Assassin: A D&D 5e campaign

House Rules

AC

Dex & Shield do not count toward your AC when surprised, attacked from behind, blinded, grappled, or incapacitated. Dex does not count toward your AC when restrained.

Assessing Targets

If you observe a person for 10 minutes, you may make an insight check to determine the target’s capabilities related to whatever they’re doing. Observing someone digging a grave would allow an insight check against their strength and constitution (one each). A check will reveal the stats of a target up to the number rolled on the die. Regardless of the die roll, the assessor can always take a final result of 10 and may make repeat insight checks for every 10 minutes of observation.

For example, the assassin is watching his target dig a grave and wants to determine their strength and constitution. After watching from a hidden place for 10 minutes, the assassin rolls an insight check of 8 against strength and 14 against con. They take the 10 for str and learn that their their target has at least 10 strength. The check of 14 for con shows their target has at least 14 con. Wanting to get better results, they stick around another 10 minutes and make another 2 checks. Str -> 16, Con -> 12. We don’t learn anything new from the con insight check, but we do learn that the target has 15 strength from the str insight check. The assassin wants more information still and waits around another 10 minutes, but part way through the target finishes digging the grave, puts the body in and proceeds to give a eulogy. This lets the assassin make an insight check against the target’s charisma, rolling an 18 and revealing a charisma of 12. Then the target buries the body, the assassin makes a final insight check against the target's con, getting a 15 and showing the target only had 14 con all along.

Checks in Combat

A character may use their bonus action to make a non-interactive skill check. Perception, history, insight, etc.

Facing

In addition to a reaction, each character may change their facing once per round in a similar way that they would use a reaction. This facing change can be used to change to a specific facing, or to track a specific opponent so you will be facing them wherever they go.

Resting

Variant resting / healing rules are in effect. A short rest is a night of sleep and a long rest is a week of downtime.

Swimming and Suffocating

If one is exerting themselves the time they can hold their breath is cut in half.

If a character has more than 2x their strength score, not modifier, in weight on them, they cannot swim. They may swim at half their normal rate if they carry less than 2x their strength score, but more than 1x their strength score. Characters may swim at full speed with up to 1x their strength score in weight. These rules apply for dead weight.

Arms, Armor, and Visibility

Although anybody may purchase weapons or armor, most people go about their daily lives unarmed. As a general rule, the more heavily armed and armored a person is, the more they stand out, and the more suspicion and distrust with which they are viewed. While traveling between towns, the suspicion and distrust is lessened, but by no means removed.

Lightly Armed: Carrying tools that could be used as a weapon: knife, dagger, hammer, hatchet, quarterstaff, etc.. While anyone may walk around lightly armed, usually people do not do so without a reason. Carpenters, blacksmiths, hunters, traveling merchants, nobles, lumberjacks, sailors, leather workers, and slavers are often lightly armed, among others.

Lightly armed individuals are permitted in almost all places, including bars, taverns, temples, shops and often secure facilities like keeps and castles. Lightly armed individuals might be asked to disarm themselves when meeting behind closed doors, with officials, or for matters of ceremony. While lightly armed individuals do not attract attention, they are more memorable than unarmed individuals, especially if involved in an altercation.

Armed: Unarmored, or lightly armored (studded leather or lighter) individuals who carry a side arm: short sword, scimitar, cudgel, etc.. Local watchmen, off duty soldiers and knights, messengers, military officers, nobles, and mercenaries often walk around town while armed. A general may wear a leather jerkin and a short sword while going about his official duties, saving his armor and longsword for ceremony and battle. The same general may have a few armed or heavily armed guards with him. Being armed is a sign that you are ready for a fight should it arise. It is not unheard of for towns to bar common citizens and visitors from being armed within the walls of the town.

Armed individuals of rank or status are permitted in all locations, but armed individuals of no significance may be barred from temples, taverns, bars, shops, and places where arguments often arise. Each place has their own rules about weapons, and one tavern may confiscate weapons on entry, while another may allow them. Armed people attract attention from everybody around them, even if it’s just a cursory glance.

Heavily Armed: Individuals who wear armor, carry shields, or carry weapons of war: Spears, two handed swords, crossbows, pole-arms, battle-axes, war-hammers etc.. Wearing armor, or being heavily armed, is a sign of wealth and power. Few people go about town heavily armed. Knights and mercenaries make up the majority of heavily armed individuals in times of peace. Being heavily armed draws a lot of attention, most of it negative or dangerous, and is a sign that you are looking for a fight.

Heavily armed individuals are often regarded with suspicion and are likely to be watched by guards or those assigned to keep the peace. They are commonly barred from shops, temples, taverns, or entire villages, towns or cities. Often these institutions will have a place for visitors to check their weapons. People may be uncomfortable talking with heavily armed individuals, or may see the signs of wealth and need to be bribed. Agents of the state, and those of rank or nobility enjoy the luxury of being heavily armed in public without restriction.

A mercenary escorting a merchant to town may travel the road in splint mail with a long sword, short sword, crossbow, dagger, and a shield. Upon arriving in town, and having no other duties, the same mercenary would be likely to drop their gear off at their inn, and go about town in leather armor and their short sword. This reduction in profile allows them to blend into society more easily. They can visit taverns, go shopping, and question people without raising too many suspicions. Heavily armed people asking questions are jet-fuel of rumor mills.