Way of the Assassin (5e Subclass)
Way of the Assassin[edit]
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| [1] by Carter adair |
Hidden in a forgotten monastery-fortress, in the far corners of the world, members of this secretive clan are seen by other monastic traditions as dangerous murderers and untrustworthy vipers, but nothing could be far from the truth. The reality is more nuanced than that, because, although is true that followers of the way of the assassin are cold killers, they also are sentinels that lurk in the shadows, protecting the helpless without they even noticing; fighters, who put their lives at risk for the sake of their mission and clan; and lorekeepers of martial traditions, maintaining safe an ancient tradition for generations.
The temple of assassins is hired to carry on life attempts, but it is extremely selective about the contracts they accept; almost always, an assassination performed by an assassin from the temple serves to the purposes of the organization more than to the person who order the murder, and is not uncommon that spies of the temple manipulate powerful figures to pay the temple for these attempts. The goals of the temple of the assassins are shrouded in mystery, and they are often are contradictory, since the ancients not always agree with how to achieve those goals, or how the ancient historical scriptures must be interpreted.
Some members of the temple believe that the purpose of the monastery is to serve the goddess of death, and that her motives are unknowable, so they just wait for messages and signs in order to know if they can or cannot accept an assassination order; others are more mundane, believing that the temple has an instrumental role in maintaining order and balance in the world, and all killings must have this goal in mind.
Adventurers from the way of the assassin are often agents of the temple, sent to carry out a mission, or sleeping agents, awaiting for a command of the order. Others, are runways, who disillusioned with the monastery, decided to flee and live their lives on their own terms. These are often hunt as animals by members of the order, to maintain their secrets protected.
- Silent Warrior
Starting at 3rd level, you control techniques of subterfuge, deception and stealth. You gain proficiency in Stealth, if you don't have already, and you can take the Hide action as part of the same bonus action used to take Step of the Wind.
In addition, you can add your Wisdom modifier to your Charisma checks, since maintaining a disguise requires social skills and awareness.
- Assassin Magic
At 3rd level, you have been trained to use your ki to cast spells. You learn the disguise self, that you can cast by spending 1 ki point. You also learn augury and silence, that you can cast by spending 2 ki points. Casting these spells doesn't require any components.
In addition, while silence is active, you can cause any creature of your choice to be able to speak or be heard by you when you speak.
- Death Attack
Also at 3rd level, you learn how to slay your opponents with a single strike. Whenever you hit a creature with an unarmed strike or monk weapon, you can spend 1 ki point and cause additional 2d6 damage. Alternatively, you can choose to debilitate your target, inflicting the poisoned or blinded conditions until the end of your next turn.
If you hit a creature with one of your attacks made as part of a Flurry of Blows, you can attempt to inflict one of these effects, but when you do so, the target can make a Constitution saving throw against your Ki save DC to resist the effects.
- Swift Runner
At 6th level, you gain proficiency in Stealth and Athletics. Your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are already proficient with those skills.
In addition, you can use Step of the Wind without requiring ki points.
- Assassination
Also at 6th level, you can slay humanoid creatures with a single and swift strike. Whenever you make an attack with a Death Attack against a humanoid creature, and that creature is reduced to an amount of hit points equal to your 5 + your monk level, that creature dies instantly.
- Sneak Attack
Beginning at 11th level, you know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe's distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 3d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use an unarmed strike or a monk weapon.
You don't need advantage on the attack roll if you have spent 1 ki point on this turn.
- Quivering Palm
At 17th level, you gain the ability to set up lethal vibrations in someone's body. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 3 ki points to start these imperceptible vibrations, which last for a number of days equal to your monk level. The vibrations are harmless unless you use your action to end them. To do so, you and the target must be on the same plane of existence. When you use this action, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw. If it fails, it is reduced to 0 hit points. If it succeeds, it takes 10d10 necrotic damage.
You can have only one creature under the effect of this feature at a time. You can choose to end the vibrations harmlessly without using an action.
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