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ASSASSIN

The Assassin is one of three Hybrid vocations in Dragon's Dogma. Hybrid vocations are exclusive to your main character, the Arisen. It costs 1,500 Discipline Points (DP) to switch to this vocation.

Description

The Assassin is the most versatile vocation in Dragon's Dogma. They can wield daggers or one handed swords, combined with either a short bow or shield. These assets can be changed on the fly, to suit current combative needs. Since the Assassin has access to four weapons, it is only natural that they come equipped with a multitude of skills that pertain to whichever weapon you choose to wield. The Assassin is a unique blend of the Strider and Fighter Vocations that creates the ultimate fighting machine.

Primary Weapon: Sword / Daggers

Secondary Weapon: Shield / Bow

Primary Offensive stat: Strength

Armor : an Assassin's armor requirments are similar to that of the Strider - high mobility with fair defence - though Assassins concentrate on killing with minimal chances for the foe to respond their sets may be less defensive. Specific Assassin armors usually show dark resistance, as well as being dark in color themselves.

Strengths and Role

Rewarding skills:  Skills like Clarity/Clairvoyance or perfect blocking with a shield can be very difficult to pull off due to the need for perfect timing, but very potent in the hands of expert players.

Weapon Masters: Able to use either sword or daggers, and shield or bow. Use one of 4 weapon combinations to suit your play-style or needs.

Deadly Toolkit: Wielding paralyzing toxins, fatal poisons, and devastating explosives, Assassins use all the tricks of their trade to cripple or eliminate their enemies.

Defensive Attacks: Some skills like Clairvoyance and Masterful Kill are counter-attacks, and can be used as defensive measures to avoid or reduce damage, as well as a viable means to attack.

Invisibility: The Assassin's Invisibility skill prevents them from taking damage from both Physical and Magick attacks as long as the skill is active, or until stamina runs out. While Invisibility prevents grabbing, Assassins still have access to all of their other abilities while cloaked, which makes it very deadly.

High Mobility: While wielding daggers, they have access to the dodge roll and double jump skills, and still have access to high levels of stamina and climbing power. This makes them able to easily move about the world and battlefield.

Highest Strength Growth: Assassins have the highest Strength growth of all vocations in the game, making them useful for increasing your physical power as you level up.

A Great Contributor: Combined with other Strength Augments, such as Clout, this vocation is a mighty one indeed, even deadly against the Ur-Dragon! (See boss page for more info.)

Weaknesses

Low Defense: The Assassin class has one of the lower defense ratings in the game (on par with Strider and Ranger), rendering them very easy to overpower. An Assassin caught unaware can be easily slain by bosses and ranged attackers.  The Assassin also has a minimal magick defense stat, making a battlefield full of chain-casting foes problematic. 

Lowest Magic Stat Growth: Assassins have the lowest gains in magic attack and magic defenses per level (on par with the Fighter and Warrior).  While the Assassin was never meant to be a magic build, these stat gains render them vulnerable to magic attack and makes its build a poor choice against foes vulnerable only to magickal damage such as the Ghost family of enemies.

High difficulty Many of the most powerful skills require percise timing, which is why novice players may have a hard time with it.

Skills

Augments: 25,600 DP


Core: 10,000 DP
Bow Skills: 12,900 DP
Dagger Skills: 46,400 DP
Shield Skills: 21,800 DP
Sword Skills: 36,000 DP

Total: 152,700 DP


Sword Skills

Skill Rank DP Description
Blink Strike Already Learned - Rushes the target and visits a powerful blow upon them.
Broad Cut 1 200 Cuts a broad swatch with the blade while falling back to avoid attacks.
Intimate Strike 1 400 Delivers a quick stab and withdrawal slash without distancing user and target, allowing for further blows thereafter.
Tusk Toss 2 400 Traces a skyward arc with the blade, sending lightweight foes into the air.
Burst Strike 3 600 An advanced form of Blink Strike honed to travel greater distances before visiting a powerful blow upon foes.
Initimate Gambit 3 1,200 An advanced form of Intimate Strike. A quick, powerful stab with good odds of stunning its victim. The user stays near the target, allowing for further blows.
Powder Charge 3 1,200 Places an explosive on the ground to be detonated from afar.
Broad Slash 4 1,000 An advanced form of Broad Cut that allows the user to fall back in a direction of their choosing while cutting a broad swatch with the weapon.
Downthrust 5 1,400 Plants the blade into the earth at one's feet. Though its range is limited, the force behind the thrust is great.
Compass Slash 5 1,400 Spins with blade extended, drawing a deadly circle especially effective when surrounded. Employable while under attack.
Powder Blast 5 2,200 An advanced form of Powder Charge that plants a more powerful explosive that can be detonated from afar.
Clarity 5 2,000 Holds the blade in wait, deflecting and seamlessly countering enemy attacks.
Windmill Slash 6 3,000

Carves foes to ribbons by spinning the blade from side to side.

Full Moon Slash

7 2,000 An Advanced form of Compass Slash gifted with a broader reach and the ability to strike multiple times.
Gouge 7 4,000 Allow you to stab an enemy with your sword that you are clinging to.
Great Windmill 8 5,000 An advanced form of Windmill Slash. Allow the user to move while spinning their sword.
Dire Gouge 9 6,000 An advanced form of Gouge, upon climbing an enemy you deal more damage with repetitive stabs.
Clairvoyance 9 6,000 Advanced form of Clarity. Holds the blade in wait, merely deflecting and countering attack from a greater range, pulling more foes into the attack


Shield Skills

Skill Rank DP Description
Shield Summons Already Learned - Raps the shield loudly to attract the attention of nearby foes.
Shield Strike 1 200 Strikes a blow with the shield that causes little damage but forces the target to drop their guard.
Springboard 2 400 Launches allies into the air using the shield. A supporting technique for tandem moves.
Moving Castle 2 800 A quick forward lunge while guarding with a shield.
Shield Drum 3 600 An advanced form of Shield Summons where the raps carry further, drawing the ire of more distant enemies.
Shield Storm 4 1,000 An advance form of Shield Strike that shrinks the user's window of vulnerability with a faster blow that forces the target to drop their guard.
Swift Castle 4 1,600 An advanced form of Moving Castle that advances even further forward while guarding.
Flight Response 4 1,600 Uses blocked enemy strikes to launch the user into the air and out of harm's way.
Launchboard 6 1,600 The Assassin uses their shield to launch a Pawn up into the air, giving them a boost to grab on to flying enemies or reach higher on larger enemies.
Enhanced Response 6 3,000 An advanced form of Flight Response
Staredown 8 5,000 Boosts the user's strength for a time, at the cost of lowered Defenses.
Showdown 9 6,000 An advanced form of Staredown


Dagger Skills

Skill Rank DP Description
Scarlet Kisses Already Learned - Concentrates a flurry of slashes on a single point, easily shredding foes with meager endurance.
Biting Wind 1 200 Dashes past the target with blades extended, delivering slashes that can be followed with further attacks on contact.
Back Kick 2 800 Pulls back momentarily before unleashing a frontal kick.
Toss and Trigger 3 700 Steps in with a blade strike that sends the target aloft. Additional button presses throw and detonate a store of powder.
Cutting Wind 4 900 An advanced form of Biting Wind. Slashes past the target, appending more strikes to the onslaught upon connecting with a foe.
Dazzle Hold 4 900 Casts a firework explosive into the fray that stuns nearby foes.
Reset 4 900 Returns the user to a neutral stance, eliminating openings caused by other actions.
Escape Onslaught 4 1,600 An advance form of Back Kick. The front kick strikes with greater force and makes the user more difficult to hit.
Advanced Trigger 5 1,200 An advanced form of Toss and Trigger with a stronger upward slash that sends foes aloft. Additional button presses throw and detonate a larger store of powder.
Easy Kill 5 2,200 Darts behind the target after parrying their attack, then slits their throat.
Spiderbite 6 3,000 Twists and strikes the enemy through. After the strike it is followed by a "Poison Needle's Kiss" that knockdown small foe and has a chance to poison them.
Instant Reset 7 2,000 An advanced form of Reset employable even while under attack that returns the user to a neutral stance, eliminating openings caused by other actions.
Dazzle Blast 7 2,000 An advanced form of Dazzle Hold that tosses an explosive crafted to stun foes within a broader radius.
Hundred Kisses 7 2,000 The Assassin performs a quick flurry of dagger attacks against an enemy, followed by a jumping roundhouse kick. This is a more powerful version of the Scarlet Kisses skill. This can also be performed while climbing on an enemy.
Wind Harness 7 4,000 Hastens the user's movement for a time, even while under attack.
Stealth 8 5,000 Renders one invisible to enemies for a time, making the user impossible to hit.
Snakebite 8 5,000 An advanced form of Spiderbite that has a higher chance of poisoning enemy.
Invisibility 9 6,000 An advanced form of Stealth that consume less Stamina while you're invisible.
Masterful Kill 9 6,000 An advanced form of Easy Kill that parries and counters a blow, biting deeper than its predecessor.
Gale Harness 9 6,000 An advanced form of Wind Harness that allows the user to be quicker for a longer period of time.


Bow Skills

Skill Rank DP Description
Threefold Arrow Already Learned - Fires Three arrows in rapid succession.
Triad Shot 1 200 Fires three arrows in a wedge pattern.
Puncture Dart 1 400 Fires a shot capable of piercing multiple targets, specially effective when combined with Poison Arrows.
Full Bend 3 700 Draws the bow with all the user's might, then looses a shot straight ahead.
Keen Sight 3 1,200 A special sight augments the user's vision allowing them to target distant foes. Each shot requires extensive Stamina.
Skewer Dart 3 1,200 An advanced form of Puncture Dart that is capable of piercing even more targets and can also cancel a foe's block.
Pentad Shot 4 900 An advanced form of Triad Shot that fires five arrows in a wedge pattern instead of three.
Blunting Arrow 4 1,600 Looses an arrow steeped in paralyzing elixir that induces torpor in the target.
Mighty Bend 5 1,200 An advanced form of Full Bend that requires less time to nock the arrow, enabling faster successive firing.
Lyncean Sight 5 2,200 An advanced form of Keen Sight that lets the user see farther and adjust the range of his or her sight as needed.
Plegic Arrow 6 2,000 An advanced form of Blunting Arrow that strikes with added force and induces torpor with greater frequency
Fivefold Flurry 7 2,000 The Assassin nocks five arrows and fires them simultaneously at one target.


Core Skills

Weapon Skill Rank DP Description
Sword/Dagger Vault Already Learned - Executes a jump to a higher location. Press A/X.
Sword Onslaught Already Learned - Continuous attacks with one-handed sword.
Sword Empale Already Learned - Release a stabbing strike straight forward.
Dagger Carve Already Learned - Continuous attacks with a dagger. Press X/Square repeatedly.
Dagger Two Step Already Learned - A two-level stabbing strike straight forward. Press Y/Triangle.
Bow Loose Already Learned - Fires equipped bow. Can execute while moving.
Shield Defend Already Learned - Use your shield to block an enemy's attack.
Sword Dire Onslaught 1 800 An advanced form of Onslaught that strengthens a chain of one-handed sword slashes.
Sword Takedown 1 600 An advanced form of Empale that appends a tackle to a forceful jab.
Dagger Roundelay 1 600 An advanced form of Two-Step that appends a whirling slash to victims. Hold Y/Triangle.
Dagger Engrave 1 800 An advanced form of a Carve that includes kicks after a flurry of dagger blows to strike at a broader range.
Bow Quick-Loose 2 600 Requires less time to notch the next arrow after firing.
Sword Controlled Fall 3 1,200 Tucks the body into a tight roll when falling, mitigating harm.
Shield Deflect 3 1,400 An advanced form of Defend that deflects attacks back toward the assailant.
Dagger Double Vault 5 1,800 An advanced form of Vault that kicks at the air to propel the user in a second leap.
Dagger Forward Roll 5 2,200 Rolls forward into a tumble effective as an evasive maneuver. Hold Right Bumper and press X/A.


Augments

Skill Rank DP Description
Watchfulness 1 1,200 Halves the damage taken when you are not in battle stance.
Entrancement 2 1,200 Increases your maximum Stamina by 100 at night (9PM-3AM).
Sanguinity 3 1,800 Increases your maximum HP by 100 at night (9PM-3AM).
Bloodlust 4 2,400 Strength and Magick increases by 70% (reduced to 20% with Dark Arisen), Defense and Magick Defense by 30% at night (9PM-3AM).
Preemption 6 4,000 Doubles the damage dealt when targets are not in battle stance. (Bugged)
Toxicity 8 7,000 "Sharply increases the cumulative damage wrought by your poison attacks." (increases chance of inflicting poison, not damage)
Autonomy 9 8,000

Strength and Magick increases by 70% (reduced to 20% with Dark Arisen), Defense and Magick Defense by 30% when adventuring alone. Stacks with Bloodlust

For information on how augments impact stats and how stacking of multiple augments work see the Stats page.

Stats

Stat Growth

HP Stamina Attack Defense Magick Attack Magick Defense
Lvl 10+ 22 27

6

2 2 1
Lvl 100+ 5 15 3 1 0 0

Notes

  • In Dark Arisen certain skills and augments have been reduced in effectiveness from their original values - - these include Invisibility, Bloodlust, and Autonomy. The fighter augment Exhilaration, also sometimes used by Assassins, was also nerfed.
  • The attack buff augments, including the two from Fighter and Warrior, are multiplied in separately. Each adds the percent of strength into the pre-existent strength. The bonuses are multiplied, not added.
  • Being invisible makes the player immune to attacks, but NOT to grabs (i.e., Harpies and Gargoyle grab/ sting attacks). Players can not use this skill to sneak into the Duke's Demesne at night as the Guards can somehow still see the player, even though they are invisible.
  • Daggers deliver punishing damage due to strike speed, while swords strike slower but with greater power per blow/strike. Gale Harness increases strike rate, therefore it further increases damage delivered by daggers as this skill cannot be employed with a sword; it will cancel if the Assassin's sword is equipped.

Tips and Tactics

  • For a longer-living Assassin, it is recommended to obtain augments from Sorcerer and Warrior vocations such as Awareness and Bastion. These augments respectively increase magick defense and defense, invisibly, by 50 points.
  • increasing the Assassin's strength via the Fighter augment Vehemence and the Warrior's Clout is recommended.  Ferocity, from Warrior, will also multiply the damage from an Assassin's core skills by 10%.
  • Although the Assassin has low defensive capabilities in terms of base stats, they are the only class that can switch weapons to change the method of avoiding attacks. Be it through Forward Roll, Double Vault, Block, or Perfect Blocking, it is possible to go through any number of battles without ever being hit by changing evasion methods via equipping different weapon types.
  • In addition to their diversity in weapons and tactics, Assassin has good stamina usage due to the vocation's restriction to light armor only.
  • Make use of the Assassin's defensive mobility abilities, such as the Forward Roll and Double Vault core skills, which give him/her the abilities to dodge Area of Effect (AoE) attacks from foes such as the Chimera, Wyrm, Drake, Wyvern, Cockatrice, the Wight, and so on.
  • Although venturing out at night is more dangerous than during the day, an Assassin can acquire Augments such as Bloodlust or Sanguinity that activate at night only, which make the Assassin a more formidable vocation. Of course any Vocation can benefit from these Augments, should you choose to change Vocations.
  • A good tactic is to have a magick-based augment like Acuity and Attunement (or both, if enough augment slot space is available) so when using weapons imbued with magic attributes, such as the Heaven's Key daggers, the Assassin player will be less at a disadvantage when facing enemies immune to physical based attacks.
  • As an Assassin, the skill Gale Harness can be used to maximize an Arisen's damage output (or Hits Per Second) with attacks like Hundred Kisses and Fivefold Flurry.
  • Being closer to one's target maximizes a shortbow's damage output:
Distance Damage Output
0-10 Meters High
11-25 Meters Moderate
26-30 Meters Low
31-90 Meters Very Low

Trivia

  • The Burst Strike sword move is identical to the Stinger sword attack performed by Dante in the Devil May Cry games. The director of Dragon's Dogma, Hideaki Itsuno, was also director on Devil May Cry 2, 3, and 4.
  • The Equipment of the Assassin shown at the top of the page:
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