Improved Assassin

This rework aims to greatly improve upon the Assassin subclass found the D&D Player's Handbook (2014 and 2024). By all accounts this subclass is the weakest for rogues and is one of the weakest overall subclasses in general. In both editions of D&D. For whatever reason, it appears the designers at WotC are too timid to give the Assassin subclass the love it deserves. 

You are an assassin, a dealer of death and a master of infiltration. Your time studying the art of the ambush makes you exceptionally dangerous when you get the jump on your foes. In addition to your practiced lethality, you've studied the art of deception, espionage, and infiltration to get you to your targets. Regardless of how you came to master these arts, few foes will ever see you coming and fewer still will ever live to tell the tale. 

Level 3: Hit and Run

You have Advantage on Initiative checks and when taking the Take Aim bonus action, your speed is halved instead of dropping to zero. 

Level 3: Improved Sneak Attack

When you perform your first Sneak Attack in a combat encounter, your Sneak Attack damage dice are treated as a d10 instead of a d6.

Level 3: Master of Infiltration

Gain advantage on Deception and Stealth checks. 

Level 9: Master of Many Faces

You have mastered the art of disguise and can cast Disguise Self without using any spell components a number of times equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier. Your spellcasting DC is equal to 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Intelligence Modifier. 

Level 9: Improved Critical

When you attack with a melee or ranged weapon, you score a critical hit on a natural 19 and 20. 

Level 13: One the Eyes Shall not See

You have mastered the art of becoming unseen and gain the ability to cast the spell Invisibility without using any spell components a number of times equal to 1+ your Intelligence modifier.

Level 17: Lethal Critical

You now score a critical hit when using a melee or ranged weapon attack on a natural roll of a 18, 19, and 20. Additionally, when you score a critical hit, you deal your maximum damage instead of rolling the damage dealt.