Assassin PRC as Full BAB

[Obsidian]

Hey so it seems to me like the Assassin PRC out of Core is pretty weak compared to a ninja with assassinate. How broken would it be to just make the Assassin Prc a Full BAB prestige class?

[Dasrak]

Most of the core prestige classes are on the weak side, so it certainly wouldn't be unreasonable to make them a little stronger.

The only thing I'd be mindful of with the Assassin is that due to the change in the way the skill system works between 3.5 and PF, it no longer has any meaningful prerequisites. Anyone with an evil alignment can qualify by the 5th level with minimal effort, so ensure that you're comfortable with a fifth level fighter in platemail or a 5th level ranger who is a crackshot with the longbow becoming assassins while keeping full BAB.

[Obsidian]

Well I know that it would certainly be nasty to have it turned against a potential PC but I still think it would be an appropriate change. Plus I really want to play a Strix assassin. Swoop/kill/flyaway. I think 5 levels of ninja for fast steath and the invisibility thing would be excellent along with the scout archetype.

[Icyshadow]

I had a player who wanted to play a True Neutral Assassin that didn't suck at actually killing stuff.

Thanks for giving me a houserule idea, I'll just raise the Prestige Class' BAB to full so it could actually do things.

Also, I find it kind of funny how the Red Mantis Assassin totally stole all the normal Assassin's thunder now in Pathfinder.
Assassins could cast spells in 3.5e, so they gave that ability to the Red Mantis instead. The Assassin got the scraps of the class.

[Obsidian]

I am not a ran of RMAs, but I think a full BAB assassin could be alot of fun.

[Cold Napalm]

5d6 sneak attack to a fighter or ranger could become an issue I think. If your gonna make the assassin full BAB, maybe tacking on a 3d6 SA req maybe?

[Obsidian]

Thats not too bad of an idea Napalm.

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Trading two points of BAB (5 level of Rogue) for sneak attack on a full BAB chassis seems fair to me.

I just took all of the Assassin (and Shadowdancer) class abilities and made them Rogue talents. And modified Minor/Major Magic to give access to Assassin spells.

[Cheapy]

Assassins don't get spells...

Full sneak attack with nearly full BAB is too strong. Sneak attack is supposed to make up for the lack of full BAB.

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Cheapy wrote:

Assassins don't get spells...

They did in 3.X and the Assassin PrC was in the SRD. It's an easy enough adaptation.

Cheapy wrote:

Full sneak attack with nearly full BAB is too strong. Sneak attack is supposed to make up for the lack of full BAB.

Compared to, say, 5th level spells?

[Cheapy]

Viktyr Gehrig wrote:

Compared to, say, 5th level spells?

Cute. Real cute. Can't wait til this thread gets back to a functional method of comparative balance.

[Obsidian]

Cheapy, I know that sneak attack is supposed to supplement med BAB, but it seems that sneak attack has alot of restrictions on it and I think that a straight fighter would still way out damage the SA. My main thing is that I feel the Assassin PrC is too weak for a martial class and I like the idea of them excelling at killing. I would think that someone who focuses intently on superduper killing should be good at hitting.

Anyway, would trading down from 5d6 to 3d6 be enough for you to sign off on full BAB.
also I dont like spells much. I am happy the PrC doesnt have them any more.

[deuxhero]

I guess it would have SOME purpose other than "we really didn't think about rogue talents during core and realize we could just make these special abilities ones" (and from the sheer number of utterly useless ones and a couple being worse than nothing, not outside of core either, but for another topic).

I'd prefer it got its spells back instead though. I'm a big fan of the idea no character, even the martial type characters (except possibly at really low levels) is truly "mundane"