Arcane Assassin (5e Class)

This page is of questionable balance. Reason: Can attack three times at level 1. Can attack an infinite number of times if it rolls all crits, or has guaranteed critical hits, such as by multiclassing into Rogue for three levels and dipping into Assassin. At level 5, can attack five times without consuming any resources. At level 11, you can cast a spell and attack five times without consuming anything but the spell slot. The Arcane Attack feature is essentially just better than Battle Master's Know Your Enemy, and six levels earlier. In regards to Cunning Reaction, what exactly are you reacting to? Further, this class has virtually no build flexibility. With being locked into dual-wielding daggers and using its Action, Bonus Action, and Reaction every round for class features, it may as well be a premade character. - An attempt at balance was made, will need to be verified 23/04/02 - You can help D&D Wiki by better balancing the mechanics of this page. When the mechanics have been changed so that this template is no longer applicable please remove this template. If you do not understand balance please leave comments on this page's talk page before making any edits. Edit this Page | All pages needing balance

Arcane Assassin

Arcane assassins are lethal warriors trained in both the martial and arcane arts, infusing their blades with deadly magic and delivering gruesome strikes with them. They are known for their great ability with their signature Peerless Blades, a pair of light bladed weapons wielded by every arcane assassin, that work both as a fetish for channeling arcane magic, and as weapons of choice, due to they being easy to conceal and quick to kill.

Deadly Magic and the Blade Arcanas

Arcane assassins developed an unique type of magic, that revolves almost completely around killing their targets. They are split in two major sects, each one dedicated to a specific type of "Blade Arcana" - a style of fighting that relies in infusing the Peerless Blades with arcane magic. The most widely known blade arcanas are the Blood Arcana - who focus on bleeding the targets to death; and the Poison Arcana, that focus in intoxicating the targets with magic. Rumors exist, however, about the existence of other minor hiddend sects, who are trained in secret blade arcanas.

Creating an Arcane Assassin

Where were you born? Were you from the streets, choosing to learn blade arcanas by one of the sects magic to help you survive? Were you a noble who got bored and decided to adventure with just a few weapons and their magical talent? Why did you go adventuring?

Quick Build

You can make an arcane assassin quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Intelligence. Second, choose the Criminal background.

Class Features

As a Arcane Assassin you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Arcane Assassin level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Arcane Assassin level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: Choose one from disguise kit, thieves' tools or poisoner's supplies
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Arcana, Deception, History, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• leather armor and a pair of daggers.
• (a) a shortbow and 20 arrows or (b) a light crossbow and 20 bolts
• (a) an explorer's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d6 x 10 gp in funds.

Table: The Arcane Assassin

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
					1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	+2	Spellcasting, Arcane Attack	Mage Hand + 1	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	—	Mage Hand + 1	2	2	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Cunning Action, Jack of All Trades	Mage Hand + 1	3	3	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	Mage Hand + 2	3	3	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	Peerless Blades, Blade Arcana	Mage Hand + 2	4	4	2	—	—	—
6th	+3	Blade Arcana Feature	Mage Hand + 2	4	4	2	—	—	—
7th	+3	Evasion	Mage Hand + 2	5	4	3	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	Mage Hand + 2	5	4	3	—	—	—
9th	+4	—	Mage Hand + 2	6	4	3	2	—	—
10th	+4	Blade Arcana Feature, extra attack	Mage Hand + 3	6	4	3	2	—	—
11th	+4	Blade Magic	Mage Hand + 3	7	4	3	3	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	Mage Hand + 3	7	4	3	3	—	—
13th	+5	—	Mage Hand + 3	8	4	3	3	1	—
14th	+5	Blade Arcana Feature	Mage Hand + 3	8	4	3	3	1	—
15th	+5	extra attack	Mage Hand + 3	9	4	3	3	2	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	Mage Hand + 3	9	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+6	—	Mage Hand + 3	10	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	Elusive	Mage Hand + 3	10	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	Mage Hand + 3	11	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	Blade Arcana Feature, extra attack	Mage Hand + 3	11	4	3	3	3	2

Spellcasting

At 1st level, you have learned to use arcane magic to help you in assassinating your target.

Blades Required

You create your arcane assassin magical effects through your peerless blades. You must be wielding your main hand peerless blade when you cast any spell with this Spellcasting feature (meaning the spell has an "M" component when you cast it). You must be bonded (and attuned, if the weapon requires attunement) in order to use the weapon in this manner.

Cantrips You learn three cantrips: Mage Hand and one other cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn another wizard cantrip of your choice at 4th and 10th level.

Spell Slots The Arcane Assassin Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your wizard spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell Charm Person and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Charm Person using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher You know Enchantment and Illusion spells on the wizard spell list starting with Mage Hand + 1 cantrip.

The Spells Known column of the Arcane Assassin Spellcasting table shows when you learn more wizard spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be an enchantment or illusion spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 2nd level.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the wizard spells you know with another spell of your choice from the wizard spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be an enchantment or illusion spell.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your arcane assassin spells, since you learn your magic from study. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a arcane assassin spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Arcane Attack

Also at 1st level, you gather information about an enemy whose blood is drawn by your blade. When you hit a creature with your peerless blades, the DM reveals two of the following informations about your target:

• Armor Class
• Current hit points
• Total class levels, if any

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once) and regain your uses after completing a long rest.

Cunning Action

Starting at 3rd level, your quick thinking and agility allow you to move and act faster than others. You can take an extra bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide actions.

Jack of All Trades

Starting at 3rd level, you can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Peerless Blades

Starting at 5th level, you master a unique style of fighting that involves using a set of magically bound light 1-handed bladed weapons. (Ex: daggers, shortsword, handaxe, rapier, scimitar, sickle) You can bond with a pair weapons over the course of a short rest, turning them into peerless blades. You can't have more than a pair of peerless blades, and bonding with another pair will cancel the previous bond. Your main hand weapon will count as a spell focus.

When wielding both your peerless blades, you gain an extra attack each round of combat starting at 5th level. You gain another extra attack at 10th, 15th and 20th levels similar to a fighter.

Blade Arcana

Starting at 5th level, you choose your specialization. You can choose between the Blood Arcana or Poison Arcana, both described at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 2nd level, and again at 6th, 10th, 14th and 20th levels.

Magical Blades

Starting at 6th level, your peerless blades are considered magical, for the purposes of overcoming resistances and immunities to non-magical damage.

Evasion

Beginning at 7th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a red dragon's fiery breath or an ice storm spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Blade Magic

Starting at 11th level, when you use your Action to cast a spell, you can make one attack as a bonus action.

Elusive

Beginning at 18th level, you are so evasive that attackers rarely gain the upper hand against you. No attack roll has advantage against you while you aren't incapacitated.

Blade Arcana

The blade arcana style enhances your Arcane Assassin's ability to further waste away at your targets health. You may select only one of either blood arcana OR poison arcana

Blood Arcana

The blood arcana style uses magic to create wounds that can't easily be healed, causing constant bleeding. Assassins who follow the blood arcana focus on unleashing a barrage of small strikes, that although are not lethal on their own, left bleeding cuts behind, turning their opponents in a fountain of blood.

Bleeding Strike

At 5th level, when you hit a creature with an attack from a peerless blade, you can spend a spell slot to left behind a wound that bleeds profusely. The bleeding target loses 1 hit point, plus 1 hit point per level of the spell slot (max 5th level adding 6 damage from the bleeding) at the start of each round for 1 minute. The effects of multiple bleeding strikes reset the time countdown at each successful strike.

A Wisdom (Medicine) check against your spell save DC ends the spell. The effect also ends if the creature regains at least 1 hit point.

Tendon Cut

Also at 5th level, once per turn when you hit a creature with your peerless blade, you can make a deep cut that hinders your target's movement. The target movement speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of your next turn.

Exsanguinate

Starting at 6th level, when you hit a target that is bleeding from your Bleeding Strike, you can spend a spell slot of 1st-level or higher to cause additional necrotic damage (1d4 per level of the spell slot, max 5th level). If exsanguinate reduces the target to 0 hit points on the round of use, the spell slot used in the feature is regained.

In addition, if you the creature targeted by this feature is also the target of Tendon Cut, its movement speed is reduced to half until the end of your next turn.

Quick on the kill

At 10th level, once every 3 rounds when you hit a bleeding target with a peerless blade, a single attack has Advantage.

Precise striking

At 14th level, you have learned to strike where it bleeds. You score critical hits on an attack roll of 19-20, if the target is already bleeding.

Blood bath

At 20th level, you reach full mastery over your bloodied techniques. Whenever you use Exsanguinate, you can cause maximum damage, instead of rolling for it. You can use this feature once per combat, and you can't do it again until you finish a long or a rest.

Poison Arcana

Adepts of the poison arcana infuse their daggers with magical toxins created by corrupting the weave around their blades, delivering wounds that left the wounded creature in a debilitated state.

Toxic Strike

At 5th level, when you hit a creature with an attack from a peerless blade, you can spend a spell slot to intoxicate your target with poisonous arcana. The target takes 1d4 necrotic damage and is poisoned for 1 minute, but can make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC in each turn to end the effect. The poison's necrotic damage increases by 1d4 for each level of slot spent above 1st-level.

Neurotoxin

At 6th level, your poisons affect the targets mind, making him have frightening hallucinations. When you impose the poisoned condition on a creature, that creature is also frightened of you for until the end of it's next turn.

Poison Shooter

Starting at 10th level, you can hurl poison at your targets from distance. You can use your poison shots in the following manners:

Poison Spikes. As an action, you hurl a dart of poison from your peerless blades against each target within 30 feet. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, you cause 2d4 necrotic damage. The maximum amount of creatures that can be targeted by this feature equals your proficiency bonus. If the creature hit by poison spikes is poisoned, the target takes additional 1d4 necrotic damage.

Poisonous Gas. As an action, you create a cloud of toxic gas in an unoccupied space within 30 feet. The cloud fills a 10-foot sphere, and any creature that start its turn inside it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC, or is poisoned for 1 minute taking 1d4 necrotic damage per spell level used.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain your uses after finishing a long rest.

Poison Frenzy

When you reach the 14th level, you are instigated by the fear and weakness caused by your poisons on the target. You cause additional psychic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum +1) against targets frightened by you, and add your Intelligence modifier to your attack rolls against creatures poisoned by you until the end of it's next turn.

Mass Purge

At 20th level, you can use your action to force any creature poisoned by you within 30 feet to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 6d4 necrotic damage.

Once you use this feature, you can't do it again until you finish a long rest.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the arcane assassin class, you must meet these prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Intelligence 13.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the arcane assassin class, you gain the following proficiencies:

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