Assassin

Description:

Assassins are a type of rogue that thankfully aren't very common in the Isles, at least officially. Unofficially of course, things are a little different. Any person who lives by killing other people for money can assume the title of an assassin. There are many fighters and even thieves who fall under this category. However there is also a class who are trained to kill for money, who live a life of stealth and trickery and who thrive on the difficulties and challeges thrown up by going after a proffessional kill.

These people pride themselves on being subtle. Not for them the rush and noise of a battle or a duel. Instead they go for the quiet kill, taking their time to set it up and ensuring the odds are stacked in their favour. The more public the kill, the more they rely on wit and mind than brawn and muscle.

There are many guilds in the Isles, usually in the bigger towns where their secret members can hide among the general populous. Each guild will be responsible for it's local environs though often their members may have to travel further afield. Recruitment, structure and rules vary from town to town. Not all assassins belong to a guild, some may belong to more than one.

Assassins get 85 Character Points to spend on the following skills. Skills with an asterisk can be improved as the assassin gains levels. 40 points are distributed amongst these skills at first level, with a further forty per level after that. These latter points can be only spent on skills that have been used between levels.

Backstab (10):

Like thieves, assasins are practiced in the art of quietly eliminating guards and sentries. If an assassin strikes a target from behind with surprise, the assissn gains a +4 bonus on his attack roll, and the blow does additional damage. The Table below defines the extra damage:

Backstab Damage Multiplier

Climb walls* (5):

This skill lets assassins climb smooth or vertical surfaces.

Cross Proficiency (5):

Allows the purchase and use of out of class proficiencies at a reduced Character Point cost.

Deadly Strike (10):

The assassin gains a +2 bonus to damage with one weapon of choice.

Defense bonus (10):

+2 bonus to Armor Class when unarmored and unencumbered.

Detect illusion* (10):

The assassin can see detect illusions within their line of sight, up to 90 feet away. They perceive the illusion as a translucent image, seeing through it as though it were a light mist.

Detect magic* (10):

The Assassin can spot magical radiations within their line of sight, up to 60 feet away. They can determine the intensity of the magic—dim, faint, moderate, strong, and overwhelming.

Detect noise* (5):

This is the ability to hear sounds others usually can’t.

Disguise (5):

The ability to disguise oneself through uses of makeup, etc. If used with the disguise proficiency, it adds +5 to the proficiency check.

Escaping bonds* (10):

There comes a time in every character's career when his luck runs out and the he is apprehended. The ability to escape bonds such as ropes, leather thongs, manacles, chains, and even straight jackets is a feat of contortion and determination. The assassin must roll to break every device binding him. If he’s tied at the wrists and at the ankles, then he must make two successful rolls to free himself. This skill takes five rounds to use. A character might hurry his efforts, but he suffers a –5% penalty for each round he tries to shave. Locked items also require the character to successfully pick the locks. A failure on any attempt means that the assassin cannot loose that bond or pick the lock.

Find/remove traps* (10):

Many people try to protect their lives from assassins with small mechanical traps or alarms. As a result, assassins have developed skills to find and disarm these traps.

Followers (5/10):

By purchasing this skill, an assassin can gain followers as described in the Player’s Handbook if he establishes a stronghold and is at least 10th level. If this is purchased as a 10-point ability, the character can attract followers whenever he establishes a stronghold, regardless of level.

Hide in shadows* (5):

An assassin can attempt to disappear in shadows, bushes, and crannies. A successful assassin will be effectively invisible as long as he remains all but motionless. Slow, deliberate movements are allowed.

Identify Poison (10):

Because some assassins are trained and experienced with the use of poisons, Assassins also can identify poisons used by others. The base chance of doing so is the Assassin's level multiplied by 5%
Assassins with intelligence of 13-15 get a +5% bonus on the attempt; 16-17, a +10% bonus; and 18, +15%. Further adjustments depend on how the Assassin attempts the identification: sight, smell, taste, or symptoms.
Sight means examination of the poison or poisoned article. Many poisons have a distinctive appearance, or they may have a corrosive or discoloring effect on metals, foods, etc. Identification by sight has a -20% modifier. Its advantage is that the Assassin needn't worry about poisoning himself in the process.
A poison may also be identified by its odor. This carries a -15% penalty. Furthermore, if it is an ingested or contact poison, there is a 10% chance that the Assassin will be affected by the poison, though at half strength (i.e., no effect if the saving throw is successful, and if it's not, normal save damage is applied—see the Dungeon Master's Guide, p. 73).
Taste is a fairly reliable, if dangerous, method of identifying a poison. It carries a -5% penalty. After dabbing a tiny bit on his tongue, the Assassin spits it out. There is still a chance that the poison will affect the Assassin: 25% for injected poison, 75% for ingested, and 100% for contact. The poison's effects, if any, are half strength (see above).The most certain way of identifying a poison is by its symptom (no penalty on the attempt). The drawback of this method is of course that you need a poisoned character to examine.
An Assassin with herbalism proficiency gets a +5% identification bonus because of his knowledge of toxins extracted from plants. An Assassin with healing proficiency gets a +10% bonus in any case. These bonuses are not cumulative. Identification of a poison also means knowledge of its antidote (if one exists); it does not mean that the antidote is available, however. An Assassin with herbalism proficiency may attempt to make an antidote from scratch.

Improved Hit Points (10):

Assassin uses the d8 of a priest for hit dice.

Move silently* (5):

This is the ability to move without making noise. The movement rate of an assassin attempting this is reduced to 1/3 his normal rate.

Multiple Specialisation (15):

Allows as many weapons as can be met by cost and training.

Open locks* (10):

An assassin can try to pick all types of locks using skill, tools, finesse, and luck. If a character fails to open a lock, he cannot attempt to open that lock again until advancing a level.

Pick pockets* (10):

An assassin uses this skill for delicate tasks, such as slipping poison unnoticed into a target's goblet of wine. A failed attempt means the assassin may have been successful in placing the posion, but may indicate the assassin was observed.

Saving Throw Bonus (10):

Through the touching and handling of lethal toxins, a bonus to saves vs. poison, a +1 to save per 5 pts of constitution.

Weapon Specialisation (5):

Allows this for one weapon only; must still meet character point cost and level allowance, must be purchased on a weapon the assassin is already proficient in. An Assassin often selects one favored weapon, such as a garotte or serrated dagger (or even something exotic, such as blowgun darts with an exotic insect poison from a distant jungle), to use for his killings. If the Assassin achieves infamy, the marks of this weapon may become known as a sort of "calling card."

Nonweapon Proficiencies:

Required: Trailing, Disguise.

Recommended: Alertness, Begging, Gather Intelligence, Herbalism, Land-Based Riding, Observation, Posioning, Tracking, Voice Mimicry.

EXPERIENCE LEVELS