True Assassin

by Jim Butler

May 6th, 2004

Evil is pervasive. Its presence seeps into the best of gaming campaigns and makes sure that the forces of good remain wary. Assassins that can bring death with a single strike, undead that can drain the vitality of the living, and other horrors reside in every shadowy hallway and dusty catacomb.

I've mentioned in previous columns that my Bastion campaign is a very high-level world. The PCs have just reached 21st level, and things are really starting to heat up. They're looking out into the world and realizing the potential dangers. They're able to interact with the truly horrific forces on the world, both in politics and combat. They're leaders of their churches and guilds, making decisions that impact the lives of commoners. Their decisions bring life and death to those around them.

One of the members of the group is an assassin. He's worked his way up through the thieves guild, mastered the assassin prestige class (from the DMG), and has been striving toward acceptance into the most feared and powerful group of assassins upon the face of Bastion--The Brotherhood of Nightfall. This epic prestige class represents everything that an assassin can be (along with a number of powerful abilities that make them feared by all).

The epic prestige class detailed below is unique to Bastion (and won't necessary balance well with other worlds). You might look at a few things and be shocked--but everyone who's played on Bastion realizes that they don't have all the answers, and that balances and counters exist for everything.

Declaration of Open Content: All of the text below is considered Open Content except for Proper Nouns. Click on the d20 logo on the left for the d20 license.

Brotherhood of Nightfall—True Assassin

While there are many who claim to be assassins in one form or another, none strike more fear into the hearts of mortals than the Brotherhood of Nightfall. A secretive and select organization, the Brotherhood is open only to those who have served the Guild and the ideals of Lawful Evil to the utmost. They are the most expensive—and effective—assassins across the face of Bastion.

Monks and rogues are the two most common base classes that seek entrance into the Brotherhood of Nightfall, but clerics and a few rare arcane spellcasters have also sought admittance. To be considered for admission to the Brotherhood, a candidate must make a pilgrimage to one of the strongholds of Lawful Evil—Llurren’s Monastery in the Icewastes of Siver, the palace of the Emperor, Saint Talamar Kinstoak, or some other LE power. Many who seek such an audience are killed outright, a sign of their weak faith and unworthiness to serve the cause.

Those that survive are sent to the Brotherhood’s stronghold in the city of Fireglade, along the western coast of Bastion. An intricate ceremony is performed that soul binds the creature in service to the dark powers.

Requirements

In order for the Ceremony of Investiture to be successful, a character must fulfill the following criteria:

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Religion: Emnisien, Ravenwyrm, Asmodeus, or some other LE power.

Level Requirement: 20 (can take the first level at 21).

Skills: Disguise (21 ranks), Hide (21 ranks), Move Silently (21 ranks), Poison Use skill

Special: The character must complete the Ceremony of Investiture and kill one creature, chosen by the Brotherhood.

Class Skills

The True Assassin’s class skills (and the key ability for each) are: Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are features of the True 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. True 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 a true assassin gets a sneak attack bonus from another source the bonuses on damage stack.

Improved Death Attack: If a true assassin studies his victim for 1 round 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 true 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 25 + the true assassin’s class level + the assassin’s Int 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 true assassin. If the victim’s saving throw succeeds, the attack is just a normal sneak attack. Once the true assassin has completed 1 round of study, he must make the death attack within the next 5 rounds.

If a death attack is attempted and fails (the victim makes her save) or if the true assassin does not launch the attack within 5 rounds of completing the study, another round of study is required before he can attempt another death attack.

Spells: Beginning at 1st level, an assassin gains the ability to cast a number of divine spells. To cast a spell, an assassin must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell’s level, so a true assassin with a Wisdom of 10 or lower cannot cast these spells. Assassin bonus spells are based on Wisdom, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + the assassin’s Wisdom 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 true assassin’s spell list appears below. An assassin casts divine spells as a vicar does, including the ability to change the list of known spells at every level. Most true assassins have a caster level of 15 + their assassin level, though pure spellcasting assassins might have one equal to their current character level (add up all spellcasting levels to determine base spellcasting level, counting each true assassin level as a full casting level; use either a base of 15 or the higher result).

Table 1: True Assassin

                                                —— Spells Known ——

* True Assassins don’t learn any new spells after achieving this level without purchasing additional epic feats that grant spellcasting.

True Assassin Spell list: True Assassins can choose their spells from any of those they might know as an assassin, plus the following domain spells: Death, Destruction, Evil, Law, Protection, Travel, and the domain of their god.

Table 2: Abilities

Level     Abilities

1           Improved Death Attack, Assassination Strike

2           Sneak Attack +1d6, Dispel Ward

3           Shadow Visage, Soul Silence

4           Sneak Attack +2d6

5           Epic Assassination, Bypass Fortification

Assassination Strike: When a true assassin lands any critical strike or sneak attack in a round of combat, there’s a chance that he can slay lesser beings outright. This chance starts out at 5% per level of difference between the true assassin’s character level and that of the opponent and rises as the true assassin gains skill. A creature of greater level or Hit Dice than the true assassin cannot be killed in this manner, and the attempt can only be made once per round (regardless of the number of hits scored).

Every level of True Assassin increases this chance by 1%. Thus, a 50^th-level character with 30 levels of true assassin has a 34% chance per level of difference to kill a creature outright.

A creature killed in this manner dies at the end of the round in which the strike succeeds (unless healing magic that heals all damage inflicted arrives before then, in which case the target is stunned on his next round of combat). There is no saving throw. An assassination strike is obvious to all within range as being an assassination (even in the midst of hectic combat actions).

Note that some character classes (most notably the monks of Capon) have better resistances against assassination than other creatures due to their extensive training.

Bypass Fortification: Skilled true assassins understand the manner in which fortified armor protects the wearer, and are skilled at bypassing such protections. At 5^th level (and every 5 levels thereafter), the true assassin reduces the benefit of armor with the fortification quality by 10%. This amount can rise above 100% (as there are epic armors that provide more than 100% protection against such attacks).

Dispel Ward: When traveling alone, the assassin can bypass wards and other spells. Each time the assassin uncovers a ward (through means of a Search check using the standard chances of detecting a magic trap), he makes a Disable Device roll. If successful, the ward is deactivated during the assassin’s trip through the warded area. True assassins that do not have the Disable Device skill can instead cast a dispel magic or similar spell to deactivate the ward. It takes 1 round to Search for the trap, and another to deactivate it. Return trips through a warded area don’t require new Search checks, though they do require new disable rolls.

Epic Assassination: At 5^th level as true assassin, the character can use an assassination strike on creatures up to 5 levels over his current level (base chance of 5%).

Shadow Visage: The actions and magical emanations of a true assassin are difficult to divine. There’s a 10% chance per level of the true assassin that divination and scrying attempts used on them utterly fail. Diviners and other specialists have a better chance of overcoming this defense, but the assassin learns their true identify if they succeed in bypassing his shadow visage. This ability can go beyond 100%, making it that much harder for diviners and others to track the assassin).

Soul Silence: Any creature killed by a true assassin cannot be communicated with via speak with dead and similar magic. While they can be resurrected (barring other actions of the assassin), they remember nothing of their attacker, even if they were facing him in open combat before the assassination.

Code of the Brotherhood

Most commoners who seek an assassin to do their dark deeds do so through traditional Guild channels, or perhaps even contacting a member of the assassin prestige class (from the DMG). True assassins are the nightmares that powerful nobles and even skilled adventurers fear.  They walk down warded halls and passages in the deep of night, striking at their targets with ruthless efficiency. They are relentless.

The soul binding process that initiates into the Brotherhood of Night enter is one that cannot be dispelled by mortal magic; its source is the primal energy of the dark powers. True assassins take an oath to follow the strictures and rules of the guild and their chosen god unto death.

Brotherhood is Family: There is law and structure within the Brotherhood, and all true assassins view each others as siblings unto the family of the Brotherhood. Brothers and sisters are those who have not yet mastered the arts of bypass fortification and epic assassination. Fathers and mothers are those who have mastered the dark arts, while grandfathers and grandmothers are those who have exceeded 25 levels of true assassin.

Many who work in the organization have other identities beyond the walls of the Brotherhood. The sibling titles above are never used outside the walls of their home. Should one member meet another in public, they pretend as though they’ve never met until formally introduced. Unless a meeting occurs outside the walls of the Brotherhood, most members know each other only by their sibling titles.

Brotherhood is Sovereign: The Brotherhood is a sovereign body, answering to none save themselves. While the Guild might come before the Brotherhood to request a specific assassination, it does so respectfully and not as a demand. While there are those that demand much respect from the Brotherhood (such as Emperor Nokraenom or the Dark Saint Llurren Martekkennera), none demand service. The Guild, Emperor, and the collected dark saints put forth members they believe would make ideal candidates into the Brotherhood, but they possess no control over them once they are soul-bound into the order. They can only hope that their generosity has rewards in the future (and it usually does).

Brotherhood Chooses: There’s a Reflective Council that hears requests from prospective employers regarding assassinations. This council meets once each month during Ravenwyrm Rising to determine what jobs are most deserved, and is made up of the Fathers and Sisters of the Brotherhood. This council then takes those cases that past muster to the Elder Council for final approval.

It costs 50,000 gold pieces for each case to be heard before the Council, and that doesn’t guarantee acceptance. Most prospective employers must pay more than this to find a skilled barrister or other specialist to bring their case before the Brotherhood.

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