[Class] Assassin

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Assassin

For the Assassin death is not only a business, but also a highly esteemed Art. The Assassin trains in deadly combat from an early age, and in the later stages of their training gain access to techniques which border on the supernatural.
[edit] Making an Assassin

The Assassin hold a mastery over sudden, lethal attacks that few other classes can match, but these attacks require preparation and time. Any assassin benefits from another party member distracting his target, and nobody says no to a well-placed magical enhancement. To a certain degree, the Assassin fills the same combat role as a Rogue, lacking that class's aptitude for traps..
Abilities: Dexterity benefits the Assassin, often lightly armored and with his tendency to light, concealable weapons; Dexterity is also useful for several of his skills. Intelligence determines the effectiveness of his death attack, and is useful for adding to his pool of skill points. Strength and Constitution help the Assassin in those instances when he is forced to stand and fight, lending well to his attacks and Hit Points..
Races: Humans, short lived and often violent, take readily to the path of the Assassin. Half-Orcs often lack the structure required for the assassin's training, and few Halflings or Gnomes find this bloody lifestyle palatable. Dwarves, with their tendencies to law and good, rarely take to Assassination, while some of the most fearsome Assassins are Elves, who hone their deadly craft over centuries.
Alignment: Any.
Starting Gold: 5d4?10 gp (125 gp).
Starting Age: As Fighter.
Table: The Assassin
Hit Die: d6
Level   Base
Attack Bonus   Saving Throws    Special
Fort   Ref   Will
1st    +0    +0    +2    +2    Death Attack (Paralysis), Bonus Feat, Bonus Languages
2nd    +1    +0    +3    +3    Uncanny Dodge
3rd    +2    +1    +3    +3    Evasion
4th    +3    +1    +4    +4    Bonus Feat
5th    +3    +1    +4    +4    Sudden Strike +1d6, Minor Art 1/day
6th    +4    +2    +5    +5    Killing Blow 1/day
7th    +5    +2    +5    +5    Improved Uncanny Dodge
8th    +6/+1    +2    +6    +6    Death Attack (Kill), Bonus Feat
9th    +6/+1    +2    +6    +6    Lesser Art 1/day, Minor Art 2/day
10th    +7/+2    +3    +7    +7    Sudden Strike +2d6, Hide in Plain Sight
11th    +8/+3    +3    +7    +7    Improved Evasion
12th    +9/+4    +4    +8    +8    Killing Blow 2/day, Bonus Feat
13th    +9/+4    +4    +8    +8    Greater Art 1/day, Lesser Art 2/day, Minor Art 3/day
14th    +10/+5    +4    +9    +9    Efficient Killer
15th    +11/+6/+1    +5    +9    +9    Sudden Strike +3d6
16th    +12/+7/+2    +5    +10    +10    Bonus Feat
17th    +12/+7/+2    +5    +10    +10    Master's Art 1/day, Greater Art 2/day, Lesser Art 3/day, Minor Art 4/day
18th    +13/+8/+3    +6    +11    +11    Killing Blow 3/day
19th    +14/+9/+4    +6    +11    +11    -
20th    +15/+10/+5    +6    +12    +12    Final Death, Sudden Strike +4d6, Bonus Feat
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level, ?4 at 1st level)
Balance(dex), Bluff(cha), Climb(str), Concentration(con), Craft(int), Diplomacy(cha), Disguise(cha), Escape Artist(dex), Gather Information(cha), Heal(wis), Hide(dex), Intimidate(cha), Jump(str), Knowledge[Local](int), Knowledge[History](int), Knowledge(int), Listen(wis), Perform(cha), Profession(wis), Search(int), Sleight of Hand(dex), Spot(wis), Survival(wis), Swim(str), Tumble(dex), Use Magic Device(cha), Use Rope(dex) .
[edit] Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Assassin.
Death Attack: If an assassin studies his victim for 3 rounds and then makes an attack with a melee weapon that successfully deals damage, the attack has the additional effect of possibly paralyzing or killing the target (paralysis only at 1st level, with killing becoming available after 8th level). While studying the victim, the 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 10 + 1/2 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 2 levels of assassin. If the victim?s saving throw succeeds, the attack deals damage as normal. Once the assassin has completed the 3 rounds of study, he must make the death attack within the next 3 rounds.
Bonus Feats: At 1st level, 4th level, and every four levels thereafter, the Assassin gains a bonus feat. These bonus feats must be drawn from a list created by the DM, and represent hours and hours of intensive training.
Bonus Languages: The assassin may substitute any language for one available to him because of his race. He may even select secret languages, such as Druidic. Additionally, all Assassins are taught a secret sign language that consists of hand signals and subtle motions. The Assassin sign language may not be learned by non-Assassns and is never taught to outsiders.
Uncanny Dodge: Starting at 2nd level, an Assassin can react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If an assassin already has uncanny dodge from a different class he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.
Evasion: At 3rd level and higher, an assassin can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the assassin is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless assassin does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Sudden Strike: If as Assassin can catch an opponent when he is unable to effectively defend himself, he can strike a vital spot for extra damage. The extra damage applies any time the assassin's target is denied his dexterity bonus to armor class.(see the ninja class ability. Complete Adventurer, page 8)
Assassin Arts: At 5th level and every 4 levels there after, an assassin gains use of an assassin high art. These function as extraordinary abilities, and are drawn from the assassin arts list below. An assassin only knows as many Arts of a given rank as he has daily uses of that rank ability, and the uses by rank must be split among the abilities known. Once chosen the arts cannot later be changed.
Killing Blow: At 6th level, the assassin gains the ability to make a special coup-de-grace attack when his opponent is denied his dexterity bonus to AC or when flanking the target, just like a rogue's sneak attack ability. Unlike a coup-de-grace against a helpless opponent, the assassin must roll to attack normally. If his attack hits, he scores a critical hit. the target must then make a Fortitude save(DC 10+ the damage dealt) or die. Attempting a killing blow provokes attacks of opportunity from all threatening foes(but not a flat-footed target) as normal for a coup-de-grace, and you can't deliver a killing blow against a creature that is immune to critical hits, and you can't deliver a killing blow by flanking to a creature that cannot be flanked.
Improved Uncanny Dodge: An assassin of 7th level or higher can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the assassin has levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.
Hide in Plain Sight: An Assassin can use the Hide 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 anything to actually hide behind. He cannot, however, hide in his own shadow.
Improved Evasion: This ability, gained at 11th level, works like evasion (see above). An Assassin takes no damage at all on successful saving throws against attacks that allow a Reflex saving throw for half damage. What?s more, he takes only half damage even if he fails his saving throw.
Efficient Killer: At 14th level, the Assassin no longer provokes attacks of opportunity when using his Killing Blow ability, and all such attacks gain a +2 bonus to hit. He does, however, still take attacks of opportunity on a normal coup-de-grace.
Final Death: The pinnacle of an assassin's technique; at 20th level, any opponent the assassin brings down with Death Attack (NOT killing blow, mind you) may not be brought back by any means short of Wish, Miracle, or True resurrection, and even these methods have only a 50% chance of success.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An assassin is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light and medium armor, and shields excepting tower shields.
Assassin Arts: Assassins choose their arts from the following list: (Until this section is filled out, use the assassin spell list from the DMG prestige class, with the effect being an extraordinary ability which duplicates a spell effect.)
Minor?<-spells, spells, spells->
Lesser?<-spells, spells, spells->
Greater?<-spells, spells, spells->
Master?<-spells, spells, spells->