Hey all,
It's planning a long ways ahead, but I've built a high-level assassin character and wanted to share him with anyone else who could use him. He's a bit absurd, primarily because I was interested in crunching numbers and seeing what I could do with any number of books in order to mess up the system.
There are two rules caveats:
1) I used fractional BAB, so his BAB is likely a few points higher than it might ordinarily be... but not a whole lot.
2) I'm playing in a d20 past-ish game, and there are no firearms, so any advanced class that requires Personal Firearms Proficiency requires Archaic Weapons Proficiency instead. (I bought Archaic Weapons with a level-feat, not a bonus feat, so it could easily be substituted for Personal Firearms in a game with the normal rules.)
3) 32 point buy, with average-rounded-up hit points and a heroic first level.
Jeladir Slayer
Jeladir Slayer can make anything he says seem true. He can make the absurd seem reasonable, the impossible seem commonplace, and the dangerous seem perfectly sound. A master manipulator, he might have made a career as a king’s ambassador or as a merchant prince with more money than may small countries.
But Jeladir has no need for money and no desire for prominence. Instead, he walks the path of the assassin, and he is legendary for his style: he enters through stealth when necessary, but more often he simply talks his way into the inner sanctum of his target. Then, inevitably, he strikes up a conversation with the target, asking if he has any last requests, anything that Jeladir should pass on to the family for burial instructions. He is polite, charming, and often seems faintly regretful, even distracted. And inevitably, his target will seize a moment to attempt to escape or attack. And just as inevitably, Jeladir’s blade finds its way to his target’s heart. And then the assassin disappears into the night, leaving behind only a small sheet of expensive purple paper folded into the likeness of whatever animal catches his fancy that night.
Classes and Books: Jeladir uses the d20 Modern corebook, and the d20 Future advanced class "Tracer". The "target species" ability should be modified in a low-magic or low-nonhumans-presence game to apply to different castes or countries – commoners, nobles of one kingdom, nobles of another kingdom, members of a specific cult, and so forth – so that the Tracer does not simply have a +2 bonus on several skills and damage against humans at all times.
Tactics: Jeladir is best used for quick attacks on individual targets. He is a specialized damage dealer designed to quickly do a great deal of damage, and is in no way suited for a stand-up fight. In a situation where surprise is not possible on its own, Jeladir should use Diplomacy or Bluff to strike up a conversation, so that when his target decides to attack, Jeladir can use his React First ability to get a surprise round.
If he is unsure of his status – on the defensive or hunting a target who is aware of Jeladir’s approach – Jeladir should stay hidden and use his Intuition ability to determine whether he is personally in danger. With a possible +35 on his Bluff checks (on a target he has observed for Empathy and which is his target species), Jeladin can often elude traps simply by tossing off a completely implausible story and having his confused victim not realize he has been led astray until Jeladir is gone… or close enough to use his dagger, as the situation dictates.
If a target presents a challenge, Jeladir will use Heroic Surge to gain extra attacks. He does not have the constitution to survive a long fight, and with the damage he delivers, the first hit of every round is a potential massive damage check for an ordinary opponent, and any critical hit is almost guaranteed to force a save. Because his Initiative score is so high, Jeladir often has a chance to attack several times before his targets recover from being flat-footed, using his Swift Strike ability on each attack. If the combination of a surprise round, going first, and using Heroic Surge to gain an additional attack does not slay an opponent, Jeladir will most likely run – anything that could survive such attacks is beyond the assassin’s abilities, clearly.
Equipment: Beyond a dagger, Jeladir has no special equipment, nor does he require any. He tends to steal whatever he needs whenever he needs it, and believes that reliance upon tools beyond a simple weapon is a deadly weakness.
The Numbers:
Str 13, Dex 18, Con 11, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 16
Ded3/Strong5/Negotiator2/Soldier2/Tracer8
HP: 83 hit points
MDT: 11
Defense: +10 Class +4 Dex = 24 (Flat 20, Touch 24)
Move: 30
Init: +8 (+4 Dex, +4 Imp Init)
Saves: F+11, R+14, W+10
Reputation: +6
BAB: +18
Attack:
Dagger +18 BAB +4 Dex +1 Focus = +23
Damage:+1 Str +3 Smash +2 Spec +2 Fav Enmy = 1d4+8 +1d4 Streetfighting +3d6 Swift Strike
Full attack: Dagger +23/+18/+13/+8 (1d4+8, 19-20, +1d4 on first hit)
Unarmed: +18 BAB +1 Str +1 Brawl = +20
Damage: 1d6+1+3 Smash +2 Fav Enmy = 1d6+6+1d4 Streetfighting +3d6 Swift Strike
Class Abilities and Talents:
Advanced Melee Smash (+3 to damage with melee weapons)
Empathy (+3 to Bluff, Diplomacy, Sense Motive)
Intuition (Will Save DC 15 3/day to know if things are okay)
Weapon Focus (+1 to hit with dagger)
Weapon Spec (+2 to damage with dagger)
+2 bonus against Sense Motive
React First (auto surprise round if can talk first)
Target Species (+2 to damage and some skill checks on humans)
Urban Tracking
Swift Strike +3d6
Uncanny Stealth (full speed no penalty, charge/run at -10 instead of -20)
Proficiency Feats: Archaic Weapons
Offensive Feats: Brawl, Knockout Punch, Power Attack, Streetfighting, Improved Feint, Weapon Finesse
Defensive Feats: None
Boosting Feats: Alertness, Attentive, Heroic Surge, Improved Init, Stealthy, Track
Occupation: Entrepreneur (Bluff, Diplomacy)
Skills: Remember +2 bonus on several skills against Target Species.
Bluff 23 +3 Cha = +26 (+3 with Empathy, +2 if Feinting, +2 vs. Sense Motive)
Climb 6 +1 Str = +7
Diplomacy 23 +3 Cha = +26 (+3 with Empathy)
Gather Information 10 +3 Cha = +13
Hide 11 +2 feat +4 Dex = +17
Investigate 6 +2 feat +2 Wis = +10
Jump 6 +1 Str = +7
Kn(Tactics) 3 +2 Int = +5
Knowledge(Streetwise) 6 +2 Int = +8
Listen 6 +2 feat +2 Wis = +10
Move Silently 11 +2 feat +4 Dex = +17
Sense Motive 8 +2 feat +2 Wis = +12 (+3 with Empathy)
Spot 9 +2 feat +2 Wis = +13
Survival 23 +2 Wis = +25
It's planning a long ways ahead, but I've built a high-level assassin character and wanted to share him with anyone else who could use him. He's a bit absurd, primarily because I was interested in crunching numbers and seeing what I could do with any number of books in order to mess up the system.
There are two rules caveats:
1) I used fractional BAB, so his BAB is likely a few points higher than it might ordinarily be... but not a whole lot.
2) I'm playing in a d20 past-ish game, and there are no firearms, so any advanced class that requires Personal Firearms Proficiency requires Archaic Weapons Proficiency instead. (I bought Archaic Weapons with a level-feat, not a bonus feat, so it could easily be substituted for Personal Firearms in a game with the normal rules.)
3) 32 point buy, with average-rounded-up hit points and a heroic first level.
Jeladir Slayer
Jeladir Slayer can make anything he says seem true. He can make the absurd seem reasonable, the impossible seem commonplace, and the dangerous seem perfectly sound. A master manipulator, he might have made a career as a king’s ambassador or as a merchant prince with more money than may small countries.
But Jeladir has no need for money and no desire for prominence. Instead, he walks the path of the assassin, and he is legendary for his style: he enters through stealth when necessary, but more often he simply talks his way into the inner sanctum of his target. Then, inevitably, he strikes up a conversation with the target, asking if he has any last requests, anything that Jeladir should pass on to the family for burial instructions. He is polite, charming, and often seems faintly regretful, even distracted. And inevitably, his target will seize a moment to attempt to escape or attack. And just as inevitably, Jeladir’s blade finds its way to his target’s heart. And then the assassin disappears into the night, leaving behind only a small sheet of expensive purple paper folded into the likeness of whatever animal catches his fancy that night.
Classes and Books: Jeladir uses the d20 Modern corebook, and the d20 Future advanced class "Tracer". The "target species" ability should be modified in a low-magic or low-nonhumans-presence game to apply to different castes or countries – commoners, nobles of one kingdom, nobles of another kingdom, members of a specific cult, and so forth – so that the Tracer does not simply have a +2 bonus on several skills and damage against humans at all times.
Tactics: Jeladir is best used for quick attacks on individual targets. He is a specialized damage dealer designed to quickly do a great deal of damage, and is in no way suited for a stand-up fight. In a situation where surprise is not possible on its own, Jeladir should use Diplomacy or Bluff to strike up a conversation, so that when his target decides to attack, Jeladir can use his React First ability to get a surprise round.
If he is unsure of his status – on the defensive or hunting a target who is aware of Jeladir’s approach – Jeladir should stay hidden and use his Intuition ability to determine whether he is personally in danger. With a possible +35 on his Bluff checks (on a target he has observed for Empathy and which is his target species), Jeladin can often elude traps simply by tossing off a completely implausible story and having his confused victim not realize he has been led astray until Jeladir is gone… or close enough to use his dagger, as the situation dictates.
If a target presents a challenge, Jeladir will use Heroic Surge to gain extra attacks. He does not have the constitution to survive a long fight, and with the damage he delivers, the first hit of every round is a potential massive damage check for an ordinary opponent, and any critical hit is almost guaranteed to force a save. Because his Initiative score is so high, Jeladir often has a chance to attack several times before his targets recover from being flat-footed, using his Swift Strike ability on each attack. If the combination of a surprise round, going first, and using Heroic Surge to gain an additional attack does not slay an opponent, Jeladir will most likely run – anything that could survive such attacks is beyond the assassin’s abilities, clearly.
Equipment: Beyond a dagger, Jeladir has no special equipment, nor does he require any. He tends to steal whatever he needs whenever he needs it, and believes that reliance upon tools beyond a simple weapon is a deadly weakness.
The Numbers:
Str 13, Dex 18, Con 11, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 16
Ded3/Strong5/Negotiator2/Soldier2/Tracer8
HP: 83 hit points
MDT: 11
Defense: +10 Class +4 Dex = 24 (Flat 20, Touch 24)
Move: 30
Init: +8 (+4 Dex, +4 Imp Init)
Saves: F+11, R+14, W+10
Reputation: +6
BAB: +18
Attack:
Dagger +18 BAB +4 Dex +1 Focus = +23
Damage:+1 Str +3 Smash +2 Spec +2 Fav Enmy = 1d4+8 +1d4 Streetfighting +3d6 Swift Strike
Full attack: Dagger +23/+18/+13/+8 (1d4+8, 19-20, +1d4 on first hit)
Unarmed: +18 BAB +1 Str +1 Brawl = +20
Damage: 1d6+1+3 Smash +2 Fav Enmy = 1d6+6+1d4 Streetfighting +3d6 Swift Strike
Class Abilities and Talents:
Advanced Melee Smash (+3 to damage with melee weapons)
Empathy (+3 to Bluff, Diplomacy, Sense Motive)
Intuition (Will Save DC 15 3/day to know if things are okay)
Weapon Focus (+1 to hit with dagger)
Weapon Spec (+2 to damage with dagger)
+2 bonus against Sense Motive
React First (auto surprise round if can talk first)
Target Species (+2 to damage and some skill checks on humans)
Urban Tracking
Swift Strike +3d6
Uncanny Stealth (full speed no penalty, charge/run at -10 instead of -20)
Proficiency Feats: Archaic Weapons
Offensive Feats: Brawl, Knockout Punch, Power Attack, Streetfighting, Improved Feint, Weapon Finesse
Defensive Feats: None
Boosting Feats: Alertness, Attentive, Heroic Surge, Improved Init, Stealthy, Track
Occupation: Entrepreneur (Bluff, Diplomacy)
Skills: Remember +2 bonus on several skills against Target Species.
Bluff 23 +3 Cha = +26 (+3 with Empathy, +2 if Feinting, +2 vs. Sense Motive)
Climb 6 +1 Str = +7
Diplomacy 23 +3 Cha = +26 (+3 with Empathy)
Gather Information 10 +3 Cha = +13
Hide 11 +2 feat +4 Dex = +17
Investigate 6 +2 feat +2 Wis = +10
Jump 6 +1 Str = +7
Kn(Tactics) 3 +2 Int = +5
Knowledge(Streetwise) 6 +2 Int = +8
Listen 6 +2 feat +2 Wis = +10
Move Silently 11 +2 feat +4 Dex = +17
Sense Motive 8 +2 feat +2 Wis = +12 (+3 with Empathy)
Spot 9 +2 feat +2 Wis = +13
Survival 23 +2 Wis = +25
