Death Attack, the BIG threat...

[Deset Gled]

There is a huge list of things that I am much more afraid of than a simple Death Attack. If the DM is going to randomly attack you with save-or-die effects, Death Attack is not the sharpest option in RBDM toolkit. There are plenty of insta-kill spells and effects that have a scarier range, higher DC, and don't require someone to stare at me for 3 rounds.

I've played an Assassin before, and I can verify that the DC of Death Attack is not in any way awesome, but it's also not craptacular. I used Str as my primary ability, with Int as a secondary (Dex was low; AC doesn't matter at all if they can't see you, and I was melee focused). I also took the Ability Focus feat to give an additional +2 to the DC. Like any Fort Save effect, it was very effective against anything that had a low save, and crappy against anything with a high save.

 

[Belzbet]

Death Ward :: d20srd.org
Extended Scrolls/Wands of Death Ward pretty much foil the entire class.

Also, regarding the conversation above, three levels of Swashbuckler can open up a lot of room to refocus an assassin's stat block to be Int heavy, and I believe I recall a dagger that increased the save DC by 2 somewhere. I'll try to find it.

Yeah however you CANNOT use a wand as an immediate reaction in response to an assassin... ands WHO wants to buy tons of wands and cast them everyday just (many times a day) just in case an assassin is around the corner... The ones that last long are more expensive anyway... Also, NPC's arent always death warded and a Dm can always find a time in the PC's life when they are unprotected... and the death attacks paralyzation is arguable not protected against by death awrd... being helpless is one step away from being dead...

 

[Dandu]

What you do want to do is to Persist Death Ward.

 

[Sekhmet]

Yeah however you CANNOT use a wand as an immediate reaction in response to an assassin... ands WHO wants to buy tons of wands and cast them everyday just (many times a day) just in case an assassin is around the corner... The ones that last long are more expensive anyway... Also, NPC's arent always death warded and a Dm can always find a time in the PC's life when they are unprotected... and the death attacks paralyzation is arguable not protected against by death awrd... being helpless is one step away from being dead...

Medium and high level parties should always, at all times, forever, always be protected from Death effects.

 

[Dandu]

I think we can all agree to that; the difficulty is in how to do it. I personally favor the Soulfire armor/shield enchantment for this purpose.

 

[Belzbet]

Medium and high level parties should always, at all times, forever, always be protected from Death effects.

The question is whether death attack is a death effect (despite the name). I mean death ward does not protect against damge just SPELLS (read the spell)... And death attack is a dagger the the throat, not a spell... SO ARGUABLY we can say death ward doesnt protect against deaht attack... Even if death attack is a death affect and even in light of fotification, etc. NOT ALL PC's have fortification... i think it is weird to say that ALL PC's have protection FROM ALL death attacks at mid to high levels (maybe high levels but that IT IS NOT AT ALL TIME, PLEASE thats just not true...)

 

[Dandu]

Soulfire and Fortification are pretty good enchantments, though.

 

[Jon_Dahl]

I'm going to have a big assassination coming up in my game and I feel pretty excited about it

The thing is that my players are looking to make some new characters, but also to continue with the campaign. So I'm going to throw in an assassin and see who is left to stand. And also PCs have been heavily warned about the coming of the assassin for three sessions now. It's not even a surprise, so the gloves are OFF!

What I'm going to do:
Assassin has been gathering information about the players. Players are warned that someone is asking things about them. After several days of successful of information gathering, PCs are now an open book to the assassin.

Assassin slays a hermit old man, who has a nice house. No one really knows too much about this old guy (he was actually exiled from his previous homecountry).

Players are invited to trade, buy and sell magical items with the hermit. PCs are invited to try on magical accessories, that all have strong Magic Aura. They also have contact poison (Nitharit) inside them. "They are well-greased!"

Also PCs are welcomed to taste magical force field potions (actual Mage Armor potions). They are poisoned with Oil of Taggit.

At this point the servant of the old hermit casts Invisibility and the assassin Death attacks with a poisoned magic dagger. In the coming rounds the invisible cohort mage cost summons (group of Lemures and/or fiendish ape) to flank the players, thus giving sneak attack 5d6 to assassin. At some point the poisons kick in too. Assassin will be satisfied with one severed head, so it will not be TPK.

Also I have escape plan for the assassin and cohort: Invisibilities and expeditious retreat. Potion of Pass without Trace will help too.

 

[anest1s]

The subject is immune to all death spells, magical death effects, energy drain, and any negative energy effects.

This spell doesn’t remove negative levels that the subject has already gained, nor does it affect the saving throw necessary 24 hours after gaining a negative level.



Death ward does not protect against other sorts of attacks even if those attacks might be lethal.

So probably it wouldn't work.

For the Assassin, I would be worried more about Death Attacks Combined with Poisons.

 

[Belzbet]

There is a huge list of things that I am much more afraid of than a simple Death Attack. If the DM is going to randomly attack you with save-or-die effects, Death Attack is not the sharpest option in RBDM toolkit. There are plenty of insta-kill spells and effects that have a scarier range, higher DC, and don't require someone to stare at me for 3 rounds.

I dont think anyone is saying that death attack is the most effective way to kill PC's... The BEAUTY of the class is that you can challenge your PC's and still GIVE THEM A CHANCE (those 3 rounds are 3 rounds the PC's could notice the assassin, great for adventures, what DM wants to outright kill their PC's with no chance?)
... Yeah a cleric with destruction can destroy the party wizard with ease (unless the wizard took special care in his fort. save)... Heck even phantasmal killer can get pick a PC off (shoot it t a Rogue)... almost any humanoid can be taken down with a hold person and a coup de grace (and what PC isnt humanoid? although only one of mine is... most are outsiders...) But the assassin can give the party a chance and open up awesome RP opportunities... I mean of course ALL classes are capable of this Im just saying..