Assassins as a Heroic Archetype?

[Theroc]

And that just isn't likely to happen in D&D. (Unless they can get them in a situation where no one else is around.)

Two words: Skill Challenge.

I found a free download on Enworld by... Emerald Press, detailing information on turning a stealth kill into a skill challenge. (I think it was to go along with their "Assassin" Class. (Which confuses me at this point, since if the Assassin class being discussed in this thread is a Wizard's product, there's TWO Assassin classes rolling around, but anyway.)

The simple solution is to not force the assassin's powers to constrain within the combat system. Include a skill challenge on occasion for the group's assassin to slink past obstacles and kill a target.

Anyways, just felt I should point that out. Interesting discussion.

 

[darjr]

Two words: Skill Challenge.

I found a free download on Enworld by... Emerald Press, detailing information on turning a stealth kill into a skill challenge. (I think it was to go along with their "Assassin" Class. (Which confuses me at this point, since if the Assassin class being discussed in this thread is a Wizard's product, there's TWO Assassin classes rolling around, but anyway.)

The simple solution is to not force the assassin's powers to constrain within the combat system. Include a skill challenge on occasion for the group's assassin to slink past obstacles and kill a target.

Anyways, just felt I should point that out. Interesting discussion.

That is such a great idea. I've had this block and keep getting surprised by skill challenges. I'm learning that lots of things I want to pull can be done this way. This is a great example!

 

[pawsplay]

Well, shoot man, for D&D 5e, they should just make the whole thing one big ol' manual on skill challenges.

 

[Theroc]

Well, shoot man, for D&D 5e, they should just make the whole thing one big ol' manual on skill challenges.

Well, I think putting the 'one shot kill' into a skill challenge makes more sense than giving the Assassin the ability to deal outrageous amounts of damage with a normal attack.

I'm not saying it was ideal, I'm just saying that the issue had been thought of.

 

[renau1g]

Well, shoot man, for D&D 5e, they should just make the whole thing one big ol' manual on skill challenges.

Wow. Nice sarcasm for a suggestion without offering any input of your own. Well done.

That is an interesting take on it, but wouldn`t probably work too well with a group if they had to wait while the assassin did his thing. In a solo game (or using the stance that lets everyone use the assassin`s stealth bonus) it`d be cool.

 

[Dragonhelm]

(Which confuses me at this point, since if the Assassin class being discussed in this thread is a Wizard's product, there's TWO Assassin classes rolling around, but anyway.)

Yeah, there's two assassin classes at the moment. Wizards released one in Dragon. Three different articles, each one going over a different tier of play.

 

[Saracenus]

We are on page 4 and no one has mentioned Vlad Taltos of Stephen Brust's Jhereg series.

 

[Garthanos]

We are on page 4 and no one has mentioned Vlad Taltos of Stephen Brust's Jhereg series.

Yeah slow arent we... with all the raise dead insurance and such ... really really made me think of D&D.

Thing is the WOTC 4e Assassin is really really not martial feeling... the palpable but invisible shrouds placed on the enemy you study is very mystical... very shadow magic.

Most of the examples mentioned on this thread would NOT be built using it.

 

[Theroc]

Most assassins I know of did not have very supernatural powers, they were very martial in feel. Their skill came from knowing how to slip in and slip out undetected, and knowing where to hit to cause maximum effect... I can't think of any offhand that are very supernatural in origin/skills. Maybe Spawn, but I don't think Spawn was very much the sneaky type... he's more rebel badass than assassin badass, as far as I can tell(but I'm not overly familiar with the Comicbook incarnations, just a tidbit from the one movie)

 

[DreadPirateMurphy]

The word "assassin" is usually somewhat prejudiced in usage, mostly because a) assassination tends to violate the pop-cultural concepts of chivalry and the warrior code, and b) in modern times, we mostly hear it in conjunction with things that are considered horrible crimes.

In truth, the D&D 4E system encodes assassins into a standard character type. What do you think a "striker" is? There is a reason that the fighter and the paladin are "defenders," while the ranger and rogue are "strikers." The former focus on fighting, while the latter focus on killing.

Look up Simo Hayha on Wikipedia, a Finnish sniper in the Winter War who killed over 500 invading Soviet troops using a bolt-action rifle with iron sights in sub-zero temperatures. His count goes up to over 700 enemy soldiers if you include those he killed with a submachine gun. The Russians nicknamed him "White Death." If anybody counts as an assassin, that guy did.

(Eventually, the enemy shot off half of his face. He survived and went on to be a moose hunter after the war!)