TOPIC: Best Weapon for Rogue Assassin?

Hello Rogues and Assassins and Fellow Adventurers!

I hope everyone had a wonderful time at GENCON! We only did one Dungeon run, but it was a highlight of GENCON as always (not counting the SMOAK years).

This year for the first time (other than at Skull Con) I outfitted the group with Skulls of Cavadar. It went better than I expected. Several of my friends chose the premium character cards, and Haley was especially happy to get Rogue Assassin. And, she assassinated the boss monster at about the halfway point of the room, which was a wonderful moment to remember!

So, I was wondering, is there a particular Rogue weapon that gives her the best chance at getting a "6" when she slides a "20"? Preferably a ranged weapon, as I've outfitted the Rogue to be a ranged attack character. She had to slide a melee weapon because the +2 Flaming Shortbow she is equipped with has no "6" on the damage wheel.

I'm looking for a budget option, certainly no Legendary weapons need apply.

I did just see the +1 Assassin's Blade, that seems tailor made for this. +2 Sling of Impact looks like a good option also. Am I missing better/cheaper ones?

Thanks!
Mike

You will need Lenses of Vital Insight to be able to assassinate at ranged. That said, there are some options:
+1 Sea Elf Spear has two 6s.
+2 Assassin’s Crossbow has two 6s.
Drow Spear has two 6s.
Nightshade’s +2 Throwing Dagger has two 6s.

There are several shuriken and daggers that only have one 6 on them, but only have a D4 wheel so 25% of the token is a 6.

Lenses of Agility allow a ranged sneak attack with a bow or crossbow. To use any other ranged weapon (besides one throw of a Nightshade’s +2 Thowing Dagger) Lenses of Vital Insight are needed.

Check out the following:

Ranged with two sixes

2012 Dwarven Short Bow (C)
2020 Short Bow (C)
2015 +2 Assassin's Crossbow (UR)

Ranged with one six

2021 Nightshade's +2 Throwing Dagger (UR)
2020 +1 Mighty Short Bow ((UR)
2022 +2 Chaos Cannon (UR)
2023 +2 Sacred Sling (UR)
2019 +2 Stunning Light Crossbow (UR)

2015 +1 Drow Light Crossbow (R)
2011 +1 Sahugen Blunt Lt. Crossbow (R)
2016 +1 War Sling (R)
2023 Gib Gub's Handy Acorn (R) (One Use)

2021 Dwarven Sling of Smarts (U)
2011 Sahugen Blunt Lt. Crossbow (U)
2023 Sunshot Pistol (U)

2018 Bliss Short Bow (C)
2010 Elven Shortbow (C)
2023 Sunshot Shooter(C)

Use Enchanter's Whetstone with the Rare weapons to improve damage.

John, thanks for the very detailed answer!

I have a Lenses of Agility, so I think the 2020 common Short Bow would be great. If the +2 Assassin's Crossbow ever came available at a reasonable price it would be perfect.

John Ohlinger (Salsa John) wrote: Check out the following:

Ranged with two sixes

2012 Dwarven Short Bow (C)
2020 Short Bow (C)
2015 +2 Assassin's Crossbow (UR)

Ranged with one six

2021 Nightshade's +2 Throwing Dagger (UR)
2020 +1 Mighty Short Bow ((UR)
2022 +2 Chaos Cannon (UR)
2023 +2 Sacred Sling (UR)
2019 +2 Stunning Light Crossbow (UR)

2015 +1 Drow Light Crossbow (R)
2011 +1 Sahugen Blunt Lt. Crossbow (R)
2016 +1 War Sling (R)
2023 Gib Gub's Handy Acorn (R) (One Use)

2021 Dwarven Sling of Smarts (U)
2011 Sahugen Blunt Lt. Crossbow (U)
2023 Sunshot Pistol (U)

2018 Bliss Short Bow (C)
2010 Elven Shortbow (C)
2023 Sunshot Shooter(C)

Use Enchanter's Whetstone with the Rare weapons to improve damage.

Can go to tokendb.com for Lenses of Agility entry to see that Assassinate works with it.

What is not explicit in tokendb.com is Nightshade's +2 Throwing Dagger interaction with Assassinate if the Dagger is thrown.

The TDb description for Nightshade's +2 Throwing Dagger now contains this paragraph:
Assassin (Sub-Class) Note: The 🗡 counts as a "6" when making a Melee assassination attack. Nightshade’s +2 Throwing Dagger by itself does not allow the wielder to make a Ranged assassination attempt. For that you’d also need a token that specifically allows you to circumvent that rule. (e.g., Lenses of Vital Insight)

Druegar wrote: The TDb description for Nightshade's +2 Throwing Dagger now contains this paragraph:
Assassin (Sub-Class) Note: The 🗡 counts as a "6" when making a Melee assassination attack. Nightshade’s +2 Throwing Dagger by itself does not allow the wielder to make a Ranged assassination attempt. For that you’d need a token that specifically allows you to circumvent that rule. As of 2025, there are no tokens that allow for a Ranged assassination attempt with a dagger. (Lenses of Agility do not allow Ranged assassination attempts with daggers.)

Wouldn’t lenses of vital insight allow the dagger to do it? tokendb.com/token/lenses-of-vital-insight/

Assassinate works with Ranged attacks if Lenses of Vital Insight is equipped. It's not noted in TokenDB, but it's actually printed on the Rogue Assassin Character card itself as part of the Assassinate ability.

That said, it does seem a bit odd now that similar tokens aren't compatible with Assassinate when Lenses of Vital Insight is - it's very possible that this is purely because there weren't any other Ranged Sneak tokens when the Assassinate ability was printed.

Iross wrote: Assassinate works with Ranged attacks if Lenses of Vital Insight is equipped. It's not noted in TokenDB, but it's actually printed on the Rogue Assassin Character card itself as part of the Assassinate ability.

Well whaddya know, it sure does! 🤦‍♂️

Thank you Endgame and Iross for letting me know! 🍪

The TDb descriptions for these tokens have all been tweaked:

• Lenses of Agility
• Lenses of Vital Insight
• Nightshade's +2 Throwing Dagger

Please let me know if additional adjustments need to be made.

Druegar wrote:

Iross wrote: Assassinate works with Ranged attacks if Lenses of Vital Insight is equipped. It's not noted in TokenDB, but it's actually printed on the Rogue Assassin Character card itself as part of the Assassinate ability.

Well whaddya know, it sure does! 🤦‍♂️

Thank you Endgame and Iross for letting me know! 🍪

The TDb descriptions for these tokens have all been tweaked:

• Lenses of Agility
• Lenses of Vital Insight
• Nightshade's +2 Throwing Dagger

Please let me know if additional adjustments need to be made.

So at the risk of opening up a whole can of worms...

I can think of four tokens which currently allow Ranged Sneak Attacks.

Lenses of Vital Insight and (now) Lenses of Agility are compatible with Assassinate during Ranged attacks.

Seth's Ring of Shadows and Nightshade's +2 Throwing Dagger are not compatible with Assassinate during Ranged attacks.

What is it about these two groups of tokens which makes them different? Would it be better to just have a blanket ruling which allows all tokens which allow Ranged Sneak Attacks to be compatible with Assassinate?

Druegar wrote:

Iross wrote: Assassinate works with Ranged attacks if Lenses of Vital Insight is equipped. It's not noted in TokenDB, but it's actually printed on the Rogue Assassin Character card itself as part of the Assassinate ability.

Well whaddya know, it sure does! 🤦‍♂️

Thank you Endgame and Iross for letting me know! 🍪

The TDb descriptions for these tokens have all been tweaked:

• Lenses of Agility
• Lenses of Vital Insight
• Nightshade's +2 Throwing Dagger

Please let me know if additional adjustments need to be made.

]
I read the TDb regarding and I believe the following are contradicting statements or am I confused?

Assassin (Sub-Class) Note: The 🗡 counts as a “6” when making a Melee assassination attack. Nightshade’s +2 Throwing Dagger by itself does not allow the wielder to make a Ranged assassination attempt. For that you’d also need a token that specifically allows you to circumvent that rule. (e.g., Lenses of Vital Insight)

Q4) Do I need to equip some other token to make a Ranged sneak attack using Nightshade’s +2 Throwing Dagger?
A4) No.

Lenses of Vital Insight allow a Rogue to sneak attack with a ranged weapon. If it works with assassinate then isn't needed in Q4.