D&D 5E Split the Assassin from the Rogue back into its own class

[Paul Farquhar]

Swashbuckler has conditions to SA.
Assassin only "needs" advantage...sometimes.

So, your assassin is a rogue with sneak attack always on?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Really? It's right there in the PHB 1E, so that surprises me a bit.

It's also "must be evil alignment". Gygax explained in an interview that he was working on the assumption that there would be no evil PCs, and therefore the intention was to limit to NPCs.

 

[DND_Reborn]

It's also "must be evil alignment". Gygax explained in an interview that he was working on the assumption that there would be no evil PCs, and therefore the intention was to limit to NPCs.

That I knew (bolded), so I guess the rest makes sense--I just never heard it before. Thanks.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I imagine assasins like a stealth class but with some special tricks, for example martial maneuvers (specially the school of the shadow hand, from "Tome of Battle: Book of the Nine Swords".

And today the videogames "Assasin's Creed" are a too strong influence.

 

[jmartkdr2]

I imagine assasins like a stealth class but with some special tricks, for example martial maneuvers (specially the school of the shadow hand, from "Tome of Battle: Book of the Nine Swords".

And today the videogames "Assasin's Creed" are a too strong influence.

The Ezio style assassin makes more sense in a DnD game anyways: yeah, you can sneak (stealth, disguise, invisibility, whatever) but when push comes to shove you're also a skilled warrior who can mix it up with most enemies.

Not fighter good, but good enough.

 

[Minigiant]

So, your assassin is a rogue with sneak attack always on?

and can trade roll of double 6s for SoD or THP and can craft identities, poisons, traps, and forgeries.

 

[jmartkdr2]

and can trade roll of double 6s for SoD or THP

One feature

and can craft identities, poisons, traps, and forgeries.

Like a rogue

I'm really not seeing an argument for why an assassin isn't a rogue.

 

[Lanefan]

Oh, and since this is a 5e forum: you'd need to find a way to make poison useful if you want to build a class around it. For example, all undead are immune to poison, which significantly limits its utility.

Undead might be immune to poison but living people usually aren't; thus the way to make poison more useful is to not run as many undead-themed adventures.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

and can trade roll of double 6s for SoD or THP and can craft identities, poisons, traps, and forgeries.

Sounds like an interesting rogue subclass. Now you just need to come up with a name.

 

[Lanefan]

It's fine for NPCs. "stop the assassin" "catch the assassin before they can escape". The original 1st edition AD&D Assassin was designed as an NPC class.

The bolded would be news to me.

In 2e, yes. But not 1e.