Assassins are a sub-class of thieves, and they have the functions of the latter as well as their own as well as certain limitations in comparison. To be an assassin, a character must have a minimum Strength of 12, an Intelligence of 11 or more, and a dexterity score of not less than 12. Assassins do not gain any experience bonuses for having high ability scores.
Table 1.1: Assassin Advancement Table
Experience Points |
Experience Level |
6-Sided Dice
for Accumulated
Experience Points |
Level Title |
0 ---- 1,500 |
1 |
1 | |
1,501 - 3,000 |
2 |
2 | |
3,001 - 6,000 |
3 |
3 | |
6,000 - 12,000 |
4 |
4 | |
12,001 - 25,000 |
5 |
5 | |
25,001 - 50,000 |
6 |
6 | |
50,001 - 100,000 |
7 |
7 | |
100,001 - 200,000 |
8 |
8 | |
200,001 - 300,000 |
9 |
9 |
Assassin |
300,001 - 425,000 |
10 |
10 |
Expert Assassin |
425,001 - 575,000 |
11 |
11 |
Senior Assassin |
575,001 - 750,000 |
12 |
12 |
Chief Assassin |
750,001 - 1,000,000 |
13 |
13 |
Master Assassin |
1,000,001 - 1,500,000 |
14 |
14 |
Grandmaster of Assassins |
1,500,001 - 1,800,000 |
15 |
15 |
Grandfather of Assassins |
1,800,001 - 2,100,000 |
16 |
15+2 |
Grandfather of Assassins (16th level) |
2,100,001 - 2,400,000 |
17 |
15+4 |
Grandfather of Assassins (17th level) |
2,400,001 - 2,700,000 |
18 |
15+6 |
Grandfather of Assassins (18th level) |
300,000 XP per additional level beyond the 15th. Assassins gain 2 hit points per level after the 15th.
Just as do thieves, assassins have six-sided dice for determining the number of hit points they can sustain. They use the same “to hit” table as thieves and unless otherwise noted, use the same saving throws, and have access to the same skills and abilities.
Assassins are somewhat more proficient than thieves with weapons, being able to gain proficiency in any weapon they desire. They gain 3 weapon proficiencies at 1st level, and gain a new proficiency every 2 levels. They are at a -3 penalty to hit when using a weapon they are not proficient in. They are able to use any sort of armor or shield, however, as their abilities are normally focused on stealth they generally prefer not to encumber themselves with heavy armor or weapons – becoming as it were incompetent fighters rather than skilled assassins.
However, this focus on martial arts leaves the assassin somewhat less broadly skilled compared to thieves. Assassins begin with just 70 skill points to distribute amongst their skills, and gain but 35 skill points per level. Otherwise, assassins use the same bonuses or penalties for core thief skills as basic thieves. Assassins gain but two non-weapon proficiencies at 1st level and gain a new one every 3 levels. They may take any NWP available to thieves, and in some campaigns may have access to secret NWP’s of their own.
Assassins are evil in alignment perforce, as the killing of humans and other intelligent life forms for the purpose of profit is basically held to be the antithesis of weal. An assassin that leaves the life of evil may no longer train their abilities as assassins, and must pursue another more wholesome line of work, though they may still employ their killing arts when their new mores would allow it. Former assassins of this nature are considered traitors to their guild if they ever teach their secrets to any other or perform any murder for hire, and are thus marked for death.
Abilities of Assassins
In addition to the normal abilities of thieves, assassins are experts at delivering subtle and silent death and their primary functions give them expertise in such areas superior to the ordinary thief.
Assassins begin with the Poisoner NWP and never need check to avoid accidentally poisoning themselves in the normal course of using poisons. Should they be poisoned, assassins have developed through exposure to tiny amounts of toxin and general resistance that gives them a +2 bonus on such saves. When using any skill of the Poisoner NWP, the base chance of success of an assassin is 60% + 5% per level of assassin beyond the 1st (though an assassin may make NWP checks as normal if their intelligence gives a greater chance of success).
Assassins backstab as thieves of two levels higher than their level as an assassin. The feared Grandfather of all Assassins (15th level) does sextuple damage (x6) on backstabs.
Additionally, all assassins are as skilled in the art of the backstab as a Master Thief (10th level), and may backstab any creature that he or she has surprised during the surprise round, irrespective of the angle of the attack. As well as the normal weapons allowable for a backstab, an assassin may use a ranged weapon to perform a backstab provided that the attack is within 10’ per level of the assassin.
Secret Languages
In addition to ordinary languages, assassins may learn secret languages such as alignment tongues, thieves cant, and even the tongue of druid’s, for the assassin guilds have penetrated many mysteries through the capture and torture of many foes over the years. Assassins may learn a new language of this sort every three levels (3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, etc.) up to double the normal number of languages allowed for their intelligence. (Thus an intelligence of at least 16 is required to learn the maximum of five at 15th level.)
Disguise
Assassins have the additional thief ability of Disguise, which they begin at a base 50% chance of success.
The percentage chance of a successful Disguise is modified by Intelligence, Dexterity and Charisma:
Table 1.2: Ability Score Modifiers to Disguise
Ability Score |
Intelligence |
Dexterity |
Charisma |
3 |
-9% |
-5% |
-11% |
4 |
-6% |
-4% |
-9% |
5 |
-4% |
-3% |
-7% |
6 |
-3% |
-2% |
-5% |
7 |
-2% |
-1% |
-3% |
8 |
-1% |
- |
-1% |
9-13 |
- |
- |
- |
14 |
+1% |
- |
+1% |
15 |
+2% |
+1% |
+3% |
16 |
+3% |
+2% |
+5% |
17 |
+4% |
+3% |
+7% |
18 |
+5% |
+4% |
+9% |
19 |
+7% |
+5% |
+12% |
Ordinary thieves may not advance in disguise unless they acquire the ability by some other means, such as the NWP Master of Disguise. Such NWP proficiencies as Beggar, Jester, Lampoonist, Spy, and Master of Disguise are still of great use to the assassin that desires to ply their trade through disguise, for they increase the chance of success above what would be otherwise possible for an assassin of that level as well as providing other useful abilities. Likewise, an assassin who also has the Swindler NWP may be able to assuage the suspicions of any who suspect them through clever lies, while the Forgery NWP allows them to produce suitable documentation to confirm their role should they be questioned.
Disguise may be used in many roles, either to render themselves unrecognizable to any that observe them, so that descriptions of the assassin will be in error and even those that observed them will not later recognize them, or to present themselves in some role that will not raise suspicion regarding their presence, or even to present themselves as a particular person so as to deceive.
The difficulty of a disguise depends on how closely the assassin is observed, and on how many characteristics the new role has that differ from their own, and lastly upon – when disguised as a particular person – how closely acquainted they are with them. Some disguises of course may not be possible except by employment of magic.
Distance of Observation
From afar (100 yards) +40%
Moderate distance (30 yards) +30%
Some distance (10 yards) +10%
Conversational (5 yards) +0%
Close (1 yard) -10%
Intimate (Kissing distance) -20%
Invasive Physical Inspection -100%*
*Applies only if assassin has made physical changes or is attempting to impersonate a particular person.
Invasive physical inspection involves rubbing, touching, and removing garments even to the point of a strip search.
Personality Changes
Familiar or Similar Role/Class +10%
Different Role/Class +0%
Very Different Role/Class -20%
Very Different Charisma (each point higher)* -5%
Costume is authentic +10%
*Applies only if the assassin is attempting to impersonate a particular person
A familiar or similar role or class is one which the assassin is by prior training, social station or experience well suited to.
Note that if the role or class is one that the character actually is, then no disguise is needed. An assassin with a Blacksmithing NWP does not have to disguise themselves as a blacksmith, since they are one. Simply donning appropriate garb and doing the work would be sufficient to prove convincingly they are whom they claim. A disguise would only be needed if they wanted to pretend to be a particular blacksmith, or hide themselves in some manner from someone looking for a blacksmith.
Costume is authentic refers to cases where the assassin can obtain a genuine article, such as an actual guard’s uniform, a real vestment of a particular temple, or the intended particular person’s actual clothing or armor, and these garments actually fit the wearer (that is they are roughly the same size, with a total size modifier no greater than -5%).
Physical Change
Taller (up to 5”) -2% per inch
Taller (up to 12”) -3% per inch
Shorter (as much as 3”) -2% per inch
Different Hair Color/Style -5%
Different Eye Color -5%
Different Age (Older) -5% per age category
Different Age (Younger) -10% per age category
Different Ethnicity -10%
Disfigured/Disabled/Diseased -10% per trait
Different Gender -20%
Different Race -30%
Radically Different Race -60%*
Slimmer (Up to 10% lighter) -1% per percentage change
Heavier (Up to 100% heavier) -1% per 10% change
*Requires custom costume
This is mostly self-explanatory. Ethnicity refers to disguising one-self as different group within the same race, such as mountain dwarf as a hill dwarf, wild elf as a high elf, Caucasian human as an Oriental human, and so forth. Race is used as a it is in the game, such as a human as an elf, or a halfling as a dwarf or half-orc. A half-penalty is applied if the target audience is not acquainted with the race. Radically different race is one which though generally bipedal is of a wholly different biology than the assassin, such as a human disguising themselves as a lizard folk, troglodyte, gnoll or sahaughin. Again, a half-penalty is applied if the target audience is not acquainted with the race. An expensive custom costume with special prosthetics and masks must usually be acquired, which may only be constructed by certain expert crafters.
Note that while greater personality and physical changes may make a particular role harder to pull off, all penalties to disguise are reversed when it comes to recognizing a person when encountered after the disguise is removed. Even a normally observant person may never connect the assassin to their former role if it was in all respects different than the person who stands before them.
Relationship to Person
Unknown to the Person +0%
Known only by Rumor or Reputation -2%
Seen Once -5%
Casually Acquainted -10%
Close Acquaintance -30%
Daily Acquaintance -60%
Devoted Love One -100%
Per observer point of Intelligence over 14 -1%
Per observer point of Wisdom over 14 -1%
Magical spells such as Change Self or Polymorph Self give a +50% chance of successful disguise, and completely negate all physical change penalties within the described limits of the spell. However, this has its own limits, as the magic itself may be detected by various means.
Disguise checks must be remade for each new contact who is more observant (greater combined intelligence and wisdom) than prior observers or each closer contact with the same person or group of persons, and each close contact with an observant person (that is they have the Observant NWP). They must also be remade each time the disguise must be renewed (such as changing clothes). However, just because a disguise is penetrated does not automatically mean that person realizes that they are an imposter, merely that they become suspicious. If the assassin is accepted by most people around them, then even a suspicious person may bite their tongue or suspect themselves of error. How each person reacts to their suspicions and how blatantly the disguise is compromised is a matter best left to the judgement of the DM in the particular circumstance and with respect to the particular NPC. If they dare, the character is likely to seek to try to penetrate the disguise by coming closer, interrogating the assassin, or trying to catch them in some mistake. Or they may bring up that something seems off, which may raise the suspicions of others. A skilled liar can do much to allay these fears and delay a revealing inspection.
Assassins are of course aware of the limits of disguise and so tend to assume guises and plots where their chance of success nears or exceeds 100%.
Disguises that are not penetrated become better over time. For each day that passes under observation, the assassin is 1% more likely to be accepted as the person they claim to be. Indeed, in cases where the chance of success is generally above 100%, after sufficient time the genuine article may be mistaken for an imposter.
Assassin’s Guild
All assassins are receive training from members or former members of one of several assassin’s guilds, which are secretive organizations steeped in ritual and mystery, clannish and mystical in nature who normally only accept as recruits children – either orphans or those from certain families. An assassin character need not be a member of the assassin’s guild of the town city he or she dwells in,
but all non-player assassin characters are members of such guilds. There is a chapter of at least one such guild in most large towns or cities, and each controls an area of from 10 to 100 miles radius around the headquarters town or city. Any assassin of the same guild or with no guild affiliation discovered in a guild area who is not a member of the local Assassins Guild will be invited to join, thus coming under the command of the local assassin and ultimately under the authority of the Grandmaster Assassin of the entire guild. The assassin character normally need not join, but he or she will be under sentence of death if the character performs on assassination while not a guild member anywhere within the guild’s claimed territory. The full swath of territory so claimed often extends over several dozen towns and cities, extending over a wide region. In some rare occasions, two guilds of assassins will be at war over the same territory. In this case, characters of rival guilds will certainly be targeted for death should they trespass onto the turf war.
An assassin character cannot have any henchmen until he or she attains 4th level; at that time lower level assassins may be taken into service. Upon attaining 8th level, the character may also include thieves amongst his or her henchmen. Upon attaining 12th level, the character may hire as retainers any class desired. Of course, only neutral or evil characters will serve an assassin.
Followers of a sort are also possible, but these only come if the assassin obtains high rank in the guild, a process that requires they prove their fitness to lead the guild.
There are only a limited number of assassins above 10th level (Expert Assassin) in the world. Each assassin guild or clan has a single leader of 14th level, served by 2 assistants of 13th level, who are in turn served by 2 assistants of 12th level, who in turn are served by 2 assistants of 11th level. Thus, for each assassin's guild there are at most 16 Senior Assassins, each of which commands a region of the guild’s territory. While it is possible that a vacancy will arise through deliberate retirement or death by some other cause, the normal procedure is to replace Senior Assassins (and higher) by more ambitious, more skilled and contenders who make room for themselves by murdering their superior. An assassin who has achieved the necessary experience to rise from 10th to 11th level must find room within the guild before they can train and enter into the higher mysteries of their guild. The expectation of the guild is they will make room for themselves.
There are no rules per se in a contest between assassins, and it is expected that every dirty trick and bit of skullduggery may be and should be employed so as to prove one’s cunning, even among – and perhaps especially among assassins – there are norms of behavior that must be observed if the assassin is to not raise the ire of even higher ranks and lose the respect of the lower ranks. Variation exists from guild to guild, but in general the following norms of behavior are expected:
1) The challenger must declare his intent openly before acting.
2) The declaration must be made in a manner that is public, with at least two witnesses.
3) The actual act of murder must be done wholly by the assassin’s own hand. You can’t pay or ask someone else to do all or most of the work for you.
4) The murder must be done with style and panache.
5) Outsiders must not be brought into the affairs of the guild. It is acceptable that allies provide aid, but they can’t for example be brought into guild itself to murder guild members.
In general, these norms resolve to two different modes of action. The most usual mode of action is to appear and challenge the higher ranking assassin to single combat. This he must accept, for his retainers will lose all faith and respect for him if he does not. However, in the event the character does not believe he can win a (relatively) fair fight no matter how he rigs it, it is completely acceptable to challenge your superior to a war of assassins. This declaration, being what it is, is not generally delivered or made in person, but is instead sent by way of some missive – for example, it is very traditional and stylish to nail or pin it to the body of the superior assassin’s most trusted and loyal follower and arrange for the body (or the head) to be found or delivered. Other creative means of declaring war are appreciated. A war of assassins entails the contender will come up with some means of killing his superior covertly, despite the superior being able to leverage all the resources of the guild to do the same to the player character while protecting himself. In a single combat, the guild will generally stand aside to allow the two high ranking assassins to resolve their promotion path on their own, but in a war of assassins the contender is instead declaring any follower of the current leader fair game. Note that the contest is deliberately not fair. The higher ranking assassin may employ underlings to deliver the killing blow to the contender, but the reverse is not true. The end game of the contender cannot be something as unsubtle as surrounding the higher ranking assassin with his henchmen and beating him down with superior numbers. The declaration of a war of assassins implies that the contender has in mind some devious poisoning or hideous trap or a stealthy blade through the throat while his foe sleeps that displays his skill in some area admired by other assassins. It is the assertion that having been duly forewarned no matter how the higher ranking assassin guards himself, his death is still assured.
Gross violation of the norms of the Guild means that the guild, and the superior of the one just killed, will not honor the characters new rank nor provide him training. Instead, the war must continue, with the whole apparatus of the guild turned against the upstart, and all but the character’s most loyal henchmen abandoning him as uncouth, unworthy, and unskilled in the art of murder.
Upon a change in leadership, it is 75% likely that each existing guild member will leave the area – for the guilds are clannish and many members will be close relations to the prior guild member. Such departure is therefore honorable, as it indicates that they are aware they would not be able to give their full love and devotion to the new leader – even if they admire his panache and technique. The new leader must then repopulate the guild by recruiting new apprentices of first level, while offering suitable rewards for loyalty to those followers who remain.
Each guild is led by a single Grandmaster of Assassins (14th level) who will have a strong hold in one of the largest and most prominent cities, surrounded by his henchmen and 7-28 followers and able to command all the disparate chapters and lower ranking assassins of the guild.
In turn, all guilds everywhere are led by the Grandfather of Assassins (15th level or perhaps higher). The headquarters of the Grandfather of Assassins can be virtually anywhere and of any form - cavern, castle, monastery, palace, or temple. However, if it is a large and obvious place, the headquarters must be located well away from all communities - such as in the midst of a murky woods, a dismal marsh or fen, a lonely moor, a deserted island, a remote coast, or far into forsaken hills or atop a mountain. The Grandfather of all assassins while be served by his henchmen and 8-32 assassin followers, as well as many hirelings. Upon attaining the headship of all assassins, the new Grandfather or Grandmother must pay all remaining followers of the former head 1000 gold pieces for each of their experience levels, destroy the old headquarters, and construct a new suitable one somewhere else.
Of course, rather than risk being murdered, a senior leader of assassins of 11th level or higher may simply retire from the life as an assassin, freeing up those below him to move up in rank. However, such retirement for such a high-ranking member is not deemed, as it is assumed guild membership is non-revocable save by death. High ranking assassins after all know too much, and it is too great of a risk that they will convey the secrets of the guild to outsiders. As such, the guild will immediately offer up a bounty on the head of the retired assassin as soon as it is known that he is fled and pursue him without ceasing by any means they have available. While it is perhaps possible to live such a quiet and remote life and in such skilled disguise as to never be tracked down, it will not be easy and no further progression as an assassin is generally permissible.
