The Assassin Loophole

[Frostmarrow]

I was just thinking what would happen if an assassin had a change of heart and became neutral or even good, when I discovered that an assassin can still continue as assassin after the alignment-change. To become an assassin you must be evil and commit a murder for no other reason than to become an assassin. It doesn't say anything about an assassin being stripped of his abilities if he strays from evil. (Like a paladin for example.)

Now, these restrictions might be hard enough if you are playing your character from scratch but if your DM allows you to make a 6th level character it's quite easy. I mean the assassin could even become guilt-free if an atonement is cast on the assassin, redemption-style.

I now wonder, would this approach be considered cheesy or is it a viable way to make a barred class accessible? Needless to say a good background story can make it plausible. As the character has committed at least one murder the character is probably wanted by the law, which could prove interesting.

I now have an idea for a Ranger 4/ Assassin 1 character with a profound hatred for hobgoblins in the Kalamar-setting.

Edit: A slight oversight.

 

[Knight Otu]

It doesn't say anything about an assassin being stripped of his abilities if he strays from evil. (Like a paladin for example.)

It doesn't have to. At the beginning of the PRC descriptions, it is stated that a character loses the benefits of the PRC if he loses the prereqs.

 

[Oni]

Which doesn't make any bloody sense in a lot of cases. By becoming non-evil how does an assassin suddenly forget how to use poison, or use a death attack, or how to cast a freakin' spell (I mean that is decided by his intelligence, he cast like a wizard for Pete's sake).

 

[Frostmarrow]

Re: Re: The Assassin Loophole

It doesn't have to. At the beginning of the PRC descriptions, it is stated that a character loses the benefits of the PRC if he loses the prereqs.

I'm sure you are right about this but I can't find that rule in the SRD.

 

[Knight Otu]

Re: Re: Re: The Assassin Loophole

I'm sure you are right about this but I can't find that rule in the SRD.

Neither could I when I was looking through it, otherwise I would have added it to my post. It seems that this is a "core mechanism" like XP tables and character generation, and thus cannot be changd.... or it was simply forgotten.

Oni, I see your point, and yes, there are some goofy things. (I think that technically, they should lose any weapon, shield and armor proficiencies that they gained from a PrC, which really doesn't make sense)

Spellcasting and death attacks could be reasoned as dark gifts granted by evil powers for this special case (of course, the description of the Assassin does not indicate this).

 

[Maggan]

Well, if an assassin...

...turns to being Good, he wouldn't want to use the evil abilities of the assassin prc.

Otherwise he's not being Good, and if the player insists on using the assassin abilities, then he has clearly not turned from the Evil of being an assassin, and is therefore still of Evil alignment.

Cheers

Maggan

 

[Darkness]

I now have an idea for a Ranger 4/ Assassin 1 character with a profound hatred for hobgoblins in the Kalamar-setting.

You mean Rgr5/Asn1, no?

 

[green slime]

I agree with Maggan.

På dom bara Maggan!

 

[Frostmarrow]

Re: Well, if an assassin...

...turns to being Good, he wouldn't want to use the evil abilities of the assassin prc.

Otherwise he's not being Good, and if the player insists on using the assassin abilities, then he has clearly not turned from the Evil of being an assassin, and is therefore still of Evil alignment.

Cheers

Maggan

Not that it matters if Knight Otu is correct but I can't see which of the assassin's abilities are Evil.

Sneak Attack: Rogues of any alignment use it as well as Initiates of the Order of the Bow.

Poison Use: The ability to use poison is the skill Craft (Poison) which is available to many classes. Paladins usually don't use poison but even those might be pressed into the use of it without them risking their paladinhood. (Using a sedative to stop a confused person from hurting himself, for example.) It all boils down to their code, though.

The necromancy spell Poison is not evil.

Death Attack: I guess it is possible to argue this but I for one don't see why killing or paralyzing someone in a most quick and painless manner would be more evil than obliterating them with disintigrate or slay living.

 

[Frostmarrow]

Re: Re: The Assassin Loophole

You mean Rgr5/Asn1, no?

Yes. I edited 5th level to 6th but missed this one.