Assassin (Ninja) and possible CB glitches?

[Herobizkit]

I'm currently playing an Assassin with the Ninja "theme" and I have a few questions for the board.

1. When my character levels from 2 to 3, he appears to gain absolutely no benefit. No new feat, power, skills, or anything. Is level 3 a 'dead' level?

2. I can't seem to swap my Assassin at-wills. I don't use the Ninja-To rush ever and want to swap it for the Assassin's Noose.

3. When using the Whirling Kusari-Gama attack, can I apply the d8 extra damage to the damage from the initial strike, or do I have to apply it to second strike as the first one is not "rolled"?

 

[D'karr]

From what I can tell, and I'm using the offline CB level 3 is indeed a dead level for the purpose of feats but you do get Death Attack.

Essentials characters get specific benefits at certain levels. They don't get to pick at those levels. It's part of the ease of use for those classes.

I imagine that by Assassin you mean the Executioner. Ninja is a Guild training option available to the Executioner (Essentials) not the OAssasin (Dragon Magazine). I believe that guild training "replaces/gives" you the three options Ninja-to Rush, Poisonous Shuriken, and Whirling Kusari-Gama. Assassin's Noose (Executioner's Noose) is not an option available to the Essentials Assassin (Executioner).

Like I said I'm looking at the offline builder so there might be some differences.

Bonus dice usually apply to rolled damage, but I've played it both ways and have not found anything earth-shattering about doing it either way.

 

[Manbearcat]

1. When my character levels from 2 to 3, he appears to gain absolutely no benefit. No new feat, power, skills, or anything. Is level 3 a 'dead' level? At level 3 you get Death Attack which allows you to reduce an enemy to 0 HP if it has 10 or fewer HP after you deal damage to it. This scales as you level.

2. I can't seem to swap my Assassin at-wills. I don't use the Ninja-To rush ever and want to swap it for the Assassin's Noose. I assume you mean Garrote Strangle? RAW this is not swappable. You get your guild's 3 at-wills. Garrote Strangle is part of a different guild; Red Scales. Check with your GM.

3. When using the Whirling Kusari-Gama attack, can I apply the d8 extra damage to the damage from the initial strike, or do I have to apply it to second strike as the first one is not "rolled"? "Once per turn you can deal 1d8 extra damage with a weapon attack". It applies to "weapon attacks" not "damage rolls of weapon attacks". The first part of WK-G is a "weapon attack" so it should apply. Presumably, if they meant "once per turn you can deal 1d8 extra damage to the damage rolls of weapon attacks (like Weapon Focus), they would have written that.

 

[Herobizkit]

Thanks for the clarification. That Death Attack is worth every penny I didn't spend.