ondonaflash
2009-01-04, 12:59 AM
I have developed this class prestige class based off of the abilities Altair uses in Assassin's Creed. I'd like opinions as far as how you think it would effect game balance, and ideas for names. I think Eagle Assassin sounds trite, and I don't care for Hashishan since they seem to have a philosophical difference to the Assassin's in "Creed". Oh and if you can remember the Assassin's Creed for which the game is named I forgot it when I was writing it, but I wanted to add it as a class restriction like the Paladin's moral code.
Eagle Assassin
Whereas a standard Assassin is a ruthless, honor-less murderer, often taking marks for the highest bidder, the Eagle Assassin is bound by a strict code of who they can and cannot kill, and the manner in which they kill. They all belong to the same organization of assassins, a group devoted to advancing the cause of peace, more than aligning themselves with a specific government, and they all answer to the same penalty for breeching their code of conduct.
Monks are especially suited for this class, since their lawful nature makes them perfectly conditioned to the rigorous code of honor the Eagle Assassins live by, and they easily meet the physical requirements. Rogues and bards who are willing to obey the code of the Eagle Assassin’s may find it well suited to their skill set. Most fighters do not have the grace necessary to become an Eagle Assassin, and clerics, druids, and other spellcasters tend to be wholly unsuited towards the rigorous physical training involved in the Eagle Assassin’s lifestyle.
As npcs Eagle Assassins tend to be stoic and disciplined, they tend to live only in major cities, sense that is where they do their work, though they have permanent residence in a hidden monastery. Older Eagle Assassins work in hidden safe houses throughout the city, bartering information and providing a central location for their fellows to plan from.
Hit Die: d6
Requirements
Alignment: Any Lawful
Skills: Hide 8 ranks, Climb 8 ranks, Jump 8 ranks, and Gather Information 4 ranks
Feats: Weapon Finesse, Dodge
Special: The player must be invited into the organization and perform a difficult task to prove their devotion to the order. Failure of this task may result in the player being summarily hunted down and executed.
Class Skills
The class skills for the Eagle Assassin are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge: Local (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points: 6 + Int Modifier
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An Eagle Assassin focuses on weapons that are lightweight and suitable for subtle forms of combat. They can use daggers, punching daggers, light maces, crossbows, darts, short swords, rapiers, scimitars, shortbows, kamas, sais, siangham, bolas, or shuriken. The Eagle Assassin can use light armor, and is not proficient with any form of shield.
Eagle’s Eye: The Eagle Assassin can focus his mind on the people around him, allowing him to identify their attitude toward him, giving him a +4 bonus to sense motive.
Unarmed Fighting: An Eagle Assassin is taught fist fighting with moderation. An Eagle Assassin fighting unarmed does not provoke an attack of opportunity, and deals greater damage than normal. (See table below), the damage down however is still non-lethal.
Profile Strike: An Eagle Assassin carrying a concealed weapon, tiny sized, may use it to perform a lethal High Profile, or Low Profile assassination in an attempt to instantly kill an unsuspecting opponent.
High Profile Assassination: A High profile assassination may only be performed on a target, with an attitude of neutral or higher, who is completely unprepared for the attack. The assassin must observe the target for 3 rounds, and then after 3 rounds may charge the target for a leaping attack. The target gets a reflex saving throw with a DC equal to 15 + class levels the player has in Eagle Assassin to throw the Eagle Assassin aside, which, if successful, leaves the Eagle Assassin prone. Failure means instant death. The charge allows the assassin to move his full speed before the strike, for each square between the assassin and the target 2 points are subtracted from the reflex save DC. The charge cannot be started if one of the squares between the target and the Eagle Assassin is occupied. A High Profile Assassination is an overt and public attack that will alert all nearby to your nature.
Low profile Assassination: A low profile assassination may only be performed on a target, with an attitude of unfriendly or higher, who is completely unprepared for the attack. The assassin must observe the target for 3 rounds, and then after 3 rounds sneak up to the target and attempt to assassinate him subtlety. For the attack to succeed the Eagle Assassin must approach the target without being recognized, this requires either a bluff, hide, or disguise check against the target’s spot check. The Assassin must be occupying the square either directly in front of the target or directly behind the target. The target gets a Reflex saving throw with a DC equal to 25 +the number of levels the player has in the Eagle Assassin Class. The results of this attack cause the target to die one round afterward. They are unable to act in this round, this gives the Eagle Assassin time to sneak away after the kill. When the body is found everyone near it will temporarily become unfriendly. They will remain in this state for a full three rounds unless something is done to draw their attention to you in which case they will turn hostile until you can find a place to hide out of sight for a full three rounds.
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 an Eagle Assassin gets a sneak attack bonus from another source, the bonuses on damage stack.
Slow Fall: At 2nd level, an Eagle Assassin within arm’s reach of a wall can use it to slow his descent. When first using this ability, he takes damage as if the fall were 20 feet shorter than it actually is. The Eagle Assassin’s ability to slow his fall (that is, to reduce the effective distance of the fall when next to a wall) improves by twenty feet every other level (that is 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th) until at 9th level he can use a nearby wall to slow his descent and fall any distance without harm.
Uncanny Dodge: Starting at 2nd level, an Eagle Assassin gains the ability to react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to even be aware of it. He retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker (He still looses any Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.)
If character gains uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge.
Hide In Plain Sight: at 3rd level an Eagle Assassin can use the Hide skill even while being observed, so long as he is able to blend into a crowd or he is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow. He can hide himself from view in the open without having anything to actually hide behind. He cannot however hide in his own shadow.
Counterattack: Starting at 5th Level an Eagle Assassin may attempt to counter an enemy’s attack. In order to counterattack the Eagle Assassin must first declare Dodge on an enemy. If he is successful in avoiding the attack of the enemy on whom he has declared Dodge he may make an attack of opportunity.
Improved Uncanny Dodge: At 4th Level an Eagle Assassin can no longer be flanked, since he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies rogues the ability to use flank attacks to sneak attack an assassin. The exception to this degense is that a rogue at least four levels higher than the Eagle Assassin may flank him.
Grab Break: At 7th level the Eagle Assassin gains a +6 bonus against grapple checks.
Defense Break: At 9th level An Eagle Assassin may choose to substitute a counter attack for a defense break. If the defense break succeeds the Eagle Assassin does not take the attack of opportunity, but does render the attacker flat-footed until the attacker’s next turn.
And I don't know how to post the stats table, but saving throws and base attack are identical to the standard Assassin.
Eagle Assassin
Whereas a standard Assassin is a ruthless, honor-less murderer, often taking marks for the highest bidder, the Eagle Assassin is bound by a strict code of who they can and cannot kill, and the manner in which they kill. They all belong to the same organization of assassins, a group devoted to advancing the cause of peace, more than aligning themselves with a specific government, and they all answer to the same penalty for breeching their code of conduct.
Monks are especially suited for this class, since their lawful nature makes them perfectly conditioned to the rigorous code of honor the Eagle Assassins live by, and they easily meet the physical requirements. Rogues and bards who are willing to obey the code of the Eagle Assassin’s may find it well suited to their skill set. Most fighters do not have the grace necessary to become an Eagle Assassin, and clerics, druids, and other spellcasters tend to be wholly unsuited towards the rigorous physical training involved in the Eagle Assassin’s lifestyle.
As npcs Eagle Assassins tend to be stoic and disciplined, they tend to live only in major cities, sense that is where they do their work, though they have permanent residence in a hidden monastery. Older Eagle Assassins work in hidden safe houses throughout the city, bartering information and providing a central location for their fellows to plan from.
Hit Die: d6
Requirements
Alignment: Any Lawful
Skills: Hide 8 ranks, Climb 8 ranks, Jump 8 ranks, and Gather Information 4 ranks
Feats: Weapon Finesse, Dodge
Special: The player must be invited into the organization and perform a difficult task to prove their devotion to the order. Failure of this task may result in the player being summarily hunted down and executed.
Class Skills
The class skills for the Eagle Assassin are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge: Local (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points: 6 + Int Modifier
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An Eagle Assassin focuses on weapons that are lightweight and suitable for subtle forms of combat. They can use daggers, punching daggers, light maces, crossbows, darts, short swords, rapiers, scimitars, shortbows, kamas, sais, siangham, bolas, or shuriken. The Eagle Assassin can use light armor, and is not proficient with any form of shield.
Eagle’s Eye: The Eagle Assassin can focus his mind on the people around him, allowing him to identify their attitude toward him, giving him a +4 bonus to sense motive.
Unarmed Fighting: An Eagle Assassin is taught fist fighting with moderation. An Eagle Assassin fighting unarmed does not provoke an attack of opportunity, and deals greater damage than normal. (See table below), the damage down however is still non-lethal.
Profile Strike: An Eagle Assassin carrying a concealed weapon, tiny sized, may use it to perform a lethal High Profile, or Low Profile assassination in an attempt to instantly kill an unsuspecting opponent.
High Profile Assassination: A High profile assassination may only be performed on a target, with an attitude of neutral or higher, who is completely unprepared for the attack. The assassin must observe the target for 3 rounds, and then after 3 rounds may charge the target for a leaping attack. The target gets a reflex saving throw with a DC equal to 15 + class levels the player has in Eagle Assassin to throw the Eagle Assassin aside, which, if successful, leaves the Eagle Assassin prone. Failure means instant death. The charge allows the assassin to move his full speed before the strike, for each square between the assassin and the target 2 points are subtracted from the reflex save DC. The charge cannot be started if one of the squares between the target and the Eagle Assassin is occupied. A High Profile Assassination is an overt and public attack that will alert all nearby to your nature.
Low profile Assassination: A low profile assassination may only be performed on a target, with an attitude of unfriendly or higher, who is completely unprepared for the attack. The assassin must observe the target for 3 rounds, and then after 3 rounds sneak up to the target and attempt to assassinate him subtlety. For the attack to succeed the Eagle Assassin must approach the target without being recognized, this requires either a bluff, hide, or disguise check against the target’s spot check. The Assassin must be occupying the square either directly in front of the target or directly behind the target. The target gets a Reflex saving throw with a DC equal to 25 +the number of levels the player has in the Eagle Assassin Class. The results of this attack cause the target to die one round afterward. They are unable to act in this round, this gives the Eagle Assassin time to sneak away after the kill. When the body is found everyone near it will temporarily become unfriendly. They will remain in this state for a full three rounds unless something is done to draw their attention to you in which case they will turn hostile until you can find a place to hide out of sight for a full three rounds.
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 an Eagle Assassin gets a sneak attack bonus from another source, the bonuses on damage stack.
Slow Fall: At 2nd level, an Eagle Assassin within arm’s reach of a wall can use it to slow his descent. When first using this ability, he takes damage as if the fall were 20 feet shorter than it actually is. The Eagle Assassin’s ability to slow his fall (that is, to reduce the effective distance of the fall when next to a wall) improves by twenty feet every other level (that is 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th) until at 9th level he can use a nearby wall to slow his descent and fall any distance without harm.
Uncanny Dodge: Starting at 2nd level, an Eagle Assassin gains the ability to react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to even be aware of it. He retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker (He still looses any Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.)
If character gains uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge.
Hide In Plain Sight: at 3rd level an Eagle Assassin can use the Hide skill even while being observed, so long as he is able to blend into a crowd or he is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow. He can hide himself from view in the open without having anything to actually hide behind. He cannot however hide in his own shadow.
Counterattack: Starting at 5th Level an Eagle Assassin may attempt to counter an enemy’s attack. In order to counterattack the Eagle Assassin must first declare Dodge on an enemy. If he is successful in avoiding the attack of the enemy on whom he has declared Dodge he may make an attack of opportunity.
Improved Uncanny Dodge: At 4th Level an Eagle Assassin can no longer be flanked, since he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies rogues the ability to use flank attacks to sneak attack an assassin. The exception to this degense is that a rogue at least four levels higher than the Eagle Assassin may flank him.
Grab Break: At 7th level the Eagle Assassin gains a +6 bonus against grapple checks.
Defense Break: At 9th level An Eagle Assassin may choose to substitute a counter attack for a defense break. If the defense break succeeds the Eagle Assassin does not take the attack of opportunity, but does render the attacker flat-footed until the attacker’s next turn.
And I don't know how to post the stats table, but saving throws and base attack are identical to the standard Assassin.