This is a bit of a two parter, as the Assassin suffers from poor power selection, ridiculous fragility and a terrible striking mechanic. The power selection issue I'm addressing beyond this revised profile.
New Assassin Feats and Powers can be found here:
http://www.myth-weavers.com/showthre...25#post6643325
"The shadows betray you... because they belong to me!"
Hit Points & Surges:
Hit Points At 1st Level: 12 + Constitution Score
Hit Points Per Level Gained: 5
Healing Surges per Day: 7 + Constitution Modifier
Why? Increased to standard striker levels to bring the Assassin's staying power up to par with other strikers. Surge count increased to Executioner levels.
Assassin’s Shroud
Assassin's Shroud - Assassin Feature
At-Will * Shadow
Free Action (1 / round) - Close burst 10
Target: One enemy you can sense in the burst
Effect: You increment the number of your shrouds on the target by +1. The number of your shrouds on a target cannot exceed 4. These shrouds last until you subject another enemy to a shroud or until the end of the encounter.
When you make an attack against the target, before its attack roll, if any, you can choose to invoke all of your shrouds on the target. If you do, your shrouds vanish, each dealing 1d6 extra damage, +1 extra damage for each shroud on the target beyond the first. On a miss, reduce the number of shrouds by 1 before dealing this extra damage on a miss. This extra damage applies even if the attack deals no damage on a miss.
Creatures you're hidden from aren't aware of your shrouds.
If the target is reduced to 0 hit points or less, you can transfer all but one shroud from it to another enemy you can see within this power's close burst centered on the target as a free action.
Level 11: 2d6 damage per shroud + 2 damage per shroud beyond the first
Level 21: 3d6 damage per shroud + 3 damage per shroud beyond the first
Special: You can only use this power on your turn. You can exceed this power's once per round usage limit by using it as a Standard Action.
Why?
- Improves the damage output of the striker feature to be competitive and scale competitively.
- Rewards assassins who take the risk of stacking multiple shrouds proportionately.
- Allows the Assassin to compound his shrouds while being stealthy without paying a feat tax (Hidden Insight).
- Helps mitigate shroud wastage on badly damaged or prematurely killed enemies.
Deathstroke: (New Mechanic)
Deathstroke X: When you drop a non-minion creature to 0 hit points or fewer with an attack that invokes your shrouds, you can trigger the Deathstroke clause (if any) of that attack if the number of shrouds invoked in this way are equal to or greater than that attack's Deathstroke value.
You may also trigger the Deathstroke clause of one non-attack power as no action (unless stated otherwise) if the number of shrouds invoked in this way are equal to or greater than that power's Deathstroke value.
Shade Form:
You gain Shade Form and one of the following Assassin feats for free:
- Shadowcast
- False Guise
- Darkness Falls
SpoilerShadowcast
Requirements: Shade Form feature
Benefit: You gain the Shadowcast power:
Shadowcast
Requirements: Shade Form feature
Benefit: You gain the Shadowcast power:
Shadowcast - Assassin Feature
From hidden obscurity, you cast forth a shadowy decoy to serve as a diversion or act in your stead.
Requirement: You must expend a use of your Shade Form power.
At-Will * Conjuration, Shadow
Minor Action - Close burst 10
Effect: You conjure a shadowy duplicate in an unoccupied space within the burst that lasts until the end of your next turn. It has the following properties:
- Has your game statistics except for attack powers, including bonuses without a conditional duration, feats and non-attack powers.
- Counts as a creature and an ally as well as a conjuration.
- Has 1 hit point, is targeted as a creature and never takes damage from missed attacks. Is immune to your own attacks if you choose.
- Is commanded as a summon.
- Whenever the duplicate uses a power, effect or game element which is limited in use (including per turn or round limits) that element is expended for you as though you had used it. Powers that are expended for you are likewise expended for your duplicate.
- Has vulnerable radiant and resist necrotic equal to 5 + half your level.
- You can see, hear and use special senses and Shadow powers as if you were in the duplicate's space as well as your own.
- When you take a move action, you can also command the duplicate to take a move action.
Sustain Move: The duplicate persists until the end of your next turn. You can only sustain your duplicate if it is within this power's range and you have line of effect to it.
Darkness Falls
Requirements: Shade Form feature
Benefit: You gain the Darkness Falls power:
Darkness Falls - Assassin Feature
Your shadow erupts into a conflagration of impenetrable darkness.
Requirement: You must expend a use of your Shade Form power.
At-Will * Shadow, Zone
Standard Action - Close burst 5
Effect: You gain darkvision and the burst creates a zone that blocks line of sight for creatures other than you until the end of your next turn. All light in the zone is darkness. Squares in the zone count as creatures for Shadow Step's requirements and effects.
Sustain Minor: The zone's size decreases by 2 and the effect persists until the end of your next turn.
False Guise
Requirements: Shade Form feature
Benefit: You gain the False Guise power:
False Guise - Assassin Feature
The darkness sweeps over your wavering form, changing your appearance to that of another.
Requirement: You must expend a use of your Shade Form power.
At-Will * Illusion, Shadow
Minor Action - Personal
Effect: You alter your physical appearance with a powerful illusion to assume the appearance of any creature of your size or smaller (your actual size doesn't change). The appearance of your clothing, armour and possessions change to match your new appearance. This illusion duplicates the textures, olfactory, thermal and auditory qualities (such as voice) of the creature you are mimicking, and its possessions. This new appearance lasts until you use this power again, the end of your next short rest or you dismiss it as a free action. Any creature that attempts to see through your disguise makes an Insight check opposed by your Bluff skill +5. You may take a 10 on this opposed check.
Creatures aren't aware of your shrouds while they're unaware of your disguise and not hostile to you.
Shade Form - Assassin Feature
You transform yourself into a being of shadow, becoming more difficult to notice and to harm.
Encounter * Shadow
Minor Action - Personal
Effect: You assume a shadowy form that lasts until you resolve an attack or until the end of your next turn. While Shade Form is active you gain the following characteristics:
- You are insubstantial.
- You gain vulnerable radiant and resist necrotic each equal to 5 + half your level.
- You can make Stealth checks to become hidden if you have any cover or concealment and you don't take penalties to your Stealth check for running or moving more than 2 squares.
- You can use cover granted by your allies both to become hidden and to remain hidden.
Sustain Minor: The form persists until the end of your next turn or you resolve an attack.
Deathstroke 4: You gain 1 additional use of this power until the end of your next short or extended rest.
Why?
- Letting you use an alternate power, particularly Shadowcast and Darkness Falls in place of Shade Form improves the effective in-combat impact of Shade Form in a thematic way which was lacking due to its exceptionally short 'real' or practical duration (dispelled the moment you attack).
- Rewards the shroud invocation/stacking mechanic, and can help soften the blow of wasted shrouds if the target is badly damaged by the time they are invoked.
- Improves Shade Form to be on par with the superior Black Flame Form alternate class feature power.
Shadow Step:
Shadow Step - Assassin Feature
You vanish into the shadow energy around one creature and then step out of it near another creature.
At-Will * Shadow, Teleportation
Move Action - Personal
Requirement: You must be adjacent to a creature.
Effect: You teleport 3 squares to a square adjacent to another creature.
Level 11: Teleport 4 squares.
Level 21: Teleport 5 squares.
Deathstroke 4: Immediately after your Deathstroke attack resolves, you may use this power without meeting its requirements as a free action, teleporting up to 1 extra square for each shroud you invoked with your Deathstroke attack.
Why?
- Thematic change that allows the assassin to exploit the darkness and environment, and quickly reposition and engage the next target, or retreat into the shadows after a successful assassination.
- Rewards the shroud invocation/stacking mechanic, and can help soften the blow of wasted shrouds if the target is badly damaged by the time they can be invoked.
Overall not as necessary as the others, but there are definitely solid reasons for its implementation.
Bleak Disciple:
Bleak Disciple: Whenever you deal damage to your Assassin's Shroud target with an attack, you can gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier, or take necrotic damage equal to your Constitution modifier that can't be reduced. If you take damage in this way, your Assassin's Shroud target takes an equal amount of extra damage from that attack.
Why?
- Bleak Disciple sucks compared to the Night Stalker option. This improvement makes Bleak Disciple competitive with Night Stalker in a way that is thematic, and somewhat adheres to its original incarnation.