What is the best Assassin

[Giant2005]

Why?
A D-Bee using gadgets, weapons etc. with natural abilities that assist in killing would obviously be better. Or a Mage or Psychic.

I think the best Assassin would be a Kildred Mage specializing in Demon Magic. They can kill safely from thousands of miles away via Death by 1000 Cuts so they can kill their targets with absolute ease and reliably.
The only way a mage with that spell would be caught is if they were traced via the client or some kind of paper trail - a Kildred has the psionic abilities to make sure that doesn't happen and the MA (And more Psionics) to make a fairly convincing defense if someone still managed to track them down.

[flatline]

What is Death by 1000 Cuts and where is it described?

--flatline

[Subjugator]

Whomever killed the Dominator homeworld. A black hole projector is not likely to miss or fail. Otherwise, the obvious answer is Mulka!

[Giant2005]

What is Death by 1000 Cuts and where is it described?

--flatline

Dimensional Outbreak page 190.
It is a level 14 Demon Magic Spell. You need a DNA sample of your target, a personal possession of the target or a photo of the target (If using a photo the target only takes 70% of the normal damage however). The mage cuts himself up to 1000 times (minimum of 500), he feels the pain of every cut but the magic keeps the cuts from killing him. When the spell is complete, if the target fails a save of 17 or higher, s/he is bombarded with 1 HP or 1 MD for every cut the mage inflicted upon himself. If the target fails his save, the caster is instantly healed and he knows if the victim survived or died.
If the victim makes the save, he instead loses 50% of his HP or MDC and the caster gets pretty screwed: he loses all but 1D6 HP or MDC (Not really a problem for a Kildred however which would recover in minutes) but more importantly he permanently loses 4 points of PB and ME, his SDC is lowered by 20% and he rolls for one random insanity.
Maybe that Kildred would be better off using his Psionics to make someone else cast the spell via scroll .

[flatline]

What is Death by 1000 Cuts and where is it described?

--flatline

Dimensional Outbreak page 190.
It is a level 14 Demon Magic Spell. You need a DNA sample of your target, a personal possession of the target or a photo of the target (If using a photo the target only takes 70% of the normal damage however). The mage cuts himself up to 1000 times (minimum of 500), he feels the pain of every cut but the magic keeps the cuts from killing him. When the spell is complete, if the target fails a save of 17 or higher, s/he is bombarded with 1 HP or 1 MD for every cut the mage inflicted upon himself. If the target fails his save, the caster is instantly healed and he knows if the victim survived or died.
If the victim makes the save, he instead loses 50% of his HP or MDC and the caster gets pretty screwed: he loses all but 1D6 HP or MDC (Not really a problem for a Kildred however which would recover in minutes) but more importantly he permanently loses 4 points of PB and ME, his SDC is lowered by 20% and he rolls for one random insanity.
Maybe that Kildred would be better off using his Psionics to make someone else cast the spell via scroll .

I think I'd put that spell in the same category as Fourth Dimension Transformation. Useful for special circumstances, but too risky to make a viable long term strategy unless, as you mentioned, you're getting others to cast it for you.

Edit: out of curiosity, what is the range and what happens if the target is out of range (or in another dimension)?

--flatline

[rat_bastard]

A power armor piloting, Naruni equipped Cyberknight.

The Naruni Shoulder cannon is probably the most devestating sniper rifle in the game (though it should be one of several the Knight uses)
Naruni Stealth power armor gives +20% prowl, great sensor and optics enhancements and a boatload of extra attacks
from level 4 on up a cyber knight can become invisible to sensors.

Couple that with some isp masking psi powers and a few choices of sniper rifle (15mm sniper rifle, mdc crossbow, naruni shoulder cannon) and you have invisible death.

[Giant2005]

What is Death by 1000 Cuts and where is it described?

--flatline

Dimensional Outbreak page 190.
It is a level 14 Demon Magic Spell. You need a DNA sample of your target, a personal possession of the target or a photo of the target (If using a photo the target only takes 70% of the normal damage however). The mage cuts himself up to 1000 times (minimum of 500), he feels the pain of every cut but the magic keeps the cuts from killing him. When the spell is complete, if the target fails a save of 17 or higher, s/he is bombarded with 1 HP or 1 MD for every cut the mage inflicted upon himself. If the target fails his save, the caster is instantly healed and he knows if the victim survived or died.
If the victim makes the save, he instead loses 50% of his HP or MDC and the caster gets pretty screwed: he loses all but 1D6 HP or MDC (Not really a problem for a Kildred however which would recover in minutes) but more importantly he permanently loses 4 points of PB and ME, his SDC is lowered by 20% and he rolls for one random insanity.
Maybe that Kildred would be better off using his Psionics to make someone else cast the spell via scroll .

I think I'd put that spell in the same category as Fourth Dimension Transformation. Useful for special circumstances, but too risky to make a viable long term strategy unless, as you mentioned, you're getting others to cast it for you.

Edit: out of curiosity, what is the range and what happens if the target is out of range (or in another dimension)?

--flatline

1000 miles per level range and it doesn't say what happens if you try to cast it on someone out of range, I assume the spell just wouldn't work. There are rules for casting the spell on someone that is protected by magic by a magic circle or something, basically the spell doesn't hit them until they are no longer protected. The same thing could possibly occur if they are out of range - the spell could stay in limbo until they enter range and are hit.

[flatline]

What is Death by 1000 Cuts and where is it described?

--flatline

Dimensional Outbreak page 190.
It is a level 14 Demon Magic Spell. You need a DNA sample of your target, a personal possession of the target or a photo of the target (If using a photo the target only takes 70% of the normal damage however). The mage cuts himself up to 1000 times (minimum of 500), he feels the pain of every cut but the magic keeps the cuts from killing him. When the spell is complete, if the target fails a save of 17 or higher, s/he is bombarded with 1 HP or 1 MD for every cut the mage inflicted upon himself. If the target fails his save, the caster is instantly healed and he knows if the victim survived or died.
If the victim makes the save, he instead loses 50% of his HP or MDC and the caster gets pretty screwed: he loses all but 1D6 HP or MDC (Not really a problem for a Kildred however which would recover in minutes) but more importantly he permanently loses 4 points of PB and ME, his SDC is lowered by 20% and he rolls for one random insanity.
Maybe that Kildred would be better off using his Psionics to make someone else cast the spell via scroll .

I think I'd put that spell in the same category as Fourth Dimension Transformation. Useful for special circumstances, but too risky to make a viable long term strategy unless, as you mentioned, you're getting others to cast it for you.

Edit: out of curiosity, what is the range and what happens if the target is out of range (or in another dimension)?

--flatline

1000 miles per level range and it doesn't say what happens if you try to cast it on someone out of range, I assume the spell just wouldn't work. There are rules for casting the spell on someone that is protected by magic by a magic circle or something, basically the spell doesn't hit them until they are no longer protected. The same thing could possibly occur if they are out of range - the spell could stay in limbo until they enter range and are hit.

I'll have that book soon. When I see the official description, I suspect that I'll house-rule it to be a curse where the damage is unhealable by the target, but is transferred from the caster to the target over some amount of time so that there's a chance that remove curse (or maybe negate magic? or some sort of intervention (divine?)) could be applied to save the target.

I don't know. I don't mind spells/powers that have dire, hard to fight effects, but I do like things to be a little more sportsmanlike than what you've described.

--flatline

[Giant2005]

I'll have that book soon. When I see the official description, I suspect that I'll house-rule it to be a curse where the damage is unhealable by the target, but is transferred from the caster to the target over some amount of time so that there's a chance that remove curse (or maybe negate magic? or some sort of intervention (divine?)) could be applied to save the target.

I don't know. I don't mind spells/powers that have dire, hard to fight effects, but I do like things to be a little more sportsmanlike than what you've described.

--flatline

That sounds fair, although it isn't really necessary - it isn't a spell that is ever likely to come into play unless the GM himself is using it on the players.

[Killer Cyborg]

Assassins are tools.
The best tool for the job depends on what the job is.
The best assassin for the job depends on what the job is.

[Daniel Stoker]

Yea, going after someone in Psyscape vs going after someone in Chi-Town vs going after someone in Atlantis are all going to have their own requirements and the best in one would be less useful somewhere else.


Daniel Stoker

[Jorel]

Assassins are tools...

This line made me laugh. I took the other meaning.

[flatline]

Assassins are tools.
The best tool for the job depends on what the job is.
The best assassin for the job depends on what the job is.

This is exactly correct. Context is everything when trying to decide what tool is the best.

--flatline

[Nightmask]

Assassins are tools.
The best tool for the job depends on what the job is.
The best assassin for the job depends on what the job is.

This is exactly correct. Context is everything when trying to decide what tool is the best.

--flatline

Given the nature of the question (and what we often see as the intent of such question), then we can likely assume the context would be 'what assassin is the most flexible and capable of doing any sort of assassination no matter what it might be'. So what assassin can most readily take and complete any sort of job.

[Killer Cyborg]

Assassins are tools.
The best tool for the job depends on what the job is.
The best assassin for the job depends on what the job is.

This is exactly correct. Context is everything when trying to decide what tool is the best.

--flatline

Given the nature of the question (and what we often see as the intent of such question), then we can likely assume the context would be 'what assassin is the most flexible and capable of doing any sort of assassination no matter what it might be'. So what assassin can most readily take and complete any sort of job.

In that case, I'd say that a Mind Melter of some kind would be the most versatile.

OR a super-powered character.

[boxee]

Crazy without the rods.

[Alrik Vas]

Creative thinking is the best assassin.

[Mack]

Gateway Knight (Madhaven) with Astral Projection as one of his psionic selections. Astral Projection allows him to scout and become familiar with a location without giving himself away. Then he just teleports in, blasts the target, and teleports back out. The whole sequence can be done in a single melee round.

(Though admittedly this isn't a very "White Knight" kind of thing to do.)

[Giant2005]

Does the best Assassin even have to kill anyone? Does using Instill Memory to convince your client that he watched the target die qualify as a job well done?
It isn't your fault if the client sees the target walking around later after witnessing his death first hand - someone obviously resurrected him.

[Alrik Vas]

Oh, wait. Creative thinking is good, but there is no replacement for someone who is close, emotionally and temporally, to the target.

[Giant2005]

Does the best Assassin even have to kill anyone? Does using Instill Memory to convince your client that he watched the target die qualify as a job well done?
It isn't your fault if the client sees the target walking around later after witnessing his death first hand - someone obviously resurrected him.

Tell you what: try that one on Splyncryth and if you come back with the exact same body you left with, I'll buy you a case of Psi-Cola.

I wouldn't try much of anything on Splynncryth - if he approached me to hire me or approached me for any reason, my energy would be spent on trying to be elsewhere.

[Alrik Vas]

I thought he was only an Anarchist. Just get on his good side, man. He'll have your back for life.

[Giant2005]

I thought he was only an Anarchist. Just get on his good side, man. He'll have your back for life.

The Sunaj have been trying that tactic for longer than my remaining life expectancy and on the chain of hierarchy, they are lower than the category "Other" .

[Daniel Stoker]

Gateway Knight (Madhaven) with Astral Projection as one of his psionic selections. Astral Projection allows him to scout and become familiar with a location without giving himself away. Then he just teleports in, blasts the target, and teleports back out. The whole sequence can be done in a single melee round.

(Though admittedly this isn't a very "White Knight" kind of thing to do.)

Or just be a MM with Astral Transference.


Daniel Stoker

[Killer Cyborg]

Mages and psionics can be sensed correct. Supernatural creatures can be sensed also correct. So in Rifts the advantage of being an assassin in Coalition Territory would fall to a normal human. Now with the ability to blend in and move undetected is very important, the only thing required would be tools of the trade.

In Coalition territory, psychics are allowed; mages are not.
A psychic would only need the proper cover, and he could get inside.

On the other hand, super powers are much harder to detect, and would be even easier to sneak inside.

[everloss]

Assassins are tools.
The best tool for the job depends on what the job is.
The best assassin for the job depends on what the job is.

Agreed.
Although for me, a Psi-slayer is always the best one for the job. Whatever the job.

[Giant2005]

Using Rifter stuff here so it isn't entirely canon but a Transferred Intelligence (With Psionics) Nanobot Hive from Rifter 37 would do pretty well.
Alter Aura doesn't really have rules covering if a Robot was using it but manipulating one's "physical energy field to appear different" could have the potential to concealing a power source when used by a Robot. If that worked, that Nanobot Hive could hide as all kinds of common household appliances and such without much chance of detection.

[kaid]

Auto G Ley Line Walker.

I like Techno Wizards and Temporal Raiders also as assassins.

Auto G of just about any sort really. How many people really interrogate their best friends when they come over for a beer and run them through advanced blood work tests to look for a gene sequence only a few even know to look for.

Baring trying to assassinate some real big crazy thing like a splugorth it is hard to do better than an auto G because they can so easily slip past the vast majority of defenses without tripping any alarms or even having to do anything super tricky. Hell most times the targets will let them in and wave them past any security because he "knows" they are his friend/mother/father/brother/sister/lover whatever.

Oh edit to mention it almost is better for them to NOT take any magic using OCC. Having your lover suddenly show up with high amounts of PPE could trip off many psychic/men of magic targets. It is way easier to explain why your PPE is low than it is to explain why you suddenly are a font of PPE.

[Killer Cyborg]

Auto G Ley Line Walker.

I like Techno Wizards and Temporal Raiders also as assassins.

Auto G of just about any sort really. How many people really interrogate their best friends when they come over for a beer and run them through advanced blood work tests to look for a gene sequence only a few even know to look for.

C'mon... I can't be the only person.

[rat_bastard]

I have never heard of an Auto G. Please enlighten me to what they do.

They are a sdc creature that can consume some dna from just about anything and impersonate it right down to all but the most detailed dna scans.

[boxee]

Auto G Ley Line Walker.

I like Techno Wizards and Temporal Raiders also as assassins.

Auto G of just about any sort really. How many people really interrogate their best friends when they come over for a beer and run them through advanced blood work tests to look for a gene sequence only a few even know to look for.

C'mon... I can't be the only person.

Thank god, I thought I was the only one!

[Killer Cyborg]

Auto G Ley Line Walker.

I like Techno Wizards and Temporal Raiders also as assassins.

Auto G of just about any sort really. How many people really interrogate their best friends when they come over for a beer and run them through advanced blood work tests to look for a gene sequence only a few even know to look for.

C'mon... I can't be the only person.

Thank god, I thought I was the only one!

[Eclipse]

You guys should become friends

[kaid]

You guys should become friends

But only after very advanced DNA screening.

[Grell]

Floopers. Instant escape and nobody would EVER suspect such a bumbling buffoon of any wrong doing.

[The Beast]

Either a wife that doesn't play RPGs, or one that takes half of your books in the divorce settlement.

[Nightmask]

Either a wife that doesn't play RPGs, or one that takes half of your books in the divorce settlement.

DOn't joke !
This has happened!

Yes, I know a few that have seen that happen. One had his entire anime collection taken by her even though he'd had it before they married.