D&D 5E Do Assassins suck?

[auburn2]

One way to screw up Arcane Trickster is to consistently forget you have spells unless the DM reminds you.

Agree, although I have never ran into that. I usually find myself out of spell slots quickly.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I think it depends on your build.

Nah, it depends on not being powergamery or thinking your spell picks through.

 

[fearsomepirate]

Agree, although I have never ran into that. I usually find myself out of spell slots quickly.

Once I stopped reminding the AT about his spells, he basically stopped using them.

 

[auburn2]

Nah, it depends on not being powergamery or thinking your spell picks through.

Agree, but few of the 5E players I have played with are powergamers. Most of them regularly make decisions that comform to their thematic idea or playstyle and often from a combat power point of view, those choices are inferior. About half the feats available do little to increase combat power, but they are still popular choices.

 

[Zardnaar]

How can you you screw up an Arcane Trickster? There are not many options in the way of spells because almost all have to be enchantment or illusion. If you take Find Familiar then all of the others until 8th level or so need to be. That class is really fun in my experience, but there are not a whole lot of choices you can get wrong.

Same way new players screw up warlocks and don't pick Eldritch blast. Or they put the 8 in dexterity and don't use heavy armor. Or pick Eldritch knight with sword and shield and then can't cast spells like shield.

They don't know how to use find familiar. Or how did booming blade is or green Flame Blade etc.

Or they pick spells like true strike etc. Basically they don't know enough about 5E to pick the right spells.

So AT us the best one if you know what you're doing and into the mid and higher levels.

Otherwise the Scout and Swashbuckler are the best at lower levels or if you don't know what you're doing that well.

My wife can make the AT sing. The other players not so much.

 

[S'mon]

Or pick Eldritch knight with sword and shield and then can't cast spells like shield.

I struggle with this as GM - it just seems wrong that EKs can't use sword and shield/can't use their weapon as a spell focus.

 

[Zardnaar]

I struggle with this as GM - it just seems wrong that EKs can't use sword and shield/can't use their weapon as a spell focus.

Yeah outside clerics, paladins and artificer most of the gish type classes are screwed unless they take warcaster.

Why I rate AT higher that EK. AT can easily have a hand free or switch between dual wielding and single weapon to use reactions.

 

[S'mon]

Yeah outside clerics, paladins and artificer most of the gish type classes are screwed unless they take warcaster.

Why I rate AT higher that EK. AT can easily have a hand free or switch between dual wielding and single weapon to use reactions.

I guess I could assume all EKs know the formula for a Ruby of the War Mage.

 

[Zardnaar]

I guess I could assume all EKs know the formula for a Ruby of the War Mage.

What's that?

 

[fearsomepirate]

You can sheathe or unsheathe your weapon as part of your action. If you want to sheathe/cast/draw, an EK can do that with a bonus action.