CleverNickName
Limit Break Dancing (He/They)
One of my players is frustrated with the Assassin subclass. The "Assassinate" ability is powerful when it works, but it hasn't been very reliable for his character. He doesn't care much for the sneaky spymaster stuff like acting and wearing disguises either, but he does enjoy potions and alchemy. His character recently joined a faction The Iron Cauldron (an underground group of apothecaries, poisoners, and drug dealers who specialize in illegal substances), and he asked about ways to incorporate that into his subclass instead of the "assume a false identity" stuff.
This is what I came up with on the fly; I'm sure it needs to be balanced and reworked a bit....and that's what I'm posting it here for.
What do you think?
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Variant Assassin: Poisoner
POISONER (replaces ASSASSINATE)
You learn the Poison Spray cantrip at 3rd Level. The Save DC for this and all other class features is (8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus).
VENOMED STRIKE (replaces ASSASSINATE)
Starting at 3rd level, your Sneak Attacks deal +1d6 points of poison damage, and the target must make a Constitution save or gain the Poisoned condition for 1 minute. The creature can repeat its save throw at the end of each of its turns, negating the Poisoned condition on a success. This poison damage increases to +2d6 at 5th level, +3d6 at 11th level, and +4d6 at 17th level.
INCREASED POTENCY (replaces INFILTRATION EXPERTISE)
At 9th level, living creatures no longer have immunity or resistance to Poison damage against poisons that you apply yourself, and Antitoxin no longer provides any benefit. (Non-living creatures, such as Constructs and Undead, remain unaffected.)
TRANQUILIZER DART (replaces IMPOSTER)
Beginning at 13th level, when you poison a living creature with your sneak attack ability, you can use your Reaction to cast Hold Monster on that creature. (Casting the spell in this manner does not require Concentration.) Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.
DEADLY TOXIN (replaces DEATH STRIKE)
At 17th level, a living creature Poisoned by your Sneak Attack automatically takes 20 (6d6) points of Poison damage at the start of its turn.
This is what I came up with on the fly; I'm sure it needs to be balanced and reworked a bit....and that's what I'm posting it here for.

What do you think?
-----
Variant Assassin: Poisoner
POISONER (replaces ASSASSINATE)
You learn the Poison Spray cantrip at 3rd Level. The Save DC for this and all other class features is (8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus).
VENOMED STRIKE (replaces ASSASSINATE)
Starting at 3rd level, your Sneak Attacks deal +1d6 points of poison damage, and the target must make a Constitution save or gain the Poisoned condition for 1 minute. The creature can repeat its save throw at the end of each of its turns, negating the Poisoned condition on a success. This poison damage increases to +2d6 at 5th level, +3d6 at 11th level, and +4d6 at 17th level.
INCREASED POTENCY (replaces INFILTRATION EXPERTISE)
At 9th level, living creatures no longer have immunity or resistance to Poison damage against poisons that you apply yourself, and Antitoxin no longer provides any benefit. (Non-living creatures, such as Constructs and Undead, remain unaffected.)
TRANQUILIZER DART (replaces IMPOSTER)
Beginning at 13th level, when you poison a living creature with your sneak attack ability, you can use your Reaction to cast Hold Monster on that creature. (Casting the spell in this manner does not require Concentration.) Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.
DEADLY TOXIN (replaces DEATH STRIKE)
At 17th level, a living creature Poisoned by your Sneak Attack automatically takes 20 (6d6) points of Poison damage at the start of its turn.
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