I was really impresed with smigmals assassins and the kind of damage they do. Unfortunately all I've ever played as is fighter and wizard/sorceress. So my question is would a rogue or rogue/monk combo be the right combo? I dominated the assassin and wrote down their feats, just wondering what class would make the best assassin.
Well it depends ;-) The Monk class is a "terminal" class, so multiclassing is a bit more of a challenge. And there's a bit of overlap in special abilities ( rolling with punch and that sort of thing ) but you do get some healing at Monk level 7. Multiclassing with a Fighter would more balanced level wise and you'd have more flexibility feat wise. It's your game, you make the call !
Multiclass Cleric/Rogue so you get some spells like an assassin and use the Cleric's death touch for actual assassinations.
I would think you would need at least a few levels in rogue being that an assassin enjoys the extra sneak attack die and is designed to strike from the shadows. In 3.5e the assassin went from being a prestige class to being an actual class in it's own and gains some pretty devastating techniques. Shadow Walk, run and step and a plus to crits when dual wielding daggers to name a few.
Hmmm... gotta disagree on a few fronts there, SirChet. I think all the previous posters were talking 'multiclassing' in terms of 'rogue + ???', and I am pretty sure the 3.5 DMG still had it as a Prestige Class. (pg 180 ) Agree it's devastating though.
I believe an addition to the 3.5e DMG added it as a class on it's own, but it does warn DMs that it shouldn't be used in a campaign where the prestige class assassin is already present. I'll do some looking for that addition.
I have to say I'd always assumed that all 'assassins' in the ToEE computer game and mods were pure rogues, with their enhanced damage due to sneak attacks. High level rogue + improved invisiblity + haste + holy elemental composite bow is probably the most effective way of dealing HP damage in the game (divine power + righteous might + scather + power attacknat max also very good). Beyond a 'real world' conception of an assassin as a sneaky, precision damage based character, wizards make pretty good assassins too: teleport in, cast finger of death or cloudkill or any other save or die spell of your choice, and teleport out again..invisibly.