D&D 3.x Tweaking the assassin [3.5E]

[hong]

Again, because I can.

I don't like the death attack ability (not a fan of instakill effects, as a general rule) and I'd rather replace the spellcasting with something else. I'd also like to make it more explicitly ninja, even if this means stepping on the shadowdancer's toes a bit. Because you can never have too many ninjae[*], you know.

I'm intending for this class to have lots of offensive power, but be relatively fragile: a "glass jaw", if you like. If you're an assassin, your schtick should be sneaking around and backstabbing people. If you don't manage to backstab them, you run away and hide until you can try again. Being forced into a fight on equal terms should be bad for an assassin.

Here's what I've got so far.

Prereqs: as per DMG, plus evasion

BAB: as fighter (level x1)
Saves: good Ref
Hit die: d6


1 Sneak attack +1d6, poison use, enhanced sneak attack +2d6
2 +2 save vs poison, uncanny dodge
3 Sneak attack +2d6, invisibility 1/day
4 Shadow jump 20 ft, chameleon
5 Sneak attack +3d6, enhanced sneak attack +4d6
6 Shadow jump 40 ft, improved uncanny dodge
7 Sneak attack +4d6, hide in plain sight
8 Shadow jump 80 ft, invisibility 3/day
9 Sneak attack +5d6, poison immunity
10 Enhanced sneak attack +6d6

New abilities:

Enhanced sneak attack (Ex): If the assassin spends 1 round studying the target, and then makes a successful sneak attack with a melee weapon, the sneak attack does an extra +2d6 damage. This extra damage applies only to the first sneak attack made after studying the target, and the attack must be made within 3 rounds or the effect is lost.

At 5th level, the extra damage from an enhanced sneak attack increases to +4d6, and at 10th level, to +6d6.

Studying a target is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. The target must be unable to detect the assassin, or fail to recognise the assassin as an enemy.

Chameleon (Su): At 5th level, the assassin gains the supernatural ability to change her appearance at will, as if via the spell change self.


Maybe I should rename it to "shadow warrior" or something.


[*] The plural of ninja is of course ninjae, just as the plural of bacteria is bacteriae, and the plural of shugenja is shugenjae. HTH!

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I am tweaking my assassin right now, if you know what I mean, and I think you do...

 

[gamecat]

Personally, Hong, I like it. I think the death attack was just lame and you replaced it with something better.

*gank* stolen for my campaign. =)

 

[Graf]

Skills?

 

[S'mon]

Enhanced sneak attack (Ex): If the assassin spends 1 round studying the target, and then makes a successful sneak attack with a melee weapon, the sneak attack does an extra +2d6 damage. This extra damage applies only to the first sneak attack made after studying the target, and the attack must be made within 3 rounds or the effect is lost.

The Mongoose assassin class enhanced sneak attack is very similar but simply does double damage (ie +2d6/2 levels rather than +1d6), which keeps it balanced to high levels and seems to work well - although personally I miss the instakill.
This is balanced out by no spellcasting powers, which again I like.

 

[hong]

I am tweaking my assassin right now, if you know what I mean, and I think you do...

Don't worry about that sharp, stabbing pain, it subsides to a dull throb after a while.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Currently, I am also adapting the Assassin for my AU Campaign. In AU, there are nearly no instant-death effects, so I didn`t want that with the Assassin.
I gave him medium BAB, d8 HD and 4+INT skill points per level.
He gains Sneak Attack at first and every two levels thereafter,.
Poison use at first level.

At 2nd level, he gains Hidden Attack. This allows him to make an attack that is completely unnoticed to anyone, requiring the target to be flat footed. He must make a Sleight of Hand Check as if trying to conceal the weapon to avoid being noticed. The effect of the damage (usually with sneak attack damage, though it would also work against creatures immune to critical attacks) is only noticed one round later, though the victim suffers the damage and penalties of it immediately... Hidden Attack is a Standard Action, which means the Assassin could go away immediately after the attack, completely unnoticed.
He also gains "Anatomic Studies", which grants a damage bonus against a chosen type of creature, regardless if the attack is a sneak attack or a regular attack. (+2, choose like Ranger`s favored enemy). At every 2 levels thereafter, he may choose a new type of creature as target.

At 4th level, he gains Death Attack. It requires one round of study, and the next attack, if succesful, is an automatic critical, dealing maximized damage (including extra damage from sneak attack). Quite near to a real death attack, but it is "only" damage.
He also gains Conceal Motive (like the Negotiators Ability from D20 Modern - sense motive checks suffer a -1 assassin level penalty against the assassin).

Later, he gains the ability to make ranged sneak attacks (requiring aiming and an unaware target), Crippling Strike and Bloody Strike (like Wounding).

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[Xiryc]

[*] The plural of ninja is of course ninjae, just as the plural of bacteria is bacteriae, and the plural of shugenja is shugenjae. HTH!

The plural of Ninja is Ninja, just so ya know.

 

[Magic Slim]

I like both the ideas presented here. I am not a fan of the Death Attack and I also think that the Assassin shouldn't get spells.

There was a class, the Ghost-Face Killer, in the Dragon magazine about Oriental Adventures (~289?) that made, IIRC, a pretty nifty assassin type...

Slim

 

[Magic Slim]

The plural of Ninja is Ninja, just so ya know.

Hey, we're in House Rules here, we can make up the rules of language too!



Slim