Do you mean take down a target in one shot? Deception – Fast talking, lying, charming or disguising yourself. 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. And dont forget the Bard spells (Disguise self, invis, Enhance ability, and even Speak with animals). The pack also has 50 feet of hempen rope strapped to the side of it. My rogue is currently 7. He’s currently 16th level (Fighter 9/Rogue 7). (Half Orcs and Tieflings as natural outsiders could be decent shouts too). I would definitely add a grappling hook to your list of possessions and maybe a wrist sheath, from which you can surreptitiously pop a knife/dagger in case of emergency. The fact that you don’t get skills to help you here is somewhat unfortunate. 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. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Rogues are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the … 2) Even if you get surprise, you have to beat your target in initiave to get the autocrit. Remember, whilst you might have a lot of fun spying on your fellow characters, lying to them and creating chaos, it’s not always that much fun for the others – especially if you end up stabbing them in the back with a poisoned dagger “because it’s in my character”. A rogue’s main stat should forever and always be Dexterity. Consider as well that your character doesn’t have to be a 24 carat pure Assassin. You’ll have good Dexterity by default. The aggressive abilities are absolutely incredible and make your party focus around stealth and shock. 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! (Of course it’s much better if they are surprised because: any hit you score against a creature that is surprised is a critical hit . If you can take out a scout before they notice you, then you’ve got a free surprise round, and you can refresh Assassinate for the next fight. Lovely night for a lakeside stroll isn’t it? You must have a Dexterity score of 13 or higher in order to multiclass in or out of this class. If you can, make Stealth your Expertise, and get to the backlines of the enemy team. The traditional example of the Sneak Attack. Assassin’s Dagger and Coin of Darkness; Blindfold of the Beggar and Short Sword of the Rogue; Clearly boots of the vigilant are the big winner here. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. Before you get any class features, an assassin needs to have the tools to succeed. Was he trained, but rejected his training? What is the … Strength vs Dexterity: It’s Time to Punish Weaklings! He made his way to the nearest city, where he found work as a stable boy for an aristocrat with an adventuring past. Indeed, let’s read again the wording of the Assassinate skill which says: you are deadliest when you get the drop on your enemies. An Assassin that can radically alter their own appearance, create an illusionary diversion, make guards magically fall asleep or even turn themselves invisible. In all cases you should consult with your DM… if you’re spying on your fellow players for example do you need to present yourself as something else and hide your Rogue abilities? UPDATE: I do include playtested rules for a new poison in my aforementioned e-book. Arcana – Useful if you want to multiclass as a Wizard later. Overall you are probably best speaking to your DM about what poisons you have access to, and what are the rules that govern using them. Intelligence scores and then relying on your Kit proficiency to create what you need. […]. 3) If you are playing at a table with a large number of folks, you will almost never get the chance to sneak up on folks. However, you still have the same problems as before. Sorry, misread that. You must spend seven days and 25 gp to establish the history, profession, and affiliations for an identity. Have you been sent adventuring by your guild to get some real world experience? This is the complete Rogue. to get a dose of venom worthy of the name in the form of Purple Worm Poison which does 12d6 damage, with a saving throw DC of 19. What’s more deadly than an Assassin? The most common Disguise skills involve Intelligence or Wisdom to make the disguise, and Charisma checks when things go wrong (Deception). Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), a full profile of the White Scorpions Assassin’s Guild, Order of the White Scorpions on DMs Guild, it’s not always that much fun for the others, a guild who deal in strictly just killings, Is Counterspell Overpowered? It has been great fun. Whether through your bearing of a lifetime of extreme adversity, being visited by betrayal and injustice, or other set of … Remember you can also use assassinate with a ranged weapon, making it even easier. But, if your party lets you work, you can get some value out of this. This one takes less long, but allows for natural saves. Here are the most useful ones, starting with what I consider the most essential. Your ruse is indiscernible to the casual observer. Should take down a pretty decent sized opponent! Being the party face is also a role you fit well. This means you can not only use your best skill modifier in combat but you get more attacks than most fighters at first level. The knife in the dark, and the master of surprise. For this reason you might want to consider fighting with a scimitar and sickle, blowgun, or perhaps poison-coated whip. and take a look at how to build your character for maximum effectiveness. As this will increase you modifier by +1, and that modifier goes on your AC, your attack rolls, your initiative and many skills checks… however there is one feat that is well worth selecting in my experience. 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. Are you a cold-hearted bastard who considers that if everyone has to die at some point, why not make a profit from it? introduced the Assassin as a being who eliminates whatever target they are asked to by any means necessary. ), especially as you are only proficient in light armour and therefore relatively easy to hit. Then I can introduce/use this stuff during play sessions and really confuse and entertain the group by showing up as another person, playing the drums badly, having contacts to help us gather info, etc. Exceptional Weapons (from 2nd to 5th edition!). Dexterity is what all Rogues live and die by, so it makes sense to look at the races that start by giving you a boost on this crucial skill. It doesn’t sound too sexy at first, its main boon being a +5 to initiative but when combined with your high dex. Hardly your toxin of choice for a high profile hit job. Or are you a principled killer: a vigilante who only deals death to those that have it coming to them (in your humble opinion)? Then, creatures (not just townsfolk!) Choose Archetypes between the Arcane Trickster, Assassin, Mastermind, Swashbuckler, and Thief. On your typical rogue, you’ll be at 20 Dexterity with a +6 Proficiency bonus (without magic items!). Acrobatics – Depending on your DM you might roll Acrobatics for jumping over rooftops, tumbling out of windows and cartwheeling out of danger, or sometimes Athletics. Every town and city has its share of rogues. Real life leather armour is actually really tough, so not sure why WOTC nerfed it for 5th edition. Remember, in the case of surprise you would be getting your Sneak Attack anyway, but with Assassinate it becomes a critical Sneak Attack, meaning you roll ALL your damage dice twice, then add any modifiers). After level one it’s completely pointless. That’s pretty awesome! In this sort of build, we have the maximum number of Sneak Attack die (+10d6), along with some powerful abilities to accompany it. The Digital Dungeon Master has painstakingly created 5e character sheets to help you get going. Strength is useless to you, especially if your DM lets you use Acrobatics for climbing checks (as our does! The Player’s Handbook introduced the Assassin as a being who eliminates whatever target they are asked to by any means necessary. Join the Scoundrel Game Labs Mailing List! I never target people who can’t afford to lose a few coins. Thereafter, if you adopt the new identity as a disguise, other creatures believe you to be that person until given an obvious reason not to. You’ll have to deliberate with both your party and GM by level 9 to see if it’ll work with everyone involved. First, the scenario must arise. The arcane assassin is a rogue subclass that can be taken by the rogue class. If I haven’t got your creative juices flowing yet then why not take some inspiration from some of fiction’s best loved assassins, like Nikita, Leon, Altaïr ibn-La’Ahad, 007, and many more. Sleight of Hand – Useful for slipping poison into your victim’s wine and other subtleties. For dungeon masters and players looking to outfit a Rogue, here are the best magical items for them in Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition. Then, you get increasingly more abilities to help you sneak into situations. You have advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn’t taken a turn in the combat yet. UPDATE: I just published an e-book on the Order of the White Scorpions on DMs Guild. Of course “Winged” replaces their stat bonuses, but still… And whenever you’re asked, “Who are you?” you can reply, “I’m Batman.”. How about guidance from an immortal patron? 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. If you consider that humans can’t see in the dark, which is a major disadvantage if you’re Assassin, I’d put Elf and Half Elf ahead. Dungeons & Dragons: Best Rogue Builds. Your GM decides how active you have to be during the time, so you might be able to do other things in the background. If there’s someone that has a party invitation that finds themself alone, then surely you could take their place. Feinting will give you advantage as a bonus action against a foe with an addition of 1d8 damage. Armour aside you also get a Burglar’s Pack (p.151 of PH), which contains, I quote: a backpack, a bag of 1000 ball bearings, 10 feet of string, a bell, 5 candles, a crowbar, a hammer, 10 pitons, a hooded lantern, 2 flasks of oil, 5 days rations, a tinderbox and a waterskin. If you’re looking for something relatively simple, then Lightfoot halflings are for you. , they still make for excellent rogues. Need to beat a hasty retreat from the palace? This is your first strictly offensive ability (unless you count the Poisoner’s Kit!). So you’re thinking about playing a Rogue Assassin in 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons? He met up with a merc group and has been running with them. 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. 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. I can’t really emphasise how much acting first is an advantage for a rogue so select this feat and find out for yourself. Riposte will allow you to attack a foe that misses you outside of your turn, allowing you to add your … But, that week timeframe is. […], Looking for something a little different with your next Warlock? Afterwards, your Charisma should probably be at a place where it’s not embarrassing if you get caught out. The assassin’s skills are going to be wasted on someone who doesn’t stick the knife in, whilst the arcane trickster allows you to keep levelling up as a rogue whilst gaining arcane powers that could help you cause mischief… (your PC concept seems more like a mischief maker, than cold blooded killer). I swindled and ruined a person who didn’t deserve it. After the really impressive first hit in a round, you… kinda just become a rogue without an archetype. You get a single attack roll to shine, and then you become archetype-less… if your GM is doing a typical slashing crawler. I think it will make playing an assassin more fun. That’s an insane amount of damage! If you need to fight Undead in your near future, or constructed beings, then make sure you don’t waste your stuff. This isn’t bad. So, on surprised creatures, you get advantage on the attack roll and your attack hits for 4x the damage. This rogue archetype has two aggressive abilities focused around killing someone before they can even scream. +2 Dexterity is what you’re wanting, and +1 Charisma is just fine. A Weapon of Warning gives you an advantage on your initiative roll, thus giving you a better chance to be first. 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”). An extra perk is that it prevents you and your party from being surprised if you are sleeping because it will wake you up. What about a happy go lucky, somewhat portly female halfling, a maternal figure who loves singing, cooking, cleaning… and killing people? Otherwise, a Sneak Attack allows one to deal with an extra d6’s worth of damage to your competitors, which is a pretty impressive amount at the level. Plus with alert feat you’d almost certainly win initiative and act first in next round if you didn’t get the job done in round 1. Check out this list for inspiration. Are you between contracts and in need of some fast cash (if so, why… do you owe someone important a big debt?)? Or maybe you’ve rejected and run away from your guild training (let’s hope they took it well!)? You’ll almost need to one-shot an enemy to be doing your job. It’s not like the Rogue class is short on damage potential. The knife in the dark, and the master of surprise. Range weapons still qualify for Sneak Attack and since you’re likely not to the toughest or heavily armoured dude on the battlefield being able to keep your distance on occasion is invaluable. But, that week timeframe is dangerous. 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