EelKat Wendy C Allen - Dark Fantasy Author












Dungeons and Dragons:
How To Build An Assassin Player Character


By EelKat Wendy C Allen


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Good class for quick killer from DungeonsAndDragons

I once did a Gnome (which has a move silently/stealth trait) Mage/Thief build. I was able to cast an invisibility spell on myself, cast a misdirection spell on any guards, then use my stealth step, to get in the room unseen and unheard. Once inside I had my thief skills to allow me to pick locks, pick pockets, etc.

Well, one day, our group found a sleeping Paladin, and I picked his pockets, and got a pair of enchanted daggers. They were called the Daggers of Assassination or something to that effect.

With DM's permission, I triple classed to add Assassin skills.

(Triple classing is unusual and not all DMs allow it, so you'll have to ask before building a triple classed character.)

Usually when you are Multi-Classed, you are Duel Classed, but there is actually no limit to how many classes you can add, provided your DM knows how to calculate the scores for a triple or quad classed character. The instructions for doing so are in the 3 core rules books, but they are listed as advanced options, and many DM's don't use the optional advanced options in game. 

The result was a Gnomish Mage-Thief-Assassin, who used magic to get past guards, was able to pick any lock, moved silently, and then "jumped out of nowhere" to kill the target with the Enchanted daggers. (Would jump up behind the person, and stab each dagger through their throat, one to each side of the neck, at the same time.)

Gnomes make great thieves and assassins because of the racial trait of stealth/move silently.

This was AD&D 2ed btw.

I would think a Gnomish Monk would be a good class to use. Monks are close to being Ninjas in D&D and with a Gnome's stealth trait you could move silently. If you double classed a Monk with a Thief, you'd add the sneak skill set a Thief has, which would help increase stealth and move silently. Being able to pick-pockets is a skill that also allows you to get close to a victim to assassinate them as well.

Any time you want to build a silent killer, I'd always add Thief as your double class to get the sneakiness abilities.


What edition are you playing?

Do you have access to the "Pathfinder NPC Codex" book? (Which is 3.5 ed D&D) It has a whole slew of alternate character classes, with all the stats. They are intended as non- player characters, but if you ask your DM, you might be able to get permission to use one of them as your player character? I've got a copy of t around here, I'll go look it up, and see if I can find any other builds for you. I'm pretty sure it had an Assassin section.



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3 hours later....

I'm back.

Okay, I found my "Pathfinder NPC Codex" book, and here's a few that you might be interested in:

  • p.20: Life Stealer - 
  • Human Barbarian (Fighter/Alchemist)
  • (A type of Assassin) - 
  • "Life Stealer uses stealth and deception to get close to his enemies without them noticing and uses "chime of opening" to break into locked strongholds" - ; 
  • uses "potion of Invisibility" to get into places unseen; and 
  • uses: "Blue Whinnis Poison", "Giant Wasp Poison", and "Purple Worm Poison" to assassinate people. 
  • His weapon is a crossbow, and he poisons the arrow heads. 
  • For gear it says to buy the "Disguise kit" and to save up for the magic item "hat of disguises" and these increase his stealth skills. 
  • For feats it says to get "uncanny dodge", "night vision", "quick reflexes", and "superstition".


  • p.74: Creeping Death - 
  • Elf Druid - 
  • "Creeping Death Druid see the terrain as the ultimate weapon." - 
  • weapon: Cold Iron Scythe; 
  • Druid spells: control plants, animate plants, creeping doom, wall of stone, insect plague, tree stride, wall of thorns, command plants, plant growth, entangle, obscuring mist; 
  • Feats: combat casting, blind fight, combat reflexes, power attack; 
  • skills: knowledge - geography, knowledge- nature, survival, wild empathy. 
  • An assassin that commands plants and has plants do the killing for them, 
  • similar to Poison Ivy in Batman.


  • p.102: Poisonous Performer - 
  • Human or Elf Monk - 
  • "Is a member of a monastery that seeks enlightenment in the perfection of murder and assassination. Such monks are poison users, masters of disguise, and greatly feared in the lands around their monasteries." - 
  • weapon- "she conceals her shuriken inside her cymbals, applying 2 doses of poison to each before combat"; 
  • uses potion of invisibility and potion of disguise self - 
  • Feats: combat reflexes, deadly aim, dodge, improved critical strike, point blank shot, weapon finesse; 
  • Skills: acrobatics, jumping, perform, dance, percussion, linguistics, perception, sleight of hand, stealth, swim; 
  • Poisons used: black adder venom, drow poison, oil of taggit; 
  • carries 20 shuriken, on her tambourine (the cymbals are removed from tambourine and replaced with the shuriken)


  • p.148: Deadly Spy - 
  • Elf Rogue - 
  • "Is highly trained in the arts of diplomacy, mimicry, psychology, and assassination. A valuable and dangerous member of the royal courts and secret societies, skilled at using subtle lies and disguises to turn enemies on each other. He can infiltrate any guild, government, or noble household. Prefers to work behind the scenes and avoids combat." - 
  • Uses sneak attacks to disarm opponents, then strikes to kill; 
  • weapon: rapier and dagger; 
  • STR 10, DEX 18, CON 12, INT 14, WIS 8, CHA 14; ATK/CMB +14 disarm; 
  • Feats: agile maneuvers, combat expertise, deceitful, greater disarm, improved disarm, weapon finesse; 
  • Skills: acrobatics +16, bluff +16, diplomacy +14, disable device, disguise, perception, sense movement, escape artist, local knowledge, sleight of hand, stealth +16; 
  • uses potion of invisibility and potion of tongues; 
  • has a thieves tool kit, 
  • and a hat of disguises


  • p.189: Mage Sniper - 
  • Half-Elf Evoker 
  • (wizard - lawful good) 
  • can play as a Drow or half-Drow if DM allows Drows as player characters - 
  • "Kills with lethal spells of extreme range. Kills law breakers, rabble rousers, and anyone who calls him an assassin. Is able to capture and kill dangerous people who evade the law or soldiers. Prefers to set up an ambush and wait patiently for the exact moment to strike. But does not kill in haste and considers careful preparation his greatest weapon. Uses telekinesis to discover enemies' weak points, then focuses attack on these. Sells his services, but must be convinced the purpose is legal and serves justice." - 
  • weapons: light crossbow, dagger, wand; 
  • INIT +4, AC 21, FORT +7, REF +10, WILL +11; +2 vs enchantments; STR 12, DEX 18, CON 13, INT 22, WIS 10, CHA 8, Base ATK +8; 
  • Special attack: Intense spells +7 damage; Concentration +20; 
  • Evoker Spells prepared: maximized fireball, prismatic spray, spell turning, disintegrate, greater dispel magic, scorching ray, telekinesis; acid arrow, black tentacles, teleport, wall of force, force missile, lightning bolt, magic missile, darkness, glitterdust, resist energy, endure elements, shield, true strike, dancing lights. Has no defense abilities and no resist abilities. Feats: craft wondrous items, enlarge spells, greater spell focus, evocation, maximize spells, point blank shot, spell focus, spell penetration; 
  • Skills: acrobatics +9, climb +11, fly +17, Knowledge arcana + 23, knowledge local + 19, perception +23, spellcraft +23, survival +10, stealth +18; 
  • when can do so, uses craft wondrous item to make his own magic items: 
  • amulet of natural armour, 
  • belt of incredible dexterity, 
  • bag of holding (2 of them), 
  • cloak of resistance, 
  • eyes of eagle, 
  • headband of vast intelligence, 
  • ring of protection, 
  • ring of sustenance, 
  • spellbook... 
  • (the illustration in the book, shows him naked except for a loin cloth, boots, and all his magic items which he wears at once - we wears no armour - also the race shown in the book is a half-Drow)


  • p.203: Chaos Arrow - 
  • TRIPLE CLASSED - 
  • Gnome Rouge/Sorcerer/Archer-Ranger - 
  • "Whimsical in her destruction, she roams the world playing cruel, deadly pranks for her own amusement. Even Demons who cross her path find her too malicious. She is a capricious, sadistic killer who enjoys watching people die. She takes on jobs to feed her morbid sense of fun and likes to try new methods of murder. She often joins adventuring groups, just to watch their demise at the hands of their enemies to learn new methods of slaying." - 
  • Weapons: dagger, Frost Shock Short Bow +27 1d4+2x3 (plus 1d6 cold and 1d6 electricity); 
  • special attack: +1 against goblins and reptiles; 
  • racial spell like abilities: dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation, speak with animals; 
  • a Fey Bloodline, has Fey Abilities, Senses, and Traits


  • p.208: Sacred Killer - 
  • TRIPLE CLASSED - 
  • Half-Orc Cleric/Rogue/Assassin - 
  • "An orphan, abducted by priests of the God of Murder, was raised as an assassin and knows no other life. Enjoys murder. Sees it as an art. Takes his victims eyes leaving gold coins in the sockets. Silent and sullen, sees people as potential targets, takes only assignments he feels will advance his fierce reputation." - 
  • weapon: short sword and dagger and cleric spells; 
  • before attack, he casts scroll of invisibility then coats his blade with greenblood oil, then studies enemy movements to prepare his death strike; 
  • when attacking he uses cleric spells "channel smite" and "vital strike"


  • p.211: Fatal Axe - 
  • Dwarf Rogue Assassin - 
  • "Quick and nimble mix of melee prowess and devastating throwing axes strikes, brings down her foes. She serves the greater good, protecting her homelands from savage giants and sociopathic goblins. Her work is unconventional for a Dwarves sense of honour and fair play as she uses deceptive tactics to take down her enemies. She refuses to kill Dwarves, but takes freelance assignments against all non-Dwarves. Her true passion is protecting her people. She is extreme loyal to her clan, family, and Dwarves in general. Living a double life, her friends and family do not know of the dark deeds she commits to keep them safe." - 
  • Melee weapon: A Flaming Frost Shock Hand Axe +20 & 1d6+5 damage (+ 1d6 cold and + 1d6 fire); 
  • Ranged weapon: Returning Shock Throwing Axe +15 & 1d6+5x3 damage + 1d6 electricity; 
  • Special attack: +1 on all attacks against goblins and orcs; 
  • before attacks she uses stealth and disguise to get close to her prey to study them and learn their weaknesses; 
  • magic item: boots of speed; 
  • during attacks she uses boots of speed to rush in and take down her foe with ranged weapon, then before enemy can get back up, attacks with melee weapon; 
  • skills: acrobatics +12, bluff +21, disguise +11, sense movement +25, Stealth +22, Use magic device +21; 
  • speaks goblin and orc, in addition to Dwarven and Common


  • p.239: DarkStar Shadow Dancer - 
  • Halfling Rogue/Thief/Assassin - 
  • "Short but deadly, he skirts the shadows, a thief and a liar, he is more interested in filling his coin bag and enjoying life, then carnage or murder. He avoids combat, knowing his small size is a disadvantage in physical fights. Attacks his enemies near large crowds and taverns, allowing him to slip into the crowd or tavern, join a gambling table, and pretend he was not at the scene of the crime. Is daring and takes on big risks, but only helps others in battle at the end of the fight when there is no danger of risk to himself. Takes on jobs that pay large sums, as he enjoys gambling and drinking and needs a lot of gold to do so." - 
  • weapons: Flaming short sword +25 1d4+1 damage and 1d6 fire; 
  • and sling; 
  • has special attack: Sneak Attack +5d6; 
  • can cast illusion spells: Shadow Illusion, Shadow Call, and Shadow Power; 
  • uses potion of invisibility, then summons a shadow, to get past foes while they chase the shadow; 
  • acrobatics +28; 
  • carries a bag of holding

There are 313 characters of this nature already rolled out, with all the stats charts, items lists, backstory and everything, ready to go in this book. It's definitely something you should look into if you plan on making multiple characters for playing multiple games. Even if you don't use them straight out of the book, it's a wealth of ideas for building your own homebrew multi-classed characters. This book is absolutely amazing. Definitely one of the best splat books ever made. No DM should be without it and every player who really wants to get into the game on a long term basis definitely should have a copy.

(You can probably tell I like this book! LOL!)

More Books In The
Pathfinder NPC Codex Series



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