Dragon 379: Assassin Heroic Tier

[Phaezen]

Still reading through the article, but I am liking what I am seeing so far. The interplay between Ki-Focus and Weapon looks interesting and flavourful.

 

[CelticMutt]

Thing is, this isn't a preview. This won't be in a future PHB (perhaps a Dragon annual), but this and the three other articles are it. Look at this like an entry in the PHB.

Well, not exactly. I mean, it's not going to be just these three articles. We've already been told that sometime early next year (I predict around the release time of PHB3) that a new article with a third build feature will be presented. The devs also said that it and other DDi exclusives will continue to get future support, so I fully expect that whenever the Shadow Power book comes along (probably late 2011) there will be at least one more article. Plus I'd bet on an "Assassins in Dark Sun/2011+ Setting) articles as well.

 

[Rechan]

You guys think we'll get the multi-class feat and the items too, when the three articles are out?

It'd sure be nice if they were all in one PDF instead of three.

 

[Phaezen]

You guys think we'll get the multi-class feat and the items too, when the three articles are out?

It'd sure be nice if they were all in one PDF instead of three.

Mike Mearls has confirmed that there are hybrid rules coming, so it should be safe to assume that there is a multiclass feat?

 

[wedgeski]

OMG! You killed him and I had a four-pointer teed up and ready to go!

Shroud mechanics are essentially a D&D combo-point system, and I like what they've done with it here, especially the flavouir inherent in the Marked For Death power. Plus, cue up four Shrouds on a victim and you're guaranteed 3d6 damage on it, hit or miss. Always nice to be assured of a big hit when you need one.

Elsewhere the imagery is great. Literally stepping into one person's shadow (okay, shadow 'energy') and emerging from the shadow of one of his mates is really cool.

 

[Shroomy]

You guys think we'll get the multi-class feat and the items too, when the three articles are out?

It'd sure be nice if they were all in one PDF instead of three.

Technically, we will, at the end of the month. I can see why they're doing this, as the final version will probably be 30+ pages.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

What I'm a little disappointed in is that the assassin has the ability to generate Combat Advantage so easily without any ability to capitalize on it.

It is just a little frustrating knowing that you can turn invisible, hide easily, have abilities that give enemies "the target grants combat advantage (save ends)" but you gain no benefits from it at all other than +2 to hit.

It just feels like a class that SHOULD get some benefit when they strike from the shadows. That's pretty much how me and my roommates all felt as we read the class. It was pretty much: "Ok, so you can turn invisible. That does give people -5 to hit you, but other than that...why?"

 

[Vael]

Well, all that invisibility is going to be handy when you've got controller HP.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I find it interesting that its implements are ki focuses. I really have to wonder if the assassin then was actually originally going to be the ninja, but got reworked / renamed once the Ki power source was removed? Could ki focuses be one of the last remaining vestiges of the Ki source that will appear in several of the upcoming classes?

I think we'll probably have a better idea once we see more of PH3... as there's a pretty good chance that the new divine and primal classes being introduced there are actually reworked / renamed Ki classes as well. If those classes use ki focuses as implements instead of (or in addition to) holy symbols, staves, totems etc... then we'll know pretty well who killed Ki and took its stuff.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

Well, all that invisibility is going to be handy when you've got controller HP.

Yeah, that seems to be the major reason. Which is an alright reason.

But they have a lot of abilities that don't actually make you invisible, just give you combat advantage. These are the ones I'm wondering about.

I'm actually a little concerned that the class doesn't appear to output that much damage either. Especially the Con based build. Your extra damage is smaller than Rogues. You do get to use bigger weapons with your attacks...but at the same time there's a lot of role playing reasons to use small weapons(you can conceal them for one...kind of useful as an assassin).

Plus, a lot of their utilities are very useful in a purely role playing situation...which is kind of cool. But at the same time, they are pretty much ONLY useful in a solo situation where the assassin is attempting to sneak into a building by himself, take out the guards along the way and kill someone then sneak out. Which is good, because that's what an assassin should be able to do. But in an actual D&D game, I see this situation happening almost never. No one wants to sit back and watch the assassin go on a solo mission. Plus, the mechanics of 4e are designed around group battles. It creates an odd situation.

Take, for example, the feat that makes it so that enemies who are unaware of you don't realize that they've been shrouded. It's a cool roleplaying feat. You can sneak up on a guard, they don't know you are there, you shroud one of them 4 times. Then you jump out of cover and hit them with your full shroud bonus. But the average 4e party is pretty much incapable of sneaking up on anyone. Even when they are capable of sneaking, they often choose not to due to time constraints or pure overconfidence. So, unless the assassin is by himself, the feat will almost never get used.

I suppose it COULD be used in combat, if you were invisible and decided to wait 4 rounds without attacking while you shrouded an enemy. But that seems a rather poor way of helping your party in combat.