Assassin (Prestige Archetype) (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

A mercenary undertaking his task with cold, professional detachment, the assassin is equally adept at espionage, bounty hunting, and terrorism. At his core, an assassin is an artisan, and his medium is death. Trained in a variety of killing techniques, assassins are among the most feared classes.

Class Information

This is a prestige class archetype.

Prestige Class: assassin.

Build Classes: Rogue.

Role: Assassins tend to be loners by nature, seeing companions as liabilities at best. Sometimes an assassin's missions put him in the company of adventurers for long stretches at a time, but few people are comfortable trusting a professional assassin to watch their backs in a fight, and are more likely to let the emotionless killer scout ahead or help prepare ambushes.

Alignment: Evil. Due to its necessary selfishness and callous indifference toward taking lives, the assassin class attracts those with evil alignments more than any others. Because the profession requires a degree of self-discipline, chaotic characters are ill suited to becoming these shadowy killers. Neutral characters sometimes become assassins, frequently thinking of themselves as simple professionals performing a job, yet the nature of their duties inevitably pushes them toward an evil alignment.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills

The assassin's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (local) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 8 + Int modifier.

Class Features

The assassin has the class features of the rogue, except as follows.

Poison Use

At level 2, assassins are trained in the use of poison and cannot accidentally poison themselves when applying poison to a blade (see Poison). This replaces the rogue talent gained at level 2.

Poison Save

At 3rd level, the assassin gains a +1 saving throw bonus against poisons. This bonus increase by +1 every three levels after level three. He also gains this bonus on Craft (Alchemy) checks to brew poisons. This ability replaces trap sense.

Death Attack (Ex)

If an assassin of 4th level or higher 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). Studying the victim is a standard action. The death attack fails if the target detects the assassin or recognizes the assassin as an enemy (although the attack might still be a sneak attack if the target is denied his Dexterity bonus to his Armor Class or is flanked). If the victim of such a death attack fails a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ the assassin's class level + the assassin's Int modifier) against the kill effect, he 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 his 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.

This replaces the rogue talent gained at level 4.

Hidden Weapons (Ex)

At 6th level, an assassin becomes a master at hiding weapons on his body. He adds half his assassin level to all Sleight of Hand skill checks made to prevent others from noticing them. This replaces the rogue talent gained at level 6.

True Death (Su)

Starting at 8th level, anyone slain by an assassin's death attack becomes more difficult to bring back from the dead. Spellcasters attempting to bring a creature back from the dead using raise dead or similar magic must make a caster level check with a DC equal to 15 + the assassin's level or the spell fails and the material component is wasted. Casting remove curse the round before attempting to bring the creature back from the dead negates this chance. The DC of the remove curse is 10 + the assassin's level. This replaces the rogue talent gained at level 8.

Quiet Death (Ex)

At 10th level, whenever an assassin kills a creature using his death attack during a surprise round, he can also make a Stealth check, opposed by Perception checks of those in the vicinity to prevent them from identifying him as the assailant. If successful, those nearby might not even notice that the target is dead for a few moments, allowing the assassin to avoid detection. This replaces the rogue talent gained at level 10 and advanced rogue talent.

Resurrection Sense (Su)

At 12th level, a assassin senses if a creature he has slain within the last year has been restored to life, as long as they are both on the same plane. This replaces the rogue talent gained at level 12.

Angel of Death (Su)

At 14th level, the assassin becomes a master of death. Once per day, when the assassin makes a successful death attack, he can cause the target's body to crumble to dust. This prevents raise dead and resurrection (although true resurrection works as normal). The assassin must declare the use of this ability before the attack is made. If the attack misses or the target successfully saves against the death attack, this ability is wasted with no effect. This replaces the rogue talent gained at level 14.

At 18th level, the assassin can use this ability at will.

Hide in Plain Sight (Su)

At 16th level, an assassin can use the Stealth 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. This replaces the rogue talent gained at level 16.

Swift Death (Ex)

At 18th level, once per day, an assassin can make a death attack against a foe without studying the foe beforehand. He must still sneak attack his foe using a melee weapon that deals damage. This replaces the rogue talent gained at level 18.

Soul Bind (Sp)

At 20th level the assassin can use soul bind once per day as a wizard of his assassin level. This is a free action when used against a target the assassin has just slain, and also has the effect of the angel of death ability. This replaces the rogue talent gained at level 20.

Table: Assassin

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	Sneak attack +1d6, trapfinding
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+0	Evasion, poison use
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+1	Sneak attack +2d6, poison save +1
4th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Death attack, uncanny dodge
5th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Sneak attack +3d6
6th	+4	+2	+5	+2	Hidden weapons, poison save +2
7th	+5	+2	+5	+2	Sneak attack +4d6
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+2	Improved uncanny dodge, true death
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+3	Sneak attack +5d6, poison save +3
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+3	Quiet death
11th	+8/+3	+3	+7	+3	Sneak attack +6d6
12th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+4	Poison save +4, resurection sense
13th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+4	Sneak attack +7d6
14th	+10/+5	+4	+9	+4	Hide in plain sight
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+9	+5	Sneak attack +8d6, poison save +5
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+5	Angel of death
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+5	Sneak attack +9d6
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+6	Poison save +6, swift death
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+6	Sneak attack +10d6
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+6	Master strike, soul bind

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

These abilities of the rogue are lost or modified in this archetype:

• Rogue Talents (all)
• Trap Sense
• Advanced Rogue Talent