PrC Review: Assassin

[Dragor]

NWN Definition: "The Assassin is the master of dealing quick, lethal blows. Assassins often function as spies, informants, killers for hire, or agents of vengeance. Their training in anatomy, stealth, poison, and the dark arts allows them to carry out missions of death with shocking, terrifying precision. Most Rogues, Monks, and Bards who choose this class become examples of the classic assassin skulking in the shadows with a blade carrying certain death. Fighters, ex-Paladins, Rangers, Druids, and Barbarians operate as warrior-assassins, with as much ability to kill in combat as from the shadows. Sorcerers, Wizards, and Clerics may be the most terrifying assassins of all, for with their spells they can infiltrate and slay with even greater impunity."

The FRwiki article on this class is terrible

MY VIEW

Assassins are first and foremost EVIL and should be played as such (I've seen a couple that made me frown because of this).

Mechanically the class is a great way to make rogues have a bit more of a kick in the teeth to them.

Now all that aside this is one of the classes I have never played so I'm going to let all you folks who have chime in about RP flavor with assassins on the server.

EDIT: Oh yeah I'm going to go with the abreviation for this class is ASS

[Standur]

MY VIEW

Assassins are first and foremost EVIL and should be played as such (I've seen a couple that made me frown because of this).

Good guys need killers too. I've always considered Bond to be an assassin.

[Kaizen]

Bond isn't a good guy. Fighting bad guys doesn't make you inherently good.

007 is Lawful Neutral, at best.

In any case, sneak attack and stealth does not make one evil. It's Death Attack that does.

If you're looking to RP a Boondock Saints-esque vigilante (first and foremost, avoid the lolshadowbanestalker), try your hand out at rogue/shadow dancer. Or something. There's plenty of builds out there that I know I'm ignorant too.

But assassin = death attack = evil.

And on Sundren, it's even moreso evil, in that in order to get the DM feat to access the class, you need to murder someone for the simple reason of coin.

Of course, I am a firm believer in that there is an exception to every rule regarding the quality and take on certain RP. If you've seen Leon: The Professional with Jean Reno and Natalie Portman, it gets you thinking on the moral stance of a killer for hire that only kills bad guys. But that's where the absolute morality of the D&D cosmos kicks in, I suppose.

[ManUtd4Ever]

assassin = death attack = evil.

Here... here. An assassin is absolute evil and should be played accordingly.

[Standur]

Bond isn't a good guy. Fighting bad guys doesn't make you inherently good.

007 is Lawful Neutral, at best.

Even if I agreed with this that still = not evil

In any case, sneak attack and stealth does not make one evil. It's Death Attack that does.

If you're looking to RP a Boondock Saints-esque vigilante (first and foremost, avoid the lolshadowbanestalker), try your hand out at rogue/shadow dancer. Or something. There's plenty of builds out there that I know I'm ignorant too.

But assassin = death attack = evil.

You get death attack with the Dark hunter class too and there is no evil requirement.

And on Sundren, it's even moreso evil, in that in order to get the DM feat to access the class, you need to murder someone for the simple reason of coin.

All I can say to that is a trained killer is a trained killer and they are not all evil but I always abide by house rules.

[ManUtd4Ever]

All I can say to that is a trained killer is a trained killer and they are not all evil.

A prerequisite to becoming an Assassin is that your character be Evil.

[Kaizen]

A fighter is a trained killer. A weapon master is a trained killer. A good person can be someone that kills.

The difference being, 'killer' and 'murderer'.

[Standur]

A prerequisite to becoming an Assassin is that your character be Evil.

*sighs* I am just saying I have always considered it a stupid prerequisite. It's sort of like saying you have to be evil to become a sniper. I am only expressing an opinion on the class not trying to change anything.

[ManUtd4Ever]

*sighs* I am just saying I have always considered it a stupid prerequisite. It's sort of like saying you have to be evil to become a sniper.

Okay. This certainly resonates. I better understand your point. A sniper is a tool used by both good and bad governments. I know a few and they are not evil men, but men who are capable of great evil.

[Kaizen]

Are you a sniper in a legitmate, government sanctioned military following the rules of War as outlined by a previously agreed pact, against an opposing force that you have declared war against?

Or are you a sniper putting a 7.62 through someone's head as they walk out of their office because someone paid you 200$ to do so?

It's all context. And the assassin falls under the 'i'm evil and murder people for money' context. However, if Sundren did not have the DM special feat that requries you to kill for money, I'd argue that you could be a neutral assassin all day long.

[Dragor]

*sighs* I am just saying I have always considered it a stupid prerequisite. It's sort of like saying you have to be evil to become a sniper. I am only expressing an opinion on the class not trying to change anything.

This has to do with the fact that D&D's alignment system is inherently stupid, but this has been discussed before and we have to operate within the setting created by the Dev's and DM's.

http://www.sundren.org/forum/showthr...ignment+system

http://www.sundren.org/forum/showthr...ignment+system

http://www.sundren.org/forum/showthr...ignment+system

http://www.sundren.org/forum/showthr...ignment+system

http://www.sundren.org/forum/showthr...ignment+system

http://www.sundren.org/forum/showthr...ignment+system

http://www.sundren.org/forum/showthr...ignment+system

http://www.sundren.org/forum/showthr...ignment+system

http://www.sundren.org/forum/showthr...ignment+system

Yes I am having too much fun with the forum search tool

[DM_Acorn]

Bloodletter feat is gone. (though may still be in module just ask a DM and they will unlock assassin)

Good assassins from literature create precedence.

DND alignment will never make sense.

So, play them however you want unless a DM says you are out of line. Deal with it if we shift your alignment. oh, and you have to be EVIL to advance in the class.

[Torgar]

I'm personally of the mind that the assassin should have it's prereq changed from "Must be evil" to "Must be non-good", but that's really just a personal opinion. As a note for dark hunter, although the PRC get's death attack, mechanically it does not work at all. A friend of mine made a dark hunter, on sundren, and the death attack does not work at all. It adds the feat in name only, mechanically you get nothing. So, in a way, the statement that (assassin=death attach=evil) can be true, for no other reason then no other class that get's the ability that isn't evil, actually has it working.

[Standur]

Good assassins from literature create precedence.

"Korvikoum. That word—his favorite concept from dwarven philosophy—elbowed its way to the front of his mind. Dwarves did not believe much in fate. They believed in Korvikoum: choices and consequences. In a sense, fate and Korvikoum stood in opposition to one another, as much as did Vaendin-thiil and Vaendaannaes, as much as did being a killer and being a good man who killed."

--- Paul Kemp

One my favorite passages from Kemp

[Thief Of Navarre]

Are you a sniper in a legitmate, government sanctioned military following the rules of War as outlined by a previously agreed pact, against an opposing force that you have declared war against?

Or are you a sniper putting a 7.62 through someone's head as they walk out of their office because someone paid you 200$ to do so?

It's all context. And the assassin falls under the 'i'm evil and murder people for money' context. However, if Sundren did not have the DM special feat that requries you to kill for money, I'd argue that you could be a neutral assassin all day long.

Okay. By your logic the government sniper sits perfectly at lawful evil; Legimately sanctioned to perform acts of great evil.

As you said. Context