A 10 level Prestige Class that gets 1d6 Sneak Attack damage every level: Unbalanced?

[Technik4]

he might have been responding to the (prejudicial) thread title -- I think it's time to let this one die and start anew.

Agreed. I'm interested to see the Vile Assasin! Also, I'd make my own thread but I really want to think of a good drawback that makes sense and fits the class. Nothing's come to me yet...

Technik

 

[moritheil]

I've read through the discussion of stuff, and basically the idea is that this gives greater customization and hence more power.

What concerns me is that your requirements are a joke. Sure, you can debate the meaning of being evil aligned, but that clearly varies from game to game and DM to DM. Nothing special is being eaten up mechanically in terms of skills.

I would suggest the following requirements instead:

Alignment: Any Evil
Skills: Disguise 12 ranks, Hide 12 ranks, Move Silently 12 ranks
Feats: Improved Initiative, Stealthy, Track
Special: The character must kill an existing assassin of at least equal level to the applicant. The applicant cannot be aided by others in finding, identifying, or slaying the existing assassin.

There. Now you have the minimum entry level lifted, and some real requirements. Eating up three feats is no laughing matter. In addition, it is a very real challenge to get into the class. This makes for an interesting story, forcing the character to dig deep and outwit someone who is more deadly than himself. You *earn* entry into this class, now, as the odds are definitely against you. (The NPC assassin will probably have to be higher level than the minimum level to consider joining the assassins, because he has to have at least one level in assassin.)

Those are all quotes from the implication that a PrC could get 10 levels of SA in one PrC. I'm curious what you think of this Alt Assasin is, power-wise.

Alt Assasin

Hit Die: d6
BAB: 3/4
Saves: Ref Good, Fort and Will Bad

Requirements:
Alignment: Any Evil
Skills: Disguise 4 ranks, Hide 8 ranks, Move Silently 8 ranks
Special: The character must kill someone for no other reason than to join the assasins.

 

[Technik4]

Alignment: Any Evil
Skills: Disguise 12 ranks, Hide 12 ranks, Move Silently 12 ranks
Feats: Improved Initiative, Stealthy, Track
Special: The character must kill an existing assassin of at least equal level to the applicant. The applicant cannot be aided by others in finding, identifying, or slaying the existing assassin.

I like the slightly increased ranks (although I think Disguise should still be lower than Hide/Move Silently). I don't like Track, but I do like Improved Initiative. Stealthy I'm neutral on, generally the skill bonus feats are better for classes that don't get a lot of skills, but do get a lot of feats (Fighter?).

As for the special requirement, while it would make it more difficult (and 'special') to become an assasin, it doesn't make sense. Assasins don't necessarily kill other assasins, they kill people for money. In fact, generally, I think Assasins are cowards, they tend to have a lot of advantages against their prey, they fight dirty, and they have no intention of a prolonged battle, just get in, strike in the night, get out.

I would consider:

Alignment: Any Evil
Skills: Disguise 6 ranks, Hide 10 ranks, Move Silently 10 ranks
Feats: Improved Initiative, Stealthy
Special: The character must kill someone for no other reason than to join the assasins.

Thats 6 more skill points and 2 feats more than the original class (one of them being unlikely on existing assasins). Part of the reason I wanted to keep the original prereqs is because then you can just update every existing assasin with new abilities, etc. By raising the pre-reqs you invalidate a lot of characters (and I realize that very few people will use this anyway).

Thanks for the input moritheil.

Technik

 

[Seeten]

I dont really understand why it is so hard to join the assassins. Really. Is there a huge line, and you are stopped at the guild door? "Sorry, you just arent sneaky enough. Come back when you can steal the crown off the kings head without him knowing you entered the room." I mean really.

To be an assassin you have to be just sneaky enough to stab someone in the kidney, or poison their food. You dont have to be some superman fighter and ultimate cat burglar. I think we're way over the top making people get to 7th level or higher for prereqs.

 

[Technik4]

"Sorry, you just arent sneaky enough. Come back when you can steal the crown off the kings head without him knowing you entered the room."

No, but there is "You couldn't sneak past Deaf Carl. Come back when you can do that, and for Mask's sake work on making a better disguise next time, you're obviously the only Calamshite in town!"

As I said, I don't entirely agree with raising the pre-reqs as it tends to invalidate old NPC stat sheets, and you only really need to be just good enough to kill a noble. Personally, I would make it clear that while possible to join at 5th level, it would be wiser to wait until one is more adept (especially if the assasins don't particularly like you, and end up giving you a difficult first mark).

Technik

 

[Storyteller01]

The idea reminds me of a 5 level prestige class in the Green Ronin Drow book. It grants 7 casters levels over the five level but I think 1d2 hit points, 0+ int skill points, worst Bab and saves. I don't recall what the requirements are and the balance issue of that class is still in question I think.

Didn't that class also take significant damage as they cast spells? Something about handling too much power at once? I believe I remember seeing this in 'Plots & Poison'...