Ampersand: Debut and Exclusive Content (Assassin Class)

[Fallen Seraph]

An idea I had for the Assassin:

I could see the Assassin being almost a Leader/Striker then anything. The Assassin can influence/trick enemies using his appearance altering, if he himself can move through walls then perhaps he can move enemies and or allies as well, the ability to manipulate shadows could cover allies and give them combat advantage and such, or blind enemies.

I could see the fluff/concept of the Assassin moving around the idea that he shoves aside/manipulates enemies to force them aside so he can focus on his primary assassination target.

 

[Rechan]

An assassin player class may also be a bit too controversial for a book aimed in part at young gamers.

PHB had dudes who get their power from devils. The game revolves around killing things. C'mon now.

 

[Runestar]

Diablo2 also had the assassin class, so I wouldn't be too worried about parental backlash. Apparently, we can get away with a fair amount of gore and violence so long as there is no RA'rated stuff. A hundred and one different ways of killing someone? No problem. A little extra cleavage and everyone is up in arms.

 

[Nivenus]

Archetype.

"Assassin" conjures up the image of the gentleman-mercenary, the dapper intellectual, the brilliant infiltrator well-dressed in black clothes who charges a high premium for his services in eliminating the wealthy and powerful. No lock can keep him out, and no guards will hear him coming. He slays kings.

"Ninja" conjures up the image of the illusionist-murderer, a creature of the night and magic, whose athletic prowess defines her skill, speed, and stealth, and whose supernatural powers render her a fearsome bogey, a night-terror for all who hear of those she slays in their sleep.

Mechanically, I'd say Assassin = INTELLIGENCE (Charisma/Dexterity), Ninja = DEXTERITY (Strength/Wisdom).

I suppose. But that's not how I imagine either. I suppose it's in part because I've never thought of ninjas as magical or assassins as particularly gentlemanly. When I think of assassins I think of black-robed killers who kill others for a profit, a cause, or out of loyalty to a lord.

You know... these guys.

http://wizards.com/dnd/images/dmg35_gallery/DMG35_PG180_WEB.jpg

When I think of ninjas... I think of basically the same thing. Except they're using a katana instead of a dagger or short sword.

Again, it comes off to me more like a matter of flavor than mechanics. I guess I can see why others might see it differently. But a "ninja" or "samurai" class just rings wrong to me somehow.

 

[lutecius]

PHB had dudes who get their power from devils. The game revolves around killing things. C'mon now.

I don't know. Adventurers generally need an excuse to kill things.
A fighter can fight for a noble cause and even an infernalock can be "a devil-touched hunter using infernal spells to eliminate evil" (phb1).

An assassin commits murders. I guess he could do that to fight evil too but the word has a strong real-world negative connotation. I think this is why thieves were renamed too.

Say a kid asks "Mum, can I have this book? I want to play a warlock". Unless she's some religious nutcase, the mother's reaction will probably be "...a what? is it like some kind of wizard? sigh..."
I think "I want to play an assassin" will arouse more concrete concerns.

Diablo2 also had the assassin class, so I wouldn't be too worried about parental backlash. Apparently, we can get away with a fair amount of gore and violence so long as there is no RA'rated stuff. A hundred and one different ways of killing someone? No problem. A little extra cleavage and everyone is up in arms.

Diablo2 was rated 16+ in France, but no one sues over wardrobe malfunctions here

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

An assassin player class may also be a bit too controversial for a book aimed in part at young gamers. I don't know the ddi terms of agreement but I assume the average subscriber is somewhat older.
At any rate, the books' default assumption so far is that PCs are the good guys.

Well, it requires a credit card - do underagers get credit cards in the US and thus can use them in a contract with WotC, or is it technically their parents that would be the subscribers?

On second thought:
Besides the Warlock, the Avenger also has some "morally questionable" fluff behind it. The Avenger basically is already an Assassin - but one that murders in the name of his god. The Avenger seems to be one of the classes that is using his powers with the explicit purpose of killing someone, not to achieve any other goals. (A Rogue might be killing because he's doing illegal things and people will try to stop him. A Paladin kills because he protects the weak and so on).

 

[ProfessorCirno]

I think the issue with assassin is that, as others have said, assassins go out and murder people. It's much different from all the other classes which go out and smite evil monsters. In a game that's very centered on GOOOOOOOD VS EEEEEEEEEVIL! I'm wondering where the assassin lies. Especially since there's no alignment restrictions.

 

[vagabundo]

I think the issue with assassin is that, as others have said, assassins go out and murder people. It's much different from all the other classes which go out and smite evil monsters. In a game that's very centered on GOOOOOOOD VS EEEEEEEEEVIL! I'm wondering where the assassin lies. Especially since there's no alignment restrictions.

It lies whereever the player wishes it to lie. As you said there are no alignment restrictions so it is up to the player to come up with his background and motivations.

I dont see this being a big issue as 3e had the assassin PRC and there was no trouble.

 

[mach1.9pants]

Yeah remember that the killing of humans and other intelligent life forms for the purpose of profit is held to be the antithesis of weal....
...some time in the last 30 odd years I figured out what that meant.

And to me that says 'adventurer'...

I'll stick with the Dragon article that interpreted Robin Hood as an Assassin.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

It lies whereever the player wishes it to lie. As you said there are no alignment restrictions so it is up to the player to come up with his background and motivations.

I dont see this being a big issue as 3e had the assassin PRC and there was no trouble.

3e assassin was evil only ;p