Tips for an assassin start?

[Saark]

Get a 4 AP dagger and tank 2 guys by alternatively keeping their accuracy as low as possible meanwhile your 2 mates will slowly wittle them down with their crossbows. You could also get a fire vial to push them back once, that usually gets you a turn or two.

Assassin starts rather slowly so this is one of the hardest fight you will encounter in quite some time.

 

[Kuattro]

Nah, it's just that the game is designed so that even characters focused purely on combat will still have difficult fights. So what is a "difficult fight" for a dedicated combat specialist can feel impossible for a hybrid. Hybrids are perfectly viable if you try to avoid the bigger fights (which usually have warnings before them - for example right after the fight outside the assassin's guild you can tell them you're out instead of invading the imperial guard HQ). As you get better at character building and combat tactics, you'll find that most of the more difficult fights are winnable with hybrids too, especially if you're not too stingy with your consumables. A 5 point investment in alchemy is highly worth it just to let you make your own poisons, which are extremely useful for fighting heavily armored dudes.

If you really want to see a good hybrid in action, I would recommend trying a loremaster with a lot of crafting, since crafting is great for combat and also used in a lot of the text adventures.

Yeah, but in order to even get the option to skip the assault, I have to take on four heavily armored fellas that seem to be impervious to anything I do to them. And they're definitely not optional (well, okay, technically they are, but I don't want to go that route. And even if I did, what if I keep playing and in the future find myself unable to continue because the build is just not working, or I don't know how to make it work?). And now I can't remember if the two at the HQ's door are optional or not.. I tried going all out with nets and bolas and liquid fire, because I was saving them for the centurion, thinking "fuck it, I'll skip the centurion and be done with it", and again, I ended up as a little puddle as soon as I tried to get close to them.

I put three/four on alchemy, I had some acid. To no result...

Get a 4 AP dagger and tank 2 guys by alternatively keeping their accuracy as low as possible meanwhile your 2 mates will slowly wittle them down with their crossbows. You could also get a fire vial to push them back once, that usually gets you a turn or two.

Assassin starts rather slowly so this is one of the hardest fight you will encounter in quite some time.

Tried it before. Since my STR is low, stabbing their arms doesn't reduce their accuracy but once every geological era, and 6 dodging (the best I can do if I want to put a couple of points in daggers and criticals) doesn't seem to allow me to tank anyone. And that's when my companions don't decide that shooting ME in the back is a good idea, which normaly happens when things seem to be going better than usual. And I got three liquid fire vials, it was a nice wall, but it seems that I would need more than a couple of turns.

As I said, either I gimped myself too much to get high INT and CHAR, or I'm just bad at this. Or both. But again, thanks to both of you.

 

[~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸-AIN'T]

High INT and CHA hybrids probably are the most difficult to play, simply because you're lacking the most points on the physical stats. I'd recommend restarting, and this time maybe dump CHA, or if you don't want to dump either of those stats entirely, at least bring them down to 6-7.

You might also consider playing with a pure combat build to start out. You'll learn the ins and outs of the combat system, which will help you when you try to make a hybrid.

 

[Saark]

Hm I rolled a 6 or 7 str assassin, maybe even less, and had no issues whatsoever with hitting their arms. I played a 10DEX 9PER assassin though, so that might be the difference here. As long as you hit them you reduce their stats. Only thing that matters in how big the reduction is is the weapon you use to hit them. 3 AP dagger is 5 dodge/accuracy, 10 on crit. 4 AP dagger is 10/20.

 

[Irenaeus II]

Here's an unconventional but successful (I guess) build for Assassin I'm using by mid-Maadoran:

Spoiler

I started with standard attributes for Assassin (7 9 6 8 5 5) and putting points in combat skills in sword (main weapon), dagger (thought I'd use it but didn't) and critical strike (for dialogues more than battles). As for social skills, I started Sneak (you use it in early missions before you are a good fighter) and streetwise (so you are not a fooled by everybody).
My weapon of choice for the start was unusual, one I haven't seen being used much: the bronze scimitar. It's two handed and heavy, but after you have enough skill in swords it
really makes a difference in combat, particularly after you poison and sharpen the blade and aim for the arms. Using the net in one-vs-one is a must, because it cripples the other guy, but in group fights I didn't find it so good because you waste too much AP switching in inventory. I'd rather just go for the heavy damage of this type of build.

As I gained SP I pumped crafting to improve equipment and pumped dodge and ok level. The good of dodging with the scimitar is the counter-attack bonus, meaning I dealt a lot of damage in group fights.

Just returned from this great quest and combat:

Spoiler

Now moving to the main quests of the Assassins in Maadoran, I hope my build continues to be successful.

#DeusVult

 

[Goral]

(...) in group fights I didn't find it so good because you waste too much AP switching in inventory (...)

Not sure if you know this but you can put smaller items (like a net) in your belt bag which reduces the AP cost of using this item.

 

[Irenaeus II]

Not sure if you know this but you can put smaller items (like a net) in your belt bag which reduces the AP cost of using this item.

I didn't know that! Thanks, I'll try it now.

 

[Agesilaus]

Kuattro, If you are putting your strength at 4, use a crossbow. Or, maybe, pump CS through the roof. Anything else makes no sense. You just won't scratch anyone.

 

[Kuattro]

Kuattro, If you are putting your strength at 4, use a crossbow. Or, maybe, pump CS through the roof. Anything else makes no sense. You just won't scratch anyone.

Well, I've already deleted the save (not that it took that long to get there) and am now cutting through everything with my axe-wielding mercenary (not as fun as talking through everything, but I'll make do), but thanks. I didn't see that much difference with the crossbow (the one time I managed that fight was with one, so I guess it can help, but the other half a dozen where I got my ass kicked even with one don't make me very hopeful), and I don't think I had enough skillpoints to bump my CS without neglecting all the other combat skills. I guess that it just wasn't meant to be. Next time, as has been recommended, I'll dump CHA and put the points in strength. The training opportunities weren't so important that they couldn't be skipped.

If this serves any purpose, let it be this: For any new assassins out there, you ignore STR at your own peril, and CS will NOT get you through combat. Not by itself I mean.

 

[~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸-AIN'T]

If this serves any purpose, let it be this: For any new assassins out there, you ignore STR at your own peril, and CS will NOT get you through combat. Not by itself I mean.

It's hard, and I wouldn't recommend it for a new assassin, but my current build is a 5 STR assassin/loremaster hybrid who's become champion of the Maadoran arena and only skipped out on a couple of too-hard fights. This guy gets by with crafting, so he has good DR with low dodge penalty as well as high THC/CS weapons, and hammers that do a great job lowering enemy DR. Once I ramped the CS to 7 he became a damage dealing machine, but even at 4 CS he was holding his own even in many of the hardest fights. Liberal use of nets/bolas/weak poison/whetstones, and a propensity for aimed arm and leg attacks have carried him, despite low strength and only 9 AP.

 

[Kuattro]

It's hard, and I wouldn't recommend it for a new assassin, but my current build is a 5 STR assassin/loremaster hybrid who's become champion of the Maadoran arena and only skipped out on a couple of too-hard fights. This guy gets by with crafting, so he has good DR with low dodge penalty as well as high THC/CS weapons, and hammers that do a great job lowering enemy DR. Once I ramped the CS to 7 he became a damage dealing machine, but even at 4 CS he was holding his own even in many of the hardest fights. Liberal use of nets/bolas/weak poison/whetstones, and a propensity for aimed arm and leg attacks have carried him, despite low strength and only 9 AP.

Let me ammend my statement: I am shit at this and you can safely ignore anything I've said. I will now go cry in the corner.

 

[Agesilaus]

Well, I've already deleted the save (not that it took that long to get there) and am now cutting through everything with my axe-wielding mercenary (not as fun as talking through everything, but I'll make do), but thanks. I didn't see that much difference with the crossbow (the one time I managed that fight was with one, so I guess it can help, but the other half a dozen where I got my ass kicked even with one don't make me very hopeful), and I don't think I had enough skillpoints to bump my CS without neglecting all the other combat skills. I guess that it just wasn't meant to be. Next time, as has been recommended, I'll dump CHA and put the points in strength. The training opportunities weren't so important that they couldn't be skipped.

If this serves any purpose, let it be this: For any new assassins out there, you ignore STR at your own peril, and CS will NOT get you through combat. Not by itself I mean.

As far as I know, crossbow damage isn't affected by strength. With a flame wall, not too many people will hit you early on, especially if you have a hand xbow with shield. That means you only need dexterity. 5 dex will let you shoot a standard Xbow once a turn, less for hand. More dex will let you unload an entire repeating crossbow (imagine poisoning 5 people in one round, then running away). You can go into combat dual wielding poisoned hand Xbows, too; maybe you can put two on your belt, as well.

 

[Cholo]

I think the assassin might be my favorite for a hybrid so far. Just ending Maadoran with these stats:

Spoiler

Unfortunately it seems like the very event I set him up from the start for is going to end the Assassin's Guild questline early :/ Hand crossbow plus poison and a good selection of ammo has been potent, and dovetailed skill-wise with the more recently acquired weapon. Dodge feels significantly better than block did. It is great how the ranged weapons get you thinking about which enemies forgot to wear a helmet, barbed bolts to the face can end otherwise tough fights very quickly.

 

[Darth Roxor]

It is great how the ranged weapons get you thinking about which enemies forgot to wear a helmet, barbed bolts to the face can end otherwise tough fights very quickly.

Yeah. Piercing aimed legs -> barbed aimed head was my favourite method of git disposal.

 

[Shadenuat]

Basically any strong fighter build with Critical Strike can waltz through Boatmen quests. If anything wearing heaviest armor is even a great boon since game will think you're like AssAsin with tricks and knives and then you walk into 1 vs 3+ fight in crafted heavy armor with shield and a huge club, Critical Strike a bunch of dudes and then effortlessy kill everyone else, while they often wear little to nothing or are outdated in difficulty for a half decent fighter character.

The only time when you are forced to fight on uneven terms is in Maadoran, 2d quest I believe - if you fail Impersonate (second most useful skill after Critical Strike) you will start with no armor. Which is stupid since judging by the text quest you can kill one dude there and then take a walk to the place where you have to fight just in tunic.

To distinguish it from everyone else Boatmen need a lot more checks for Sneak, Alchemy, ranged weapons, Dexterity/Perception, Streetwise (this skill is now mostly underused for fighters of all sorts since it's mostly about avoiding fights and giving you meta-information which on 2d playthrough you'd know anyway; it might be used to figure out alternative pathways in places like slums, avoiding people by going through secret tunnels/rooftops etc.) and, to the lesser extent, maybe even Persuasion+Etiquette & Impersonate+Etiquette.

Also, Critical Strike options should be added to fights after Teron akin to raiders in Teron, like for fights in Slums, raiders at Monastery, and other random mooks.

 

[Magnificate]

BTW, what stat do I actually need to join the Assassin Guild?

 

[Mozg]

AFAIK just one body count.