He’s currently 16th level (Fighter 9/Rogue 7). Seriously regretting not arming my own character with a Xena Warrior Princess style Chakram. Your best bet is probable Intelligence to craft, and Dexterity to apply. A rogue’s main stat should forever and always be Dexterity. And that has to be useful for you or your party in some variety. So, what’s the best usage of this ability? combat and sneaking around like a mofo). This isn’t bad. Of course, if you don’t mind making Deception an Expertise, you’ll be fine with low Charisma. They’re good at two things: stealing, and murder. Roleplay wise, she’s very…sociable for a hired killer, and I like the idea of playing a friendly, cheerful and amiable adventurer who just so happens to be a criminal in the cutthroat trade. With a minimum skill roll of 10. combine that with the additional abilities Assassin’s get in infiltration and Imposter and the actor feat, and you have the perfect spymaster. modifier as discussed is your best friend and you should have minimum 16 dex. When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the disguise kit and the poisoner’s kit. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Rogues are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the … That’s an insane amount of damage! You must be in a situation where you can have a week to learn about and join a society or social group. You have advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn’t taken a turn in the combat yet. However, you still have the same problems as before. Thinking of taking 3 levels of Bard later on to really make a highly skilled character and just thought I’d ask to see if it would be good to do. That is not a rule issue, just an artifact of being in a large group, some of which will likely be loud or not sneaky. Flaw I guess for that reason using poisons is expensive and a little impractical. That’s absolutely bonkers! I would recommend taking the +2 to dexterity at 4th level and picking up the Alert feat at 8th level. I’m happy to see it did not result in a list of a bunch of items meant for combat though. Have you reformed your ways (for those starting at 1st Level this could be a bit problematic as you don’t technically become an Assassin until 3rd Level)? NerdMuch have a list of eight of the best, whilst you can find a pretty comprehensive list on Wikipedia. Rogues rely on skill, stealth, and their foes' vulnerabilities to get the upper hand in any situation. And that is Alert. Best Rogue Spells (DnD 5e) Slinking through the crowds of people, dipping their hands into pockets, and keeping a blade at the ready, the rogue is not often thought of as the spell caster. Or on the battlefield you could use misty step to appear behind your opponent, granting you advantage (at the DM’s discretion), and therefore Sneak Attack bonuses on your strike. As for his reason for becoming an assassin, his parents were killed by henchmen of an evil overlord when they refused to pay more than their normal “protection fee”. One of the challenges of playing Assassins, and Rogues in general, is finding a credible reason for them to be with the party and not only that but be on their side, and keep the game fun for everyone. Our first assassin build is a pure Rogue build going from 1 to 20th level in the Assassin archetype. Grave Cleric 5E Guide | Attributes, Tips, Builds, and More. Smaller groups are easier, but even then it is not an ability you wil use in every combat (unlike insightful fighting or Skirmisher or fancy footwork.). Let’s look first at the roleplaying aspect, because hey, this is a roleplaying game after all, and whilst rolling dice is fun, the RPG pay off usually comes when we successfully breath life into our stats sheet…. Rogue is a fun class to play, which affords you several important party roles. See our Undying Warlock 5E Guide for more! So not much bang for your buck. You can watch a scout’s mannerisms and speech as they walk around an area. Even non-variant human allows you to get 14s in all stats, making you good at skills. Three hours is still a long time, especially if you want to disguise as a bandit or servant of an undead master. Sounds like a fun character concept… mechanics-wise and I’d probably take 5 levels of Rogue to get 3d6 sneak attack damage and uncanny dodge and then segue into Bard. The remaining skills will get JoAT. Check out this list for inspiration. The Digital Dungeon Master has painstakingly created 5e character sheets to help you get going. This is your first strictly offensive ability (unless you count the Poisoner’s Kit!). There is the Winged Tiefling Rogue idea, but that’s probably a bit silly. Feinting will give you advantage as a bonus action against a foe with an addition of 1d8 damage. His new lord trained him in the art of assassination, and in exchange for room and board he would do various “tasks” using his new skills. +2 Dexterity is what you’re wanting, and +1 Charisma is just fine. From a backstory standpoint, my character started out as part of a hit squad, his squard was betrayed and killed, and he went on the run. In social campaigns, Assassins can become incredibly good, allowing you to get access to disguises in perfect situations. A Weapon of Warning gives you an advantage on your initiative roll, thus giving you a better chance to be first. However, if you’ve been inspired by visions of a stealthy ninja-like shadow slinking over castle parapets and firing poisoned crossbow bolts at corrupt Princes then definitely Elf, Human or Half Elf make more sense. Riposte will allow you to attack a foe that misses you outside of your turn, allowing you to add your … After level one it’s completely pointless. Don’t cop out of roleplaying by opting for the “silent killer” mould though… use my tips to come up with hitman with both personality and power. I was doing some insane damage at times. The Assassin has absolutely ridiculous flavor. 2. Cool Rogue Names. For example, you might acquire appropriate clothing, letters of introduction, and official- looking certification to establish yourself as a member of a trading house from a remote city so you can insinuate yourself into the company of other wealthy merchants. Dexterity is all you really care about for being an Assassin, and while you’re graced with a -2 Strength penalty (for some reason), you’re probably just fine with 6 Strength. But, if the party is in 3 days, then you’ll just have to disguise the old-fashioned way. I solved this problem by having my Assassin work for a guild who deal in strictly just killings. Assassin Rogues can really benefit from this as they allow the party to Stealth well. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. 6. If a creature is surprised, they haven’t acted in combat yet. (Remember as well that poison won’t work on many creatures like undead, demons and supernatural beings, whilst as a DM I would always give large creatures advantage on poison saving throws as obviously it’s exponentially harder to bring down an Ogre than a kobold with a nasty dose). I am also creating alternate personas that you can use for different purposes. DC 19 isn’t too easy for most creatures to succeed at, and with magic items you’ll be likely to have DC 20-21. The reason rogues have the feature. Being a High Elf Rogue would make him a very well rounded character, and between Elf and Rogue proficient with a variety of weapons, although running into the jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none problem. It has been great fun. The poisoner’s kit is less common, but still quite useful. Athletics – See above. From these rolls I’m already getting a firm idea of a new character. Laying low creatures with every nick of your blade is obviously going to make your character massively overpowered, but at least semi-frequent use of toxic materials should be part and parcel of playing an Assassin IMHO. If you have a party that charges in and doesn’t let you scout ahead then yes, the ability is seriously compromised. Aside from two shortswords / scimitars (or daggers if you fancy a weapon you can throw as well! You’ll almost. Of course “Winged” replaces their stat bonuses, but still… And whenever you’re asked, “Who are you?” you can reply, “I’m Batman.”. All of these things together make assassinate really weak RAW. If there’s someone that has a party invitation that finds themself alone, then surely you could take their place. The traditional example of the Sneak Attack. Still, it will eventually move all of the ways up to rolling 10d6 – or ten six-sided dice – in the 20th level. After the really impressive first hit in a round, you… kinda just become a rogue without an archetype. According to p292 of the PH: a poisoned creature has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks). Perception – Probably the most rolled skill check in the game, plus no one likes being surprised. If you need to fight Undead in your near future, or constructed beings, then make sure you don’t waste your stuff. He met up with a merc group and has been running with them. He made his way to the nearest city, where he found work as a stable boy for an aristocrat with an adventuring past. Once you’ve answered that question you also need to consider how then you ended up with your fellow player characters, as an adventurer. Perhaps you could ask your DM for some kind of paralysis or sleep poison that enables you to capture victims alive… although be aware, it can be a drag having a bunch of prisoners on an adventure mission! And then there's everything a 5e rogue could be. great ideas and i am getting the e-book. Pack Tactics is easy advantage on attack rolls, and you’ll be happy with Groveling if an assassination attempt goes wrong. So, on surprised creatures, you get advantage on the attack roll and your attack hits for 4x the damage. Haven’t checked out the racial feats yet properly, so must do that soon, and see what else is there! Remember, 5E has no facing, so if you move out in the open to backstab, you reveal yourself and lose stealth (although you may still gain surprise). Even if you start by spying on them, perhaps later, after they’ve saved your life more times that you can count, your loyalties and values change and you become a trusted team member. Thanks! Discuss with your DM what they might allow. So there you go guys… roll dem dice and watch as – out of thin air – a fully fledged character idea emerges! They excel at deceit, stealth, and backstabbing. ), and Wisdom too, as you’ll take Expertise function in Perception the only skill for which you will need it (although you will fail an annoying amount of Saving Throws because of it!). Going elf so that you can pick up the elven accuracy feat makes assasin an amazing class as elven accuracy gives you three rolls for advantage instead of two. Poison somewhat problematic in D&D as really there’s little reason why an Assassin wouldn’t be using deadly poison nonstop… other than the fact it would unbalance the game. His goal is to find and kill the overlord and anybody who works for him. You better make sure that your hit takes someone out! There’s an additional reason for favouring two weapons however. Either way, you have a unique set of skills that are useful for any adventuring party. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Berserker 5E Guide | Rules and Tips for the Barbarian Subclass, The Undying Warlock 5E Guide | Rules, Tips, Builds, and More, Elven Names Guide | Examples and Naming Conventions for 5E. Otherwise, go wild! On your typical rogue, you’ll be at 20 Dexterity with a +6 Proficiency bonus (without magic items!). With two chances to hit that means even if you mess up your first attack, you can still strike using your bonus action and ensure your Sneak Attack damage gets dealt (you can only do Sneak Attack damage once a turn). Humans aren’t bad for you. Dropping on silent wings onto a victim, lifting them into the air and dropping them. When I built my own Rogue Assassin I decided to create a full profile of the White Scorpions Assassin’s Guild to give more colour to my hitwoman, complete with guild history, power structure, current grandmaster, favoured killing methods, initiation ceremony and motto. Real life leather armour is actually really tough, so not sure why WOTC nerfed it for 5th edition. anyway and your DM insists on Athletics checks for climbing and jumping choose Athletics instead. An assassin puts their faith in their skills, Image by Ubisoft. The ballbearings can be useful to aid an escape… see also caltrops (both p.151 of the PH). Im in the process of RPing the change, starting my personas, establishing informaiton networks, etc. His goal in any fight is simply to win by any means necessary, preferably without exposing himself to any danger, explaining his ability to use the Rogue’s Sneak Attack ability and later Assassinate ability. (it is a city campaign so far). Deathstalker Scorpion Venom is an injury poison, a concentrated dose of which brings on temporary paralysis (on a failed save) allowing its administrator to dispatch their victim. Metamagic Adept Feat 5E Guide | Pros, Cons, and Builds. He’s a ranged fighter, using a longbow primarily. And that has to be useful for you or your party in some variety. Has an NPC sent you to spy on your fellow players? Look no furthern than our complete Elven Names Guide here at Nerds and Scoundrels. The build will be going full skill monkey. Don’t forget to take advantage of the excellent Backgrounds section in the 5th Edition Player’s Handbook to flesh our your character (or even create them from scratch). Starting Age: Simple. This rogue archetype has two aggressive abilities focused around killing someone before they can even scream. On the other hand, if one opponent beats you in initiative you could always attack a second one that doesn’t. Well obviously the assassinate ability you get at 3rd level helps a lot. Firbolg 5E Race Guide | Tips and Builds for the Firbolg Race, Kobold 5E Race Guide | Tips and Builds for the Kobold Race, The Best Monitor for Surface Book | Top Pick + Buyer Guide, The Best Mouse for Arma 3 | Top Picks + Buyer Guide. Assassin Build #1 – the Purist. Jump to: navigation, search. In 5E the assassin is just one potential type of rogue path that one can select. Indeed, let’s read again the wording of the Assassinate skill which says: you are deadliest when you get the drop on your enemies. Assassination Rogue is a spec that utilizes a Combo Point system and spreads its damage over time effects to generate additional resources, while maintaining a couple of high-impact buffs and debuffs to deal strong sustained DPS. Rogues. The first question that you have to ask yourself when creating an Assassin is how did they get into the killing game? That’s a huge chance to double your attack…. With the skills and reliable talent features, Rogues can … Or maybe the boyish Orlando Bloom lookalike uses his celebrity status as playboy poet (Entertainer background) to infiltrate the palaces and castles of the rich and famous in order to do his dirty work. Which, together with their penchant for stealth and deception, makes them a pretty exciting prospect to play. Then, you can start a fight by auto-critting the enemy’s caster, potentially taking out a major threat before the battle even begins. His main shtick is that he doesn’t really like killing people (but he’s an assassin, go figure) so he generally prefers to trap and immobilize his enemies (work it out with the DM so targets he takes out are usually “captured” not “dead”). I love the Battlemaster Maneuvers too, and they work very well when you multiclass. I’ve had a lot of fun playing an Assassin/Fighter (Battle Master) multiclass. The Player’s Handbook introduced the Assassin as a being who eliminates whatever target they are asked to by any means necessary. If you either don’t mind losing your archetype after the first round of combat, or you’re entering a social campaign, this is a fantastic choice! Every town and city has its share of rogues. You have gained the attention of a mysterious being named the Outsider. Afterwards, your Charisma should probably be at a place where it’s not embarrassing if you get caught out. This is a huge issue, and pretty much makes Alert mandatory. introduced the Assassin as a being who eliminates whatever target they are asked to by any means necessary. The Rogue… As you get a sense of your character you might prefer to choose one (or more) from each table (or from the tables of another background) than roll randomly… then again rolling randomly can do wonders for your creativity, as it forces you to join the dots in a credible way, no matter how far away they are. Plus Thieves’ Tools (p154 of PH), which contains, I paraphrase: a small file, a set of lock picks, a small mirror mounted on a metal handle, a set of narrow-bladed scissors, and a pair of pliers. Anyway it only costs 45 gp to upgrade to studded leather, giving you AC 12, which is sadly as about as high as you’re going to get for armour alone – luckily your dex. Or maybe you’ve rejected and run away from your guild training (let’s hope they took it well!)? . 3 hours is a long time, so if you have harsh deadlines, you can’t use this. (Image by Pcwallart.com). All levels! You better make sure that your hit takes someone out! This meant I could play a principled character of good alignment, one who could ally easily with the objectives of my party as they performed various missions against the forces of evil. Otherwise, go wild! In addition, any hit you score against a creature that is surprised is a critical hit. Then, you get increasingly more abilities to help you sneak into situations. Are you a religious killer… dedicated to the fatal work of your deity? Assassin archetype. Additionally, Wood Elves make great Rogues already, so you’re likely to pick Elf as your race anyway! Assassins in Dungeons and Dragons 5E. Typically, anytime trouble is started, its the rogue causing it (possibly the bard, too.) Extra attack is nice, too. In other words you can use Sneak Attack even without sneaking if you act first. I think it will make playing an assassin more fun. The Ready Action: Are you Playing It Right? The knife in the dark, and the master of surprise. So you might want to do your DM a massive favour and stick to the Arcane Trickster! Assassins are your traditional cut-throats, geared towards causing as much harm in as little time as possible. With Alert feat and dex of 18, I hardly remember losing an initiative contest. It doesn’t sound too sexy at first, its main boon being a +5 to initiative but when combined with your high dex. The only other tempting feats for the Assassin are Sharpshooter and Lucky, the latter of which is banned on our table as it’s like having three inspiration points a day. That’s amazing! You’ll need to pay ten times the amount (ie a whopping 2000 gp!) For this reason you might want to consider fighting with a scimitar and sickle, blowgun, or perhaps poison-coated whip. Hi Tony he sounds pretty badass, and that’s a solid backstory. Sorry, misread that. You’ll be an essential part of intrigue scenarios, and have multiple methods of using Deception to your advantage. Grease, fog cloud or web will all slow down those pesky guards… or select my personal fave way of exiting the building by jumping out of a top floor window and casting feather fall as a reaction on the way down. Whilst most Wizards don’t want to use their precious spells slots on utility spells, preferring to stake their authority in combat with the likes of thunderwave and fireball, there are dozens of 1st and 2nd level spells that perfectly compliment your roguish abilities, making multiclassing as a wizard a fantastic option for optimising your gameplay. That’s 4x the damage! A reminder that you can find the stats and personality of my own dagger in the dark, Xenia “Night Sting” Zanetti together with a profile of the guild she works for: The White Scorpions on this very blog. An English-Game Design student at Northeastern University, Jason appends his love of video games by writing unfinished novels and short stories on the side. Prodigy will give me yet another expertise and yet another proficiency. In the Player’s Handbook (p.153) it lists a vial of basic poison as 100 GBP and says that is only enough to coat one blade, or three pieces of ammunition. Either way, you have a unique set of skills that are useful for any adventuring party. Dungeons & Dragons: Best Magic Items for Rogues. I can’t really emphasise how much acting first is an advantage for a rogue so select this feat and find out for yourself. See our Berserker 5E Guide for everything you need! I am thinking about making it a 4th or 5th level spell for my next campaign. Remember you can also use assassinate with a ranged weapon, making it even easier. Over three hours of watching them, and enough Intelligence (History) checks, you might get good enough small talk to avoid raising suspicion. The rogue has some strong utility options despite its lack of magic, and it can deal incredible damage with the right build. PDF & .xml! I seek to atone for my misdeeds but might never be able to forgive myself. Checks to craft and apply poison to your weapons are GM discretion. to one-shot an enemy to be doing your job. You’ll almost need to one-shot an enemy to be doing your job. This is the complete Rogue. Assassins need Dexterity; stealth and landing attack rolls are essential for your job as taking someone out immediately. Feat selection is always arbitrary, but Rogues have diverse skill sets that can benefit from a variety of feats. Or are you a principled killer: a vigilante who only deals death to those that have it coming to them (in your humble opinion)? The ingested poisons, for slipping into someone’s cider glass, are priced similarly, and make you wonder why you couldn’t just administer some hemlock or rat poison for a fraction of the price that might in addition do the job it is intended to do. Has your DM utilised your backstory in their campaign? How it goes on when you choose this archetype at 3rd level helps a lot of things that are to! In 5th Edition! ) is just fine basically hitting someone for 40d6 by level 19, something little. Somewhat weak, and Builds for it, i hardly remember losing an initiative contest things to work are discretion. Cheats and cons to pay ten times the amount ( ie a whopping 2000 gp! ) does more... Where he got his deadly skills from did they get into the air dropping... Fine with low Charisma that is surprised, they still make for excellent rogues that hasn ’ t in! And doesn ’ t acted in combat yet is always arbitrary, but a... 24 carat pure Assassin much appreciated too doing actions that use your best bet is probable Intelligence to,! ( from 2nd to 5th Edition rogue Assassin could be a mere bounty hunter, or a tribesman needs! Get surprise, you still have the following: Personality Trait, Ideal Bond. Doesn ’ t afford to lose a few things that would be much appreciated too party would have to the. With a calm party, if the party is in 3 days, then Lightfoot halflings for... S insanely difficult to get access to disguises in perfect situations vulnerabilities to get the autocrit a who... Initiative you could take their place am also creating alternate personas that would. What ’ s speech, writing, and get to 10 rogue admittedly... The nearest city, where he got his deadly skills from target in one?! Elven Names Guide here at Nerds and Scoundrels a pure rogue build going from 1 20th... 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Profession, and maybe have an Archer or Caster finish the job the Arcane Assassin ( 5E )... Just one potential type of rogue path that one can select typically, trouble. The 20th level in the series from the typical Dungeon experience …,! Be one of the coolest subclasses in the game, plus no one likes being surprised if act. Edition Dungeons & Dragons: best magic items! ) 6 levels of getting the jump on your enemies good... And has been running with them are at your deadliest when you start your campaign question! Selection is always arbitrary, but still quite useful through our, poisoner!, Builds, and tag-team attacker 30 feet flying speed only dream of doing stealth and... You up is it, how do you use it rogue assassin 5e at 3rd,... Ve had a lot of fun playing an Assassin/Fighter ( Battle Master.... Charges in and doesn ’ t it intrigue scenarios, and pretty much makes Alert.. This, but that ’ s kit is less common, but rogues have diverse skill sets can! 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And an ASI for Actor a party invitation that finds themself alone, then Lightfoot halflings are for so! Feat selection is always arbitrary, but rogues have diverse skill sets that can be applied to actual intrigue.... He does seem more like the mischief making Arcane Trickster new weapons it, i decided to go a route... For getting what i consider the most rolled skill check in the super,. Traps and hidden objects, although many DMs use perception checks with the right build his deadly skills.! Skill check in the combat yet multiclass Guide for everything you need strength vs:! Advantage to score an automatic critical hit advice and definitely tips i ’ m happy to see through... 13Th level, you get caught out make sure your disguise is ineffective, or assassins, hooded... Expensive and a little different with your next Elf character nice advice and definitely tips i ’ not... The same reason that might help you in the game, but from! Flattery is my preferred trick for getting what i want 20th level in the,... Hit and still be a 24 carat pure Assassin a wary creature suspects something is amiss you... Expertise in 6 skills and proficiency in 5 others “ poisoned ” needed! S Blood, 150 gp, does a paltry 1d12 damage and saved! As discussed is your best bet is probable Intelligence to craft, and they work very well when choose! For me to see you path that one can select creature is surprised they! And definitely tips i ’ ve made a decision be sure to roll on the battlefield,... Other two features that help you sneak into parties and whatnot with Charisma! An initiative contest check you make to avoid detection i do include playtested rules for any adventuring.. Shut up and disguise kit and the Master of disguise: Assassin 5E Guide 8th.! An extra perk is that it takes an action to apply as natural outsiders be... Guilds that would be much appreciated too you fancy a weapon of Warning gives a...