Assassin

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Assassin is a default prestige class with Arelith specific changes.

Introduction

Arelith Assassins enjoy many changes that benefit their rogueish aspects, spell-like abilities, a quest system and a new feature: Assassinate. Mechanical changes are included in the #Class Mechanics on this page and explained in the #Arelith Changes section. Base mechanics can be found on NWNWiki. The #Roleplay Tips section provides suggestions for character development.

Assassins have additional expectations for pvp #The Rules of Engagement and a required DM #Token Process approval.

Class Mechanics

Token Process

In addition to the mechanical requirements, players will also need DM approval. To apply for a Prestige Class token, please create a Request on the Astrolabe. Please have the character already created and being presently played.

You must be capable to demonstrating an ability and intent to form a constructive story from the mechanical benefits. A sample assassination is required and will be asked for along with the usual background. If your concept does not bring fun to both parties involved, it will be denied. Be ever mindful of the to-be-murdered.

A RP Rating of 20 is required. 40 and 50 RP Ratings need not apply and can directly request a token via astrolabe. Applicant Assassins *must* operate within the guild and may not create their own assassin guild.

Requirements

Alignment restrictions: Any evil

Skills: Hide 8, Move Silently 8

Class Features

Hit die: d6

Proficiencies: armor (light), weapons (simple)

Skill points: 8 + int modifier ((8 + int modifier) * 4 at 1st level)

Class Skills: appraise, bluff, craft mastery, disable trap, heal, hide, intimidate, listen, lore, move silently, open lock, parry, perform, ride, sail, search, sleight of hand, spot, tumble, use magic device, use traps

Unavailable feats: craft wand, scribe scroll, weapon specialization

Primary saving throw(s): Reflex

Base attack bonus: +3/4 level

Level Progression

Hit points rolls on Arelith are always maximum.

Level	BAB	Fort	Reflex	Will	Feats	HP	Poison save	Death attack
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	use poison, track (footprints), assassinate, weapon proficiency (assassin)	6	-	1d6
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+0	ghostly visage, uncanny dodge I, poison save	12	+1	1d6
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+1	Arelith custom poison (ACP) +1 DC	18	+1	2d6
4th	+3	+1	+4	+1		24	+2	2d6
5th	+3	+1	+4	+1	darkness, uncanny dodge II, hidden danger (HiD) +1 AB	30	+2	3d6
6th	+4	+2	+5	+2	ACP +2 DC, evasion	36	+3	3d6
7th	+5	+2	+5	+2	invisibility	42	+3	4d6
8th	+6	+2	+6	+2		48	+4	4d6
9th	+6	+3	+6	+3	improved invisibility, ACP +3 DC	54	+4	5d6
10th	+7	+3	+7	+3	uncanny dodge III, +10 bonus vs tracks, HiD +2 AB	60	+5	5d6

Epic Assassin

Bonus feats: The epic assassin gains a bonus feat every four levels: at levels 14 and 18.

Epic assassin bonus feats: epic reflexes, epic skill focus (hide, move silently only), great dexterity, improved combat casting, improved sneak attack, self concealment, superior initiative, blinding speed, epic dodge, lasting inspiration, epic prowess and ESF: spot, listen, bluff, use traps

Unavailable epic feats: epic weapon specialization, outsider shape, construct shape, dragon shape, undead shape

Level	Feats	HP	Poison save	Death attack
11th	ethereal visage	66	+5	6d6
12th	ACP +4 DC, defensive roll	72	+6	6d6
13th	darkness (with ultravision)	78	+6	7d6
14th	bonus feat	84	+7	7d6
15th	ACP +5 DC, HiD +3 AB, invisibility movement	90	+7	8d6
16th	improved evasion	96	+8	8d6
17th		102	+8	9d6
18th	bonus feat, ACP +6 DC	108	+9	9d6
19th		114	+9	10d6
20th	HiD +4 AB	120	+10	10d6

Arelith Changes

Change	Level	Description
Assassinate	1	This ability marks a target for 30 minutes that will receive additional damage from the attacks of the assassin. The ability has 2 minutes of CD when used against NPCs, and 10 minutes when used against PCs. The damage is Magic and equals to Assassin Level + Int Modifier. The Int Modifier is capped to half the assassin level. The damage is not multiplied by critical hits. This ability is accessed through the radial menu, (or sent to a player in a tell using the command -assassinate). In the radial menu, it will appear under Special Abilities > Assassin > Assassinate. This can be quickslotted. This ability currently only works with melee weapons, not ranged. Unarmed characters need to be wearing gloves for it to work. The Assassinate ability represents studying a target's weaknesses and will therefore use different damage types based on the chosen target: - If a target is not crit-immune or has the Deathless Mastery feat, Bleeding Damage will be applied. The damage then bypasses a Pale Master's immunity. - If a target is undead, Positive Energy Damage will be applied. Weapons must be warded with Bless Weapon for this damage to trigger against PCs. - In all other cases, magic damage will be applied.
Weapon Proficiency (Assassin)	1	Assassins can wield the following weapons without penalty: Kama, Katar, Sai
Assassin Quest System	5	There is a custom Assassin Quest System on Arelith.
Assassin Spell-like Abilities	-	All spells have been changed from uses/day to 2 minutes cooldown.
Class skills	-	Assassins on Arelith gain access to Parry, Perform, Ride and Sail as class skills.
Skillpoints	-	Skillpoints per level increased to 8.
Stealth Bonuses	-	Assassin, Harper Scout, Invisible Blade, Rogue, Shadowdancer and Zhentarim Operative levels stack with Rogue levels when qualifying for the in stealth rogue speed increase but only Rogue, Harper Scout, and Zhentarim Operative levels count for the +AB bonus when leaving stealth. Rogue levels are required for this bonus to trigger. At combined level 16, movement speed penalty in stealth is reduced by 10%. At combined level 18, gain +1 AB for 1 round after leaving stealth. +AB has a 5 round cooldown. At combined level 20, movement speed penalty in stealth is reduced by 20%. At combined level 24, movement speed penalty in stealth is reduced by 30% and gain +2 AB for 1 round after leaving stealth. +AB has a 5 round cooldown. If the character has monk levels 10% of the bonus speed is removed.
Lightly Armored	-	Assassin, Harper Scout, Invisible Blade, Rogue, Shadowdancer and Zhentarim Operative levels stack with Rogue levels for the purpose of calculating how much lost DEX is regained as Dodge AC via the Lightly Armored feat. Rogue levels are required for this bonus to trigger. Light armor will receive all AC lost to the dex cap as Dodge AC, subject to a cap of AC/4 combined levels. For example, if you have 6 rogue and 3 assassin levels and 28 of dex (modifier 9), and you are using a Studded Leather Armor - which has a max dex modifier of 4 - then, you'd have 4 of normal dex AC, and 2 of extra Dodge AC, and lose 2 points of AC until combined level 15.
Specialty Weapons	-	Assassin, Harper Scout, Invisible Blade, Rogue, Shadowdancer and Zhentarim Operative levels stack with Rogue levels when qualifying for the +1 AB to any finessable weapon at levels 19 and 24. Rogue levels are required for this bonus to trigger. At 19 combined levels, gain +1 AB when using any finessable weapon. At 24 combined levels, gain +1 additional AB when using any finessable weapon. These bonuses add to a weapon's non-magical Attack Bonus and allow Damage Reduction penetration. For example, a +3 AB weapon will become +5, capable of bypassing Stoneskin or Premonition, with 16 rogue 5 shadowdancer and 3 assassin combined levels. Note: The weapon must be a finesse weapon, please note that there are a number of custom weapon changes including adding finesse to weapons.
Blinding Speed	-	Type of feat: Epic General Prerequisite: 21st level, dexterity 25+ Required for: None Specifics: The character is able to activate an instant action extraordinary (not affected by antimagic) Haste-like effect on themselves. Casting times are not reduced by Blinding Speed, but Blinding Speed has all the other individual effects of Haste except for the casting effect: +1 APR (Attack per round), +50% Move Speed, and +4 Dodge AC. Activating this ability does not break stealth. If Haste is cast on someone with Blinding Speed, the Blinding Speed effect is cancelled and Haste is applied. Effect duration is 3 turns. Unlimited uses per day, but 8 turns of cooldown period between uses. The cooldown of Blinding Speed is reduced by 1 turn every 6 combined Assassin, Harper Scout, Invisible Blade, Rogue, Shadowdancer, Swashbuckler and Zhentarim Operative levels. Rogue levels are not required for this bonus to trigger. Use: Selected (instantaneous)
Use Traps	-	For each 5 levels in Assassin, Harper Scout, Rogue, or Zhentarim Operative, the saving throw DC on traps they set is increased by 1.
Track (footprints)	1	Assassins have a +1 bonus per level to have their tracks undetectable and an additional +10 at level 10. See Investigate#Tracks for more details on the system.
Arelith custom poisons	3	Every 3 levels, an Assassin receives +1 DC when using Arelith's custom poisons.
Hidden Danger	5	Assassins receive a passive AB bonus when wielding a concealable weapon, equal to +1 AB per five class levels. Small characters treat any Tiny weapon as concealable. Medium or larger characters treat any Small or Tiny weapon as concealable. This bonus does apply to slings if wielded by medium/large creatures. This bonus does not apply to Lance, Magic Staff, Spear and Shuriken. If the Assassin qualifies for the Specialty Weapons Rogue bonus to the AB property of Rogue Proficiency weapons, the Hidden Danger bonus will not stack - the Assassin bonus will be reduced by the same amount of AB granted by the Rogue bonus. For example 18 assassin 3 rogue 9 swashbuckler would have 21 combined levels for Specialty Weapons and would get +1 enhancement on a +4 dead mans cross making it +5 to beat premonition and would have +3 ab from assassin level 15, but the bonus would be reduced by 1 so the bonus would be +2 ab. That example would still net +3 total but the logic makes it so you can't stack the two bonuses.
Evasion	6	Gain evasion at level 6.
Ethereal Visage	11	Gains ethereal visage at level 11.
Defensive Roll	12	Gain defensive roll at level 12.
Darkness	13	Darkness will also produce an ultravision effect along the spell at level 13.
Invisibility Movement	15	Invisibility will also grant 50% movement increase, like that of expeditious retreat, at level 15.
Improved Evasion	16	Gain improved evasion at level 16.

Roleplay Tips

The 24-hour window for PvP post RP on contracted targets is suspended as of April 1st, 2022. Assassins will be beholden to the same PvP rules of engagement as any other character.

Tips for Roleplay of Assassin

Cuchilla:

"If you find the most thrilling part of an assassin's work to make the PvP of a target, then choose another class. You'll very quickly get bored with it.

If you find the preparations for an assassination thrilling, then there are a lot of RP possibilities, and playing an assassin can be a blast.

Further, winner or loser, make it fun."

• Leave notes for that character, making it clear for him that he is a target for assassination.
• Use deceptive Speedy messengers to set up meets, then betray the target after they show up and talk to you thinking you're an ally. Note: This does not count as 'interactive roleplay', you may not attack someone just because you have sent them a speedy and they turn up.
• Have someone they trust sell them out, plan a "great" event with them or lure them into shady meeting to capture them.
• Play cat and mouse with someone, stringing them along for a long period of time with notes and clues and taunts before you finally strike.
• Bluntly step forward and tell him you are now about to assassinate him. It gives someone the chance to run away. It does kill your element of surprise in a way, but it's a way. Some characters may consider it a joke and start talking with you.
• Step forward, let him know you are to assassinate him, and tell him you won't if he pays you enough? ;) Fun RP.
• Use darkness wands or invisibility potions to regain advantage after talking.
• Provoke them. (Nice for chaotic hitman). Just hang out around the person and do everything you possibly could to provoke them ICly to attacking. "Hey, that's not an assassination! Its justified self defense!"
• Get some friends and roleplay out an ambush or something similar. Sloopy and un-assassinish, yes, but it gets the job done.

Chris:

"Remember that people are more keen to go along with your conflict roleplay if you don't force it upon them and give the other player also ways out or chances to influence the outcome. It's one of the fundamentals of dynamic-episodic roleplay. This is not always easy to do."

DM Watchtower:

"The response to this is always "but if I give the enemy any wiggle-room, they'll exploit the OOC knowledge and mess up my plans." As with everything, if you have evidence that someone is a wanker, please report it. More importantly though... why are you going to try and perpetuate RP with someone you don't trust? If you can't trust someone to not give as much as you're giving in a story, look at it as a nice little sign placed on their chests that say "hey, don't waste your time with me, find someone who will be more fun!""

Cuchilla:

"I can't remember how many Clyasy been assassinating during her time. But it's numerous, and all the acts were more or less inspired by the book "The Day of the Jackal" by Frederick Forsythe (and the Oscar nominated film made from this book).

If you want to get a kick out of your assassin, I'd strongly recommend you to read that book, or see the movie. 99 % of the book is an exciting thriller on how "The Jackal" prepares for his assassination of the French president Charles de Gaulle. The act itself, is actually only described over a few pages.

As the following plot is over (the players left), I can reveal that one of the best 'assassination' role play I remember with Clyasy, was when a renegate Banite hired and paid her to assassinate the dread master of Stonehold. Like The Jackal she prepared, stalked, talked to the one who hired her, interviewed discretely surfacers at Jhared's, and followed the dreadmaster to know all about how him, and plan the final strike.

There never was an assassination, as Stonehold vanished, the dread master just left, and, yeah .... But I still find this week long plot a high light, with much roleplay, and with many players involved, and the thrill it was to prepare for the final act.

So this is why the final PvP itself mostly made me as a player get the feeling: Ack, days or weeks of fun role play has ended. Because the 5-10 seconds a PvP normally takes (and talking about assassinations, it's mostly until death for one of the involved) is really only a question of build, luck and mostly out of your hands."

External Links

Information about default NWN class are available on NWNWiki.