According to the rules:
Death Attack (Ex)
If an assassin studies his victim for 3 rounds and then makes a sneak attack with a melee weapon that successfully deals damage, the sneak attack has the additional effect of possibly either paralyzing or killing the target (assassin's choice). Studying the victim is a standard action. The death attack fails if the target detects the assassin or recognizes the assassin as an enemy (although the attack might still be a sneak attack if the target is denied his Dexterity bonus to his Armor Class or is flanked). If the victim of such a death attack fails a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the assassin's class level + the assassin's Int modifier) against the kill effect, she dies..... If the victim's saving throw succeeds, the attack is just a normal sneak attack.
Ok. It seem fine, so assassins which can study their enemies and then make a sneak could try to kill them at once, but:
Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
At 2nd level, an assassin (or a barbarian or a 4th level rogue) cannot be caught flat-footed , even if the attacker is invisible. He still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. An assassin with this ability can still lose his Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against him.
Nice. So the assassin can still try a sneak to kill such enemies but only if he is flanking them (so at least two enemies are needed). But:
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
A rogue of 8th level or higher (or a barbarian or assasssin of 5th level) can no longer be flanked .
This defense denies another rogue the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target does.
If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.
If I'm right, as a consequence a 2nd level barian cannot be targeted by a death attack by, in example, a 10th level assassin unless the assassin is flanking him.
Or a 8th level rogue cannot be targeted by death attack of a 15th level assassin (if he could exist) in every case (flat footed or flanking), since the assassin has not at least 14 rogue levels.
I think there is something wrong here. Am I right?
the first example is easy, yes the barbarian can only be sneak attacked if he is flanked.
The second one is a bit trickyer, as the statement in imp. uncanny dodge specificly states rogue levels. But if you read under the assasins sneak attack ability, it is explained that this sneak attack is stacked with any sneak attack he might have already. Thus the intended ruling is clearly that levels of classes granting sneak attack, are added together. ie. rogue, assasin and if you use the newest play test, then the ninja too.
so the 8th level rogue, can be sneak attacked by a level 8 rogue 4 assasin if that character is flanking him.
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What bothers me most about assassins is that you have to perform the death attack with a melee weapon, so no snipers allowed.
And players are glad for it. There would be little a party could do against an assassin if he could snipe from cover, 30ft away, in the surprise round, and then (assuming he has a typically initiative) slip away before they could counter-attack. If the assassin was hired by the BBEG to slay all the PC's, it wouldn't take long to complete his mission.
The save is pretty pathetic at that, and by the rules almost impossible to set up another death attack. In short the class is just poorly made. If you want a real assassin I would use the guide variant ranger or an antipaladin, and refluff it.