Changes: Death attack

Revision as of 06:57, 12 July 2019

Type of feat: class (given based on class levels)
Prerequisite: assassin

Specifics: At first level, an assassin may use a death attack, which functions similarly to a sneak attack in that if the target is not in combat they become victim to the death attack. The successful attack forces the target to make a fortitude save or become paralyzed. Even if they succeed with the saving throw they still suffer +1d6 points of damage in addition to the normal damage the attack caused. This damage increases to 2d6 at level 3, 3d6 at level 5, 4d6 at level 7, and 5d6 at level 9.

Use: automatic

Notes

Added in the expansion packs.
Death attacks are made whenever an assassin would qualify for a sneak attack, regardless of the target's combat state. (If an assassin also has a sneak attack, the game only reports "sneak attack" to the player.) In particular, death attacks can be made with ranged weapons if within 30 feet of the target.
- All death attacks deal bonus damage, but not all death attacks trigger a paralysis save.
- The bonus damage stacks with that for sneak attacks, including the blackguard's sneak attack.
- As with sneak attacks, the bonus damage is not multiplied in the case of a critical hit.
A death attack only triggers a paralysis save if the target is not engaged in combat, as per this feat's description.
- As all attacks in a flurry are effectively simultaneous, there will be a saving throw for each attack in the opening flurry of combat.
- The difficulty class of the saving throw is 10 + assassin level + intelligence modifier.
- The duration is 1 turn per assassin level.
- As of Enhanced Edition patch 1.74, only the first attack in a flurry will trigger a paralysis save.
The damage continues to increase in epic class levels at the rate of 1d6 for every 2 levels (i.e., 6d6 at level 11, 7d6 at level 13, and continuing up to 15d6 at level 29).
As of patch 1.66, immunity to mind-affecting spells no longer makes a character immune to death attack paralysis.
As of Enhanced Edition patch 1.74, Uncanny Dodge II provides immunity to flanking death attacks under certain class level checks between the attacker and defender. See the Uncanny Dodge article for more information.

Custom content notes

This feat can be given to non-assassins, but the duration of the paralysis would be fixed at 1 turn.
If given as a bonus feat, the death attack message will not display for characters who already possess a sneak attack.

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-==Notes==
+== Notes ==
 *Added in the [[expansion pack]]s.
+* Death attacks are made whenever an assassin would qualify for a sneak attack, regardless of the target's combat state. (If an assassin also has a sneak attack, the game only reports "sneak attack" to the player.) In particular, death attacks can be made with ranged weapons if within 30 feet of the target.
-*The [[difficulty class]] of the paralysis saving throw is 10 + assassin level + [[intelligence]] [[modifier]], and the duration is 1 [[turn]] for each assassin level.
+** All death attacks deal bonus damage, but not all death attacks trigger a paralysis save.
-*Death attacks can be made with ranged weapons if within 30 feet of the target.
-*The damage bonus for death attacks [[stack]]s with that for sneak attacks, including the [[sneak attack, blackguard|blackguard's sneak attack]].
+** The bonus damage [[stack]]s with that for sneak attacks, including the [[sneak attack, blackguard|blackguard's sneak attack]].
-*As with sneak attacks, the extra damage from a death attack is not multiplied in the case of a [[critical hit]].
+** As with sneak attacks, the bonus damage is not multiplied in the case of a [[critical hit]].
-*The two parts of a death attack follow different rules for when they are applied. The save against paralysis is only made if the target is not engaged in combat, as per this feat's description. The damage bonus, on the other hand, is applied whenever an assassin's attack would qualify as a sneak attack.
+* A death attack only triggers a paralysis save if the target is not engaged in combat, as per this feat's description.
+** As all attacks in a [[flurry]] are effectively simultaneous, there will be a saving throw for each attack in the opening flurry of combat.
-*Assassins are never reported by the game as making a sneak attack. Any attack made by an assassin that qualifies as a sneak attack is called a death attack, even if there will be no save versus paralysis.
+** The [[difficulty class]] of the saving throw is 10 + assassin level + [[intelligence]] [[modifier]].
-*The damage continues to increase in [[epic]] levels at the rate of 1d6 for every 2 levels (i.e., 6d6 at level 11, 7d6 at level 13, and continuing up to 15d6 at level 29).
+** The duration is 1 [[turn]] per assassin level.
-*As of [[patch]] 1.66, [[immunity]] to mind spells no longer makes a character immune to death attack paralysis.
+** As of Enhanced Edition patch 1.74, only the first attack in a flurry will trigger a paralysis save.
-*This feat functions even if the character has no Assassin levels. The paralysis effect has a minimum duration of 1 turn.
+* The damage continues to increase in [[epic class]] levels at the rate of 1d6 for every 2 levels (i.e., 6d6 at level 11, 7d6 at level 13, and continuing up to 15d6 at level 29).
-*When gained as a bonus feat, the Death Attack message will not display&nbsp;for characters&nbsp;that already&nbsp;possessed a&nbsp;Sneak Attack feat.
+*As of [[patch]] 1.66, immunity to [[mind-affecting]] spells no longer makes a character immune to death attack paralysis.
+*As of Enhanced Edition patch 1.74, [[Uncanny Dodge]] II provides immunity to flanking death attacks under certain class level checks between the attacker and defender. See the Uncanny Dodge article for more information.
+== Custom content notes ==
+* This feat can be given to non-assassins, but the duration of the paralysis would be fixed at 1 turn.
+* If given as a bonus feat, the death attack message will not display for characters who already possess a sneak attack.