ASSASSIN

Smothered in shadow with a dagger held firmly, a drow

waits patiently in the rafters for his target to wander too
close. The heavy footsteps of his mark grow closer, and light
as a feather the drow lands on top, dagger buried in his
targets chest. Before a soul is even warned, he is gone.
A human walks confidently and inconspicuously
through a busy market street, her eyes darting between the
many varied faces. She bumps into a patron, apologises and
moves on her way. Moments later, the patron is dead on the
ground, and the human has vanished without a trace.
Creeping along a keep hallway, a halfling approaches a
rowdy gang eating with their captain at the head of the
table. With a quiet, harsh mutter, the gang falls into
darkness and the halfling dashes into room. Moments later,
the darkness has cleared, with the captains throat slit and
the halfling nowhere to be seen.
Assassins are experts of stealth and deception, coupled
with extensive weapon expertise and an enviable
knowledge of deadly poisons. They are masters of death in
all its forms; from violent, public executions that send a
message to their clients enemies to private assassinations
performed without a trace of evidence.

----------------------------------------------------------------------The Assassin
Level

Proficiency
Bonus

Mark
Points

Poison
Vial

Features

1st

+2

1d6

Contract, Poison Vial, Mark

2nd

+2

1d6

Crippling Action

3rd

+2

1d6

Assassins Speciality

4th

+2

1d6

Ability Score Improvement

5th

+3

2d6

Poison Supply

6th

+3

2d6

7th

+3

2d6

Just a Shadow

8th

+3

2d6

Ability Score Improvement

9th

+4

3d6

Assassins Speciality feature

10th

+4

3d6

Ability Score Improvement

11th

+4

3d6

Specialist

12th

+4

3d6

Ability Score Improvement

13th

+5

4d6

Assassins Specialty feature

14th

+5

4d6

15th

+5

4d6

Stealthy Strike

16th

+5

4d6

Ability Score Improvement

17th

+6

5d6

Assassins Speciality feature

18th

+6

5d6

Slip into Shadow

19th

+6

10

5d6

Ability Score Improvement

20th

+6

11

5d6

Assassinate

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Masters of Death__________________________
Assassins devote most of their lives to developing an array of
deadly skills that stretch from combat to magic to violent
and rapid poisons. For many an assassin, stealth and
cunning are their most important tools. Striking from the
shadows or blending into an inconspicuous crowd are well
trained and valuable skills.
Other assassins value exceptionally trained combat
skills, choosing a less inconspicuous method of
assassination or specialising in brutal, public executions.
Regardless of their preference, all the best assassins have a
vast knowledge of weaponry and poisons.

Living in the Shadows_____________________

Even if assassins are a commonly accepted part of everyday
life, their profession isnt exactly one to be flaunted. Many
assassins will live in seclusion or privacy, choosing small
towns or huts away from the bustle of life. Even the
proudest or violent assassins tend to keep their private lives
private, interacting with little more than their contractors.
Assassins are often self-serving and secluded people,
making the kill, taking their pay, and slipping back into the
shadows. Few show any preference for their victims, and
many will take contracts indiscriminately. Unlike thieves
who tend toward congregations, assassins prefer the loners
life and some live by a code of seclusion.
An assassin turned adventurer is usually just that, a
skilled killer turned wanderer, leaving the contractors life
for bigger things. They might find some bonds with
companions but on the battlefield, they work alone.

Creating an Assassin______________________
When playing an assassin, it would be wise to consider
what led them to a life of seclusion and murder. Was it a
shady or difficult past that they turned to a profit? Do they
simply revel in the thrill of the kill? They might even have
been dragged into the life by manner of circumstance or
association. Consider your characters thoughts on law and
order; do they cause as little mayhem in their work as
possible? Or, do they have little regard for the aftermath of
their contracts?
Consider the kind of killer you want to be; swift and
silent, or violent and flashy? Perhaps you are a nimble wood
elf, hidden among the trees assassinating from afar or
maybe a strong half-orc, charging at your mark and cleaving
his neck with a great axe. The only limit to the skills of an
assassin is a great knowledge of the trade, and a will to kill
for the right price.

Quick Build
You can create an assassin quickly by following these
suggestions. First, consider the Speciality your assassin
might be taking and make the appropriate ability scores
your preference; Strength for Combat Killer, Dexterity for
Poison Master, and Wisdom for Reaver.
A high Charisma skill also benefits an assassin; though
not the deceivers like thieves, the ability to lie their way
through a situation comes with no disadvantage. Also
consider some points toward Wisdom, as the numbers will
benefit the basic spells common to all assassins.

CLASS FEATURES
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per assassin level
Hit points at 1st level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution
modifier per assassin level after 1st

Proficiencies
Armour: Light and Medium armour
Weapons: Simple melee weapons (excluding the greatclub), Shortbows, Darts, Shortswords, Hand Crossbows
Tools: Thieves tools
Saving Throws: Dexterity OR Strength, Wisdom
Skills: Choose four from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception,
Intimidation, Perception, Persuasion, Stealth, Survival, and
Arcana
Assassination Save: 8 + non-Wisdom save modifier +
proficiency bonus

Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the
equipment granted by your background:
(a) a simple melee weapon or (b) a shortsword
(a) a Shortbow and quiver of 20 arrows or (b) a pack of
20 darts
(a) a dungeoneers pack or (b) a burglars pack
Leather armour, two daggers, and thieves tools
An assassins vial

Mark Points________________________________
As an assassin, you have access to a wide variety of
extremely powerful abilities. Many of these abilities require
you to spend a unique resource called Marks.
When called for by an ability, you must expend a Mark
point in order to activate that ability. The number of mark
points you have access to increases with your level, as seen
in the Assassin table.
Your assassin points regenerate after a long rest.
However, if you spend at least 30 minutes of a short rest
performing a stretching regime, recover your mark points.

Contract ___________________________________
At 1st level, your skills as a contract killer enable you to take
an action to mark a target as your contract. You can only
take out one contract at a time. You gain advantage to
attack rolls made against your contract under any of the
following conditions:

Your contract is engaged with an ally, provided that ally

is not incapacitated
You make a ranged attack against your contract while
prone or covered by at least three-quarter cover
Your contract is surprised
You are hidden when making the attack
Your contract is incapacitated

Poison Vial_________________________________
Beginning at 1st level, you gain use of your assassins vial. At
this level, your vial contains a basic poison, with more
becoming available based on level and speciality.
If not engaged with an enemy, you can spend a bonus
action and 1 mark point on coating your weapon with a
splash of basic poison. This poison lasts a single attack,
whether the attack hits or not, but will last until an attack
is made.
On a hit, the attack does an additional 1d6 poison
damage to the target and wipes the weapon or ammunition
used clean. This number increases as per the Assassin table.

Crippling Action___________________________
Starting at 2nd level, your skills in combat reflect in your
ability to take any opportunity to disable your opponent
and leave them open to attack. Each time this action is
taken, the target makes a Dexterity saving throw contested
by your assassination save ability score. On a success, the
creature suffers the effect, on a failure, nothing happens.
Taking a crippling action requires 1 mark point, allowing
you to use your bonus action to inflict a physical condition
on a creature within reach. Possible actions are as follows:

Trip
Hooking your foot around the creatures ankle, you can trip
them up and force them prone, leaving them open to a
violent attack until they can stand up.

Kick
Plant a powerful boot into the centre of the creatures chest,
pushing them back 5 feet and disengaging without
instigating an opportunity attack.

Cripple
A dirty blow to the shins or feet renders your opponents
movement speed halved until the start of your next turn. If
they willingly move during their turn, they must pass a DC
12 CON saving throw or fall prone over their injury, ending
their movement for that turn.

Assassins Speciality_______________________
At 3rd level, you choose a speciality that you emulate in the
exercise of your assassin abilities: Combat Killer, Reaver, or
Poison Master, all detailed at the end of the class
description. Your speciality choice grants you features at
3rd level and then again at 9th, 13th, and 17th level.

Ability Score Improvement_______________

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 12th, 16th,
and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your
choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your
choice by 1. As normal, you cant increase an ability score
above 20 using this feature.

Poison Supply______________________________
At 5th level, your assassins vial can now contain a lasting
poison. You can use either your basic or lasting poison.
Lasting poison inflicts normal weapon damage, but
requires the target to make a DC 12 CON saving throw,
succumbing to the poisoned condition on a failure.
Using either basic or lasting poison requires 1 mark
point.

Cover Attack
If concealed by some kind of cover (inside a closet, hidden in
a pile of fabric, behind a curtain, etc.) or behind no more
than half cover, you can spring out of or over your cover to
strike an adjacent enemy. The creature makes a Strength or
Dexterity saving throw against your assassination save.
On a success, you deal critical damage with whatever
weapon you wield at the time. On a failure, the attack fails.
This can be executed in or out of combat. If attempted
outside of combat, a failure will initiate the encounter.

Just a Shadow______________________________
Upon reaching 7th level, your movements are no more than
flickers in the corners of your enemies eyes. You take
expertise in the Stealth skill, gaining a double proficiency
bonus.

Slip into Shadow__________________________

At 11th level, you gain proficiency in both Strength and

Dexterity saving throws. You take proficiency in the ability
you did not choose at character creation. Strength if you
chose Dexterity, or Dexterity if you chose Strength.

Though not the style of every assassin, every trained killer

appreciates the value of a quick getaway. At 18th level, you
can cast darkness at will for 3 mark points, but with a range
of self, in order to create an opportunity for a quick
getaway.
When moving in this darkness, you initiate no
opportunity attacks against yourself and can use the Hide
action at the end of the turn in which you cast darkness.
This darkness only lasts until the end of your turn,
dissipating immediately after youve taken the Hide action.

Stealthy Strike_____________________________

Assassinate_________________________________

By 15th level, your skills as an assassin have developed your

abilities to strike first and strike hard. At the cost of 2 mark
points, you can use the element of surprise to get the jump
on an enemy with one of the following techniques, each
with a unique advantage.

At 20th level, your skills as an assassin are unparalleled.

You gain the chance to inflict potentially fatal damage in a
single blow. For 6 mark points, you can make an attack roll
against a creature. On a hit, the creature makes a CON
saving throw contested by your Assassination save.
Additionally, if the target has succumbed to a crippling
action, add +5 to your attack roll when using Assassinate
against that creature.
On a success, the attack deals normal damage. On a
failure, triple your damage die for this attack. If the target
fails the saving throw and is marked as your contract,
quadruple your damage die.

Specialist___________________________________

Air Attack
You can jump down onto a target from a perch above at a
distance of up to your base jumping measurement. The
target makes a Dexterity saving throw against your
assassination save.
On a success, you leap through the air, land on your
target and do normal weapon damage and knock them
prone, stepping off to any available space adjacent to where
you landed on them. On a failure, the attack misses and the
target steps to any available adjacent space. You land where
they previously stood and take any appropriate fall damage,
ending your turn.
This attack can be done in or out of combat. If used on a
surprised creature from outside of combat, a hit does critical
damage, but a failure initiates an encounter and the usual
failure consequences.

Corner Attack
You can surprise a creature by attacking as they round a
corner. Provided they are unaware of you and adjacent to a
corner, you can spring from around the wall and strike hard.
The creature makes a Strength or Dexterity saving throw
against your assassination save.
On a success, you deal critical damage with whatever
weapon you wield at the time. On a failure, the attack fails
and combat is initiated.

ASSASSINS SPECIALITY
Assassins have many features in common, including their
emphasis on combat abilities, and basic knowledge of
poison and magic. However, different assassins steer those
talents in varying directions, embodied by their chosen
speciality. Your choice of speciality is a reflection of your
focus not necessarily an indication of your chosen
profession, but a description of your preferred techniques.

Combat Killer______________________________
A combat killer is one who finds poisons and magic inferior
to the skill behind a simple blade through a contracts
throat. More violent, physically strong, or otherwise highprofile assassins tend to specialise as a Combat Killer. In
addition to improving your survivability in battle, you learn
the skills required to quickly and effectively take out a
target while remaining separated from the larger battle.
Combat is your specialty, but killing a target is your
ultimate goal.

Weapon Proficiency
When you choose this speciality at 3rd level, you gain
proficiency in all Simple and Martial melee and ranged
weapons that do not require two hands to wield.

Weapons Specialist
Upon choosing this speciality at 3rd level, you are able to
adopt one of the following fighting styles:

Archery; gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with

ranged weapons.
Duelling; when you are wielding a melee weapon in one
hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to
damage rolls with that weapon.
Two-weapon Fighting; when you engage in two-weapon
fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage
of the second attack.
Evading; when wearing no heavier than light armour,
you gain +1 to your AC.

Extra Attack
At 9th level, you can take an extra attack action during your
turn. This increases to 2 extra attack actions at 13th level.

Fatal Wound
At 13th level, you can spend 2 marks to inflict a grievous
wound on an enemy creature. When you use this ability, the
creature makes a DC 12 CON saving throw. On a success,
the attack is normal.
On a failure, the creature is wounded for a number of
turns equal to your CON modifier. At the start of each of the
creatures turns, it suffers 1d4+2 physical damage (resistance
to non-magical attacks confers resistance to this damage).

Untouchable
When you reach 17th level, your abilities as a combat
specialist have reached frightening levels. When wearing
light armour, you gain use of the Quick Parry reaction.
When wielding a weapon, you can add +4 to your AC
against an incoming melee attack that you can see coming.

Reaver______________________________________
A reaver is an assassin with an aptitude for the arcane. With
limited magical study as part of the standard training
regime of an assassin, a reaver spends time learning spells
and abilities that enhance their stealth and combat abilities.
Unlike other adventurers, Reavers learn a very specific set of
spells and abilities adapted from spellcasters of all kinds
across the world. They are fast, powerful, and often strike
and disappear before theyre ever even spotted. In addition
to gaining access to spells, a reaver also specialises in unique
abilities to assist them in combat. Reavers are feared on the
battlefield, and rightly so.

Spellcasting
When you reach 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast spells.
See chapter 10 of the Players Guide for the general rules of
spellcasting, and chapter 11 for the spell lists.
Cantrips. You learn three cantrips: true strike, shocking
grasp, and minor illusion. At 10th level, you learn the poison
spray cantrip.
Spell Slots. The Reaver Spellcasting Table below shows
how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level
and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a
slot of the spells level or higher. You regain all expended
spell slots when you finish a long rest.
For example, if you know the 1st-level spell charm person
and have a 1st-level and 2nd-level spell slot available, you
can cast charm person using either slot.
Spells Known of 1st-level and Higher. Unlike other
classes, the Reaver learns a very specific set of spells that
best compliment their stealth and combat abilities. The list
below details the spells available to a reaver at each spell
level, the number of spells you can know is shown below.
1st-level. Disguise Self, Expeditious Retreat, Fog Cloud,
Longstrider, Shield, Sleep, Ice Knife
2nd-level. Blur, Darkvision, Hold Person, Invisibility, Rope
Trick, Spider Climb
3rd-level. Counterspell, Gaseous Form, Hypnotic Pattern, Slow,
4th-level. Dimension Door, Greater Invisibility, Phantasmal
Killer, Stoneskin
Spellcasting Ability. Wisdom is your spellcasting
ability for Reaver spells, since you learn your spells through
the dedicated study of other spellcasters methods. You use
your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting
ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when
setting the saving throw DC for a spell you cast and when
making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +
your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus +
your Wisdom modifier

----------------------------------------------------------------------Reaver Spellcasting Table

Spell Slots per Spell Level
Assassin
Level

3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
16th
17th
18th
19th
20th

Spells
Known
3
4
4
4
5
6
6
7
8
8
9
10
10
11
11
11
12
13

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

2
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4

2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3

2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3

1
1

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Shadow Walker
At 9th level, you gain the ability to instantly phase through
objects and creatures in a straight, 15-foot line in any
direction as a bonus action either directly before or after an
attack action. Shadow Walker costs 1 mark point.
The space in which you land must be free in order to
phase there. You also do not incur any opportunity attacks
or activate any area effects on yourself when moving in this
manner.

Shadow Warrior
At 13th level, when you phase in a direction, if you target a
creature within 30 ft., at the cost of 2 mark points you can
use the phase to pass through the creature and appear
directly behind it. If you do this, the creature takes 1d6 force
damage and you gain advantage on any following attacks.
Your normal Shadow Walker ability remains at 15 ft.,
and only when a target is selected does the range increase to
30 ft.

Arcane Assassin
Upon reaching 17th level, for the purposes of damage
resistance, all weapon attacks made with one-handed light
or finesse weapons count as magical, as the essence of your
magical knowledge seeps into your attacks themselves.
Additionally, if you are hidden from a creature when you
cast a spell on it, the creature has disadvantage on any
saving throw it makes against the spell this turn.

Poison Master_____________________________
An assassin with a propensity for poisons, a Poison Master
has developed their knowledge and skill with deadly and
debilitating poisons to a masterful level.
A poison master excels at darting around a battlefield
seemingly harmlessly, until seconds later when creatures
succumb to the effects of the poison they didnt know they
suffered. Poison masters take every opportunity to inflict
pain on their enemies.

As well as learning how to utilise a new selection of

poisons and condition afflictions, the poison master also
develops a unique selection of skills that repay attacks on
themselves with violent poisons.

Poison Cache
When you select this speciality at 3rd level, you gain access
to a new selection of poisons for use with your assassins
vial. Your vial can hold any combination of the following
poisons, provided you have the mark points available. The
following poisons cost 2 mark points each to use:
Warriors Bane. In addition to your normal vial damage,
the creature must make a Constitution saving throw
contested against your assassins save. On a failure, the
creatures Strength is reduced to 8 for 1 minute.
Magicians Bane. In addition to your normal vial
damage, the creature must make a Constitution saving
throw contested against your assassins save. On a failure,
the creatures spellcasting ability is reduced to 8 for 1
minute.
Thiefs Bane. In addition to your normal vial damage,
the creature must make a Constitution saving throw
contested against your assassins save. On a failure, the
creatures Dexterity is reduced to 8 for 1 minute.
Electroshock. In addition to your normal vial damage,
the creature must make a Constitution saving throw
contested against your assassins save. On a failure, the
creature is stunned until the end of its next turn.
Drow Poison. In addition to your normal vial damage,
the creature must make a Constitution saving throw
contested against your assassins save. On a failure, the
creature falls asleep until the end of its next turn, or until it
takes damage or is roused by an ally.

Poison Masters Supply

Upon reaching 9th level, you can now use basic poison
without expending a mark point.

Payback Strike
By 13th level, your quick reflexes and mastery of poison
administration allow you to take advantage of the moment
in battle. When you instigate an opportunity attack from an
enemy creature, at the cost of 1 mark point, after the attack
you can administer a dose of any of your poisons.

Master of Poison
After reaching 17th level, you have become a master of
administering poison in the heat of battle. You can now
poison your weapon as a free action and while within range
of an enemy creature.