You can assassinate two targets if you are two-weapon fighting as well. If monsters are properly grouped up, you can even manage a triple assassination (very rare to have the chance).
This was True at one time, thus going TWF for this reason.
Unless something has changed very recently, it's not possible to hit a third target with assassination. It was once but that was removed a long time ago.
You are right they removed that ability for offhand to even assassinate once.
I seem to remember about 10 years ago you could assassinate 4 targets... idk might be the smoke from the Canadian wildfires wreaking havoc on my mind....
Yes you remember correctly as I use to rarely Assassinate 4 mobs, when I bunched them together but very rare(like the chance of Vorpaling twice back to back).
Otherwise
Three mobs was a slight common norm, if you aligned yourself and movement right.
Getting
Two was a conciliatory prize.
If you got
One, that was a Participation Trophy.
Then to even try to work in StrikeThrough (per description), as it made the most sense, I went Two Handed Fighting Quarterstaff Assassin and raised my StrikeThrough to around 300+% and went into Meridia slayer and "snuck" dropped, off the hill, going Right in direction, as I Swung (assassinate) on the low level group of Rats(about 4 or 5) and only assassinated 2 with the Staff and high StrikeThrough.
Did this multiple times(in different scenarios), to see if StrikeThrough would work with Assassinate and that doesn't either.
So in summary:
Lost offhand Assassinate
Lost Vorpal any weapon on 20
Lost Mechanical Dog companion
Lost Rise of the Phoenix in Cheat Death
Lost Trap Making CC/Strategic play above Elite
Lost Shadow Dancer Epic Destiny Tree to a Magoos Class
Other than that you can still Bluff Pull mobs(you can raise skill/swap Bluff/Charisma item) away from packs to single them out, Blind them and get sneak damage.
I would highly recommend crafting at least 2 or 3 Shadowscale Outfits/Robes(Thunder Forged) as was mentioned, for
Shadow Phase clickies:
- It helps not draw attention in Boss Fights(with Boss and Henchmen), if you build -Threat Reduction in Groups
- Allows you to Pass Through Enemies in case Cornered or occasional "stuck" in game and need to vacate
- You can unlock Doors/Chests/Levers (as long as you remain still) with a better chance of being undetected
- While grabbing Soul Stones(pair it with Shadow Walk scrolls for 50% built Displacement and Speed Boost), Uncanny Dodge helps here also
