Dragon 379: Assassin Heroic Tier

[SkidAce]

A quote from page 7 of the preview, with WotC's indulgence...

"Assasins focus their shadow energy through a ki focus, which is not an object they weild but a reservoir of magical power within themselves."

"You can imbue your ki focus with magic as if it were a physical implement"

So it is a well spring of power within you that you can enchant.

However I do see your point about improvised weapons. So an assassin could use his ki focus enchantment on any weapon he was profiecient with that he happened across. But not improvised ones.

 

[Arcas_Shan]

Technically, it comes out on Monday, but if you've figured out how to get the paragon article early, then you can do the same thing for the epic article. Its four pages and contains the assassin's epic powers (many of which are very cool) and an epic destiny. There are no epic feats, multi-classing feats, or ki foci.

Thanks a lot!

I'm kinda happy about the lack of feats because I don't have any to spare in my build and don't have to cut corners because there's anything necessary I would miss.
However, I hope that you can use Focused Expertise (shadowblade) to get a +3 bonus to implement attacks. Otherwise Shadowblades are screwed with Weapon Expertise (light blades) and Implement Expertise (ki focus).
The nice thing about the makeshift ki focus rules we have now is that you can make the weirdest combinations. My favourite is shadowblade with radiant enchantment.

 

[Siberys]

This feels incomplete, like a rather far-progressed homebrew that is somehow still lacking necessary components.

Ki Focus - No examples. I could easily houserules this, but it's a rather glaring omission.
Multiclassing/Hybrid - Ditto above.
Feats - There are a grand total of 2 Paragon tier feats, and 0 epic.

Rather disappointing, IMO.

 

[Klaus]

For those who say there's a lack of paragon tier feats, look in the PHB 2. The barbarian, for instance, gets 3 paragon feats, and 2 epic ones. It's the standard ammount of class-specific feats.

I admit, I want some info on ki focus and multiclass feats, though.

 

[Shroomy]

Even with the glaring lack of ki foci and multi-class feats, the assassin can hardly be characterized as a homebrew. IMO, even with the ommissions, its a pretty awesome class and is fully playable (except for the shadowblade PP, that's partially screwed until ki foci are released).

 

[Siberys]

I'm not saying the rules are homebrewy, not at all. What I'm saying is that, if this WERE a homebrew, I'd consider it incomplete and pass on it until it was finished. Which is precisely what I intend to do. It's the incompletion which is homebrewish, not the material itself.

As for feats, just a handful more would've satisfied me. A couple more Paragon and two or three epic would've been golden.

 

[Klaus]

I think what is missing from the feats section are feats that alter/improve each of the Guild Training choices and a couple of the basic powers, like Shade Form and Shadow Step.

For instance, Rogues get Backstabber, Rangers get Lethal Hunter. What can an Assassin take to increase their shroud damage?

 

[Gunpowder]

I think what is missing from the feats section are feats that alter/improve each of the Guild Training choices and a couple of the basic powers, like Shade Form and Shadow Step.

For instance, Rogues get Backstabber, Rangers get Lethal Hunter. What can an Assassin take to increase their shroud damage?

Brutal shroud

 

[Phaezen]

I think what is missing from the feats section are feats that alter/improve each of the Guild Training choices and a couple of the basic powers, like Shade Form and Shadow Step.

For instance, Rogues get Backstabber, Rangers get Lethal Hunter. What can an Assassin take to increase their shroud damage?

Assassins Escape, Brutal Shroud, Killers Insight: These are the feats you are looking for

 

[garyh]

For instance, Rogues get Backstabber, Rangers get Lethal Hunter. What can an Assassin take to increase their shroud damage?

The same thing warlocks get to increase their curse damage?

/player unsatisfied with his warlock who keeps bugging his DM to let him convert the character to a sorcerer.