Kroe
01-21-03, 09:16 AM
just picked this up on saturday. fairly interesting though a bit overpowered. they make Assasin a core class.
on the plus side they give real world poisons, including symptoms onset times, and such. They also give a little historical background (Green Ronin is pretty good abouthis . they also did it for the shaman handbook) While thehistorical background is completely accurate or unbiased it is interesting and gives you a little look to real examples of assasins.
I think the major problem with it is the killing blow ability they get at level 2. Basically anytime a rogue could get a backstab an assasin can make a illing blow (once a day at first level and I think every 3 or 4 levels after that they can make another killing low per day) basically for a killing blow you make a regular attack roll, if you hit it is auromatically a critical hit. at third level assasins also get sneak attack and sneak attack damage is ADDED to the killing blow ability. Now here's the kicker. if the attack DOESN'T kill the target the target must make a fortitude roll against 10+total damage (critical plus sneak attack) if they fail the fort check they die.
so assuming the assasin is using a shortsword or rapier that for some reason they haven't bothered poisoning. figure they have a strength of at least 13 or so giving them a +1 dam. they roll say a 4 plus 1 is 5 double it for the crit is 10 plus the sneak attack roll of say 4 again brings the total to 14 damage. now the vicitm has to make a fort check better than 24 or die.
that's not too bad, but now let's look at someone trying to manipulate it.
very strong assasin with an 18 str backstabs with say a longsword. rolls 8 on the damage plus 4 is twelve doubled is 24 plus 4 on sneak attack. victim needs to beat a 38 on a fort check. how many level 3 characters (even boss characters you would send your players against) could beat that without fudging rolls?
In this book the assasin core class can use shields, simple and martial weapons. d6 hit points, and eventually learn spells (level 6 I believe)
they could be a very veyr useful addition to your campaign but be wary, as always, of the powergamers.
on the plus side they give real world poisons, including symptoms onset times, and such. They also give a little historical background (Green Ronin is pretty good abouthis . they also did it for the shaman handbook) While thehistorical background is completely accurate or unbiased it is interesting and gives you a little look to real examples of assasins.
I think the major problem with it is the killing blow ability they get at level 2. Basically anytime a rogue could get a backstab an assasin can make a illing blow (once a day at first level and I think every 3 or 4 levels after that they can make another killing low per day) basically for a killing blow you make a regular attack roll, if you hit it is auromatically a critical hit. at third level assasins also get sneak attack and sneak attack damage is ADDED to the killing blow ability. Now here's the kicker. if the attack DOESN'T kill the target the target must make a fortitude roll against 10+total damage (critical plus sneak attack) if they fail the fort check they die.
so assuming the assasin is using a shortsword or rapier that for some reason they haven't bothered poisoning. figure they have a strength of at least 13 or so giving them a +1 dam. they roll say a 4 plus 1 is 5 double it for the crit is 10 plus the sneak attack roll of say 4 again brings the total to 14 damage. now the vicitm has to make a fort check better than 24 or die.
that's not too bad, but now let's look at someone trying to manipulate it.
very strong assasin with an 18 str backstabs with say a longsword. rolls 8 on the damage plus 4 is twelve doubled is 24 plus 4 on sneak attack. victim needs to beat a 38 on a fort check. how many level 3 characters (even boss characters you would send your players against) could beat that without fudging rolls?
In this book the assasin core class can use shields, simple and martial weapons. d6 hit points, and eventually learn spells (level 6 I believe)
they could be a very veyr useful addition to your campaign but be wary, as always, of the powergamers.