The Creed - Roguish Archetype

by Blue4Eternety

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The Creed

The Creed

Much like a Paladin, Rogue's who choose The Creed Archetype follow a set of tenets, but not due to a higher power, but to themselves and to others. These people believe in a strong set of values that strictly govern their way of life, consisting of two tenets:


"Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent."
"Hide in plain sight, be one with the crowd."


Those who join adventuring groups or create a community of people with the same ideals as them, usually referred as a Brotherhood, follow a third tenet:


"Never compromise the Brotherhood."


These Rogues, which many refer as Assassins, believe that they fight on the behalf of those who do not possess the abilities, resources, or knowledge to speak out against those who abuse their power.


Those who break their tenets while in a Brotherhood are exiled, becoming renegades among their own people. Depending on the judgment, these exiled are hunted and executed by other Assassins, as they impose a danger to either the common folk or the Brotherhood itself.

The Creed Archetype Features
Rogue Level Features
3rd Blending, Eagle Vision, Free-Running
9th Death From Above, Improved Eagle Vision,
Leap Of Faith
13th Man Of The People
17th Master Assassin

Blending

"Discretion is paramount in my profession. We must walk the streets freely: seen, but unseen. You too must learn to blend like us and become one with the city's crowds."

Beginning at 3rd level, you can attempt to hide when there are at least three friendly or neutral creatures within 5 feet of you and you can stay hidden as long as there are threes creatures within 5 feet of you.

In addition, any hit you score against a creature that is surprised is a critical hit.

Eagle Vision

"I've seen its like before. Glowing like moonlight on the ocean. Ah! Right. I know this feeling. I have since I was a lad. It's like using every sense at once, isn't it? To see sounds and hear shapes. Quite a combination."

Moreover at 3rd level, you can use your action to open your awareness to the unseen. For the next minute, as long as you maintain concentration, as if you were concentrating on a spell, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Intelligence (Investigation) checks. You are also considered under the effects of the Detect Magic spell.

At 9th level, you are also under the effects of the Locate Creature, Locate Object and See Invisibility spells, you also can see in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, in shades of gray to a distance of 120 feet.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.

Free-Running

Finally, at 3rd level, you gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. Additionally, you make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) instead of a Strength (Athletics) and use your Dexterity in place of your Strength when determining how far you can go on your Long and High Jumps.

Death From Above

Reaching 9th level, if you would land on space occupied by a creature, you can transfer the damage you would take to it, making a Dexterity (Acrobatic) check against the creature's AC. On a success, the falling damage you would take is instead dealt to the creature. Moreover, it falls prone if it's the same size or smaller than you, with you landing on a point within 5 feet of the creature of your choice.

Should you lend of a creature larger than you, you are considered climbing the creature, as depicted in Climb Onto a Bigger Creature mechanic under the Action Options section of the Dungeon Master's Guide.

On a failure, you take half (rounded up) of the falling damage and land prone within 5 feet of the targeted creature chosen randomly.

Leap Of Faith

"This gift we call a Leap of Faith. It is one of our Brotherhood's most sacred rites. It is not a tool we use against our enemies, but an act we embrace to strengthen our resolve. Like your meditation, it centers our minds, steadies our hands, and purges fear from our hearts."

Additionally at 9th level, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your rogue level. If you would land on a cushioning material such as hay, water, raised tents, or any other material determined by the DM, you take no damage from the fall.

In addition, your jump distance, for both high and long jumps, is tripled and your walking speed increases by 10 feet.

Man Of The People

Starting at 13th level, whenever you finish a long rest, a number of creatures of your choice, equal to your Dexterity Modifier, gain the Free-Running and Leap Of Faith features.

Any attempt to use this feature in a creature that would make the number of creatures higher than your Dexterity Modifier fails; you must end a creature's connection to the brotherhood first as an action.

Master Assassin

Finally, at 17th level, you are permanently under the effects of your Eagle Vision feature.


Optional Rule: Additional Equipment

When a rogue chooses The Creed Archetype at 3rd level, consider giving them the Hidden Blade weapon, as long as it is part of a group.

Such connections to their groups may come as backgrounds, such as City Watcher, Faction Agent or House Agent, or throughout the campaign setting when the party has aligned themselves to a organization.

Moreover, if seen fit, a Creed Rogue may create a Hidden Blade in a long rest by expending 100gp, as the mechanisms within this wrist blade are complicated to be built and, despite the light weight, it is strong, durable, and sharp.

Hidden Blade

Weapon (Dagger), Uncommon


"The Hidden Blade has been a constant companion of ours over the years. Some would say it defines us—and they would not be entirely wrong. Many of our successes would not have been possible without it."


This dagger does not have the Thrown property, instead, it has the Concealed and Wrist-Mounted properties.

Hookblade

Weapon (Dagger), Rare, (Requires Attunement)


"The Hookblade helps you get around fast, surprise guards, and is not too bad in a fight."


This dagger does not have the Thrown property, instead, it has the Concealed and Wrist-Mounted properties, alongside the following:


You have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.


Ledge-Grab. You gain the ability to move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and along ceilings, as long as your hands are touching such surface.


Hook and Run. When you take the Disengage action, you can attempt to shove a creature within reach, making a Dexterity (Acrobatics) instead of your Strength (Athletics) check.

Phantom Blade

Weapon (Hand Crossbow), Very Rare, (Requires Attunement)


"The Phantom Blade. A modest little update from the traditional Assassin's Blade. Where you're going, you may not wish to get too close to your enemies."


This hand crossbow has the Concealed and Wrist-Mounted properties, alongside the following:


You have a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.


Special Bolts. The hand crossbow has 4 charges. When you damage a creature with this weapon, you can expend 1 charge to apply one of the following effects, with the hand crossbow regaining all expended charges daily at dawn:

  • Berserk Dart. The creature must succeed a DC 15 Intelligence Saving Throw or be affected by the Enemies Abound spell (no concentration required).

  • Poison Dart. The creature takes an additional 2d8 poison damage and must succeed a DC 15 Constitution Saving Throw. On a failed save, it is also poisoned for the next minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of their turn, ending on a success.

  • Sleep Dart. If the creature has less than 30 hit points remaining or less, it falls unconscious for 1 minute, until the sleeper takes damage, or someone uses an action to shake or slap the sleeper awake.

Assassin Gauntlet

Weapon (Dagger), Legendary, (Requires Attunement by a Rogue)


This dagger does not have the Thrown property, instead, it has the Concealed and Wrist-Mounted properties, alongside the following:


You have a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.


Brutish Speed. Your Dexterity scores increase by 2. Your maximum for those scores is now 22. Moreover, your Sneak Attack damage die becomes a d8 instead of a d6.


Grappling Hook. As an action action, you can make an ranged weapon attack roll with your grappling hook against a surface within 120ft of you. On a hit, the hook is attached to it firmly, allowing you to, as a bonus action, to pull yourself towards where the hook hit. You reach the surface at the end of your turn, where you are considered climbing it.


Hallucinogenic Gas. You can cast Hypnotic Pattern (Save DC 17). Once you have done so, Assassin Gauntlet can't be used this way again until you finish a short or long rest.

Additional Properties

Concealed. A concealed weapon is made to be hidden alongside the user's body, only being seen when used. Creatures must succeed on a Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check (DC equals to 10 + your Dexterity (Stealth) Modifier) to spot such weapons when not in use. If the character has advantage on the check, add 5. For disadvantage, subtract 5.


Wrist-Mounted. A wrist-mounted weapon is attached to a bracer. A creature wielding a wrist-mounted weapon cannot be disarmed.

Combining Hidden Blades

If the DM allows, a player may attempt to fuse together different Hidden Blades. The bonus from the magic items cannot surpass a bonus of +3 and the DCs are only one, with the player choosing which to use.

Be warned, this will break the little balance of magic items in the game.

The Creed

A Rogue subclass based on the original Assassin's Creed series, alongside their famous weapon: the Hidden Blade and their variants. Become a real Assassin, jumping down from buildings and landing on top of foes, avoiding damage from the fall!

Artist Credit:
Cover Art: ChaoyuanXu
Page 2: Darek Zabrocki
Page 3: Hugo Deschamps
Page 4: Grant Hillier
Page 5, Upper: Güner Bölükbasi
Page 5, Lower: Okmer
Back Art: Mabs_Gabs

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