So twice now ive been walking through the land and have been randomly attacked by assasins. they both had a note on them telling them to kill me.

Now, why are they sending assasins after me? i havnt joined the imperials or the dark brotherhood yet. i am a neutral party. the onlt guilds ive done are the thieves and companions, and i just started the mages college.

Why are they trying to kill me?

Well it could be because you stole something and someone wants you dead for it. Ive had people send hired thugs at me for a simple item being stolen.

Thugs are different, yeah they're hired to come after you for stealing.

The brotherhood assassins though just seem to decide all on their own, doesn't seem to be any particular quest or crime or anything that riles them up.

The DB assassins are also incredibly stupid too.

Yes, I see you there crouching next to that tree in your black armor on a bright, sunny day. I'm just going to shoot you with my bow now...kthxbye.

I can't say the hired thugs are that much better though. I was doing some dragon hunting with the Blades I recruited and had just returned to Sky Haven to report in. I went out into the courtyard to find Esbern who was out there with Delphine and my 3 recruited Blades. Suddenly, 3 hired thugs in low-level gear show up to "teach me a lesson."

Needless to say, I didn't even need to draw my weapon. Yeah, sure, attack my while I'm surrounded by dragon hunters and former emperor's bodyguards.

The DB Assassins come after you/are hired to kill you for assaults/murders that you have performed where your original victim either didn't die, or the assault/murder was witnessed.

If any of this occurred, even against Bandits, then they will hire the Dark Brotherhood to put you down.

On the flip side, if you join the DB, then the random assassination attempts stop.

I wish they would send MORE of them after me.

I think a way to have made the DB assassins more effective/challenging would be to:

A.) Have them hide better and/or actually stalk you a bit, rather than just waiting by the side of the road.

B.) Give them some kind of poison/paralyze enchantment or poison to use on you.

Having them actually jump out or follow you into a ruin knowing their first attack will hit hard would be a lot better than the "stand by the road and wait" tactics they employ now.

Hm so bandits can hire assassins? I always thought it was from some higher powers who want to stop the dovahkiin, and requested the night mother to help them.

Edit: and omg yes those assassins are so stupid, they deserved what they got. All of the ones ive encountered were out doors and i could see running at me from half a kilometer away.

Maybe Astrid's just weeding out the dead weight in her organization. By the time you get around to joining, she's run out of idiots.

(One thing about the assassins I've noticed- I have a mod that sets all armor sets to playable, which allows you to loot armor that normally can't be. If you take the DB assassin's gear, you'll see that it's not even enchanted. They don't even qualify for the good stuff. )

I think it just happens by default and they will come after you no matter how good you have been.

Cheers

I always figured it happened after the Greybeards summoned you. Someone doesn't want a new Dragonborn.

I've amassed a kill count of 43 assassins, all Argonians. I thought Shadowscales were gone.

What did I do to make Argonians mad? As a Breton, no less!