# Apollonaut's 5e D&D Assassin Build (death by a thousand cuts)

**The premise**: This level 11 multiclass build gives you 6 attacks in the first round of combat, which requires only a short rest to recharge. All of those attacks critically strike a Surprised target.

*For those of you who are wondering: I have a version at the very bottom with Paladin levels (for smites).*

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### Requirements:
- 3 levels in Rogue (**Assassin**, from the PHB)
- 3 levels in Ranger (**Gloom Stalker**, from Xanathar's Guide)
- Fighting style: Archery (or Dueling for melee)
- 2 levels in Fighter
- Fighting style: Superior Technique or Blind Fighting (both from Tasha's), or get whichever one you didn't choose from the two Ranger options above.
- A longbow or a rapier (see the bottom for the meme-worthy Greataxe build)

Next, you'll need **Extra Attack**. I recommand adding 3 more levels in Fighter, instead of the 2 Ranger levels (unless you want to later add Paladin levels too, where the extra spell slots from Ranger will be nice). This also gives a Fighter subclass (I recommend Battle Master or Arcane Archer) and an ability score increase / feat.

### Recommendations:
- If you go for a melee build, playing a half-orc gives you Savage Attacks, meaning you get an additional weapon damage die when you crit.
- If you go for a ranged build, I recommend playing either an (Elf) Arcane Archer or a Human (Variant) Battle Master with Sharpshooter.
- Feat Options
- Ranged build: Piercer (from Tasha's), Sharpshooter, Skulker, Elven Accuracy (From Xanathar's Guide)
- Melee build: Piercer, Martial Adept, Elven Accuracy/Orcish Fury (Xanathar's), Mage Slayer

# Here's the setup.
1. As a Ranger, you have access to Hunter's Mark, a bonus action 1d6 damage buff that applies on every hit. When you crit, this becomes an extra 2d6 damage on hit.
2. As an Assassin Rogue, you have advantage on every attack roll you make if your target hasn't had a turn in combat yet on the first round. To help ensure this, Gloom Stalker Ranger allows you to add your WIS to initiative (as well as DEX).
3. If you're hitting a Surprised creature, any hit you land is a critical hit (Assassinate).
4. As a Gloom Stalker, you're invisible in darkness to anything that relies on darkvision to see, meaning you have advantage on all attacks (usually) while you're in darkness, and they have disadvantage to hit you. Just in case you rolled poorly for initiative, or it's turn 2+ of combat.
5. It's time to make a LOT of attack rolls.
- Extra Attack gives you 2 attacks per Attack action.
- Gloom Stalker Ranger's Dread Ambusher feature gives you an extra attack for each Attack action you make on the first round of combat, and that attack deals an extra 1d8 damage (2d8 for crits!)
- You have Action Surge, so you can take the Attack action twice in the first round of combat.
6. The Piercer feat adds 1 weapon damage die to all crits you land with a weapon that deals piercing damage, and allows 1 reroll of a die per turn.
7. The Sharpshooter feat (if you have two feats at this point, for example from Variant Human and level 4 Fighter) can add +10 damage to each hit, if you take a -5 penalty to-hit. If you've got the Archery Fighting Style, you might be completely fine using Sharpshooter.
- To-hit: + DEX + proficiency + 2 (archery) - 5 (sharpshooter)

# Here's the first round of combat.

More sources of damage you could have that are not displayed:
- Sharpshooter (+10 damage per hit)
- Arcane Shot options / Battle Master maneuver options (both of which can add damage dice to hits).
- If you're a half-orc, your melee crits get *another* weapon damage die on top of what is shown.
- If you're melee, add 2 damage to each hit (Dueling fighting style).
- Poison damage dice (which do NOT get doubled when you crit)
- Magic weapon damage (want some serious fun? Ask your DM for an Oathbow)
- Bracers of Archery (+2 damage per hit)

REMEMBER: All attacks have advantage if you're going before the enemy (or if you're invisible). If they're Surprised, all hits crit.

ALSO: Sneak Attack (2d6), crit 4d6 **(once per turn - this applies on your first hit with a finesse weapon)**

## 1. Bonus action: Hunter's Mark your target.
## 2. Action: Attack

### Attack Roll 1

- Longbow/Rapier (1d8), crit 3d8 **(piercer adds 1d8 on crits)**
- Hunter's Mark (1d6), crit 2d6

### Attack Roll 2

- Longbow/Rapier (1d8), crit 3d8
- Hunter's Mark (1d6), crit 2d6

### Attack Roll 3 (Dread Ambusher)

- Longbow/Rapier (1d8), crit 3d8
- Hunter's Mark (1d6), crit 2d6
- Dread Ambusher (1d8), crit 2d8

## 3. Action Surge, Action: Attack

### Attack Roll 4

- Longbow/Rapier (1d8), crit 3d8
- Hunter's Mark (1d6), crit 2d6

### Attack Roll 5

- Longbow/Rapier (1d8), crit 3d8
- Hunter's Mark (1d6), crit 2d6

### Attack Roll 6 (Dread Ambusher)

- Longbow/Rapier (1d8), crit 3d8
- Hunter's Mark (1d6), crit 2d6
- Dread Ambusher (1d8), crit 2d8

# Here's the second round onward, if anything's still alive.

## 1. Bonus Action: move Hunter's Mark if your original target died.

## 2. Action: Attack

### Attack Roll 1

- Longbow/Rapier (1d8), crit 3d8
- Sneak Attack (2d6), crit 4d6
- Hunter's Mark (1d6), crit 2d6

### Attack Roll 2

- Longbow/Rapier (1d8), crit 3d8
- Hunter's Mark (1d6), crit 2d6

# A Bit of Math For You Nerds

### Half-orc with the Piercer feat, Battle Master maneuvers, and a rapier, if all attacks hit:
- 12d8 (weapon) + 6d8 (Piercer) + 6d8 (Savage Attacks) + 4d8 (Ambushes) + 8d8 (4 uses of superiority dice) + 12d6 (Hunter's Mark) + 4d6 (Sneak Attack) + 2d6 (Superior Technique die)
- **Dice Total:** 36d8 + 18d6
- **Flat damage buffs:** 6*DEX + 12 (Dueling)

This means that with a DEX of +5, you're landing 36d8+18d6+42 (average of 267) damage.

### Variant Human with the Piercer and Sharpshooter feats, Battle Master maneuvers, and a longbow, if all attacks hit:
- 12d8 (weapon) + 6d8 (Piercer) + 4d8 (Ambushes) + 8d8 (4 uses of superiority dice) + 12d6 (Hunter's Mark) + 4d6 (Sneak Attack) + 2d6 (Superior Technique die)
- **Dice Total:** 30d8 + 18d6
- **Flat damage buffs:** 6*DEX + 60 (Sharpshooter)

This means that with a DEX of +5, you're landing 30d8+18d6+90 (average of 288) damage.

*Fun fact: If you've got an Oathbow, you can get an extra 6d6 **per crit**. Yeah, that's 30d8+52d6+90 (average of 414) damage.*

# Final Thoughts & More Ideas

Did I mention that you can pull this off at level 10/11?

This build is fantastic for archers and rapier-wielding stabby-stab characters, but it gets *really* silly if you play a half-orc with a greataxe. Yes, you give up Piercer and the Sneak Attack (it's finesse weapon only), but if you gain the Great Weapon fighting style and the Great Weapon Master feat, you now have 3d12+10 damage critical hits (with a reroll for 1s and 2s), plus the Hunter's Mark and Dread Ambusher stuff. Everything else still works fine, you're just going to be leaving a lot more blood on the floor.

For even more fun with a melee build: Acquire a *Sun Blade*, and replace the Piercer feat with something else, like Martial Adept. The blade is a 1d10+2 radiant damage blade when wielded with 2 hands, and has the Finesse property, allowing you to Sneak Attack with it.

As far as Fighter subclasses go, the Samurai's Fighting Spirit ability is worth a small consideration, but it's really only applicable on the second round onward. Battle Master or Arcane Archer is best for adding more damage and cool abilities to your hits otherwise.

**As for leveling up past 11**, Fighter levels give you the most oomph. Once you reach Fighter 11, you get *three* attacks per Attack action, meaning you get 8 attacks in the first round of combat (Rogue 3 / Ranger 3 / Fighter 11). Fighters also get a bunch of feats/ability score increases, so you can easily get your attack stat to 20.

**Also, ask your DM about poisons.** Poison damage doesn't get doubled when you crit, but it *can* add lots of damage on each hit. Purple Worm Poison (2000gp) would add 12d6 poison damage (DC 19 CON save for half) on each.

# Bonus: Adding Paladin Levels - for SMITES!

If you meet the Multiclassing requirement for Paladin (13 STR, 13 CHA), you can add Smites to your hits. You also get an additional Fighting Style.

I've heard of an alternate version of this build, for level 13:

- Gloom Stalker Ranger 5
- Assassin Rogue 3
- Battle Master Fighter 3
- Paladin 2

which adds smites to your damage. You'd have 4 level 1 spell slots, and 2 level 2 slots for Divine Smites (after consulting the Multiclass Spellcaster Slots table, you'd be considered a 3rd-level caster). That would add, with critical hits:
> Level 1 spell slot smites (crits): 4d8 * 4
> Level 2 spell slot smites (crits): 6d8 * 2

for a total additional 28d8 radiant damage if you use all 6 smites in your first round of combat. Once you level to 14 with another level in Ranger, you gain a 3rd level 2 spell slot, making it 30d8 instead.

# Bonus Bonus: Shadow Blade (level 20 build)

This is bonkers. Don't do this (but maybe do).

- Half-Orc
- Gloom Stalker Ranger 5
- Assassin Rogue 3
- Battle Master Fighter 3
- Paladin 2
- Shadow Sorcerer 7

You're going to need 13 Dex, 13 Str, 13 Cha, and 13 Wis to satisfy the multiclassing requirements.

You're considered a 10th-level caster (consulting the Multiclass Spellcasting table).

Bonus Action: Cast *Shadow Blade* (from Xanathar's Guide), granting you a magic 4d8 psychic damage finesse weapon (if you cast it with a 5th-level slot). Then you get your 6 attacks, adding Superiority Dice, Smites (at 4th and 3rd levels), and your Sneak Attack on one of those hits.

**Crit 1:** 8d8 psychic (weapon) + 1d8 psychic (Savage Attack) + 2d8 psychic (superiority die) + 10d8 radiant (smite at 4th level) + 4d6 (sneak attack) + DEX + 2 (dueling)
**Crit 2:** 8d8 psychic (weapon) + 1d8 psychic (Savage Attack) + 2d8 psychic (superiority die) + 10d8 radiant (smite at 4th level) + DEX + 2 (dueling)
**Crit 3 (ambush):** 8d8 psychic (weapon) + 1d8 psychic (Savage Attack) + 2d8 psychic (ambush) + 2d8 psychic (superiority die) + 10d8 radiant (smite at 4th level) + DEX + 2 (dueling)
**Crit 4:** 8d8 psychic (weapon) + 1d8 psychic (Savage Attack) + 2d8 psychic (superiority die) + 8d8 radiant (smite at 3rd level) + DEX + 2 (dueling)
**Crit 5:** 8d8 psychic (weapon) + 1d8 psychic (Savage Attack) + 8d8 radiant (smite at 3rd level) + DEX + 2 (dueling)
**Crit 6 (ambush):** 8d8 psychic (weapon) + 1d8 psychic (Savage Attack) + 2d8 psychic (ambush) + 8d8 radiant (smite at 3rd level) + DEX + 2 (dueling)

**Total:** 66d8+4d6 psychic + 54d8 radiant + 6*DEX + 12
For an average of 584 magic damage if you've got +5 DEX.

Enjoy!
-Apollonaut