“Assassin: The Silent Executioner”

“Unseen and Deadly: The Ultimate Assassin Prestige Class!”

The assassin’s specialty is the use of stealth to ambush and kill targets. Assassins often fill roles as killers-for-hire, spies, bounty hunters, and zealots. They typically work together in secretive specialist guilds.

The assassin class has variously appeared as a base character class, a prestige class, a character kit, and a rogue archetype (subclass).

From D&D Wiki

Hit Die: d6.

Requirements

To qualify to become an assassin, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

• Alignment: Any evil.
• Skills: Disguise 4 ranks, Hide 8 ranks, Move Silently 8 ranks.
• Special: The character must kill someone for no other reason than to join the assassins.

Class Skills

The assassin’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dexterity), Bluff (Charisma), Climb (Strength), Craft (Intelligence), Decipher Script (Intelligence), Diplomacy (Charisma), Disable Device (Intelligence), Disguise (Charisma), Escape Artist (Dexterity), Forgery (Intelligence), Gather Information (Charisma), Hide (Dexterity), Intimidate (Charisma), Jump (Strength), Listen (Wisdom), Move Silently (Dexterity), Open Lock (Dexterity), Search (Intelligence), Sense Motive (Wisdom), Sleight of Hand (Dexterity), Spot (Wisdom), Swim (Strength), Tumble (Dexterity), Use Magic Device (Charisma), and Rope Use(Dexterity).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier.

The Assassin		Spells per Day
Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	Sneak attack +1d6, death attack, poison use, spells	0	–	–	–
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+0	+1 save against poison, uncanny dodge	1	–	–	–
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+1	Sneak attack +2d6	2	0	–	–
4th	+3	+1	+4	+1	+2 save against poison	3	1	–	–
5th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Improved uncanny dodge, sneak attack +3d6	3	2	0	–
6th	+4	+2	+5	+2	+3 save against poison	3	3	1	–
7th	+5	+2	+5	+2	Sneak attack +4d6	3	3	2	0
8th	+6	+2	+6	+2	+4 save against poison, hide in plain sight	3	3	3	1
9th	+6	+3	+6	+3	Sneak attack +5d6	3	3	3	2
10th	+7	+3	+7	+3	+5 save against poison	3	3	3	3

Class Features

All of the following are Class Features of the assassin prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Assassins are proficient with the crossbow (hand, light, or heavy), dagger (any type), dart, rapier, sap, shortbow (normal and composite), and short sword. Assassins are proficient with light armor but not with shields.

Sneak Attack: This is exactly like the rogue ability of the same name. The extra damage dealt increases by +1d6 every other level (2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th). If an assassin gets a sneak attack bonus from another source the bonuses on damage stack.

Death Attack: If an assassin studies his victim for 3 rounds and then makes a sneak attack with a melee weapon that successfully deals damage, the sneak attack has the additional effect of possibly either paralyzing or killing the target (assassin’s choice). While studying the victim, the assassin can undertake other actions so long as his attention stays focused on the target and the target does not detect the assassin or recognize the assassin as an enemy.

If the victim of such an attack fails a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the assassin’s class level + the assassin’s Intelligence modifier) against the kill effect, she dies. If the saving throw fails against the Paralysis effect, the victim is rendered helpless and unable to act for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per level of the assassin. If the victim’s saving throw succeeds, the attack is just a normal sneak attack. Once the assassin has completed the 3 rounds of study, he must make the death attack within the next 3 rounds.

If a death attack is attempted and fails (the victim makes her save) or if the assassin does not launch the attack within 3 rounds of completing the study, 3 new rounds of study are required before he can attempt another death attack.

Poison Use: Assassins are trained in the use of poison and never risk accidentally poisoning themselves when applying poison to a blade.

Spells: Beginning at 1st level, an assassin gains the ability to cast a number of arcane spells. To cast a spell, an assassin must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the spell-s level, so an assassin with an Intelligence of 10 or lower cannot cast these spells. Assassin bonus spells are based on Intelligence, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + the assassin-s Intelligence bonus. When the assassin gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Intelligence score for that spell level.

The assassin’s spell list appears below. An assassin casts spells just as a bard does.

Upon reaching 6th level, at every even-numbered level after that (8th and 10th), an assassin can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level assassin spell the assassin can cast. An assassin may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for that level.

Assassin Spells Known	Spells Known
Level	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
1st	21	–	–	–
2nd	3	–	–	–
3rd	3	21	–	–
4th	4	3	–	–
5th	4	3	21	–
6th	4	4	3	–
7th	4	4	3	21
8th	4	4	4	3
9th	4	4	4	3
10th	4	4	4	4

1. _{Provided the assassin has sufficient Intelligence to have a bonus spell of this level.}

Save Bonus against Poison: The assassin gains a natural saving throw bonus to all poisons gained at 2nd level that increases by +1 for every two additional levels the assassin gains.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, an assassin retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. (He still loses any Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.)

If a character gains uncanny dodge from a second class the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below).

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 5th level, an assassin can no longer be flanked, since he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies rogues the ability to use flank attacks to sneak attack the assassin. The exception to this defense is that a rogue at least four levels higher than the assassin can flank him (and thus sneak attack him).

If a character gains uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge, and the levels from those classes stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.

Hide in Plain Sight (Su): At 8th level, an assassin can use the Hide skill even while being observed. As long as he is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, an assassin can hide himself from view in the open without having anything to actually hide behind.

He cannot, however, hide in his own shadow.

Assassin Spell List

Assassins choose their spells from the following list:

1st-Level Assassin Spells
Addiction	Subject becomes addicted to a drug.
Angry Ache	Subject takes –2 penalty on attack rolls.
Black Bag	Create extradimensional bag of torture tools.
Critical Strike	Upon uttering the ancient phrase that completes the spell, you feel the weapon in your hand drawn toward a creature standing nearby.
Death Grimace	Caster leaves magical “calling card” on a corpse.
Disguise self	Changes your appearance.
Detect poison	Detects poison in one creature or object.
Feather fall	Objects or creatures fall slowly.
Ghost sound	Figment sounds.
Jump	Subject gets bonus on Jump checks.
Mystical void	Surrounds a creature with a field that absorbs the background emanations of magical items or effects.
Obscuring mist	Fog surrounds you.
Silent Portal	This simple cantrip negates the sound of opening and closing a single portal (door, window, gate, drawer, chest lid, or the like).
Sleep	Puts 4 HD of creatures into magical slumber.
Sniper’s Shot	While muttering a short chant you focus your awareness, looking only at the areas of your foe that seem most vital to its survival.
Stupor	One helpless subject is put in a state that allows him to be moved but take no other actions.
True Strike	+20 on your next attack roll.

2nd-Level Assassin Spells
Alter self	Assume form of a similar creature.
Cat’s grace	Subject gains +4 to Dexterity for 1 min./level.
Darklight	Creates 5-ft.-radius area where all can see without light.
Darkness	20-ft. radius of supernatural shadow.
Fell the Greatest Foe	The subject gains the ability to deal greater damage against larger creatures.
Fox’s cunning	Subject gains +4 to Intelligence for 1 min./level.
Illusory Script	Only intended reader can decipher.
Invisibility	Subject is invisible for 1 min./level or until it attacks.
Pass without Trace	One subject/level leaves no tracks.
Sacrificial Skill	Caster gains +5 bonus on Knowledge (religion) checks made during sacrifice.
Spider Climb	Grants ability to walk on walls and ceilings.
Undetectable Alignment	Conceals alignment for 24 hours.

3rd-Level Assassin Spells:
Deep Slumber	Puts 10 HD of creatures to sleep.
Deeper Darkness	Object sheds supernatural shadow in 60-ft. radius.
False Life	Gain 1d10 temporary hp +1/level (max +10).
Magic Circle Against Good	As protection spells, but 10-ft. radius and 10 min./level.
Masochism	For every 10 hp damage caster takes, he gains +1 on attacks, saves, and checks.
Misdirection	Misleads divinations for one creature or object.
Nondetection	Hides subject from divination, scrying.
Sadism	For every 10 hp damage caster deals, he gains +1 on attacks, saves, and checks.
Spider Poison	You inflict a paralyzing poison upon the subject by making a successful melee touch attack.
Wraithstrike	Your weapon becomes translucent almost to the point that you cannot see it, though it still weighs as heavily in your hand.

4th-Level Assassin Spells:
Clairaudience/Clairvoyance,	Hear or see at a distance for 1 min./level.
Cursed Blade	Drawing upon dark powers, you whisper a vehement curse and draw your finger down the weapon.
Dimension Door	Teleports you short distance.
Flesh Armor	Caster gains DR 10/+1.
Freedom of Movement	Subject moves normally despite impediments.
Glibness	You gain +30 bonus on Bluff checks, and your lies can escape magical discernment.
Greater Invisibility	As invisibility, but subject can attack and stay invisible.
Implacable Pursuer	With this spell, you become an unerring tracker, instantly aware of your quarry’s location whenever it’s on the move.
Locate Creature	Indicates direction to familiar creature.
Modify Memory	Changes 5 minutes of subject’s memories.
Poison	Touch deals 1d10 Constitution damage, repeats in 1 min.
Sniper’s Eye	Whispered words of arcane power seep past your lips with each exhalation. As you complete the spell you feel infused with deadly ability.
Stop Heart	Subject drops to –8 hp immediately.

Epic Assassin