fnork de sporg
First Post
This is an alternate version of the assasin I wrote up for one of my games. It's not anything very original or groundbreaking, it's basically just the same as the assasin in the DM book, except that it's neutral, has no spell casting abilities, and has better BAB progression. Still, I believe strongly in the idea of peer review so I will post it here for everyone to see. What do you think?
PROFESSIONAL ASSASSIN (Prestige Class)
Hit Die: d6.
Requirements:
• To qualify to become an professional assassin, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
• Alignment: Any neutral.
• Move Silently: 8 ranks.
• Hide: 8 ranks.
• Disguise: 4 ranks.
• Special: In addition, you must kill someone for no other reason than because you have been asked to. You cannot be aware of the reasons why your patron wishes their death, only that they do.
Class Skills: The professional assassin’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha),
Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int, exclusive skill), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha),
Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Innuendo (Wis), Intimidate (Cha),
Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Pick Pocket (Dex),
Read Lips (Int, exclusive skill), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex),
Use Magic Device (Cha, exclusive skill), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points 8 + Int
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Professional Assassins are proficient with the crossbow (hand, light, or heavy), dagger (any type), dart,rapier, sap, short bow (normal and composite), and short sword. Professional Assassins are proficient with light armor but not with shields.
Table: The Professional Assassin
Base
Class Attack Fort Ref Will
Level Bonus Save Save Save Special
1st +1 +0 +2 +0 Sneak attack +1d6, death attack, poison use
2nd +2 +0 +3 +0 +1 save vs. poison, uncanny dodge (Dex bonus to AC)
3rd +3 +1 +3 +1 Sneak attack +2d6
4th +4 +1 +4 +1 +2 save vs. poison
5th +5 +1 +4 +1 Sneak attack +3d6, uncanny dodge (can’t be flanked)
6th +6 +2 +5 +2 +3 save vs. poison
7th +7 +2 +5 +2 Sneak attack +4d6
8th +8 +2 +6 +2 +4 save vs. poison
9th +9 +3 +6 +3 Sneak attack +5d6
10th +10 +3 +7 +3 +5 save vs. poison, uncanny dodge (+1 vs. traps)
Many assasins take glee in their work and truly enjoy the feeling of murder. But not all. Some assasins are grim
servants of their lord, their land, or perhaps simply the bottom line. They hold no malice in their heart but neither do they contain pity. They are tireless in the pursuit of their goals, goals compared to which life and death seem somewhat meaningless. Perhaps they have never learned the value of life, or perhaps they have grown to distain it, or become to numb t othe horror of death, whatever the means their sense of morality no longer pertains to death and killing, though they may be right and honorable in their personal lives, perhaps even with a loving spouse and children waiting at for them at home, utterly oblivious to their loved one's true profession.
Class Features
Sneak Attack: Any time the professional assassin’s target would be denied her Dexterity bonus to AC (whether she actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), the professional assassin’s attack deals +1d6 points of damage. This extra damage increases by +1d6 points every other level (+2d6 at 3rd level, +3d6 at 5th level, and so on). Should the professional assassin score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied. It takes precision and penetration to hit a vital spot, so ranged attacks can only count as sneak attacks if the target is 30 feet away or less.
With a sap or an unarmed strike, the professional assassin can make a sneak attack that deals subdual damage instead of normal damage. He cannot use a weapon that deals normal damage to deal subdual damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty, because he must make optimal use of his weapon in order to execute the sneak attack.
An professional assassin can only sneak attack living creatures with discernible anatomies—undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Additionally, any creature immune to critical hits is similarly immune to sneak attacks. Also, the professional assassin must also be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach a vital spot. The professional assassin cannot sneak attack while striking at a creature with concealment or by striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach. If an professional assassin gets a sneak attack bonus from another source (such as rogue levels), the bonuses to damage stack.
Death Attack: If the professional assassin studies his victim for 3 rounds and then makes a sneak attack with a melee weapon that successfully deals damage, the sneak attack has the additional effect of possibly either paralyzing or killing the target (assassin’s choice). While studying the victim, the assassin can undertake other actions so long as his attention stays focused on the target and the target does not detect the assassin or recognize the assassin as an enemy. If the victim of such an attack fails her Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + the assassin’s class level + the assassin’s Intelligence modifier) against the kill effect, she dies. If the saving throw fails against the paralysis effect, the victim’s mind and body become enervated, rendering her completely helpless and unable to act for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per level of the assassin. If the victim’s saving throw succeeds, the attack is just a normal sneak attack. Once the assassin has completed the 3 rounds of study, he must make the death attack within the next 3 rounds. If a death attack is attempted and fails (the victim makes her save) or if the assassin does not launch the attack within 3 rounds of completing the study, 3 new rounds of study are required before he can attempt another death attack.
Poison Use: Professional assassins are trained in the use of poison and never risk accidentally poisoning themselves when applying poison to a blade.
Saving Throw Bonus vs. Poison: Assassins train with poisons of all types and slowly grow more and more resistant to their
effects. This is reflected by a natural saving throw bonus to all poisons gained at 2nd level that increases by +1 for every two levels the professional assassin gains (+1 at 2nd level, +2 at 4th level, +3 at 6th level, and so on).
Uncanny Dodge: Starting at 2nd level, the assassin gains the extraordinary ability to react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to even be aware of it. At 2nd level and above, he retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. (He still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.) At 5th level, the professional assassin can no longer be flanked, since he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies rogues the ability to use flank attacks to sneak attack the assassin. The exception to this defense is that a rogue at least four levels higher than the assassin can flank him (and thus sneak attack him). At 10th level, the assassin gains an intuitive sense that alerts him to danger from traps, giving him a +1 bonus to Reflex saves made to avoid traps. If the professional assassin has another class that grants the uncanny dodge ability, add together all the class levels of the classes that grant the ability and determine the character’s uncanny dodge ability on that basis.
PROFESSIONAL ASSASSIN (Prestige Class)
Hit Die: d6.
Requirements:
• To qualify to become an professional assassin, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
• Alignment: Any neutral.
• Move Silently: 8 ranks.
• Hide: 8 ranks.
• Disguise: 4 ranks.
• Special: In addition, you must kill someone for no other reason than because you have been asked to. You cannot be aware of the reasons why your patron wishes their death, only that they do.
Class Skills: The professional assassin’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha),
Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int, exclusive skill), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha),
Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Innuendo (Wis), Intimidate (Cha),
Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Pick Pocket (Dex),
Read Lips (Int, exclusive skill), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex),
Use Magic Device (Cha, exclusive skill), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points 8 + Int
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Professional Assassins are proficient with the crossbow (hand, light, or heavy), dagger (any type), dart,rapier, sap, short bow (normal and composite), and short sword. Professional Assassins are proficient with light armor but not with shields.
Table: The Professional Assassin
Base
Class Attack Fort Ref Will
Level Bonus Save Save Save Special
1st +1 +0 +2 +0 Sneak attack +1d6, death attack, poison use
2nd +2 +0 +3 +0 +1 save vs. poison, uncanny dodge (Dex bonus to AC)
3rd +3 +1 +3 +1 Sneak attack +2d6
4th +4 +1 +4 +1 +2 save vs. poison
5th +5 +1 +4 +1 Sneak attack +3d6, uncanny dodge (can’t be flanked)
6th +6 +2 +5 +2 +3 save vs. poison
7th +7 +2 +5 +2 Sneak attack +4d6
8th +8 +2 +6 +2 +4 save vs. poison
9th +9 +3 +6 +3 Sneak attack +5d6
10th +10 +3 +7 +3 +5 save vs. poison, uncanny dodge (+1 vs. traps)
Many assasins take glee in their work and truly enjoy the feeling of murder. But not all. Some assasins are grim
servants of their lord, their land, or perhaps simply the bottom line. They hold no malice in their heart but neither do they contain pity. They are tireless in the pursuit of their goals, goals compared to which life and death seem somewhat meaningless. Perhaps they have never learned the value of life, or perhaps they have grown to distain it, or become to numb t othe horror of death, whatever the means their sense of morality no longer pertains to death and killing, though they may be right and honorable in their personal lives, perhaps even with a loving spouse and children waiting at for them at home, utterly oblivious to their loved one's true profession.
Class Features
Sneak Attack: Any time the professional assassin’s target would be denied her Dexterity bonus to AC (whether she actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), the professional assassin’s attack deals +1d6 points of damage. This extra damage increases by +1d6 points every other level (+2d6 at 3rd level, +3d6 at 5th level, and so on). Should the professional assassin score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied. It takes precision and penetration to hit a vital spot, so ranged attacks can only count as sneak attacks if the target is 30 feet away or less.
With a sap or an unarmed strike, the professional assassin can make a sneak attack that deals subdual damage instead of normal damage. He cannot use a weapon that deals normal damage to deal subdual damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty, because he must make optimal use of his weapon in order to execute the sneak attack.
An professional assassin can only sneak attack living creatures with discernible anatomies—undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Additionally, any creature immune to critical hits is similarly immune to sneak attacks. Also, the professional assassin must also be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach a vital spot. The professional assassin cannot sneak attack while striking at a creature with concealment or by striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach. If an professional assassin gets a sneak attack bonus from another source (such as rogue levels), the bonuses to damage stack.
Death Attack: If the professional assassin studies his victim for 3 rounds and then makes a sneak attack with a melee weapon that successfully deals damage, the sneak attack has the additional effect of possibly either paralyzing or killing the target (assassin’s choice). While studying the victim, the assassin can undertake other actions so long as his attention stays focused on the target and the target does not detect the assassin or recognize the assassin as an enemy. If the victim of such an attack fails her Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + the assassin’s class level + the assassin’s Intelligence modifier) against the kill effect, she dies. If the saving throw fails against the paralysis effect, the victim’s mind and body become enervated, rendering her completely helpless and unable to act for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per level of the assassin. If the victim’s saving throw succeeds, the attack is just a normal sneak attack. Once the assassin has completed the 3 rounds of study, he must make the death attack within the next 3 rounds. If a death attack is attempted and fails (the victim makes her save) or if the assassin does not launch the attack within 3 rounds of completing the study, 3 new rounds of study are required before he can attempt another death attack.
Poison Use: Professional assassins are trained in the use of poison and never risk accidentally poisoning themselves when applying poison to a blade.
Saving Throw Bonus vs. Poison: Assassins train with poisons of all types and slowly grow more and more resistant to their
effects. This is reflected by a natural saving throw bonus to all poisons gained at 2nd level that increases by +1 for every two levels the professional assassin gains (+1 at 2nd level, +2 at 4th level, +3 at 6th level, and so on).
Uncanny Dodge: Starting at 2nd level, the assassin gains the extraordinary ability to react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to even be aware of it. At 2nd level and above, he retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. (He still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.) At 5th level, the professional assassin can no longer be flanked, since he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies rogues the ability to use flank attacks to sneak attack the assassin. The exception to this defense is that a rogue at least four levels higher than the assassin can flank him (and thus sneak attack him). At 10th level, the assassin gains an intuitive sense that alerts him to danger from traps, giving him a +1 bonus to Reflex saves made to avoid traps. If the professional assassin has another class that grants the uncanny dodge ability, add together all the class levels of the classes that grant the ability and determine the character’s uncanny dodge ability on that basis.
