The Halfling Assassin (Monk 8 / Shadowdancer 2 / Assassin 30)

[Orion]

Round the corner stealth death attack causing paralysis for 1 turn (10 rounds). The enemy was provoked with a ranged weapon and moved as per the blue arrow. My character hid behind the corner, entered stealth mode to hide, then death attacked the enemy not aware of me as per the red arrow.

When the character gets Hide in Plain Sight hiding behind the corner will not be required. (Source: NWN: EE, WoG PW.)

Detail:

I tried to make the best Halfling Assassin I could think of.

• Monk 8 for monk speed, lots of attacks (5 attacks, 6 with flurry, 7 with flurry/haste, 8 with flurry/haste/cleave, 9 with flurry/haste/cleave/attack of opportunity), evasion, immunity to disease, stunning fist DC fort save 29, Improved Knockdown.
• Assassin 30 for Death Attack (15d6 damage, DC fort save 43 against paralysis for 30 turns), bonus Great Dexterity feats
• Shadowdancer for HiPS (to help generate more paralysis attempts)
• Halfling for great AB, saves and stealth bonuses.
• 305 skill points with starting Int 16, +8 Tumble AC +2 armor skin +1 Monk AC +1 small size AC +12-18 Dex AC

Enemies need to be unaware of the assassin before a paralysis attempt can be made. I plan to achieve this in a few ways:

1. Around the corner stealth attacks. Monk speed helps getting out of sight range.
2. Hide in Plain Sight (Shadowdancer)
3. Darkness / ultravision (or True Seeing)
4. Invisibility / Improved Invisibility
5. UMD (ie Wand of Sleep, disables such as Evards or Stinking Cloud)

I invest a lot into disable trap because Assassins cannot disable epic traps (only Rogues can) but can retrieve them which requires DC +10. I also invest a lot into Search as these traps will need to be detected. I could have dropped some of these features and put base Dex to 38 but these seemed to better balance the build and allow it to deal with more challenges.

I could have gone epic dodge with Monk 9 / SD 5 / Assassin 26 but quite a few builds have done this. There was one Assassin 30 with Monk/SD, Snake Eyes which goes Great Dex X and ITWF kama (on a halfling -> elf would have been better in my view to avoid penalties), this build is more balanced.

Build details:

Assassin(30), Monk(8), Shadowdancer(2), Halfling

Lawful Evil only

STR: 12
DEX: 18 (34)
CON: 12
WIS: 8
INT: 16
CHA: 8

Halfling: (Fearless, Good Aim, Lucky, Skill Affinity: Listen, Skill Affinity: Move Silently, Small Stature)
01: Monk(1): Dodge, {Cleave, Evasion, Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist}
02: Monk(2): {Deflect Arrows}
03: Monk(3): Weapon Finesse
04: Monk(4): DEX+1, (DEX=19)
05: Monk(5)
06: Assassin(1): Mobility
07: Assassin(2): {Uncanny Dodge I}
08: Shadowdancer(1): DEX+1, {Hide in Plain Sight}, (DEX=20)
09: Assassin(3): Blind Fight
10: Monk(6): {Knockdown, Improved Knockdown}
11: Assassin(4)
12: Assassin(5): DEX+1, Weapon Focus: Kama, (DEX=21)
13: Assassin(6)
14: Assassin(7)
15: Assassin(8): Toughness
16: Assassin(9): DEX+1, (DEX=22)
17: Assassin(10)
18: Monk(7): Great Fortitude
19: Shadowdancer(2): {Darkvision}
20: Monk(8): DEX+1, (DEX=23)
21: Assassin(11): Epic Weapon Focus: Kama
22: Assassin(12)
23: Assassin(13)
24: Assassin(14): DEX+1, Epic Skill Focus: Disable Trap, Great Dexterity I, (DEX=25)
25: Assassin(15)
26: Assassin(16)
27: Assassin(17): Armor Skin
28: Assassin(18): DEX+1, Great Dexterity II, (DEX=27)
29: Assassin(19)
30: Assassin(20): Epic Fortitude
31: Assassin(21)
32: Assassin(22): DEX+1, Great Dexterity III, (DEX=29)
33: Assassin(23): Epic Prowess
34: Assassin(24)
35: Assassin(25)
36: Assassin(26): DEX+1, Epic Skill Focus: Search, Great Dexterity IV, (DEX=31)
37: Assassin(27)
38: Assassin(28)
39: Assassin(29): Great Dexterity V, (DEX=32)
40: Assassin(30): DEX+1, Great Dexterity VI, (DEX=34)

Hitpoints: 340
Skillpoints: 305
Saving Throws (Fortitude/Will/Reflex): 27/19/39
Saving Throw bonuses: Spells: +2, Mind Effects: +2, Traps: +2, Poison: +15, Fear: +2
BAB: 24
AB (max, naked): 41 (melee), 39 (ranged)
AC (naked/mundane items only – no shield): 34/34
Spell Casting:
Alignment Changes: 0

Disable Trap 43(58), Discipline 23(24), Hide 43(59), Move Silently 43(61), Open Lock 1(13), Search 20(33), Set Trap 5(19), Spellcraft 7(10), Spot 39(42), Tumble 40(52), UMD 34(33)

01: Discipline(4), Hide(4), Move Silently(4), Tumble(4), Save(12),
02: Discipline(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Tumble(1), Save(15),
03: Discipline(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Tumble(1), Save(18),
04: Discipline(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Tumble(1), Save(21),
05: Discipline(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Tumble(1), Save(24),
06: Disable Trap(9), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Open Lock(1), Set Trap(5), Spot(4), Tumble(1), UMD(9),
07: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Search(1), Spot(1), Tumble(1), UMD(1),
08: Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Search(1), Spot(1), Tumble(1), Save(4),
09: Disable Trap(2), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Spot(1), Tumble(1), UMD(2), Save(3),
10: Discipline(5), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Tumble(1), Save(2),
11: Disable Trap(2), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Spot(2), Tumble(1), UMD(2),
12: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Search(1), Spot(1), Tumble(1), UMD(1),
13: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Search(1), Spot(1), Tumble(1), UMD(1),
14: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Search(1), Spot(1), Tumble(1), UMD(1),
15: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Search(1), Spot(1), Tumble(1), UMD(1),
16: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Tumble(1), UMD(1), Save(2),
17: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Tumble(1), UMD(1), Save(4),
18: Discipline(8), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Tumble(1),
19: Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Spot(3), Tumble(1), Save(3),
20: Discipline(2), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Tumble(1), Save(5),
21: Disable Trap(4), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Tumble(1), UMD(4), Save(1),
22: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Spot(3), Tumble(1), UMD(1),
23: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Spot(2), Tumble(1), UMD(1),
24: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Search(1), Spot(1), Tumble(1), UMD(1),
25: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Search(1), Spot(1), Tumble(1), UMD(1),
26: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Spot(1), Tumble(1), UMD(1), Save(1),
27: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Spot(3), Tumble(1), UMD(1),
28: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Search(1), Spot(1), Tumble(1), UMD(1),
29: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Spot(1), Tumble(1), UMD(1), Save(1),
30: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Spot(1), Tumble(1), UMD(1), Save(2),
31: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Spot(1), Tumble(1), UMD(1), Save(3),
32: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Spellcraft(2), Spot(2), Tumble(1),
33: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Search(1), Spot(2), Save(1),
34: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Search(2), Spot(1), Save(2),
35: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Search(2), Spot(1), Save(3),
36: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Search(6), Save(1),
37: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Tumble(5),
38: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Spot(2), Save(2),
39: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Save(6),
40: Disable Trap(1), Hide(1), Move Silently(1), Spellcraft(5),

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