The Assassin class has long been a controversial part of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 1st Edition. This specific assassin class does not exist in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition. But one can select the Assassin arch type for a rogue.
The assassin was controversial in AD&D for a couple of reasons. For one. He had to be evil. Many dungeon masters did not want evil characters in their campaigns. Good aligned characters would not want to associate with such lawless characters. And the Assassin seemed to be built with an instant kill button called “assassination.”
Assassins in Dungeons and Dragons 5E
I will start with 5th Edition this time because the assassin in 5E is much more limited in scope than the assassin is in 1st Edition. In 5E the assassin is just one potential type of rogue path that one can select. Only at 17th level does the assassin in 5E truly have a chance for an instant kill assassination.
But in some respects the 5E assassin has some similar abilities to the 1st Edition assassin. He can use poison. But again only at a specific level. The 5E assassin can use disguise and infiltrate enemy facilities and spy. But only at specific levels. In 1st Edition these are basic skills of an Assassin starting at level one.
Assassins in Dungeons and Dragons 1st Edition
An Assassin in AD&D was intended to be a multi-role individual. He was part James Bond. He was an expert spy. He was a master of disguise. And he was an efficient killer. But he also had some of the skills of a thief. He could back stab, pick locks, climb walls and do the things that thieves did. Only not quite as well. But he could also use any weapon where a thief was restricted. He could use a shield where a thief could not. And he could use poison.
Only Assassins and other evil characters could use poison in AD&D 1st Edition. This made them a little bit scary to be around.
Many special tables were set up for assassin characters. There was one on DMG page 18 specifically to cover the chances of success in spying missions. Page 19 had another table to cover what happened if the spying mission failed. page 20 covered the assassin’s use of poison as well as the types of poison available and their respective costs. It also covered the research into poison and the creation of poison by assassin characters.
The Instant Kill Button in 1st Edition
Page 75 of the Dungeon Master Guide provides a table for assassination by player characters. It is a combat table that compares the level of the assassin versus the level of the target and provides a percentage chance for success. The table clearly states that this is an instant kill roll. It states that under optimal conditions the percentages offered would be used but these percentages should be adjusted based upon the circumstances involved. Some of these adjusting factors would include:
- The victim is aware that an attempt will be made
- Precautions taken
- Victim is unguarded
- Victim is intoxicated
- Victim is asleep
- Victim trusts the assassin
- The quality of the plan of assassination developed by the player running the assassin character
The table also indicates that weapon damage will still take place even though the assassination attempt failed. This weapon damage might still kill the victim. What is unsaid, but is probably intended, is that poison on the blade of the assassin might also kill the victim even if the assassination roll failed.
A table on page 29 of the Players Handbook gives suggested fees to be collected for performing assassinations.
The key to assassination in 1st Edition is a single sentence on page 29 of the PHB. If an assassin surprises a victim they may attack on the Assassination Table giving roughly a 50% chance of instantly killing the victim. This chance improves as the assassin character rises in level. If the roll fails the victim still takes weapon damage. And in this paragraph poison is mentioned. The victim would still need to make a saving throw against poison or suffer the consequences of failing it. The assassin basically gets to choose one of these three forms of attack when they achieve surprise: assassination, backstabbing or normal melee combat. You can guess which one they will want to choose.
There Can Be Only One!
Just like in the movie Highlander…..there can be only one…..
Head assassin that is. In 1st Edition there were level limits on certain classes. That limit often stated that there could only be so many characters of a specific class at a specific level. For assassins there could be only one Grandfather of Assassins. In 1st Edition that was the title of the highest level assassin. That level was 15th. In order to achieve that level the assassin character would need to find and murder the Grandfather of Assassins and assume his place.
This was also a bit controversial in AD&D. People did not like having to fight for the top spot. And a few different classes required that. Druids and Monks, for example, also had such limits. There could only be so many at the upper levels. And trial by combat determined advancement.
Assassination in Dungeons and Dragons
Games like Assassin’s Creed have brought the Assassin back into the limelight. And of course movies like Prince of Persia: Sands of Time also have shined a light on them. So there will always be players wanting to play such a character. And fortunately both forms of Dungeons and Dragons offers a chance to do so.
