MOMENT OF ALACRITY
Assassin (Boost)
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

You step into a space between heartbeats and act again while your enemies are still reacting to your last strike.

You can improve your initiative count for the next round and all subsequent rounds of the current encounter. When you initiate this maneuver, your initiative count improves by 20, and your place in the initiative order changes accordingly. This modifier applies at the end of the round. Your place in the initiative order changes to reflect moment of alacrity’s effect starting with the next round.

Ghost Blade

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GHOST BLADE
Assassin (Strike)
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature

A smile brightens your foe’s eyes; he has dodged your blow. But that was merely the ghost blade. The real blade is cutting swiftly from underneath, and yet he still smiles. . . .

As part of this maneuver, you make a melee attack. As you strike at your opponent, you create an illusory double of your weapon. This double slashes at your opponent, tricking him into mistaking it for your attack. In truth, the illusion cloaks your real attack. Your opponent is caught flat-footed against this strike, as the hidden attack from a new direction ruins his defenses.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Stalker in the Night

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STALKER IN THE NIGHT
Assassin (Strike)
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature

You slide through the dark like a bird of prey, emerging only to strike down your foe before sliding back into shadow’s welcoming embrace.

As part of this maneuver, you move up to your speed and make a single melee attack at any point during your movement. If you were hidden before initiating this maneuver, you can keep the results of your previous Hide and Move Silently checks even though you move and attack. As long as you end your turn in a spot that allows you to hide, your foes must make Spot and Listen checks as normal to discern your presence. Your movement and this maneuver’s attack have no effect on your Hide and Move Silently results, however your extra attack from the dagger master class feature does effect your Hide and Move Silently results if you choose to use it in the same round that you use Stalker in the Night. Your single attack can be a death attack if you meet all the other conditions for using your death attack ability.

Quicksilver Motion

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QUICKSILVER MOTION
Assassin (Boost)
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You

In the blink of an eye, you make your move. Your speed, reflexes, and boundless confidence combine to allow you to make a fast, bold move that catches your foes off guard.

With a burst of energy, you move forward to press an attack, draw an item from your backpack, or take some other move action. Your training, mental acuity, and drive allow you to move with greater speed and confidence than other warriors. This maneuver requires a swift action to initiate. You can take a free move action after you initiate this maneuver. You can use any of the options available for a move action. You can then use the rest of your actions as normal. For example, you could use this maneuver to move next to
a foe, then take a full attack action. You could move, then make a charge attack, and so forth. The move action you gain from this maneuver provokes attacks of opportunity as normal.

Shadow Blade

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SHADOW BLADE
Assassin (Boost) [Cold]
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of turn

Your daggers blade seems to absorb the light, and for a split second, it transforms into pure shadow, absorbing the energies of whatever it strikes.

You focus the energy of the shadows around you, concentrating it in the blade of your dagger. Until the end
of your turn, your melee attacks deal an extra 3d6 points of cold damage + 1 point per assassin level.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Shadow Blink

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SHADOW BLINK
Assassin [Teleportation]
Initiation Action: 1 swift action, 1 move action, or 1 standard action (assassin’s choice)
Range: 50 ft.
Target: You

In the blink of an eye, you disappear and emerge from a mote of shadow energy across the battlefield.

This maneuver functions as the shadow jaunt maneuver, except that it can be initiated as a swift action, move action, or standard action (assassin‘s choice).

Raging Mongoose

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RAGING MONGOOSE
Assassin (Boost)
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of turn

You unleash a ferocious volley of attacks, setting aside all thoughts of caution and self-preservation.

You make a flurry of deadly attacks. After initiating this boost, you can make two additional attacks with each weapon you wield (to a maximum of four extra attacks if you wield two or more weapons). These extra attacks are made at your highest attack bonus for each of your respective weapons. You can spread these attacks out among as many foes as you wish.

One With Shadow

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ONE WITH SHADOW
Assassin (Counter)
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/ 2 assassin levels

You fade into the raw essence of shadow, turning transparent, then insubstantial.

As an immediate action, you become incorporeal. You gain all the benefits of the incorporeal subtype, along with the drawbacks, as outlined in the Incorporeal Subtype sidebar. All of your gear becomes incorporeal, although you cannot grant this state to a living creature that you touch or carry. You remain incorporeal until the duration expires or you choose to end it, which you can do at any time as a free action. You must have been corporeal for at least 1 full round before initiating this maneuver.

Incorporeal Subtype

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Incorporeal Subtype:
Some creatures are incorporeal by nature, while others (such as those that become ghosts) can acquire the incorporeal subtype. An incorporeal creature has no physical body. It can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons or creatures that strike as magic weapons, and spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities. It is immune to all nonmagical attack forms. Even when hit by spells, including touch spells, or magic weapons, it has a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source (except for positive energy, negative energy, force effects such as magic missile, or attacks made with ghost touch weapons). Nondamaging spell effects affect incorporeal creatures normally unless they require corporeal targets to function (such as implosion) or they create a corporeal effect that incorporeal creatures would normally be unaffected by (such as a web or wall of stone spell). Although it is not a magical attack, holy water can affect incorporeal undead, but a hit with holy water has a 50% chance of not affecting an incorporeal creature.
An incorporeal creature’s attacks pass through (ignore) natural armor, armor, and shields, although deflection bonuses and force effects (such as mage armor) work normally against it. Non magical attacks made by an incorporeal creature with a melee weapon have no effect on corporeal targets, and any melee attack an incorporeal creature makes with a magic weapon against a corporeal target has a 50% miss chance, except for attacks it makes with a ghost touch weapon, which are made normally (no miss chance).
Any equipment worn or carried by an incorporeal creature is also incorporeal as long as it remains in the creature’s possession. An object that the creature relinquishes loses its incorporeal quality (and the creature loses the ability to manipulate the object). If an incorporeal creature uses a thrown weapon or a ranged weapon, the projectile becomes corporeal as soon as it is fired and can affect a corporeal target normally (no miss chance). Magic items possessed by an incorporeal creature work normally with respect to their effects on the creature or on another target. Similarly, spells cast by an incorporeal creature affect corporeal creatures normally.
An incorporeal creature has no natural armor bonus but has a deflection bonus equal to its Charisma bonus (always at least +1, even if the creature’s Charisma score does not normally provide a bonus).
An incorporeal creature can enter or pass through solid objects, but must remain adjacent to the object’s exterior, and so cannot pass entirely through an object whose space is larger than its own. It can sense the presence of creatures or objects within a square adjacent to its current location, but enemies have total concealment (50% miss chance) from an incorporeal creature that is inside an object. In order to see farther from the object it is in and attack normally, the incorporeal creature must emerge. An incorporeal creature inside an object has total cover, but when it attacks a creature outside the object it only has cover, so a creature outside with a readied action could strike at it as it attacks. An incorporeal creature cannot pass through a force effect.
Incorporeal creatures pass through and operate in water as easily as they do in air. Incorporeal creatures cannot fall or take falling damage. Incorporeal creatures cannot make trip or grapple attacks, nor can they be tripped or grappled. In fact, they cannot take any physical action that would move or manipulate an opponent or its equipment, nor are they subject to such actions. Incorporeal creatures have no weight and do not set off traps that are triggered by weight.
An incorporeal creature moves silently and cannot be heard with Listen checks if it doesn’t wish to be. It has no Strength score, so its Dexterity modifier applies to both its melee attacks and its ranged attacks. Nonvisual senses, such as scent and blindsight, are either ineffective or only partly effective with regard to incorporeal creatures. Incorporeal creatures have an innate sense of direction and can move at full speed even when they cannot see.

Stances

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Child of Shadow

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CHILD OF SHADOW
Assassin (Stance)
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

As you move, shadows flutter and swarm around you. Even under the bright desert sun, you are difficult to spot as long as you remain in motion.

As an initiate assassin, you learn to channel and control dark, shadowy energies. This energy flows around
you like a concealing robe, hiding you from your opponents as they attempt to strike you. If you move at
least 10 feet during your turn, you gain concealment against all melee and ranged attacks until the start of your next turn. You also gain the standard benefits of concealment, but you cannot use this stance to hide in plain sight; you must still use some other terrain feature that normally allows you to use the Hide skill. The fluttering shadows make it difficult to specifically target you, but your enemies are aware of your position.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Step of the Wind

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STEP OF THE WIND
Assassin (Stance)
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

You walk across rubble and other broken terrain with deceptive ease, allowing you to take advantage of your opponents as they struggle to move at full speed.

You are so closely attuned to your environment that you easily pick out steady spots in rough terrain. While others struggle to move over broken ground, you slip across it with ease. When you fight on rough ground, you turn the uneven footing into an advantage. By gauging how an opponent distributes his weight, you strike at just the right moment and in the precise spot needed to send him tumbling to the ground. While you are in this stance, you ignore penalties to speed, movement, or skill checks associated with movement (such as Tumble, Jump, and Climb checks) incurred by moving through difficult terrain. If you attack an opponent standing on difficult terrain while you are in this stance, and if that foe takes a movement penalty for moving through difficult terrain, you gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls and a +4 bonus on Strength or Dexterity checks made as part of a bull rush or trip attempt against that enemy. You gain this bonus on checks made to either accomplish or resist a bull rush or trip.

Dance of the Spider

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DANCE OF THE SPIDER
Assassin (Stance)
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

Black, shadowy energy covers your hands and feet, allowing you to scuttle across the walls and ceiling like a lurking spider.

While you are in this stance, you gain a benefit similar to the spider climb spell (PH 283). You gain a climb speed of 20 feet. You do not need to make a Climb check to traverse a vertical or horizontal surface, even if you attempt to move across a ceiling. You retain your Dexterity bonus to AC while climbing, and you must have at least one hand free to support yourself while you climb. You do not take any penalties, nor do your opponents gain any bonus when attacking you, while you climb. You cannot take a run action while climbing in this manner.

Hearing the Air

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HEARING THE AIR
Assassin (Stance)
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

Your perception becomes so fine that you can hear the tiniest fl utter of air moving past you. Invisible foes and other hidden threats become as plain as day in the area of your heightened senses.

Drawing on your combat training, sharpened senses, and capability to predict your enemy’s moves, you become a faultless sentinel on the battlefield. Even the smallest detail or stealthiest enemy cannot hope to evade your notice. While you are in this stance, you gain blindsense out to 30 feet and a +5 insight bonus on Listen checks.

Balance on the Sky

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BALANCE ON THE SKY
Assassin (Stance)
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

With arms spread wide, you step onto the air.

You gain the ability to use air walk (PH 196) on yourself only. You must keep at least one hand empty while using this stance. Moving upward requires you to spend 10 feet of movement for each 5 feet of elevation you gain. You gain the benefit of air walk only while you maintain this stance. If for some reason your stance ends while you are in midair, you fall to the ground.
This stance is a supernatural ability.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Hmm for some reason I thought assassin was considered a bad prestige class.....

[Fortuna]

Hmm for some reason I thought assassin was considered a bad prestige class.....

Probably because Death Attack is very hard to use.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Probably because Death Attack is very hard to use.

hmm probably.. the only time I played an assassin, in three sessions I only got one successful death attack.

[Oslecamo]

Probably because Death Attack is very hard to use.

Kinda true, but the assassin gets plenty of other stuff to play with. If you check Saph's campaign you can even see an assassin defeating an archivist in an arena match thanks to regular sneak attack+ spells of his own.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Kinda true, but the assassin gets plenty of other stuff to play with. If you check Saph's campaign you can even see an assassin defeating an archivist in an arena match thanks to regular sneak attack+ spells of his own.

Yeah I am reading it, so I now about the exploits on said assassin (actually the campaing journal re-kindled my interest in assassins XP)

[Telonius]

I think the biggest reason it's considered "bad" is the ability that thematically defines it - Death Attack - is pretty lame and nearly useless in combat. This ability lets you spend three rounds of combat doing (more or less) nothing, then you have to do a successful sneak attack with a melee weapon (and actually hit, of course) to get an ability that targets Fortitude - when lots of things are immune to death attacks and sneak attacks, or have high fortitude saves. The PrC in general doesn't really need a fix, the ability does.

[Cogidubnus]

http://sites.google.com/site/middendorfproject/frankpdf

Download the pdf. Go to core classes, PC classes, and there's a whole (fairly awesome) Assassin core class there.

[Zeta Kai]

Here's what my search-fu turned up:

• This guy.
• This guy.
• An obligatory ToB one.
• A psychic one, of all things.
• ...And this guy.

And I like the standard Assassin. I just with that A) the death attack was more effective, & B) that poison was worth a damn.

[Draz74]

Note that the standard Assassin's power is fairly splatbook-dependent. (Mostly Spell Compendium, with an honorable mention to the Darkstalker feat.)

[Dusk Eclipse]

Note that the standard Assassin's power is fairly splatbook-dependent. (Mostly Spell Compendium, with an honorable mention to the Darkstalker feat.)

Isn't craven another strong contestant?

[the humanity]

there should be a feat that makes your saliva a contact poison.

[Greymane]

there should be a feat that makes your saliva a contact poison.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showp...0&postcount=80

Here we are. Thanks to Oslecamo.

Sadly not a feat, but it's definitely awesome.

[DragoonWraith]

Here's what my search-fu turned up:

• This guy.
• This guy.
• An obligatory ToB one.
• A psychic one, of all things.
• ...And this guy.

And I like the standard Assassin. I just with that A) the death attack was more effective, & B) that poison was worth a damn.

Not really the D&D Assassin, but πd6's and mine are both based on the Diablo II Assassin, for those interested.

[Ravens_cry]

If Death Attack DC was assassin's character level plus the usual modifiers, would that be a good fix, or would that be too good?

[Dusk Eclipse]

If Death Attack DC was assassin's character level plus the usual modifiers, would that be a good fix, or would that be too good?

I don't think the DC of death attack is the bad part of it (if you really want to, is somewhat easy to pump the save) the thing is that spending three rounds doing well.... nothing is BAD

[~LuckyBoneDice~]

Green Ronin made a book that had an Assassin Base Class, which had a better DA. I say give PrC Assassin that one

[Greenish]

If Death Attack DC was assassin's character level plus the usual modifiers, would that be a good fix, or would that be too good?

It's certainly not too strong, given that you need to loiter for three rounds before you can use it, and if the target figures out you're an enemy it won't work.

[Ravens_cry]

I don't think the DC of death attack is the bad part of it (if you really want to, is somewhat easy to pump the save) the thing is that spending three rounds doing well.... nothing is BAD

That's why you do it out of combat, bluffing your way up to the target. Your attack is, or if your good isn't, when combat starts.
How do you know three rounds? After the tank takes 12 steps. Or 24 if they do nothing else.
At least that's how I would do it, I have never played an assassin.
I hope to in the next campaign, though.
How would you pump the DC, besides upping your intelligence?

[Dusk Eclipse]

It's certainly not too strong, given that you need to loiter for three rounds before you can use it, and if the target figures out you're an enemy it won't work.

That part actually bother me. figuring out someone is trying to kill you shouldn't make you immune, maybe a bonus on the save, but complete immunity doesn't make sense (at least for me)

edit: ways to pump DA DC.

There is the assassination enchancement, improves DC by 1
Ability focus feat.
Deathstrike bracers or something like that.
Previous debuffing (maybe an UMD wand of invisible enervation)

[lsfreak]

The DC can be pumped up to good (or at least decent) levels, if you can afford it, but the time is really the problem. Tenth level, entry at 6th level, Ability Focus, an 18 in Intelligence, and Bracers of Murder gives you a DC of 23, which isn't bad. Except that you're not likely to be able to afford Ability Focus and an 18Int, and probably can't yet afford Bracers of Murder. Fifteenth level is would be DC30 if you can also afford the dagger in DMG and have a simple +2Int item. Which isn't too bad except, again, it's likely more Int, an extra feat, and possibly more money than you can really afford to spend on it.

[~LuckyBoneDice~]

The DC can be pumped up to good (or at least decent) levels, if you can afford it, but the time is really the problem. Tenth level, entry at 6th level, Ability Focus, an 18 in Intelligence, and Bracers of Murder gives you a DC of 23, which isn't bad. Except that you're not likely to be able to afford Ability Focus and an 18Int, and probably can't yet afford Bracers of Murder. Fifteenth level is would be DC30 if you can also afford the dagger in DMG and have a simple +2Int item. Which isn't too bad except, again, it's likely more Int, an extra feat, and possibly more money than you can really afford to spend on it.

Right, but I feel, like many of my contemporaries, that the DC is far too low

[PId6]

How would you pump the DC, besides upping your intelligence?

Ability Focus gives an additional +2. Assassin's Dagger is worth +1. Otherwise... Legacy Champion or Bloodline abuse?

Edit: That's a lot of ninjas...

[Ravens_cry]

That part actually bother me. figuring out someone is trying to kill you shouldn't make you immune, maybe a bonus on the save, but complete immunity doesn't make sense (at least for me)

If you're an assassin and they know you're coming, you're doing it wrong.
Here's how my assassin will basically look.

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[Dusk Eclipse]

If you're an assassin and they know your coming, you're doing it wrong.
Here's how I my assassin will basically look.

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Possibly, but still, let say youmanage to discover the assassin as he tries to stabe you. You have now know he is trying to kill, you might have a way to make it more difficult for the assassin to kill you (hence a bonus to the save) but you still aren't completely immune to.

hmmm maybe houseruling that if you discover the assassin on the last round of studyng they aren't immune just get the bonus?

Also I can't see the image

[~LuckyBoneDice~]

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Holy *%*&%#$%^*#%&#%$#@#%$%^*)&%^$! Not stealthy a-tall

[Greenish]

Hmm, if I was to buff Assassin, I'd give it more spells known (maybe even "knows all spells on the list", especially if you don't have SC), Death attack DC at 10 + character level + int mod (as suggested by Raven's_Cry), and perhaps Iaijutsu Focus (as in Oslecamo base class).

Though, does Iaijutsu Focus stack with precision damage? I know it's not precision damage in itself, but I seem to recall reading somewhere that it doesn't stack.

[Edit]:

Holy *%*&%#$%^*#%&#%$#@#%$%^*)&%^$! Not stealthy a-tall

That's the point. If you want to assassinate someone, you really don't want to look like an assassin.

[Ravens_cry]

Possibly, but still, let say youmanage to discover the assassin as he tries to stabe you. You have now know he is trying to kill, you might have a way to make it more difficult for the assassin to kill you (hence a bonus to the save) but you still aren't completely immune to.

hmmm maybe houseruling that if you discover the assassin on the last round of studyng they aren't immune just get the bonus?

Also I can't see the image

Don't you study for three rounds THEN stab? It doesn't seem to matter if they recognise after the three rounds of study, until the three rounds you have to make the death attack are done of course.

[~LuckyBoneDice~]

That's the point. If you want to assassinate someone, you really don't want to look like an assassin.

But you look kinda...well...Flamboyant? Like Richard Simmons...