Assassins Evil?

[Deset Gled]

Every soldiers first, last and most important job is to kill efficiently. Don't let hollywood or a mistaken belief propagated by god-knows-who convince you otherwise.

Even the Army Corps of Engineers?

 

[coyote6]

Even the Army Corps of Engineers?

The most effective cover for an army of assassins, ever, no? Oh, we're just here to build a levee - STABITY-STAB-STAB!

I mean, just think of all the mules donkeyhorses they used to use.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Why should an assassin be required to have an evil alignment?

Purely an arbitrary choice on the part of the class designers. Perhaps a nod to OD&D assassins when they were seen pretty much like Evil High Priests - i.e. not really supposed to be PCs.

Personally I've never seen any sense in it for D&D.

 

[Herschel]

So am I reading this correctly? Conventional soldiers are evil but snipers are more evil?

In general, from the other side's perspective, yes.

Our side: Enlightened, patriotic freedom fighters.
Their side: Evil, deluded bastages intent on destroying our way of life.

Adventurers invade monsters' homes and take their stuff. I'm not sure the monsters would call the PCs the good guys.

 

[Plane Sailing]

It is erroneous to make a link between "assassin" and "sniper." They are not equivalent, in any way.

A military sniper is a specialist soldier. He is not an assassin, and is not brought into play as an assassin.

An assassin is a killer for hire. He is not a soldier, and is not brought into play as a soldier.

I know that including soldiers in these conversations may accidentally upset people who are/have been/are related to serving soldiers, so perhaps I can propose a more appropriate contrast?

Jason Bourne. James Bond. The bulgarian secret serviceman who killed Georgi Markov.

The most common examples of Assassins in popular culture are people trained to kill for their government (not for money).

The most common cultural reference for someone who kills for money is probably a "hit man", and they are typically not seen as being as highly trained as an "assassin"

 

[Bullgrit]

I know that including soldiers in these conversations may accidentally upset people who are/have been/are related to serving soldiers, so perhaps I can propose a more appropriate contrast?

I'm not taking issue with including soldiers. I'm pointing out the fact -- fact -- that "sniper" and "assassin" are not interchangeable terms, in any way.

Poison
Knife
Garrott
Rifle
Bare hands
Bomb
Syringe
Bat
Automobile
Pistol
Shovel
Plastic bag

All of the above, (and more), are tools of the assassin. Only one is associated with a sniper. But one is also associated with ditch digger, and one is associated with an athlete. That doesn't mean there's any kind of termilogical connection between assassin and sniper and ditch digger and baseball player.

Just because an assassin may kill a target with a long-range, high-powered rifle, does not mean sniper = assassin. Just like an assassin who kills with a bomb does not mean demolitionist = assassin. Or killing with a plastic bag does not mean bag boy = assassin.

Bullgrit

 

[billd91]

I'm not taking issue with including soldiers. I'm pointing out the fact -- fact -- that "sniper" and "assassin" are not interchangeable terms, in any way.

Poison
Knife
Garrott
Rifle
Bare hands
Bomb
Syringe
Bat
Automobile
Pistol
Shovel
Plastic bag

All of the above, (and more), are tools of the assassin. Only one is associated with a sniper. But one is also associated with ditch digger, and one is associated with an athlete. That doesn't mean there's any kind of termilogical connection between assassin and sniper and ditch digger and baseball player.

Just because an assassin may kill a target with a long-range, high-powered rifle, does not mean sniper = assassin. Just like an assassin who kills with a bomb does not mean demolitionist = assassin. Or killing with a plastic bag does not mean bag boy = assassin.

Bullgrit

You're really drifting here. What if the assassin specializes in sniper tactics? Then they're one and the same, aren't they?

I'm really not sure I'm getting the point of all of this. Are you saying that assassins have a certain tactical flexibility that snipers don't?

 

[Bullgrit]

You're really drifting here. What if the assassin specializes in sniper tactics? Then they're one and the same, aren't they?

I'm really not sure I'm getting the point of all of this. Are you saying that assassins have a certain tactical flexibility that snipers don't?

Holy moly. How much more plain can I and it be: "I'm pointing out the fact -- fact -- that 'sniper' and 'assassin' are not interchangeable terms, in any way."

It's like using "dog" and "shark" interchangeably because they're both predators.

Just this week, I saw a mobile home on the highway -- it had four wheels under it. Does that make it a car?


assassin
1. A murderer, esp. one who kills a politically prominent person for fanatical or monetary reasons.
2. One of an order of Muslim fanatics, active in Persia and Syria from about 1090 to 1272, whose chief object was to assassinate Crusaders.

sniper
1. A skilled military shooter detailed to spot and pick off enemy soldiers from a concealed place.
2. One who shoots at other people from a concealed place.


List of assassins - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

List of snipers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Compare the lists.

Bullgrit

 

[Herschel]

Wikipedia lists? Not gonna help. A good Venn Diagram is what's needed.

 

[billd91]

Holy moly. How much more plain can I and it be: "I'm pointing out the fact -- fact -- that 'sniper' and 'assassin' are not interchangeable terms, in any way."

It's like using "dog" and "shark" interchangeably because they're both predators.

Not really. Sniper is really more of a question of methodology, of tactics, than of overall motivation. So it's not like using dog and shark interchangeably at all. An assassin could be a sniper (Lee Harvey Oswald) because he chose that methodology to do his deed. A soldier could be a sniper (Vasily Zaytsev) because he was trained in, equipped in, and used that methodology.
The terms aren't completely interchangeable, no. But they are when they describe sets that intersect, which they certainly can.