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Player > Class > Archetypes > Assassin
Throughout the galaxy, shadowy figures move unseen, expertly
eliminating targets before disappearing back into anonymity.
Assassins originate from many different home worlds and
cultures, and while no single tradition defines these gifted killers,
several secretive societies train accomplished warriors into
finely honed tools of discreet murder. Others learn the deadly
craft on their own or from a mentor, refining their skills through
decades of mercenary work. Some see assassins as supernatural
beings—avatars of death that employ reality-bending magic
to eliminate their targets. Others maintain that assassins gain
their edge via superior technology. In truth, assassins make
use of all manner of tactics, and some even use technomagical
methods. Many organizations court assassins with exorbitant
salaries and promises of immunity.
While many of the galaxy’s denizens are capable of
committing murderous acts, assassins regard death as a painter
does a palette. A skilled assassin can observe a target and
determine the precise moment to strike, dealing irreparable
damage to the target’s vital organs and ending their life with
a single lethal blow. Many assassins also employ magic capable
of tampering with the memories of potential witnesses, while
others deploy technology that obscures their presence from
modern surveillance.
Assassins value anonymity and discretion above all else;
leaving a fragment of security footage behind or allowing their
identity to be discovered can cost an assassin their job, if not
their life. Many operatives and soldiers seek training as an
assassin, but anyone with a talent for stealth and the willingness
to kill can become an assassin. Though murder is part of the
job description, not all assassins have evil alignments. Some
individuals with this specialized training use their talents to
serve a higher cause, but many are hardened criminals or jaded
veterans with too much blood on their hands. Rumor has it that
some law enforcement agencies in the galaxy employ small
units of assassins responsible for tracking and taking down
high-risk criminal targets.
The assassin archetype grants alternate class features at 6th, 12th, and 18th levels.
You know how to manipulate your environment and take advantage of gaps in others’ perception to become undetectable even in plain sight. Once per day, you can attempt a Stealth check to hide as though you had succeeded at the create a diversion task of the Bluff skill against up to six creatures you’re observing. This ability functions only in crowded areas or in dim light or darkness (Core Rulebook 261); the GM might determine you can use this ability in similar circumstances.
As a standard action, you can study the weaknesses of a single
enemy that you’re observing. Once per day, on a round after you
spend 2 consecutive rounds studying the same enemy this way,
you can either take a full action to move up to your speed and
make a single attack with a melee weapon, or take a full action
to attack with a sniper weapon (using the sniper weapon’s sniper
range if applicable), against the studied enemy. This lethal strike
attack deals damage as normal, and the target must also succeed
at a Fortitude saving throw (DC = 10 + half your character level +
your key ability modifier) or take 1d6 additional damage per your
character level. If the target fails the save, it must also attempt
a second Fortitude saving throw with the same DC. If it fails this
second save, it dies instantly; this is a death effect.
In addition, whenever you kill a creature using your lethal
strike, you can attempt a Stealth check opposed by Perception
checks to notice by those in the vicinity; if successful, you
prevent those nearby from identifying you as the attacker. If you
succeed by 5 or more, bystanders might not even immediately
notice that the target is dead (at the GM’s discretion).
When you use lethal strike, you can force your target to roll its initial save twice and take the worse result. Alternatively, when a target that you studied on your previous turn is within your reach and an ally’s attack results in a critical hit against it, you can activate lethal strike as a reaction.
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