The Keep on the Borderlands: The Webcomic

The Assassin class, a favorite of edgelords since the beginning of the the game. I felt like I wanted to create a BECMI take on this class as part of my project to bring in the elements of the AD&D game into my current rule set that I always was fond of. I like the idea of an assassin class, but I never liked the percentage to kill rules, I feel like hit points, and the wound and pain optional rules I’ve included cover plenty of mortal options. In addition, I always allow a coup de grâce in the cases where it make sense, knifing the sleeping for example, is something anyone can do given the right circumstances, so the Assassin is a class geared to make those circumstances as likely as possible.

The Assassin is someone who has trained in the arts of murder. They are not warriors, they are death specialists. They revel in poison, disguise, sneaking and secret blades. They do not steal, they do not stand their ground, they are not spies. The assassin finds the target, then they bait the line, then they slowly spread the net, and then they get their man.

Prime Requisite: Dexterity
Experience Point Bonus: +5% is Dex is > 14, +10% is Dex is greater than 16
Hit Dice: d4
Maximum Level: 36

Equipment Restrictions
The Assassin can only wear leather and studded leather armor. They are allowed to use a shield. Silence with a bit of combat readiness is their focus.

Weapon Proficiencies
The Assassin is a specialist in concealable weapons, and can only take Weapon Mastery in small, one-handed weapons such as daggers or saps. They can take basic proficiency in any one handed weapon. They cannot use two handed weapons. They gain weapon proficiency and skill at the same rate as thieves.
Item Use
Assassins are able to use items and magic as a thief class

Saving Throws
Assassins save as Thieves

Special Abilities
* Assassins have a Disguise skill. This skill is for the assassin to be able to pass through crowds and places unnoticed. The base percentage is to change their appearance as to be unrecognizable. To look like a specific person, halve the percentage value. This is not a magical ‘facedancing’ skill and the disguise will fail under close scrutiny, but any successful disguise check will allow them to pass as something other then themselves; for example, pass into a watchtower as a member of the city guard, to be unrecognizable in a casual interaction, such as a clerk or barmaid, or get close to an unsuspecting orc because the orc thinks you are one. If the skill check is passed by more then half, then the disguise is so convincing that the assassin can be mistaken for another person completely.
* Assassins are also knowledgeable in the creation of poisons. They are not alchemists, but know many options and materials for creating poisons that bring death and ruination. The specific substances are unimportant, it is assumed that in any environment, the Assassin is always able to make and maintain one dose of poison on him per level per day. As the assassin gains in level, the potency of his poison also increases. At level one, an assassin’s poison causes 1 hit point of damage for 1 round, and level 2, the assassin’s poison causes 2 hit points of damage for two rounds, this increase per level goes up to level 9 where the assassin’s poison will cause 9 points of damage for 9 rounds. At level 10 a save or die poison can be made. An assassin can choose to create a poison at a lower level. Multiple doses of this poison are cumulative. The poison can be administered anyway the assassin wishes, either ingestion, through blades, contact poison or some other devious method of the PC’s choosing. The methodology needs to be determined at creation.
* Assassins also have the Climb Walls, Hear Noise, Hide in Shadows and Move Silently skills that the thief does. They also backstab as thieves but with much more effectiveness.

Higher Levels
At level 14, the Assassin can form an Assassin’s guild and gain 2d4 1st level assassins as followers. The Assassin will then be known as a Grandfather Assassin. In order for this honor, no other Assassin’s guild can be operating in the area. If there is one already in the area, the PC will have to kill the existing Grandfather of Assassins in order to gain the title. If a PC chooses not to establish an Assassin’s guild, he gains one 1st level assassin as a follower and is known as a Shinobi.

Level	Title	XP	HD	T H A C 0	W e a p o n s	CW	HS	MS	HN	Dis	B a c k s t a b
1		0	1d4	19	2	87	10	20	30	20	x3
2		1600	2d4	19	2	88	15	25	35	25	x3
3		3200	3d4	19	3	89	20	30	40	30	x3
4		6400	4d4	19	3	90	24	35	45	35	x3
5		12,800	5d4	17	3	91	28	40	50	40	x3
6		25,600	6d4	17	4	92	32	44	54	45	x3
7		51,200	7d4	17	4	93	35	48	58	50	x3
8		100,000	8d4	17	4	94	38	52	62	55	x3
9		200,000	9d4	15	5	95	41	55	66	60	x4
10		320,000	9d4+1	15	5	96	44	58	70	64	x4
11		440,000	9d4+2	15	6	97	47	61	74	68	x4
12		560,000	9d4+3	15	6	98	50	64	78	72	x4
13		680,000	9d4+4	13	6	99	53	66	81	76	x4
14		800,000	9d4+5	13	6	100	56	68	84	80	x4
15		920,000	9d4+6	13	7	101	58	70	87	83	x4
16		1,040,000	9d4+7	13	7	102	60	72	90	86	x5
17		1,160,000	9d4+8	11	7	103	62	74	92	89	x5
18		1,280,000	9d4+9	11	7	104	64	76	94	92	x5
19		1,400,000	9d4+10	11	7	105	66	78	96	94	x5
20		1,520,000	9d4+11	11	7	106	68	80	98	96	x5
21		1,640,000	9d4+12	9	7	107	70	82	100	98	x5
22		1,760,000	9d4+13	9	7	108	72	84	102	100	x5
23		1,880,000	9d4+14	9	8	109	74	86	104	102	x5
24		2,000,000	9d4+15	9	8	110	76	88	106	104	x5
25		2,120,000	9d4+16	7	8	111	78	89	108	106	x5
26		2,240,000	9d4+17	7	8	112	80	90	110	108	x5
27		2,360,000	9d4+18	7	8	113	82	91	112	110	x5
28		2,480,000	9d4+19	7	8	114	84	92	114	112	x5
29		2,600,000	9d4+20	5	8	115	86	93	116	114	x5
30		2,720,000	9d4+21	5	9	116	88	94	118	116	x5
31		2,840,000	9d4+22	5	9	117	90	95	120	118	x5
32		2,960,000	9d4+23	5	9	118	92	96	122	120	x5
33		3,080,000	9d4+24	3	9	118	94	97	124	122	x5
34		3,200,000	9d4+25	3	9	119	96	98	126	124	x5
35		3,320,000	9d4+26	3	9	119	98	99	128	126	x5
36		3,440,000	9d4+27	2	10	120	100	100	130	128	x6