Fixing the Assassin

[rgard]

Thank you. The fiendblade was my favorite of the Classes of Legend to design. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

You are most welcome. The BBEG in one campaign I ran was a Fiendblade/Warlock (melee oriented with Hideous Blow with HR'd Practiced Warlock), albino Drow. His quasit buddies wreaked havoc on the PCs though he did use other fiends.

Great class. I encourage anybody looking for something different to pick this one up. It's not expensive and you'll have a blast.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[VirgilCaine]

(6) it's the fastest way to qualify for the "ability to spontaneously cast arcane spells (of X level)" type of prerequisites in a rogue-like build.

Faster than Bard?

 

[DreadArchon]

Faster than Bard?

A Bard (1) requires non-lawful, (2) gets only cantrips at level 1, (3) doesn't get spells nearly as fast if you need spells higher than level 1, (4) casts on a different (and arguably less useful) stat, and (5) (although this addresses the other points more than spells) doesn't get Sneak Attack or Poison Use. Further, Assassins do get a few handy spells that Bards don't (though admittedly it works the other way around, too), and a lot of people just plain don't like Bards.

On point 3: Yes, I'm aware that a pure Bard will get 4th level spells two levels earlier than a Rogue/Assassin, 3rd level spells three levels earlier, etc.--but this assumes that you wish to play a pure Bard up to that point, which many don't. A level 10 Bard doesn't have 7d6 Sneak Attack; a level 12 Assassin does.

 

[NCSUCodeMonkey]

Nifft has done some awesome work on that here http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=187901&page=1&pp=40 with his Martial Assassin. Replacing the assassin's spells with marital maneuvers (from Book of 9 Swords) makes a lot of sense and has a high cool factor IMO.

 

[AnonymousOne]

And it makes Diamond Mind amazing.... Sneak attack plus the blades.... SCHWEET that and the Shadow hand is a perfect mesh with the assassin.