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Look Very Carefully: The Shroud Assassin's Handbook (by erachima)
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<blockquote data-quote="Nibelung" data-source="post: 6711918" data-attributes="member: 74499"><p><strong>Originally posted by erachima:</strong></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong>Scouring the World's Secrets: Paragon Path Options for Assassins</strong></span></p><p>As an Assassin enters the paragon tier, they're faced with a conundrum: what to MC? The Assassin's in-class PPs are miserable, so it's nigh-obligatory to look outside the class for more damage here. I'll be arranging paths by the secondary stat they require, if any, and listing the requirements and source.</p><p> </p><p>Short version: <strong>DO NOT TAKE AN ASSASSIN PARAGON PATH</strong>.</p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong>Assassin Paragon Paths</strong></span></p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>Covenant Agent</strong></span> (Avenger, D386)</strong></p><p>[sblock]The idea behind the <span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>Covenant Agent</strong></span> paragon path appears to have been letting the hybrid Avenger|Assassin have a power that it could use both shrouds and oath on simultaneously. Unfortunately, that was a terrible idea. The only element on this path that beats red for the Assassin is the U12, of all things. And that's just <strong>black</strong>.[/sblock] </p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>Gloaming Dancer</strong></span> (D388)</strong></p><p>[sblock]The <span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>Gloaming Dancer</strong></span> paragon path is focused on shadow step and teleportation augmentation, and comes from the same article as the utterly baffling Gloaming Call and Darkening Veil. None of the powers or features do anything helpful for you, and amusingly enough, the F16 is much much worse than a heroic feat.[/sblock] </p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>Obsidian Stalker</strong></span> (D379)</strong></p><p>[sblock]<span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>Obsidian Stalker</strong></span> has style! It has focus! It has a complete lack of any feature that will improve your damage! Sorry guys, but the ability to move through enemy squares does not make up for that.[/sblock] </p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>Shadowblade</strong></span> (D379)</strong></p><p>[sblock]All <span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>Shadowblade</strong></span> has to offer is combat advantage, which you already have in perpetuum, darkvision, which you can get for a feat if you really want it so much, and the ability to create mundane throwing swords from thin air, which locks you to ki focus enchants which aren't very good. In other words, possibly worse than not taking a paragon path.[/sblock] </p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>Soul Thief</strong></span> (D379)</strong></p><p>[sblock]With a good half of its features actually dedicated to doing more damage, I'm almost tempted to give this one a purple for effort. Unfortunately, the mechanic this path tries to use requires you personally kill things and the damage bonuses it gives aren't large enough to actually enable you to do so. Not only is it still red, but <span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>it's a trap option</strong></span> because it looks OK at first glance.[/sblock] </p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>Venomed Soul</strong></span> (D379)</strong></p><p>[sblock]Another path that's at least trying. However, poison damage is terrible, and the bonuses this path gives out as a once per encounter spike are available constantly on other paths. So, again, <span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>Venomed Soul</strong></span> is still red.[/sblock]<span style="font-size: 12px"><strong>Strength-Secondary Paragon Paths</strong></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Paragon Multiclass Ranger </strong></span>(Ranger, PHB1)</p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Shock Trooper </strong></span>(Fighter, MP1)</p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong>Constitution-Secondary Paragon Paths</strong></span></p><p></p><p><strong><strong>First Hunter</strong> (Warden, PriPow)</strong></p><p>[sblock]Feel like making ranged basic attacks every turn? No? You do now. <strong>First Hunter</strong>'s F11 lets you throw one-handed weapons (which probably means the rapier here), gives you a +2 to attack when you make RBAs against creatures adjacent to your allies, and has you deal +CON extra damage with those RBAs. The F16 is a leader feature that gives a ranged ally +CON to damage once per round. The path and Warden powers are basically chaff, which limits this path's rating, but this is a strong and frontloaded choice nonetheless.[/sblock] </p><p></p><p><strong><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Lyrandar Windrider</span></strong> (Mark of Storm, EPG)</strong></p><p>[sblock]+1 attack and +CON to all damage from your lightning and thunder powers, including the shrouds since it's not a "bonus to damage rolls", and gets its big kick at 11. The powers even offer some decent effects and are on a stat you can attack with. The only downsides to <strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Lyrandar Windrider</span></strong> are that you're locked in to a lightning weapon to use it and that Mark of Storm may be a hard sell to your DM. A prime choice.[/sblock] </p><p></p><p><strong><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Soaring Blade</span></strong> (Monk with Acrobatics training, PsiPow)</strong></p><p>[sblock]Multi-instance attacks, favors heavy blades, adds typed damage without eating your enchantment, provides bonuses to mobility... put simply, every single feature of <strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Soaring Blade</span></strong> appears to be tailor-made for Assassins, and it's verging on gold for the CON build. The sole downside to it is that you do have to wait until 16 for the CON extra damage to kick in.[/sblock]<span style="font-size: 12px"><strong>No-Secondary Paragon Paths</strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Academy Master</strong></span> (Any Arcane and functionally Half-Elf, D374)</p><p> </p><p><strong>Adroit Explorer</strong> (Human, PHB2)</p><p> </p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #800080"><strong>Coiled Serpent </strong></span>(Druid, PriPow)</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #800080"><strong>Coiled Serpent</strong></span> gives a bonus 2d6 poison damage for werewolves, but it's at 16, poison damage means you have to invest into the Venom Hand feat line, and the Druid powerlist is frankly terrible for strikers. I'd avoid it, especially since werewolves can use claw gloves regardless of their multiclass.[/sblock] </p><p><span style="color: #800080"><strong>Dread Fang</strong></span> (Drow Rogue, MP1)</p><p> </p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #008000"><strong>Jack of All Trades </strong></span>(Rogue, MP2)</strong></p><p>[sblock]Wanna be insanely good at skills? Well, <span style="color: #008000"><strong>Jack of All Trades</strong></span> does that. The other draw is the D20, which is a quad-hit. Pair it with the theme Sensate if you really want to min-max your checks.[/sblock] </p><p></p><p><strong><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Morninglord</span></strong> (Any Divine, FRPG)</strong></p><p>[sblock]Say, want to be a warrior of Pelor and run around hitting people with a shining holy blade? No? What if I gave you 20+ DPR for doing it? <strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Morninglord</span></strong> is largely chaff, except that the F16 gives your enemies vulnerable 10 to radiant on a hit, which will kick at least twice on your shroud attacks, and at least 4(!!!) times on Shadow Fire and Flurry of Talons. Note that this is technically not a no-secondary path, but rather a multi-secondary path: CHA-secondaries can use its E11 and eventually even its F11, while CON-secondaries get more damage out of it due to the existence of Pelor's Boon, which stacks with this path to the tune of +CON to everything you ever do, and WIS-secondaries can use the E11 and Pelor's Boon. Overall, an antithematic but supremely powerful choice.[/sblock] </p><p><strong>Mercurial Assassin</strong> (Dragonborn, D385)</p><p> </p><p><strong>Mithral Arm</strong> (Dragonborn, D385)</p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Thuranni Shadow-Killer</strong></span> (Mark of Shadow, EPG)</p><p> </p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Traveler's Harlequin</strong></span> (Any MC and worship The Traveler or another God of Chaos and Freedom, D382)</strong></p><p>[sblock] The features and powers on this path are unreliable and flavor-oriented, but the path has two major draws. First, you can MC all the classes you want, which can be quite nice. Second, you can take ANY D19 or D20 as this path's D20. Which probably means the one from Jack of All Trades above.[/sblock] </p><p><span style="color: #800080"><strong>Rrathmal</strong></span> (Githzerai, PHB3)</p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong>Wisdom-Secondary Paragon Paths</strong></span></p><p><strong>Blade Banshee</strong> (Eladrin Ranger, MP1)</p><p> </p><p><strong>Darkstrider</strong> (Ranger, MP2)</p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Moonstalker </strong></span>(Shifter, PHB2)</p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong>Charisma-Secondary Paragon Paths</strong></span></p><p></p><p><strong><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Arena Champion</span></strong> (Any Martial and an arena fighting feat, Dragon Annual)</strong></p><p>[sblock]<strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Arena Champion</span></strong> can get you 4ish free action basic attacks per encounter when you hit 16, though you'll have to build towards it. There's a whole miniguide explaining why this path is good, so I'll just link to that(x).[/sblock] </p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #008000"><strong>Dusk Oracle </strong></span>(Religion and Perception Training, HoS)</strong></p><p>[sblock]<span style="color: #008000"><strong>Dusk Oracle</strong></span> has awful skill training requirements and the features are pretty worthless for combat. However, it does give you the ability to ask any corpse 1 question which it must answer truthfully, which some people are probably willing to ditch a lot of combat effectiveness for, so I'll mention it here anyway. On the combat side, the AP feature is good on your triple-rolls, and the E11 is just passable thanks to adding extra damage. The utility power is quite good out of combat. So while this is a genuinely bad option as far as killing things goes, I'm sure some of you will want it anyway. Just make sure that if you take this, you also convince everyone in the party to take Lasting Frost so things don't drag too much.[/sblock] </p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Evermeet Warlock</strong></span> (Warlock, FRPG)</p><p> </p><p></p><p><strong><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Long Night Scion</span></strong> (Fey Warlock, D374)</strong></p><p>[sblock]<strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Long Night Scion</span></strong> is the default pick for the standard Assassin for two reasons. First, the F16's ability to ping cold vulnerability and slow with Shadow Step is quite useful. Second, the AP feature is incredible: "When you spend an action point, make an attack that has the cold keyword" gives you an extra attack in addition to the one you'll get by using the action the AP granted, letting you throw out three standard action attacks in a turn. (Presumably Nightmare Shades followed by Flurry of Talons and Shadow Fire.)[/sblock] </p><p></p><p><strong><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Voice of Thunder </span></strong>(Bard, PHB2)</strong></p><p>[sblock]The pipedream PP is +1 attack per round at-will, so much so that Kulkor Arms Master was nearly gold for everyone back when that worked. <strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Voice of Thunder</span></strong>'s miraculously bad writing gives you exactly that benefit, and straight from level 11, though in a kinda weird way: the E11, Rolling Echo, says that if you hit, you repeat the attack at the start of your next turn as a free action. Since this is on the hit line, the RAW is indisputably that if you hit the next turn, you get to repeat it on the turn after as a free action as well! Add in that the power is friendly, that thunder damage has nice support for accuracy and size boosting, that it's on a stat you like anyway, and that your shrouds will apply to the whole thing (assuming you shroud at the end of each turn), and the only things not to like about this PP are that it's kind of ridiculously antithematic to be a constantly shouting Assassin and that a Sorcerer would do it better.[/sblock] </p><p></p><p><strong><strong>Zephyr Blade </strong>(Battlemind, PHB3)</strong></p><p>[sblock]<strong>Zephyr Blade</strong>'s on a weird MC and will require a cooperative controller to tag enemies with status effects for you to attack, but it is +CHA extra damage at 11, so it makes the list.[/sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nibelung, post: 6711918, member: 74499"] [b]Originally posted by erachima:[/b] [CENTER][Size=4][b]Scouring the World's Secrets: Paragon Path Options for Assassins[/b][/size][/CENTER] As an Assassin enters the paragon tier, they're faced with a conundrum: what to MC? The Assassin's in-class PPs are miserable, so it's nigh-obligatory to look outside the class for more damage here. I'll be arranging paths by the secondary stat they require, if any, and listing the requirements and source. Short version: [b]DO NOT TAKE AN ASSASSIN PARAGON PATH[/b]. [Size=3][b]Assassin Paragon Paths[/b][/size] [b][COLOR=#ff0000][b]Covenant Agent[/b][/COLOR] (Avenger, D386)[/b] [sblock]The idea behind the [COLOR=#ff0000][b]Covenant Agent[/b][/COLOR] paragon path appears to have been letting the hybrid Avenger|Assassin have a power that it could use both shrouds and oath on simultaneously. Unfortunately, that was a terrible idea. The only element on this path that beats red for the Assassin is the U12, of all things. And that's just [b]black[/b].[/sblock] [b][COLOR=#ff0000][b]Gloaming Dancer[/b][/COLOR] (D388)[/b] [sblock]The [COLOR=#ff0000][b]Gloaming Dancer[/b][/COLOR] paragon path is focused on shadow step and teleportation augmentation, and comes from the same article as the utterly baffling Gloaming Call and Darkening Veil. None of the powers or features do anything helpful for you, and amusingly enough, the F16 is much much worse than a heroic feat.[/sblock] [b][COLOR=#ff0000][b]Obsidian Stalker[/b][/COLOR] (D379)[/b] [sblock][COLOR=#ff0000][b]Obsidian Stalker[/b][/COLOR] has style! It has focus! It has a complete lack of any feature that will improve your damage! Sorry guys, but the ability to move through enemy squares does not make up for that.[/sblock] [b][COLOR=#ff0000][b]Shadowblade[/b][/COLOR] (D379)[/b] [sblock]All [COLOR=#ff0000][b]Shadowblade[/b][/COLOR] has to offer is combat advantage, which you already have in perpetuum, darkvision, which you can get for a feat if you really want it so much, and the ability to create mundane throwing swords from thin air, which locks you to ki focus enchants which aren't very good. In other words, possibly worse than not taking a paragon path.[/sblock] [b][COLOR=#ff0000][b]Soul Thief[/b][/COLOR] (D379)[/b] [sblock]With a good half of its features actually dedicated to doing more damage, I'm almost tempted to give this one a purple for effort. Unfortunately, the mechanic this path tries to use requires you personally kill things and the damage bonuses it gives aren't large enough to actually enable you to do so. Not only is it still red, but [COLOR=#ff0000][b]it's a trap option[/b][/COLOR] because it looks OK at first glance.[/sblock] [b][COLOR=#ff0000][b]Venomed Soul[/b][/COLOR] (D379)[/b] [sblock]Another path that's at least trying. However, poison damage is terrible, and the bonuses this path gives out as a once per encounter spike are available constantly on other paths. So, again, [COLOR=#ff0000][b]Venomed Soul[/b][/COLOR] is still red.[/sblock][Size=3][b]Strength-Secondary Paragon Paths[/b][/size] [COLOR=#0000ff][b]Paragon Multiclass Ranger [/b][/COLOR](Ranger, PHB1) [COLOR=#0000ff][b]Shock Trooper [/b][/COLOR](Fighter, MP1) [Size=3][b]Constitution-Secondary Paragon Paths[/b][/size] [b][b]First Hunter[/b] (Warden, PriPow)[/b] [sblock]Feel like making ranged basic attacks every turn? No? You do now. [b]First Hunter[/b]'s F11 lets you throw one-handed weapons (which probably means the rapier here), gives you a +2 to attack when you make RBAs against creatures adjacent to your allies, and has you deal +CON extra damage with those RBAs. The F16 is a leader feature that gives a ranged ally +CON to damage once per round. The path and Warden powers are basically chaff, which limits this path's rating, but this is a strong and frontloaded choice nonetheless.[/sblock] [b][b][COLOR=#00ccff]Lyrandar Windrider[/COLOR][/b] (Mark of Storm, EPG)[/b] [sblock]+1 attack and +CON to all damage from your lightning and thunder powers, including the shrouds since it's not a "bonus to damage rolls", and gets its big kick at 11. The powers even offer some decent effects and are on a stat you can attack with. The only downsides to [b][COLOR=#00ccff]Lyrandar Windrider[/COLOR][/b] are that you're locked in to a lightning weapon to use it and that Mark of Storm may be a hard sell to your DM. A prime choice.[/sblock] [b][b][COLOR=#00ccff]Soaring Blade[/COLOR][/b] (Monk with Acrobatics training, PsiPow)[/b] [sblock]Multi-instance attacks, favors heavy blades, adds typed damage without eating your enchantment, provides bonuses to mobility... put simply, every single feature of [b][COLOR=#00ccff]Soaring Blade[/COLOR][/b] appears to be tailor-made for Assassins, and it's verging on gold for the CON build. The sole downside to it is that you do have to wait until 16 for the CON extra damage to kick in.[/sblock][Size=3][b]No-Secondary Paragon Paths[/b][/size] [COLOR=#0000ff][b]Academy Master[/b][/COLOR] (Any Arcane and functionally Half-Elf, D374) [b]Adroit Explorer[/b] (Human, PHB2) [b][COLOR=#800080][b]Coiled Serpent [/b][/COLOR](Druid, PriPow)[/b] [sblock] [COLOR=#800080][b]Coiled Serpent[/b][/COLOR] gives a bonus 2d6 poison damage for werewolves, but it's at 16, poison damage means you have to invest into the Venom Hand feat line, and the Druid powerlist is frankly terrible for strikers. I'd avoid it, especially since werewolves can use claw gloves regardless of their multiclass.[/sblock] [COLOR=#800080][b]Dread Fang[/b][/COLOR] (Drow Rogue, MP1) [b][COLOR=#008000][b]Jack of All Trades [/b][/COLOR](Rogue, MP2)[/b] [sblock]Wanna be insanely good at skills? Well, [COLOR=#008000][b]Jack of All Trades[/b][/COLOR] does that. The other draw is the D20, which is a quad-hit. Pair it with the theme Sensate if you really want to min-max your checks.[/sblock] [b][b][COLOR=#00ccff]Morninglord[/COLOR][/b] (Any Divine, FRPG)[/b] [sblock]Say, want to be a warrior of Pelor and run around hitting people with a shining holy blade? No? What if I gave you 20+ DPR for doing it? [b][COLOR=#00ccff]Morninglord[/COLOR][/b] is largely chaff, except that the F16 gives your enemies vulnerable 10 to radiant on a hit, which will kick at least twice on your shroud attacks, and at least 4(!!!) times on Shadow Fire and Flurry of Talons. Note that this is technically not a no-secondary path, but rather a multi-secondary path: CHA-secondaries can use its E11 and eventually even its F11, while CON-secondaries get more damage out of it due to the existence of Pelor's Boon, which stacks with this path to the tune of +CON to everything you ever do, and WIS-secondaries can use the E11 and Pelor's Boon. Overall, an antithematic but supremely powerful choice.[/sblock] [b]Mercurial Assassin[/b] (Dragonborn, D385) [b]Mithral Arm[/b] (Dragonborn, D385) [COLOR=#0000ff][b]Thuranni Shadow-Killer[/b][/COLOR] (Mark of Shadow, EPG) [b][COLOR=#0000ff][b]Traveler's Harlequin[/b][/COLOR] (Any MC and worship The Traveler or another God of Chaos and Freedom, D382)[/b] [sblock] The features and powers on this path are unreliable and flavor-oriented, but the path has two major draws. First, you can MC all the classes you want, which can be quite nice. Second, you can take ANY D19 or D20 as this path's D20. Which probably means the one from Jack of All Trades above.[/sblock] [COLOR=#800080][b]Rrathmal[/b][/COLOR] (Githzerai, PHB3) [Size=3][b]Wisdom-Secondary Paragon Paths[/b][/size] [b]Blade Banshee[/b] (Eladrin Ranger, MP1) [b]Darkstrider[/b] (Ranger, MP2) [COLOR=#0000ff][b]Moonstalker [/b][/COLOR](Shifter, PHB2) [Size=3][b]Charisma-Secondary Paragon Paths[/b][/size] [b][b][COLOR=#00ccff]Arena Champion[/COLOR][/b] (Any Martial and an arena fighting feat, Dragon Annual)[/b] [sblock][b][COLOR=#00ccff]Arena Champion[/COLOR][/b] can get you 4ish free action basic attacks per encounter when you hit 16, though you'll have to build towards it. There's a whole miniguide explaining why this path is good, so I'll just link to that(x).[/sblock] [b][COLOR=#008000][b]Dusk Oracle [/b][/COLOR](Religion and Perception Training, HoS)[/b] [sblock][COLOR=#008000][b]Dusk Oracle[/b][/COLOR] has awful skill training requirements and the features are pretty worthless for combat. However, it does give you the ability to ask any corpse 1 question which it must answer truthfully, which some people are probably willing to ditch a lot of combat effectiveness for, so I'll mention it here anyway. On the combat side, the AP feature is good on your triple-rolls, and the E11 is just passable thanks to adding extra damage. The utility power is quite good out of combat. So while this is a genuinely bad option as far as killing things goes, I'm sure some of you will want it anyway. Just make sure that if you take this, you also convince everyone in the party to take Lasting Frost so things don't drag too much.[/sblock] [COLOR=#0000ff][b]Evermeet Warlock[/b][/COLOR] (Warlock, FRPG) [b][b][COLOR=#00ccff]Long Night Scion[/COLOR][/b] (Fey Warlock, D374)[/b] [sblock][b][COLOR=#00ccff]Long Night Scion[/COLOR][/b] is the default pick for the standard Assassin for two reasons. First, the F16's ability to ping cold vulnerability and slow with Shadow Step is quite useful. Second, the AP feature is incredible: "When you spend an action point, make an attack that has the cold keyword" gives you an extra attack in addition to the one you'll get by using the action the AP granted, letting you throw out three standard action attacks in a turn. (Presumably Nightmare Shades followed by Flurry of Talons and Shadow Fire.)[/sblock] [b][b][COLOR=#00ccff]Voice of Thunder [/COLOR][/b](Bard, PHB2)[/b] [sblock]The pipedream PP is +1 attack per round at-will, so much so that Kulkor Arms Master was nearly gold for everyone back when that worked. [b][COLOR=#00ccff]Voice of Thunder[/COLOR][/b]'s miraculously bad writing gives you exactly that benefit, and straight from level 11, though in a kinda weird way: the E11, Rolling Echo, says that if you hit, you repeat the attack at the start of your next turn as a free action. Since this is on the hit line, the RAW is indisputably that if you hit the next turn, you get to repeat it on the turn after as a free action as well! Add in that the power is friendly, that thunder damage has nice support for accuracy and size boosting, that it's on a stat you like anyway, and that your shrouds will apply to the whole thing (assuming you shroud at the end of each turn), and the only things not to like about this PP are that it's kind of ridiculously antithematic to be a constantly shouting Assassin and that a Sorcerer would do it better.[/sblock] [b][b]Zephyr Blade [/b](Battlemind, PHB3)[/b] [sblock][b]Zephyr Blade[/b]'s on a weird MC and will require a cooperative controller to tag enemies with status effects for you to attack, but it is +CHA extra damage at 11, so it makes the list.[/sblock] [/QUOTE]
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Look Very Carefully: The Shroud Assassin's Handbook (by erachima)
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