Rogue Options: Assassin (4E, 3.5E)

Before I continue I'd like to thank +Casey Peavler and +Ryven Cedrylle for their contributions to this blog post.  While I might not be able to put in everything they wrote word-for-word, their input has been a great help nevertheless.

Some of the rarer cutthroats of Shadow Port practice a very unusual form of assassination, a form of magic that some say was stolen from the Underworld by the Prince of Shadows himself.  It's rumored that the highest forms of this shadow magic are what the Prince of Shadows himself uses to perform his most brutal of murders.

What's to say is true?  No creature, living or undying, has apparently come back to tell the tale.

Re-Flavoring Suggestions

Inescapable Blade could very well be Flying Blade.
Leaping Shade mechanically doesn't fit anywhere, but since the fluff involves shrouds digging into your target's flesh, this could easily be Sneak Attack refluffed; same with Shadow Storm.
Shade Form is easily Shadow Walk, same with Assassin's Shroud and 3.5E Death Attack.
Black Lotus Strike could easily be a way of acquiring Momentum, then Momentum + Swashbuckler could easily be reflavored into any of the Critical Attacks (better work with the GM on this one).
Overall the theme in reflavoring would involve adding shadow manipulation and corruption magic to a lot of the stuff you do as an assassin-type Rogue.

New Talents

Shadow Weaver

As a quick action you can cause the shadows surrounding you to solidify in your hand into an object whose size is that of a Small one-handed weapon or smaller. The normal benefit is that you can quickly create a Small throwing dagger in situations where you find yourself weaponless, but other benefits may include creating shadow-made keys and the like.

Adventurer Feat: You gain +2 to a stealth-related background, preferably involving shadow magic. You can raise this background's bonus to +6 if you want.
Adventurer Feat: You can manipulate the shadows surrounding a Small nearby object as a quick action, whose effects last until the end of your next turn.  Possible uses include dousing lantern-sized sources of light, although other effects may be possible, just remember to run it with your GM first if possible.
Champion Feat: Once per battle the shadows you can manipulate with the above feat can be of your size.  Possible uses involve giving you bonuses to Stealth-related checks, or rendering at least one nearby enemy blind for a round. This turns the talent into a spell-like ability, which allows you to use Shadow Weaver as a ritual.
Epic Feat: Once per day for an entire battle, you can teleport to any nearby enemy, instead of moving normally.

Soul Thief

Whenever you gain Momentum after reducing an enemy to 0 hit points, you can choose to steal a soul and contain it in a soul shard, instead of gaining Momentum.  You can only hold on to one soul shard at a time, and the soul shard dissipates at the end of a heal-up.

Expending a soul shard is a free action during your turn, and it could

• grant you Momentum if you don't have it already
• be used to activate certain powers

Adventurer Feat: Once per battle, when you hit an enemy with a Rogue attack, you can expend a soul shard to inflict ongoing damage equal to your level + Charisma modifier.
Champion Feat: Once per day, you can expend a soul shard as a quick action to double your damage.

New Powers

Inescapable Blade

[Level 1 At-Will Soul Shard Power]

Melee Attack; Requires Soul Shard

Target: One nearby foe

Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC

Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage.

Miss: --

Author's Note: Because this is a melee attack, this will still benefit from Sneak Attack if the requirements are met, even though it's done against a non-engaged enemy.

Shadow Storm

[Level 1 At-Will Shadow Weaver Power]

Melee Attack; Requires Shadow Weaver Talent

Target: One engaged foe

Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC

Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage. The target takes additional damage equal to the number of creatures engaged with it, twice if the natural attack roll was even.

Miss: Damage equal to your level + the number of creatures engaged with it.

Shade Form

[Level 3 At-Will Soul Shard Power]

Quick Action; Requires Soul Shard

You gain resistance 12+ for the next attack against you before the end of your next turn.

Author's Note: This does stack with Roll With It.

Well of Shadows

[Level 3 Encounter Shadow Weaver Power]

Close Attack; Requires Shadow Weaver Talent

Target: 1d3 nearby enemies

Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. PD

Hit: 1d6 per level + Dexterity damage, and the target is pulled towards you and is forced to engage with you.

Miss: Damage equal to your level.

Black Spider Strike

[Level 5 Momentum Power]

Melee Attack; Requires Momentum

Target: One engaged foe

Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. PD

Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage, and if the natural attack roll was even, the target takes ongoing damage equal to 1d4 times your level.

Miss: Ongoing damage equal to 1d4 times your level.

Temple Strike

[Level 5 At-Will Power]

Melee Attack

Target: One engaged enemy

Hit: Half of WEAPON + Dexterity damage, and the target is Weakened and Hampered until the end of its next turn.

Claim the Dead

[Level 7 At-Will Soul Shard Power]

Free Action; Requires Soul Shard

Expend a Soul Shard to spend a free recovery.

Assassin's Scalpel

[Level 7 Daily Momentum Power]

Quick Action, Requires Momentum

Target: One engaged enemy

The target is vulnerable to your attacks until you land a crit.

Note: Vulnerable in v.6 is "gains crit range 2+, usually to 18+"

Shadow Puppet

[Level 9 Daily Shadow Weaver Power]

Melee Attack, Requires Shadow Weaver Talent

Target: One engaged enemy

Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. MD

Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage, and the target is confused (save ends).  Until it saves from this effect, you can order the target around a bit, like have the target intercept enemies in your stead -- popping free from you if it must do so to fulfill your order -- and attack itself if it has no allies it can attack. Other hilarities, like making the target dance crazily, may be possible, although stuff like making the enemy walk towards a cliff and jump may grant the target free saves before that happens, as the GM may rule.
Miss: Half damage, and the target is dazed (save ends).

Reaper in Black

[Level 9 At-Will Soul Shard Power]

Ranged Attack, Requires Soul Shard

Target: One nearby creature

Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. MD

Hit: 9d12 damage, and the target is stuck until the end of your next turn. In addition, the target and each nearby enemy is subject to fear.
Miss: Damage equal to your level.

New Feats

Murderous Talent Adventurer Feat: Any enemy whose HP is reduced to an amount equal to your level is reduced to 0 HP instead.

Rogue Options: Gunslinger (Pathfinder)

Class Options allow you to add particular classes into 13th Age without the need of extensive reinventing of the wheel, so to speak.  Instead of having to make an entirely new class, re-flavoring and adding of a few talents and powers here and there would allow you to faithfully render the class you want, with less effort.

The class featured here is the Gunslinger, a warrior who utilizes daring and flair while utilizing steel and gunpowder.  As they have startling resemblance to the Rogue of 13th Age, it has been determined that re-flavoring Rogues and allowing them to use flintlock and musket with deadly precision would do well to retain the feel and mechanics of the said class.

Re-Flavoring Suggestions
Allow the Rogue to utilize hand crossbows as if they were flintlock pistols, and longbows/crossbows as if they were muskets.  If the GM is very particular with ammunition, he may allow the musket to not be penalized to hit or he may allow the musket to deal 1d10 damage instead, but at the cost of having greater difficulty with finding ammunition.
Author Note: For purposes of this document, hand crossbows will be referred to as pistols, longbows/crossbows will be referred to as muskets, and when referring to both pistols and muskets I will use the term "guns".

New Talents
Grit
In addition to the normal methods of gaining Momentum, you can also gain Momentum by taking any actions that can be considered daring by the group, particularly the GM (this daring action may include using a momentum power as part of the action, but only momentum powers).  If the action fails for any reason, you can expend a quick action instead of your standard action, but you can't attempt another daring action this turn.

(Champion Feat): Once per day you can choose to roll 2d20s and using either result for an entire battle, but only when taking daring actions.
(Epic Feat): Choose two powers you know.  These powers can be considered as Momentum powers for purposes of daring actions.

New Powers

Leap for Cover
[Level 1 At-Will Momentum Power]
Interrupt Action; Requires Momentum
Use when a ranged attack is made against you
You move in any direction away from your current position (attempting to disengage as normal) and gain a +4 to AC and PD against the triggering attack

Covering Shot
[Level 1 At-Will Momentum Attack]
Ranged Attack; Requires Momentum
Target: One foe
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit:  WEAPON + Dexterity damage, and the target has a -4 to defenses until the end of its next turn.
Miss: The target has a -4 to defenses against the next attack against it.

Targeting

[Level 3 At-Will Momentum Power]
Quick Action; Requires Momentum
Choose one of the following effects.  If you hit with a Rogue Attack this round, the target suffers from the effect.
* Dazed for its next attack
* Drops held item, but does not take damage from the attack
* Loses its next move action


Deadeye
[Level 5 At-Will]
Ranged Attack
Target: One foe
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. PD
Hit:  WEAPON + Dexterity damage.
Miss: Damage equal to your level.


Bleeding Wound
[Level 5 At-Will Momentum Attack]
Ranged Attack; Requires Momentum
Target: One foe
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit:  WEAPON + Dexterity damage.  If the foe is engaged with at least one of your allies, you can deal ongoing damage equal to the number of Sneak Attack dice you can roll for your level.
Miss: Damage equal to your level.

(Champion Feat): Once per day you can choose to lose Momentum in order to penalize the target's PD and attack rolls by an amount equal to the number of Sneak Attack dice you can roll for your level.

Startling Shot
[Level 7 At-Will Momentum Attack]
Ranged Attack; Requires Momentum
Target: One foe
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit:  WEAPON + Dexterity damage, and the target is weakened until the end of his next turn.
Miss: Target is dazed until the end of his next turn.

Stunning Shot
[Level 9 At-Will Momentum Attack]
Ranged Attack; Requires Momentum
Target: One foe
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit:  WEAPON + Dexterity damage, and the target is stunned (save ends).
Miss: Damage equal to your level.

Deadly Shot
[Level 9 At-Will Momentum Attack]
Ranged Attack; Requires Momentum
Target: One foe
Special: The attack is always considered a critical hit when it hits.  If the roll falls within your critical hit range, triple the damage instead.
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit:  WEAPON + Dexterity damage.
Miss: Half damage.