Whats a good way to make an assassin with some magic?

[Animation]

All,

I kinda want to make a backstabbing infiltration rogue with a little utility magic.

I was thinking magus 5 / rogue 15 for the shocking grasp + backstab and utility spells.

Any recommendations?

Thanks!

[blackbloodtroll]

Heretic Inquisitor.

[wraithstrike]

I would go inquisitor or bard. Just refluff the performances. The archeologist bard also works.

[Steelfiredragon]

inquisitor
magus
red mantis assassin

bard+rogue

ninja
arcane caster/ rogue/Arcane trickster

ninja should work rather well come to think of it....

[blackbloodtroll]

What kind of weapon would you like to focus on?

[Animation]

Short sword or dagger (just one).

I want to good backstab damage, and have some magic to assidt or via magus stack shocking grasp.

Thanks!

[blackbloodtroll]

Sneak attack is not as reliable as static damage.
The Inquisitor's Bane and Judgement combined with spells is a great way to pump damage.
A Heretic Inquisitor of Achaekek can wield two Sawtooth Sabres and eventually go into Red Mantis Assassin.
A Sawtooth Sabre can be used in two weapon fighting as if using light weapons, but is still a one-handed weapon and can be wielded with two hands for extra damage when you can only make one attack.

[blackbloodtroll]

Oh, missed the wield one weapon part.

[blackbloodtroll]

What races are available?

[Dennis Baker]

Vivisectionist alchemist. You get a lot of nice buffing extracts including most of the good polymorph spells for disguise along with all the invisibility spells. Plus you get sneak attack.

[Steelfiredragon]

inquisitor works, grants stealth, no backstab, but its bane, and judgement as bbt state make up for that. take the group feat prescice strike( er I forget its name) and it allows you to do prescision damamge when flanking.

posses a few spells of note, a few of then were buff spells iirc.

ninja: has sneak, backstab, no spells, but its ki tricks can make up for it if they are chosen well.
both work well with short swords and daggers.

on that note a ranger/magus could do the job too. : provides favored enemies bonus, stealth, spells of both classes and a full bab.

I second blackbloodtroll, what races are available.

[Animation]

Thanks for the replies.

The core races are available, as well as goblins.

Thanks!

[blackbloodtroll]

Just to be sure. One weapon only?

[Animation]

Yeah, I dont really envision the character duel or double wielding, and I prefer a fairly mundane weapon that would be somewhat common, for RP reasons. The character should be able to fit in among normal people and not stand out too much.

So I had been planning on a human with a shortsword or dagger. Not that worried about kukri crits or better average damage. More of a "kill target in one hit or one round" kinda thing. Whatever fighting he does as part of a group is of secondary concern, even if thats what happens more often.

But any time it is necessary or desirable as a tactic to send someone in to blend in or sneak in and get to a single target and kill the target and get out, I want my guy to be the go-to guy for that.

Thanks!

[Dazaras]

Do you want the magic on the side as utility or as added damage on a single-round kill? For the latter I don't really see any way except the Magus build, but for the former you have more options. I second the suggestion of a Vivisectionist Alchemist.

[Animation]

I kinda hate alchemists, conceptually, so I would like to avoid that. And I dont want to be a vivisectionist. Sounds gross. :)

Anyway, I could go either magic on the side OR magic as damage, so long as the character could infiltrate (stealth and social) and then deliver a kill in a single round, and then fall back on either stealth or magic to get back out.

Thanks!

[blackbloodtroll]

With the "what's some what common" and "fairly mundane" as weapon choices, why not unarmed strike? Maybe with a dagger or two to throw when needed.

[Twigs]

Bards can be exceptionally cool at this, but your mileage may vary. It depends on what tools you want to use to infiltrate your enemies homes and move in on them. There was an EXCELLENT dancer bard in the NPC guide that used her fascinate ability to study the target for three rounds, before moving in close and attacking with a poisoned death attack and then fleeing, but that isn't necessarily a tactic you can use regularly in your average game.

Alternatively, you could build off of an archaeologist bard (a UC archeype) and forgo your performance entirely for the "archeologists luck" feature, which you can flavour as you light. That would be my reccomendation, as the bard list is better than you'd think for assassins and the UMD skill should fill in the gaps. Four levels of archaeologist and one in either bard, rogue, fighter or ranger would make a nice well rounded build with second level spells.

Hope this helps!

[wraithstrike]

One kill blows are highly improbable past low levels, at least on anyone that needs to be assassinated anyway.

Even with sneak attack it won't happen. Actually sneak attack won't help since classes without it can still do more damage.

Is sneak attack a must, and if so is it for damage purposes or just because you want sneak attack. I ask because if it is for damage you can do better without it.

It if is a conceptual thing then I would look into the Red Mantis Assassin.

[Animation]

Unarmed strike may fit, but conceptually I like the dagger better, since many commoners carry a knife. Unarmed strike as a fallback is cool. So yeah, doing both seems cool.

As for Bards, I dont necessarily mind them, but I dont really want singing magic, nor do I want dancing. So the Archaeologist is still possible, tho I dont see where the sneak attack or one-shot damage would come from.

Thanks for the late night replies. Will check to see if there are more in the morning!

Thanks again!

[Animation]

Ah since I see a response before I head to bed, it doesnt need to be sneak attack necessarily.

Thanks! Bed now! :)

[Phasics]

How bout a witch ninja esque thing that can deliver hexes though the hex strike feat :)

[Kat Tenser]

I would actually say a refluffed Guide Ranger. Bonuses against one opponent several times/day, no animal companion, and with the Two handed style, you can easily get power attack etc, even if you are envisioning a finesse build. It seems counter intuitive, but you don't have to use a weapon in two hands... but it gets you the melee feats you need.

You also have a dash of magic. You have a good spell list for an assassin, plenty of utility.

[Alitan]

A cleric with the Trickery Domain qualifies for Assassin as quickly as a rogue. Leaving you with a whole 'nother Domain for spiffy effects (not that Trickery effects aren't spiffy!) plus the whole darn cleric list.

You might need to hunt around for just the 2nd Domain you want, which probably would require you to be an ethos-type cleric, rather than a deity-type cleric. Or that heretical archetype? Whichever, it's easy to get the Domains you want, and tossing negative channeling and undead minions on top of your death attack (you DID take Command Undead in your cleric build, didn't you?) are just awfully tasty.

[Dragonamedrake]

Red Mantis Assassin is probably your best bet.

And it's assassination ability is borked stupid broken.

Its a coup de grace.

Lets assume a 5th level rogue/10th level Mantis

Thats a DC 22+CHA will save

If it fails.. Thats 2d8(8) + 7d6(21) + Str + Greater weapon spec (4)+ Weapon Enhancements.

If you have a 12 Str and a 12 CHA (Low ball estimate) your looking at a:

DC 23 Will save and an average DC 34 Fort save or death.

Compare that to the Assassin who's DC at 10th level in the class is a 20+Int mod... yeah.

[Animation]

Thanks. I will look into these options.

[Rasmus Wagner]

What levels will this character be playing at?