Assassin

Campaign class — see Classes for the full list.

Prime Requisite:	STR and DEX
Requirements:	None
Hit Dice:	1d6
Maximum Level:	14

Assassins are humans who train to kill by ambush and treachery. Assassins might be back-alley brawlers, violent thugs, or members of an organized guild. Within the Sairan Empire, some assassins are members of the Order of the Eclipse, a religious brotherhood of trained killers, but others are simply murders-for-hire or rogues with a taste for violence.

Assassin Level Progression

Experience	Title	Level	Hit Dice	Damage Bonus	Backstab	Hiding	Sneaking
0	Thug	1	1d6	+1	+1d	19+	17+
1,750	Enforcer	2	2d6	+1	+1d	18+	16+
3,500	Torturer	3	3d6	+2	+1d	17+	15+
7,000	Slayer	4	4d6	+2	+1d	16+	14+
14,000	Destroyer	5	5d6	+2	+2d	15+	13+
28,000	Executioner	6	6d6	+3	+2d	14+	12+
55,000	Blackguard	7	7d6	+3	+2d	12+	10+
110,000	Assassin	8	8d6	+3	+2d	10+	8+
230,000	Master Assassin	9	9d6	+4	+3d	8+	6+
350,000	Master Assassin, 10th Level	10	9d6 + 2*	+4	+3d	6+	4+
470,000	Master Assassin, 11th Level	11	9d6 + 4*	+4	+3d	4+	2+
590,000	Master Assassin, 12th Level	12	9d6 + 6*	+5	+3d	3+	2+
710,000	Master Assassin, 13th Level	13	9d6 + 8*	+5	+4d	2+	1+
830,000	Grandfather Of Assassins	14	9d6 + 10*	+5	+4d	1+	1+

Assassin Saving Throws and Attack Bonus

Level	Paralysis	Death	Blast	Implement	Spells	Attack Bonus
1	13+	14+	15+	16+	17+	+0
2-3	12+	13+	14+	15+	16+	+1
4	11+	12+	13+	14+	15+	+2
5-6	10+	11+	12+	13+	14+	+3
7	9+	10+	11+	12+	13+	+4
8-9	8+	9+	10+	11+	12+	+5
10	7+	8+	9+	10+	11+	+6
11-12	6+	7+	8+	9+	10+	+7
13	5+	6+	7+	8+	9+	+8
14	4+	5+	6+	7+	8+	+9

Combat Characteristics

Though lacking somewhat in toughness, assassins are expert combatants with broad training in arms and armor. Although assassins generally prefer fast, concealable, or quiet weapons, killing can occur under many circumstances. And though they favor stealth over steel for protection, sometimes their work requires them to infiltrate or impersonate bodies of troops.

Combat Proficiencies: Assassins have weapon proficiency with all weapons. They have armor proficiency with medium, light, and very light armor. They have fighting style proficiency with the dual weapon, two-handed weapon, and weapon and shield styles.

Combat Progression: Assassins advance in attack throws and saving throws as fighters, by two points every three levels. Assassins increase their base damage roll from successful missile and melee attacks by +1 at 1^st level and by an additional +1 at 3^rd, 6^th, 9^th, and 12^th level. They can cleave after felling a foe a maximum of once per round per class level.

Starting Class Powers

At the start of play, assassins have the class powers below. As with thieves, most of the assassin’s skills improve as the assassin gains levels according to the progression on the Assassin Level Progression table. While assassins can wear medium armor, they cannot use their skill at backstabbing, hiding, or sneaking while wearing medium armor.

Backstabbing: Assassins are skilled at treacherously attacking unprepared enemies. An assassin can backstab any vulnerable opponent. Backstabs can be made in melee or with missile weapons at short range but cannot be made with missile weapons at medium or longer range. When backstabbing, an assassin gains a +4 bonus to hit and if the attack succeeds, the assassin deals an additional die of damage at 1st level, and another additional die at 5^th, 9^th, and 13^th level.

Hiding: Assassins are trained to skulk unseen in the cover of darkness. An assassin can begin hiding as a combat action anytime he is in cover, dim light, or darkness. When the assassin begins hiding, the Judge must make a Hiding proficiency throw on behalf of the assassin. An assassin will always think he is successful in this skill and will not know otherwise until others react to his presence. Regardless of whether the throw succeeds, opponents encountering the assassin suffer a -2 penalty to surprise rolls as long as he remains stationary in cover, dim light, or darkness.

If the throw succeeds, the assassin is hidden. If the throw fails, the assassin is not hidden. No creature can claim line of sight on an assassin that is hidden from it. If a hidden assassin engages an unengaged opponent, the opponent cannot make a free facing change. If an opponent knows the hidden assassin’s general location, the opponent can attack him in melee at a -4 penalty, but it cannot even blindly attack the assassin if it doesn’t know his general location. The hidden condition expires at the end of the assassin’s initiative if he moves or attacks. It also terminates if the cover, dim light, or darkness no longer conceals the assassin from his opponents.

Shadowy Senses: Since the bright light of torches will reveal their positions, assassins learn to rely on superior night-vision, keen hearing and smell, and echolocation to slowly scout through dark alleys, lightless dungeons, and star-lit rooftops. When moving at combat speed or exploration speed, an assassin can “see” as if he were carrying a light source that sheds dim light in a 30’ radius. Shadowy senses can be used to fight, probe for traps, and so on. However, shadowy senses cannot be used to discern colors, faces, markings, or flat images (such as frescoes and murals) or to read books, maps, or scrolls. Shadowy senses does not function if the assassin is charging or running, if deafened, or if in an area of magical darkness or magical silence. Because it counts as dim light, an opponent can hide from shadowy senses.

Sneaking: Assassins learn to prowl with great stealth. An assassin can begin sneaking as a movement action. He can sneak at his encounter speed or one-half combat speed without penalty. If he moves greater than half his combat speed, he takes a -5 penalty to the Sneaking proficiency throw. If he runs, he takes a -10 penalty.

When the assassin begins sneaking, the Judge must make a Sneaking proficiency throw on behalf of the assassin. An assassin will always think he is successful in this skill and will not know otherwise until others react to his presence. Regardless of whether the throw succeeds, opponents encountering the assassin suffer a -2 penalty to surprise rolls if the assassin is outside their line of sight.

If the throw succeeds, the assassin is also sneaking. If the throw fails, the assassin is not sneaking. When sneaking, the assassin makes no noise when he moves — none whatsoever. Even alert creatures that make a successful Listening proficiency throw will not hear a sound. When a sneaking assassin engages an unengaged opponent from the rear, the opponent cannot make a free facing change.

Streetwise: The assassin has learned the hard lessons taught by life as a criminal. He might begin play as a member of an assassin’s guild or other criminal syndicate (Judge’s discretion). He can engage in hijinks if he has the necessary proficiencies or thief skills. He can automatically identify gestures, signs, slang, and territory of criminal organizations in his home settlement. He can identify those of other urban settlements with a proficiency throw of 11+. Secret organizations or organizations in far-off cities might be harder to recognize. (This class power is equivalent to one rank of Streetwise proficiency.)

Additional Class Powers

When they advance in level, assassins gain the following additional class powers:

Hideout (9^th): By acquiring a hideout worth at least 5,000gp, the assassin can attract followers to his service. 2d6 1^st level assassins will arrive to serve him as followers within 1d4 weeks of him acquiring the hideout. If the assassin already has a hideout, the followers arrive to serve him within 1d4 weeks of him reaching 9^th level. If hired, the followers must be paid standard rates for henchmen. These followers will serve the character with some loyalty, though at least one will be an infiltrator working for the assassin’s local rivals, sent to keep an eye on the character. A cunning and resourceful assassin can use these followers to start a criminal syndicate. Additional rules for hideouts and syndicates are detailed in the Campaigns chapter.

Class Proficiencies

Proficiency Progression: At 1^st level, assassins gain one class proficiency from their class proficiency list and one general proficiency from the general proficiency list (as indicated by the template rolled). They select an additional class proficiency at 3^rd, 6^th, 9^th, and 12^th level. They select an additional general proficiency at 5^th, 9^th, and 13^th level.

Assassin Proficiency List: Acrobatics, Alchemy, Alertness, Arcane Dabbling, Armor Training, Bribery, Cat Burglary, Climbing, Combat Reflexes, Combat Trickery (disarm, incapacitate), Contortionism, Disguise, Eavesdropping, Fighting Style Specialization, Gambling, Intimidation, Kin-Slaying, Mimicry, Poisoning, Precise Shooting, Running, Skirmishing, Skulking, Sniping, Swashbuckling, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus

Assassin Templates

3d6	Template	Proficiencies	Starting Equipment
3 – 4	Cutthroat	Combat Reflexes Gambling	Hand axe, dagger, leather armor, cheap tunic and pants, leather belt, high boots, backpack, 12 iron spikes, small hammer, flask of military oil, tinderbox, 12 torches, waterskin, 1 week’s iron rations (enc. 5 3/6 st)
5 – 6	Bounty Hunter	[[Combat Trickery	Combat Trick]]. (incapacitate) Tracking
7 – 8	Pirate	Swashbuckling Seafaring	Short bow, quiver with 20 arrows, scimitar, well-balanced dagger with boot-sheath, leather armor, colorful tunic and pants, silk sash, high boots, 50’ rope, grappling hook, waterskin, 1 week’s iron rations (enc. 5 st)
9 – 10	Bravo	[[Fighting Style Specialization	Fighting Style Spec.]] (dual wield) Intimidation
11 – 12	Assassin-for-hire	Precise Shooting Bargaining	Arbalest, case with 20 bolts, pair of well-sharpened short swords, bloodstained leather armor, dark cloak with hood, black tunic and pants, low boots, leather belt, small sack, 2 flasks of military oil, tinderbox, 50’ rope, waterskin, 1 week’s iron rations, 15gp (enc. 6 2/6 st)
13 – 14	Poisoner	Poisoning Romance	Slender short sword, dagger, long leather whip, tight leather armor, leather cloak, elegant linen tunic and pants, silk sash, high boots, backpack, manacles, 1 dose of giant centipede poison, 1 lb of dried belladonna, waterskin, 1 week’s iron rations, 19gp (enc. 4 2/6 st)
15 – 16	Infiltrator	Skulking Disguise	Crossbow, case with 20 bolts, short sword, dagger, unmarked leather armor, simple hooded cloak, plain tunic and pants, leather belt, low boots, backpack, thieves’ tools, disguise kit, waterskin, 1 week’s iron rations, 33gp for bribes (enc. 5 2/6 st)
17 – 18	Cult Deathbringer	Arcane Dabbling Theology	Crossbow, case with 20 bolts, wavy-bladed sword and short sword, dagger in wrist sheath, leather armor under grey cassock with hood, long leather gloves, soft-soled shoes, leather belt, 2 belt pouches, holy symbol (eclipsed sun), 2 flasks of holy water, holy book (The Gospel of Chains), 6 torches, waterskin, 1 week’s iron rations, 4gp (enc. 6 2/6 st)

Notes: The pirate’s scimitar is a type of short sword.