Assassins
Deadly Killers and Masters of Poison
Assassins are highly trained killers who strike from the shadows. Many are mercenaries, slaying for coin, while others kill to advance political or ideological aims. In contrast to honorable knights or rank-and-file soldiers, assassins prefer clandestine methods – stalking targets unseen and eliminating them with a single decisive blow. They are masters of stealth, deception, and toxins, employing these skills to ensure their victim is neutralized before a fight even begins. Some operate alone as freelance hitmen, while others belong to secretive guilds that teach the art of silent death and enforce strict codes of secrecy. The most notorious assassins attain near-legendary status, feared for their ability to slip past guards, kill without warning, and vanish without a trace.
Assassin Lore
- Assassins specialize in delivering quiet, sudden death. Many kill for pay as hired blades, while some serve fanatic causes or political agendas.
- An assassin might pose as a servant, guard, or friend until the moment to kill arrives.
- Elite assassins employ deadly poisons that can slay even the heartiest foe
- Legends say that shadowy organizations employ assassins to enforce their will through fear and targeted killing.
Assassin Tactics
Assassins are ambusher NPCs built for burst damage and swift escapes rather than prolonged battles. They excel at eliminating key targets in a single strike and withdrawing before they can be pinned down. Assassins often:
- Strike first and strike hard: They almost always attack from surprise or before their prey can react, utilizing abilities like Deadly Ambusher and Brutal Critical to dispatch their foes
- Utilize Toxic Poison, Poisoned Attack, or Weakening Poison to debilitate their foes
- Avoid being pinned down with Cunning Action and abilities like Hard to Pin Down and Nimble Reaction
- Exploit their opponent's weaknesses with Identify Weakness and Focus Shot
Assassin Statblocks
Foe Foundry provides a range of assassin statblocks from a mid-level Contract Killer up to an infamous Legendary Assassin. These NPCs are perfect for urban intrigue, political treachery, or any scenario where a blade in the dark threatens the heroes.
Contract Killer
A mid-tier hired blade adept at striking from cover with poison and climbing into vantage points. Contract Killers often work for thieves' guilds, crime bosses, or corrupt nobles, eliminating inconvenient targets quietly.
Contract Killer
Summoned with Foe FoundryMedium Humanoid (Assassin)
AC 16 (Studded Leather Armor) Initiative +6 (16)
HP 71 (11d8 + 22)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Str | 10 | +0 | +0 |
| Dex | 18 | +4 | +4 |
| Con | 14 | +2 | +2 |
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Int | 13 | +1 | +1 |
| Wis | 13 | +1 | +1 |
| Cha | 13 | +1 | +1 |
Skills Acrobatics +6, Stealth +6, Perception +3
Senses Passive Perception 13
Languages Common
CR 4 (1,100 XP; PB +2)
Traits
Hard to Pin Down. The assassin is difficult to pin down. Ranged attacks against it are made at disadvantage if there is not at least one hostile creature within 10 feet of the assassin.
Actions
Poisoned Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 9 (2d4 + 4) piercing damage and 20 (8d4) poison damage.
Poisoned Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 30/120ft., one target. Hit 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage and 17 (5d6) poison damage.
Bonus Actions
Cunning Action. The assassin uses Dash, Disengage, or Hide.
Toxic Poison. Immediately after hitting a creature with an attack, the assassin forces it to make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it gains Susceptible to Poison (save ends at end of turn). A creature susceptible to poison ignores any immunity or resistance to poison that it may have. If it had no such immunity or resistance, it is instead vulnerable to poison.
Assassin
An elite shadow operative trained to take out well-guarded targets with swift precision. They plan meticulously, strike when the moment is right, and use every trick (poisons, disguises, crossbows) to ensure the kill. Many assassins of this caliber are guild members or personal enforcers for powerful villains.
Assassin
Summoned with Foe FoundryMedium Humanoid (Assassin)
AC 17 (Studded Leather Armor) Initiative +11 (21)
HP 112 (15d8 + 45)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Str | 12 | +1 | +1 |
| Dex | 20 | +5 | +8 |
| Con | 16 | +3 | +3 |
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Int | 15 | +2 | +5 |
| Wis | 15 | +2 | +2 |
| Cha | 15 | +2 | +2 |
Skills Acrobatics +8, Stealth +11, Perception +8
Senses Passive Perception 18
Languages Common
CR 8 (3,900 XP; PB +3)
Traits
Evasion. If the assassin is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, the assassin instead takes no damage if it succeeds and half damage if it fails.
Actions
Multiattack. The assassin makes two Poisoned Dagger or Poisoned Hand Crossbow attacks.
Poisoned Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 10 (2d4 + 5) piercing damage and 17 (5d6) poison damage. On a hit, the target must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or become Weakened until the end of its next turn. A weakened creature deals half damage with its spells and attacks and has disadvantage on Strength ability checks and saving throws.
Poisoned Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 30/120ft., one target. Hit 12 (2d6 + 5) piercing damage and 14 (4d6) poison damage.
Bonus Actions
Cunning Action. The assassin uses Dash, Disengage, or Hide.
Focus Shot (Recharge 4-6). If the assassin has not moved this turn, it gains advantage on the next attack roll it makes this turn. Its speed becomes 0 until the start of its next turn. If the attack hits, the assassin can choose one of the following options:
- Aim for the Eyes: the target must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or be Blinded for 1 minute (save ends at end of turn)
- Bring it Down: the target must make a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked Prone
- Vein Slice: the target must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or gain Bleeding [7 (2d6) piercing]. A bleeding creature suffers 7 (2d6) ongoing piercing damage at the end of each of its turns. A creature may use an action to attempt a DC 10 Medicine check to end the condition. The condition also ends if the creature receives any magical healing.
Assassin Legend
A near-mythical master of assassination whose name is whispered in fear. An Assassin Legend is preternaturally skilled and equipped with special tools: they might employ explosive poison bombs or other deadly gadgets. This is the assassin who can single-handedly challenge an entire party and slip away to tell the tale.
Assassin Legend
Summoned with Foe FoundryMedium Humanoid (Assassin)
AC 19 (Studded Leather Armor +2) Initiative +14 (24)
HP 190 (20d8 + 100)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Str | 12 | +1 | +1 |
| Dex | 22 | +6 | +10 |
| Con | 20 | +5 | +9 |
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Int | 16 | +3 | +7 |
| Wis | 16 | +3 | +7 |
| Cha | 16 | +3 | +3 |
Skills Acrobatics +14, Stealth +14, Perception +11
Senses Passive Perception 21
Languages Common
CR 12 (8,400 XP; PB +4)
Traits
Indirect Fire. The assassin can perform its ranged attacks indirectly, such as by arcing or curving shots. It ignores half and three-quarters cover. These attacks are often unexpected. If it makes a ranged attack against a creature with half or three-quarters cover that is not yet aware of this ability, the attack is made at advantage. Any creature that can see the attack occuring is then aware of this ability.
Legendary Prowess (3/day). The assassin can choose to succeed on a saving throw or ability check instead of failing. When it does so, it takes 10 force damage.
Actions
Multiattack. The assassin makes two Poisoned Dagger or Poisoned Hand Crossbow attacks. It may replace one attack with a use of its Dread Gaze.
Poisoned Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 11 (2d4 + 6) piercing damage and 7 (3d4) poison damage. On a hit, the target must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or become Poisoned until the end of its next turn.
Poisoned Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 30/120ft., one target. Hit 9 (1d6 + 6) piercing damage and 7 (2d6) poison damage.
Dread Gaze. The assassin targets one creature it can see within 60 feet. If the target can see the assassin it must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom save or become Frightened of the the assassin (save ends at end of turn). If the target fails the save by 5 or more, it is also Paralyzed while frightened in this way. A creature that succeeds on the save is immune to this effect for 1 hour.
Bonus Actions
Cunning Action. The assassin uses Dash, Disengage, or Hide.
Reactions
Nimble Reaction (Recharge 4-6). When the assassin is the only target of a melee attack, they can move up to half their speed without provoking opportunity attacks. If this movement leaves the assassin outside the attacking creature's reach, then the attack misses.
Legendary Actions (3)
Attack. The assassin makes a Poisoned Dagger or Poisoned Hand Crossbow attack.
Dart. The assassin moves up to its speed without provoking attacks of opportunity.
Nimble Reaction. The assassin attempts to recharge its Nimble Reaction ability. It can't take this action again until the start of its next turn.
Assassin Encounter Ideas
These assassin-themed encounter ideas can inject intrigue and peril into any campaign, especially ones featuring espionage, betrayal, or stealth missions. Use them to challenge players with cunning enemies who don't fight fair:
- A Contract Killer approaches the party and asks for information about a target they seek. The target they describe is clearly one of the PCs, though the mercenary does not realize it yet.
- A spurned lover of one of the PCs has hired an Assassin to take out their former love
- A messenger approaches the party carrying a shiny, guilded scroll. As one of the PCs opens the letter, it simply reads "Die, scum!" as the Assassin drives a blade into their side.
- One of the PCs receives a mysterious notebook of bound black vellum. The inscription simply reads "Write the name and bare the knife, strike the blow and still the life". Subsequent pages appear to just contain a single name written in blood. The last page contains the name of the PC. The notebook is the misplaced contract book of a Legendary Assassin.
Assassin Adventure Ideas
For a longer arc or campaign subplot, these adventure hooks involve assassins at the center of the story. Each idea features high stakes, morally gray choices, and opportunities for both stealth and combat as the PCs deal with lethal killers and their employers:
- A paranoid noble who believes he is being stalked hires the PCs to protect him at night. His fears turn out to be true, as a Contract Killer bursts into the manor later that night.
- At a royal banquet, an Assassin lurks among the servants in disguise. As toasts are raised, the assassin attempts to poison a visiting dignitary’s wine.
- A beautiful woman begs the heroes to help protect her from a ruthless Assassin that stalks her at night. Her tale is only half lies, as it turns out she is the assassin and the party her prey.
- A fanatic cult has hired a Legendary Assassin to kill all the leaders of each temple in the capital with a cursed black blade. So far, three of the four Priests have been slain. The fourth temple hires the PCs to protect their Archpriest