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Assassin

"They didn't think a simple blind girl could turn on them, be a threat, and kill them."

Assassin Overview

Assassins excel in suddenly and swiftly ending lives.

Legends speak of ancient scrolls written by a man known only as “the Assassin,” who lived in the Desert Rose. Very little is known of the Assassin, except that he had silver hair, and was well-known by a small band of heroes during the 2nd Chaos War. No one knows where the Assassin developed his skills.

What is known is that his devotees, led many years later by Scorn, developed a dojo in Leonic. The scrolls originally written by the Assassin are said to reside in the dojo, detailing the hidden arts of the Assassin, available to any who can devote themselves to unravelling the mysteries contained therein. Without proper instruction, the scrolls are said to be confounding to the point of madness.

Those who have been formally trained as Assassin in Scorn's dojo never speak of the truth contained in these scrolls. The scrolls seem to be sacred to those who have trained in the arts.

Assassin Class Strengths

Note that these values are not specifically used in Eternity TTRPG. Instead, these representative stats are meant to provide an overall idea of how the class plays. Definitions of these representations are provided below, which do directly align with the Eternity TTRPG system.

Assassins have the following "class stats":

• 10 Attack
• 1 Defense
• 9 Intuition
• 0 Magic
• 1 Special
• 10 Quickness
• 8 Utility
• 6 Versatility

Value Definitions

The following stat definitions roughly cover the class' strengths and weaknesses, in a representational way.

• Attack: the overall ability of the class to deal damage and set the tempo in a battle.
• Defense: the innate ability of the class to reduce damage and negative effects taken, both from physical and magical attacks.
• Intuition: represents skills such as perception, stealth, or sixth-sense abilities to help them avoid otherwise unforeseeable harm.
• Magic: the innate ability of the class to manipulate the very fabric of Altius and The Dream, turning those powers to their will.
• Special: not all unique "powers" are magical in nature, and some classes have magic-like, "special" abilities.
• Quickness: the overall speed, mobility, and initiative of the class.
• Utility: the ability of the class to bolster allies, debilitate enemies, or provide useful effects in various out-of-combat situations.
• Versatility: the class' ability to adapt to any situation or environment, both in and out of combat.

Assassin Stat Bonuses

Assassins gain stat bonuses upon leveling up, based upon the "Critical Option" chosen for each ability. These class-based stat bonuses provide roughly half of the overall stat benefits for your character, making them integral to your character's advancement.

The three categories of stat bonuses/ specialization for assassins are: life-ender (+1 Strike Bonus), infiltrator (+1 Speed), and expert (+1 Initiative).

Assassin Roleplay Powers

In Eternity TTRPG, each class has its own unique set of "Roleplay Powers," which enable players to feel truly outstanding. It gives each character something that sets them apart from the rest of their adventuring party.

Roleplay Powers either provide auto-successes on specific skill or knowledge checks related to the class, or provide unique effects that make players feel like they're living in the world of Eternity TTRPG with their chosen class.

Assassination

Auto success against Fate Rolls related to assassinating an NPC who the Storyteller deems as “non-critical” to the story. This roleplay power lets assassins do what they do best - kill people - without even needing to roll.

Dash

Auto success against Fate Rolls involving chases that are less than a half mile in distance, to catch someone or escape. Assassins can escape danger, easily, or hunt down their prey.

Infiltrate

Auto success against Fate Rolls involving disguising yourself, breaking and entering, or utilizing stealth to get in or out of an area. You can't very well assassinate someone without first entering their home, at night - while they're alone. As an assassin, you don't need to roll to accomplish this feat.

Assassin Abilities

The following assassin ability descriptions provide summaries of their actual in-game effects.

Assassinate

If you hit, you have a chance to instantly kill the target, based on their remaining HP. "Assassinate" gains an increased hit chance from the following conditions:

1. If the target is completely unaware of your presence.
2. For every stack you have of “Lethality” from using “Rupture” and various Critical Options.
3. If a target currently has a debuff of any kind. 

Assassin’s Blades

You can equip two Weapons. Whenever you attack with your main- hand Weapon, you also attack with your off-hand Weapon.

For every stack you have of “Lethality” from using “Rupture," “Cold Blood,” and various Critical Options, you can choose to gain

additional hit chance with your main-hand Weapon. 

Assassin’s Poisons

You can apply poisons of any kind to Weapons of your choice without risk of harming yourself.

Cold Blood

After you use this Ability on yourself, every turn you have the chance to gain one “Lethality." You can choose to continually maintain this Ability. 

Feint

This Ability can only be used on a turn after you take damage. Instant Action. Act as if you are under the effects of “Unassuming” again, for 1turn.

First Strike

This Ability can only be used both 1) the first time you attack an enemy, and 2) the first time you are attacked by an enemy. Instant Action, you have a chance to deal damage to your target. 

Premeditate

You gain one stack of “Lethality," and you gain bonus Initiative for 1turn. 

Rupture

An attack with increased hit chance. If this Ability hits, you gain you two (2) stacks of “Lethality." If you hit with this Ability, it also allows you the chance to apply poisons that you have added to your Weapon.

Sprint

Move double your Speed value this turn and you gain bonus Speed for Battle Duration.

Unassuming

You are untargetable for either the first 3turns in Battle or so long as there are other allies of yours who can first be killed – whichever lasts longer. This condition is removed if you attack, cause healing, or “get in the way” of an ally becoming harmed.

Class Origin

In 3,540BK, the Eternal Wars began. Master thieves were called upon by Eternals to carry out strategic strikes against opposing factions. Their abilities to dash in and steal intelligence and resources, and neutralize targets, was highly valued.

In short order, however, it became apparent that anyone who could infiltrate an enemy’s stronghold unseen could also murder them – a practice that became known as assassination. Was it better, mortals and Eternals alike reasoned, to merely steal from your enemy, when you could kill?

These “assassins” cut down yzarc, judges, alchemists, berserkers, thieves, dread priests, cryomancers, pyromancers, and even other Eternals, all from the shadows. For the first time in all of Altius, on a large scale, it became apparent that even the most advanced mages and warriors could not defend themselves from the stillness of the night. No power could resist a quick and unseen blade to the throat.

So, while armies faced one another and battles were fought, assassins struck critical blows, tearing apart entire factions with their abilities, and their blades.

Following the Eternal Wars, the victorious sought out assassins from the war, and cut them down.

Secret societies emerged in the underground places of societies where assassins managed to escape. Those on the victorious sides, meanwhile, operated as the “official hand” of the Eternals. Where judges failed, assassins would be sent. To avoid another Eternal War, order would be established at any cost.

As times changed, the “official assassins” of the Eternals disbanded. Yet their teaching lived on through a series of scrolls written by an ancient figure who lived in the Desert Rose, known only as “the assassin.”

Modern assassins may be anyone who follows the profession, or who treats it as a life path. The very best, they say, have all learned from a copy of these “sacred scrolls,” combining the methods of blades, poisons, stealth, and mindset from the old masters.

Assassin Combat Style

When it comes to combat, the assassin class functions as an all-or-nothing damage dealer. It's a fun experience to use "Unassuming" to initially avoid combat, letting your allies run into the fray.

While your enemies are distracted, you can constantly use "Premeditate" to bolster your impending attack(s), while passively letting "Cold Blood" provide the same effect for you.

Once you've accumulated enough "Lethality," it's time to "Sprint" in and "Assassinate," making use of your dual-wield effect from "Assassin's Blades." Alternatively, you can use "Rupture" for a near-guaranteed hit, with the chance to apply "Assassin's Poisons" to your target for debilitation effects.

Finally, if you're attacked or under too much pressure, you can use "Feint" to more or less reset the battle, gaining distance from your enemies to again amass "Lethality" and otherwise let your poisons do their work of weakening your foes.

Assassin Lore

Scorn’s Sword: a small shack nestled between two waterfalls. Very few people know of its existence.

Not all Assassins are trained in this location, but some of the greatest masters are found within. The shack contains only a single room. A series of complex clues points to a secret door, and beyond the door is a series of training rooms built into one of the rocky cliffs behind a waterfall.

If one can survive the training rooms, they are accepted as a pupil.

Training usually takes 7 years, but the results are indisputable. Trainees are taught from scrolls written by a man known as, “the Assassin.” The scrolls have been kept and passed down through “the Assassin’s” protégé, Scorn. Scorn’s soul, kept in a katana, lies unsheathed on a wood floor within the dojo. Occasionally, if he deems a person or student particularly interesting, he may take time to engage with them in a mentoring conversation.

Eternity TTRPG Races

Eternity TTRPG has nine unique playable races, each with their own lore, racial powers, and variety of options for play. Choose from races you know such as humans or treants, or dive into the entirely unique world of Eternity TTRPG with crour, espers, ateri, empyrean, jadori, stoneborn, and yzarc.

Core Rulebook Classes

Take a look at other Eternity TTRPG class pages from the Eternity TTRPG Core Rulebook to learn more about each. Characters gain their class at Lv.1 (after starting with only a race at Lv.0). Classes provide characters with stat boosts. along with spells, abilities, and roleplay powers entirely distinct from one another.