Non-good assassin

[Thanatos]

I had this very same problem come up in my current campaign.

The player is a neutral type, who wanted the assassin class, but didn't want to be evil or have to kill someone to get into the organization.

In the end, I decided the thing to do was re-write the class a little so he wasn't required to be evil or kill someone to get in.

Then I added a backstory to the ogranization. This particular guild isn't your standard assassin's guild. They don't hire out their skills. The upper heirarchy of the organization monitors the political, military and justice systems of various countries and cities within the game world, secretly. They send in operative to take out individuals that they have deemed to be corrupted, evil or agents of more insidious powers in an attempt perserve those countries and cities social structures from being unduly influenced by those neferious powers that be.

A good case in point would be one of the king's advisors. Who is secretly an assassin assigned to slay the king or his family if his Evil Overlord's orders are not carried out by the King. The king knows one of his advisor's has crossed over, but not which one.

Our assassin's organization dispatches an agent to take out the corrupted advisor as quickly and quietly as possible -- using whatever means necessary.

Anyway, thats what I did. Seemed to work out for me.

 

[Tewligan]

There's an assassin-type prestige class in Librum Equitus that isn't required to be evil. Unfortunately, I am drawing a blank on the name - I think it's "The [something] Ones." Anyway, I like them more than the DMG assassin - they get sneak attack bonuses, the ability to hide weapons on their person, and no spells. I just never liked the spell thing for assassins - seems an odd feature for an assassin class.

 

[CCamfield]

Shadowy guardians against corruption... great idea, Thanatos!

 

[Burne]

Since my DM and I had a similar issue with Assassins, we cooked up the following. Note that the game in question is very high power. For a lower power game, you may want to move the Sneak attack dice from 1,3,5 to 2,4.

Ebon Blade

The Ebon Blades are members of the thieves' guild the Black Razors. The Black Razors offer special training to any of its members able and willing to learn. This training focuses on the ability to quickly move through the city. The Black Razors believe that no one that encounters the guild in combat should escape unscathed, and the Ebon Blade combat training focuses on this as well. Ebon Blades continue to train in the traditional skills of the Rogue.

Prerequisites:
Alignment: Any non-chaotic. Ebon Blade training requires discipline and the ability to work within a group.

Skills:
Hide: 8 ranks
Move Silently: 8 ranks
Disguise: 4 ranks
Jump: 4 ranks
Climb: 4 ranks

Special: Must be a member in good standing of the Black Razor guild or find some other route to receiving the necessary training.

Ex-Ebon Blades: An Ebon Blade whose alignment changes or leaves the Black Razors retains all class abilities, but may not gain further levels until the prerequistes are again met.

Hitdice: d6

Skills: 6+Int modifier
Class Skills: The Ebon Blade's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int, exclusive skill), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Innuendo (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Pick Pocket (Dex), Profession (Wis), Read Lips (Int, exclusive skill), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha, exclusive skill), and Use Rope (Dex).

	Base
	Attack 	Fort	Ref	Will
Level	Bonus	Save	Save	Save	Special
-----	-----	----	----	----	-------
1	+0	+0	+2	+0	Sneak Attack +1d6, Slow Fall(20ft)
2	+1	+0	+3	+0	Fast Climb, Unbounded Leap
3	+2	+1	+3	+1	Sneak Attack +2d6, Bleeding Strike
4	+3	+1	+4	+1	Fast Sneak, , Slow Fall(30ft)
5	+3	+1	+4	+1	Sneak Attack +3d6, Assassin Training, Debilitating Strike

Slow Fall(Ex): as the Monk ability

Fast Climb(Ex): as the Ninja ability

Unbounded Leap(Ex): as the Thief-Acrobat ability

Bleeding Strike(Ex): All successful melee strikes by the Ebon Blade cause bleeding wounds, just as if the character was wielding a wounding weapon.

Fast Sneak(Ex): as Ninja ability

Debilitating Strike(Ex): as the Crippling Strike rogue ability except Dexterity damage is done. The ability stacks with the crippling strike ability, and allows the Ebon Blade to qualify for feats/classes as if she had the crippling strike ability.

Assassin Training(Ex): A 5th lvl Ebon Blade may gain levels in the Assassin prestige class. Ebon Blade ignore all of the the normal Assassin prerequisites. The Ebon Blade may continue to buy Assassin levels as long as she continue to qualify for Ebon Blade levels. In addition, the character adds her Ebon Blade levels to her Assassin (or other prestige class) levels to determine the DC of her Death Attack.

Epic Progression: Ebon Blades do no have an Epic Progression.

 

[wallshot]

thanks for all the advice. it appears however, that it has all been for not. The player in question, after flipping thru OA, has decided he wants to become a ninja spy.

however, thanatos, yor idea is very intriguing. for some reason, however, i am getting a picture of a wizened old man sitting on top of a mountain-like diaz, staring into a crystal ball and sending death sentences down from his throne-on-high.

while the organization was sure to have noble origins, it seems all to easy for an agent of darkness to work his way to the top. then, while seeming to promote peace and stability, with the right people out of the way, the path is laid for an accession of truly evil proportions....

i think i have my next story.....

 

[CCamfield]

The road to hell is paved with good intentions...

 

[Thanatos]

Wallshot! SSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Good thing my players don't read this board *LOL*

That is indeed, part of the eventual story arc down the road.

Glad you and CCam liked it though.

Hope my idea isn't so see through to my players as it was here though heh heh

 

[Vexed]

I have changed the requirement to be an assasin from evil to non-good. You can be neutral and lean toward good and be an assasin. In my view its your intention and reasoning. You could still have morals and ethics (I dont kill children. I want to know what they did to you first? Why do you want them dead? I only kill "evil" people. I wont kill just anyone, etc.) Just because something IS an evil act, doesn't mean the person see's it as an evil act. When I read these posts I tried to think of a good character or at least a good country/organization that had assasins and I remembered Airlyn of everska who is an assasin and works for the harpers. They are a "semi-secret org of good...". If the intention of an assasin is to carry out their wishes because he/she feels the world will be a better place then so be it. Are they getting paid? Sure they are. Are they doing it purely for monetary gain or perverse pleasure? No. That would be evil. I found this statment in the book of vile darkness, and this is an objective view point (black/white) as opposed to relative view wich we would be debating till the cow come home in my opinion. "In a fantasy world based on an objective definition of evil, kiilling an evil creature to stop it from doing further harm is not an evil act. Even killing an evil creature for personal gain is not exactly evil (although it is not a good act), because it still stops the creatures predations on the innocent."

It goes on to say this justification works only for truly evil creatures/people etc. WHich is something the harpers do "...fight for freedom and justice in a world populated by tyrants, evil mages, and dread concerns beyond imagination". So imo an assasin is not 100% of the time evil.

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

I really freaked my players out by having them travel to an exotic foreign city where assassination was a legal act, controlled by the assassin's guild. The only caveat was that the guild had to inform the victim beforehand that he was to be assassinated. Nothing makes players freak out more than knowing that there could be an assassin lurking in just about any dark alley of the city