Power Classes I - Assassin

[Messageboard Golem]

The Assassin is a shadowy figure, an agent of evil striking from the darkness to slay his enemies before they even guess at his presence. The first of the Power Classes booklets introduces the Assassin as a new core character class to the d20 System, one whose special abilities and fighting prowess allow him to match the capabilities of any front-line fighter or barbarian.

 

[Simon Collins]

This is not a playtest review.

Assassin is the first in Mongoose's Power Classes series, offering a new class which can be taken from 1st level.

Assassin comprises 16 half-A4-size staplebound pages, cut vertically in the same manner as AEG's Adventure Keep modules. At $2.95, this is a very high price per page (AEG's Adventure Keep modules were $2.49 at the same page count). The inside covers are used for credits and OGL but, unlike AEG's Adventure Keep modules, information from the back cover is reproduced on the first page. Font size is good, margins are average (but due to the format are effectively doubled compared to an A4 size format) and there are a couple of instances of white space. The fourpieces of mono internal art and the colour front cover are fairly average. Due to the nature of the content, the writing style is pretty mechanics-driven - what isn't mechanics-driven is fairly good. Editing also seems good.

The first half of the book is essentially a new 20-level class, the Assassin. The layout follows the standard template set by Core Rulebook I. The assassin, as can be imagined, tends to be of evil alignment, but must be non-good. He has a d6 hit die but half the skill points of a rogue. BAB and save progressions are the same as a rogue, and the assassin also gains the rogue's sneak attack ability, though it is enhanced to do twice the amount of damage if an assassination attempt is made after studying the victim for three rounds or more. He also has the potential to perform a variant of the death from massive damage effect with this attempt. The assassin is also skilled in poison use and can gain bonuses to certain skills if the assassin has studied the location where he will attempt the assassination for at least six hours. The assassin also gain an exotic weapon proficiency every six levels from 6th level.

The second half of the book introduces two new types of poison - the loyalty egg (a slow-acting poison fed to a victim whose 'loyalty' is then assured by giving him small amounts of the antidote which staves off the effects of the poison for a limited time), and poisons that replicate the effects of the diseases from Core Rulebook II to mask the real poison. The next section offers three types of rings that administer poison by drip, needle, or squirt, and the accessory ends with a number of new weapons suitable for an assassin such as a blowgun, garotte, and stiletto. There is also a sidebar offering a mechanic for concealing weapons using the Disguise skill.

Conclusion:
This seems a fairly balanced 20-level class, and would not be out of place among the other core classes. The poisons and weapons add a nice touch and I liked the use of the Disguise skill to conceal weapons. The value of the accessory will be dependent on whether you (or your GM if you're a player) feel happy letting assassins into your campaign as a character class. And whether the low price outweighs the high price per page.

 

[simon]

Just got hold of this £1.99, 16 pp booklet from Leisure Games today. I like the idea of these cheap add-in classes, this one was something - a non-spellcasting D&D 3e Assassin class by Ian Sturrock - I've needed for my campaign world for a long time, if probably only for NPCs. On a first look-over it looks like good work, well-balanced. The class is Rogue-based, with the same BAB, saves, but reduced Skills (4/level) and lacking Rogues' evasion/dodge powers, compensated for by special assassination-related abilities. There are extensive rules on new poisons (a primary feature of assassins) and exotic weapons suited to assassination. The poisons are of 2 types - those which simulate diseases, and 'loyalty stone' which kills the victim unless he continually receives the antidote, and is used to gain control of important people - but is ridiculously expensive (50,000 gp). The weapons are things like garottes and stilettos (dagger with x4 crit, only if you have the XWP).
If anything it's slightly weak compared to regular Rogues, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I think I'll let Assassins in my game take weapon specialisation instead of an Exotic Weapon proficiency at 6th level, which would also enable them to make use of much of the stuff in Quintessential Fighter. The Assassination rules (essentially a double-powered Sneak attack) are good without being overpowered, IMO. Good work.

 

[Psion]

"At $2.95, this is a very high price per page (AEG's Adventure Keep modules were $2.49 at the same page count)."

Note: AEG's latest modules in this series have better presentation and cost $2.95.

 

[Felon]

This new class sounds disappointing IMHO. It was advertised as "one whose special abilities and fighting prowess allow him to match the capabilities of any front-line fighter or barbarian." The image that description conjures is a harder-hitting class, perhaps with a better hit die and BAB. From what I'm hearing now, though, it just sounds like a less versatile variation of the rogue.

 

[simon]

[No message]

 

[simon]

It's like a Rogue but with somewhat better combat abilities (weapon proficiencies & assassination, poison use) but with less skills and no evasion abilities. It does seem weaker than the Rogue to me, hence my suggestion to allow them Weapon Spec instead of the free XWPs at levels 6, 12 & 18.

 

[Graf]

Gosh, a supplemental class which is actually balanced... why would you want you ruin something so priceless )and RARE) by giving them Weapon Spec? (basically a class feature for fighters)

This is not a playtest empowered comment but: Double sneak damage after three rounds of waiting is quite nice. While the idea of an assasin who's really good with a blowgun is cool I think there are other ways to do that without handing out weapon spec.

Felon: you were waiting for a class that fights as well as a fighter or barbarian but also can sneak around like a rogue... you're free to be diappointed of course but I wouldn't be shocked if you had trouble convincing most DMs to allow you to play something like that.

I never by things like this but if it's balanced (and it comes to my neck of the woods) I would be tempted. The poisons that look like diseases would be neat even if I never use the class.

 

[simon]

I don't think +2 dmg with a single weapon at 6th level would unbalance the class; but it would make it a bit scarier and it fits with them being the masters of precise strikes. I think this suggestion originally came from a White Dwarf article in the '80s for the 1e Assassin. I think it would still leave them a fairly weak/vulnerable class due to their lack of defensive ability; but you can argue that multiclass Fighter/Assassin would be the answer to that.

 

[Zander]

Hello Simon,

I agree with everything you say about this product, except that that the class is weak. I haven't tried playing one yet, but it seems balanced especially if the character has access to poisons.

Of course, how much fun this new class is depends on the campaign, but it could fit well into most adventuring groups without being eclipsed by the other PC's. YMMV.

All the best,

Zander