D&D 5E (2024) Assassination on a PC yay or nay?

[aco175]

So at lvl 4 the PCs foiled the plans of a Shade. They watched her via a communication device dispatch an assassin and dark justicier to deal with them.

From a player perspective it seems that they did not know what was going on and if might feel cheap. The party foiled plans of the bad guys and seem to not know they were being spied upon and then punished by having a sneak attack in the middle of the night. I guess they know now that they can be spied on and that there are assassins being sent against them. They had no clue, then it just feels meh.

Maybe they could have learned they were being spied on or heard that someone hired assassins, they would have more options. The players might not even know who sent these assassins if there was no clues about a bad guy escaping and they were just being spied on somehow.

Going foreword, maybe he dropped something with a clue on who sent him or where he is from and what guild he is with. If the players have nothing, they have nothing to use or expand upon to make decisions.

 

[Koloth]

This ties in well with Why Fear is good for PCs : D&D General - Why fear is good for PCs
Good for the PCs to understand that things have consequences. Also makes for a richer game. The PCs foiled a plot. The folks behind the plot reached out and directly threatened the PCs. Decision time for the PCs. Try to disappear or go after the the folks behind the plot again.

 

[Artamo]

From a player perspective it seems that they did not know what was going on and if might feel cheap. The party foiled plans of the bad guys and seem to not know they were being spied upon and then punished by having a sneak attack in the middle of the night. I guess they know now that they can be spied on and that there are assassins being sent against them. They had no clue, then it just feels meh.

Maybe they could have learned they were being spied on or heard that someone hired assassins, they would have more options. The players might not even know who sent these assassins if there was no clues about a bad guy escaping and they were just being spied on somehow.

Going foreword, maybe he dropped something with a clue on who sent him or where he is from and what guild he is with. If the players have nothing, they have nothing to use or expand upon to make decisions.

This is kind of my issue with using assassin type powers against PCs as well. Suppose that they were aware the NPC they scried was an assassin, and assumed they were after them. What then?

They could actively try to find the assassin, which may be an option. Or they could carry on about their business, and be on the watch for the assassin. My issue with the second option is: “What does that look like within the context of the rules?” By default, the party has a passive perception which is what was used in the OP scenario. But an assassin NPC has to roll poorly to be observed - there’s nothing the party can do in that case to avoid the surprise. They could say they’re on the lookout for an ambush or assassination attempt…but when? Are they perpetually on guard, thereby never having passive perception? It kind of turns into a variation on the whole “I suspect a trap, therefore I check every square on the map for a trap” problem.

So for me, it’s not that I have a problem with the idea of deadly assassin encounter, and as a one off, I think it works. But I would definitely want to change the dynamics for the players the next time so that I’m not just rinse/repeating the same tactics without giving the PCs either a better means of detecting the assassin without being always on-guard, or providing more clues to when the assassin could strike - anything that puts the action back in the PCs hands rather than waiting for the attack.

 

[mamba]

My broader point is that, yes, the assassin acted logically in the situation, but it led to a wasted opportunity to do something interesting because it had the DM's omniscience. You can roleplay a monster as intelligent without it having perfect knowledge. In this case, my question is, why did the assassin attack at all? Did it expect to have to fight its way out? Why not just sneak in, poison their supplies or something and teleport away?

I’d assume an assassin has a pretty good idea when someone is dead vs when a heal wounds is going to get them right back up.

As to your broader point, the assassin sneaking in and poisoning everyone and they die (or maybe half do while the others make their save) is not really any better… I assume the attempt was mostly there to let the party know that someone is after them, at least from the DM’s perspective. If so, it should have accomplished that

 

[sevenbastard]

Im fine hitting hard against the party. In a world of Healing Word slitting throats of down opponents is just part of combat.

But this feels more like an NPC sending a message "back off our next time you wont survive" than a actual assassination attempt.

I think that is because you know its not a good idea to kill a character in a encounter where they dont have agency even though its really easy to do so.

Its kind of a no win situation. If you send an assassin against the party they have to be incompetent because poisoning them or killing them in thier sleep are the most viable options but not fun for anyone.

 

[Artamo]

It’s kind of a no win situation. If you send an assassin against the party they have to be incompetent because poisoning them or killing them in thier sleep are the most viable options but not fun for anyone.

Regarding incompetent assassins, I always think of the ending of Day of the Jackal. Most competent, dangerous assassin in literature and he’s undone because his target makes an unexpected movement right as he pulls the trigger.

 

[Li Shenron]

So at lvl 4 the PCs foiled the plans of a Shade. They watched her via a communication device dispatch an assassin and dark justicier to deal with them.

I think you did fine! If anything, the Assassin might have been on the weak side if it won all the rolls including striking a critical, and still didn't kill the target.

Balance issues aside (a single PC downed in one turn by an ambush is fine), what did you want out of the encounter, and what did you want them to get out of it?

A consequence to the narrative?

A warning for what may be coming next?

A chance to design a protective strategy?

That's fine, but it doesn't feel like the party had a lot of agency, and it reads as a targeted attack on that particular character.

The OP may have not told everything, but it sounds almost like the PCs had done nothing to prepare, despite knowing it was going to happen. They possibly had a lot of agency before the attack: setting up guards, barricading, disguising, using alerting spells, setting traps, trying to find the assassin before it attacks... if they didn't do anything in this situation, they also have a prior agency in character builds to improve chances at not being surprised or slow to act.

Then it is also possible they did everything they could, but the dice just decided otherwise. Sometimes it happens in their favour, this time it didn't. I don't think the OP is guilty at all! But I do still think the assassin was too weak... this time.

 

[sevenbastard]

Regarding incompetent assassins, I always think of the ending of Day of the Jackal. Most competent, dangerous assassin in literature and he’s undone because his target makes an unexpected movement right as he pulls the trigger.

Yeah im good with that. Or where someone acindently takes the death meant for the PC, for example serving boy takes a sip of the poison wine before he served it to the PCs saving there lives and setting up thier need for brutal revenge.

"Poor Osric I told that fool boy to stop taking nibbles of the customers food"

 

[Piperken]

So at lvl 4 the PCs foiled the plans of a Shade. They watched her via a communication device dispatch an assassin and dark justicier to deal with them.

Level 5 and a tenday later they were traveling with Cornyr fairly safe right?...

If this is something the Shade would do, then it's warranted. You flagged it to them ahead of time.

What opportunities come out of this at the table, is what will matter most.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Also: level 5 has revivify. So maybe the assassination should have been successful and on a target when the pary splits. So maybe have them beeing followed for a while. And at some points a perception check or survival check could have given them some clues.