Assassins are hired spies and killers.

An assassin is a mainly a killer for hire. They can take on other roles, such as spy, pickpocket, trap detector, and so on. Due to the nature of taking payments to end lives, assassins are always evil. This precludes them from being player characters in Sesamar. Sesamar is about overcoming a myriad of evil forces, not contributing to them.

Their thief skills (hiding in shadows, picking pockets, opening locks, detecting traps, climbing walls, ...) depend upon stealth and a high dexterity. The nature of being an assassin also requires them to have a high strength for combat and an exceptional intelligence to use poisons (create an assassin, name an assassin). Assassins may or may not worship a god or honor Sesamar and Desamar. It depends upon the backstory of such a character.

Assassin hierarchy is this:

Thug	Levels 1 - 2
Cutthroat	Levels 3 - 4
Killer	Levels 5 - 7
Assassin	Levels 8 - 12
Master Assassin	Levels 13+

Assassins are likely present in Poxmuth and Joria. These cities are notorious for violent thieves and assassins.

Assassin Skills
Assassins are elite thieves. They possess all of the abilities of thieves.

In addition to thief abilities, assassins can:

• Use Poisons
  There are several poisons for assassins to use. Using poisons requires a great attention to detail, like how the poison will be implemented (weapon, drink, trap, ...) and how the poison will be brought to the victim. A poisoned weapon can be detected at a cumulative 8% per round of observing the poisoned weapon. Discovery of the poison will bring extra attention to the assassin (call for guards, attacks by paladins, ...). Poisons coated on weapons lose their efficiency as the weapon is repeatedly used. Also, poisons can be expensive, hard to acquire, and/or difficult to create. Acquiring poisons is an arduous task for assassins.

• Perform Death Strikes

  Level 1

  Assassination Starting as a thug, the character can practice assassinations. This is the ability to get close, use a weapon, and instantly kill a victim. An assassination takes great planning as the assassin has to be in close proximity for the assassination to work. This requires either trust or great stealth. The base chance for assassinating a target is 50%. However, this percentage is affected by several factors. It is increased +2% per level of the assassin. If the assassin has a higher level than the target, the assassin gains +10% per level difference. This same adjustment works against the assassin if the assassin has a lower level than the target. If the target is drunk, asleep, or incapacitated, there is further advantage for the assassin. Conversely, if the target is extra vigilant, does not trust the assassin, or there are other people near the target, the assassin has a lowered chance of success.

  Level 8

  Shock Damage The assassin level character, if surprising a target, automatically does double damage if he hits and the target fails a saving throw vs. paralyzation.

  
  

• Wear Disguises
  Assassins have the ability to change the way they look. They do this to infiltrate towns and castles, gain trust, and hide their identity. The characteristics they can modify are appearance, height, age, sex, weight, race, species, character class, profession, and socio-economic status. Disguises will require gaining certain materials, such as fine attire, uniform, jewelry, paperwork, ...

  Level 3

  Imitation The cutthroat can wear a disguise to imitate a general type of person: guard, blacksmith, sailor, ... The assassin may have to study the trade to gain a rudimentary understanding of the trade for the purposes of low-level entry for such jobs. The assassin would be hard-pressed to imitate a craftsman or noble, as in doing so would be too difficult to manage all the details, unless the assassin was passing himself off to those who were not knowledgeable with such a job or role.

  Level 8

  Imposter The assassin can now act as an imposter under casual observations. The assassin must spend time studying his target in order to imitate specific characteristics, like speech, handwriting, and mannerisms. The assassin is highly attuned to the possibility of excessive scrutiny and has an element of advantage in making a quick departure to evade detection.

Assassin Guild
Assassins may or may not work within a guild. Working within a guild has many advantages, like having access to poisons, gaining assassination contracts, and getting training from other assassins. These are valuable for mastering the art of being an assassin. However, the disadvantages are that a number of people will know the assassin's identity and whereabouts. Secrecy is survivability for assassins; so, those disadvantages are a judge downside to being an assassin.

Performing a hired assassination within the boundaries of an assassins' guild without its knowledge and sanction will bring the attention of the guild. This is not allowed. Depriving the guild of its fraction of the fee is to deprive the guildmaster and his guild of his cut. Penalties can range from a heavy tax on the assassin, call to service for a length of time, temporary imprisonment, or much worse.

Assassins who reach killer status are often used as high-level enforcers if they are big and strong or lieutenants if they have a high intelligence. Characters who reach level 8, true assassins are highly sought. Level 13+ master assassins are often revered and are spoken of only in whisper and with pseudonym.