Assassin City

This game will likely have some mature content, so just be aware of that.

Link to initial discussion thread: http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=212344

Link to the world map: http://www.enworld.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=31915

Character Creation is ECL 5, 36 point buy. Ask if you want to use some thing non-CRB.

So, I've been wanting to try to run a game again, since, well, I'm not going to get any better at GMing if I don't try it. I had this idea to run a D&D game inspired in part by the Hitman computer games.

This will be for either one or two players. You'll be a contract killer in the city of Doringdel, capitol of the nation of Laradin in Blackrat's campaign setting that I don't think I got the name of. But thanks for letting me use it, Blackrat.

Any non-lawful alignment should work as long as you play it properly. You're an independent contract killer, so if you're evil then morals aren't an issue, and if you're good you can always just take contracts on bad guys, and you won't (usually) have anyone above you writing rules for you.

Any character type could conceivably work in this setting, but the tactless fighter brute will probably get killed rather early by the city guard. So stealth, tact and guile are much more likely to get you out alive and without your face all over wanted posters.

Speaking of wanted posters. A major aspect of the game will be dealing with the law. They don't like assassins, even if Doringdel, being a decadent and corrupt city full of politicians, has a lot of use for them. However, no one wants to stick his neck out for slitting so as long as you don't stand out too much the law won't be too hard on you. Of course if you murder dozens of bystanders on your way to or from the target, well that's a different story. The more death you cause the more the law will see you as a real threat and try to find you. If you let enough people see your face enough times when it's apparent that you're up to no good then you'll end up with wanted posters of yourself all over town. Of course it's also possible to silence witnesses, through violence or diplomacy, and you can always hire someone to do something about the posters.

Doringdel is, well I guess I'll just use Blackrat's words:

Blackrat said:

Doringdel, The capital of Laradin is a city built to the side of a mountain-range. (Visually think Minas Tirith.) It is the second most important city in the alliance and is the commercial center. There is royal embassies of every other nation in Doringdel and decadent parties are daily among the cream of the society. I will give you more details later. If there is anything specific you would like to know of the CS or the map do ask.

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I'd like to see some character ideas before I decide who to pick. They'll hopefully give me ideas for running the game. I'm not a very experienced GM, I'm only run a couple games that only lasted one session, so please go easy on me. I only have the CRBs, the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, and the Book of Exalted Deeds.

I'm going to use the Vitality/Wound Points varient rules, with another varient that lethal and non-lethal damage are still seperate. It makes no difference what type of damage you do until the opponent is out of vitality points. At that point lethal damage works the same as always, but dealing non-lethal damage in excess of the creature's remaining wound points will not send them to dying state, but instead make them merely unconscious.

I'm also going to use Armor as DR so keep that in mind.

Finally, I've got a house rule designed by Cage-Rattler.

Cage-Rattler said:

If it were up to me, I'd probably tweak the above mechanics a bit; saying that the Assassin could attempt a Coup de Grace on an unaware target, but both individuals would make an initiative roll as in the example. A higher result on the Assassin's part means that he could make his Coup de Grace as normal; a lower result would mean he makes an attack roll against his (flat-footed) opponent normally. If that attack roll hits, the damage is automatically considered a critical hit (which may kill the target outright, anyway).

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If anyone has some good rules for a garrote, that'd be great to have.

I am 100% interested in this, I love assassins.

What will the ECL be?

Oh right. I totally forgot to mention it. It's going to be low level. So no raising the dead, yet. I guess fourth level.

I'm trying to decide whether I should disallow speak with dead.

My suggestion is no. Don't disallow it. Make us be clever.

I'd even say we should keep Raise Dead...and if we're going after a target who can afford it, we'll have to take that into account.

There are ways to render those spells nonviable, ya know. Some easy...some less so.

But really, if we're going to be benefiting from magic, we should have to overcome it too.

Well I really meant that since the game is going to be low level no one is likely to be able to cast raise dead. You do have to be at least level nine.

I guess I'll keep speak with dead then.

Will you allow the Swordsage class from Book of the Nine Swords, if we supply the information for them?

I was interested when this game was just a thought lol, still am interested. I was thinking about playing a good ol' rogue. I think that he will probably be heading down the Assassin PrC. I like the Shadow Dancer, but I'm not sure he can get to it. Plus........ I like the idea of poisons lol.


**edit** Strike that last comment. I just have to wait until I can get 10 ranks of hide for Shadowdancer. Do/is it going to be possible to level that high? If so, I will wait and aim for that PrC.

TRD said:

Will you allow the Swordsage class from Book of the Nine Swords, if we supply the information for them?

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That is a definite maybe.

OnlytheStrong said:

I was interested when this game was just a thought lol, still am interested. I was thinking about playing a good ol' rogue. I think that he will probably be heading down the Assassin PrC. I like the Shadow Dancer, but I'm not sure he can get to it. Plus........ I like the idea of poisons lol.


**edit** Strike that last comment. I just have to wait until I can get 10 ranks of hide for Shadowdancer. Do/is it going to be possible to level that high? If so, I will wait and aim for that PrC.

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Four levels will take a long time to get since it's a play by post game. Then again, it might not. I've really got no idea how I should be dishing out Exp. In any case, yes it's technically possible to get that high.

It's not a problem either way. I will just start out Rogue (not sure what race yet) and whatever direction he seems to naturally flow to is what I will attempt to become. That is, IF I get in the game. I hate sounding like I assume I get in (sorry).