Help me help a friend make a super stealthy NPC

[Master of the Dark Triad]

So, he wants a super stealthy goblin guy who lives in these ruins (I don't really know the details) in the middle of some ancient forest. The idea is that he'll ambush the party multiple times, this weakening them, and then finally picking them off one by one with a great stealth bonus.

I don't need the help to actually stay him out, but what I do need is this:

1. What are some magic items that improve stealth? Especially ones that won't conflict with a belt of dexterity and a cloak of resistance.

2. What are some class concepts you could do with really high stealth? Any prestige classes that would be cool?

My friend said surprise him, so as long as it would make sense that this guy would live alone, simply hanging around these ruins, hunting for food and whatnot, living as a recluse, then it works.

[blackbloodtroll]

Just how stealthy?

What level?

[Dafydd]

Arcane trickster, Assassin and Shadow Dancer for PrC with stealth focus/benefits. Ninja or rouge for class. Sneak attack will be the goblin's friend. A level of sorcerer would be good for some spells, shadow bloodline.

As for gear, there is an outfit that gives +5 to stealth and a +2 AC (its a ninja type item, forgot the name) body slot, 12k gold.

Shadowed Armor is good, +5/10/15 depending on how much to spend.

Vanish/Invisibility/Greater Invisibility for boosting stealth, and escaping. Reduce Person is a handy spell for a sneak. Size bonus to stealth, Dex boost to boot. Additionally, if the goblin is throwing weapons, NO REDUCTION IN DAMAGE (well, -1 for STR reduction).

[Master of the Dark Triad]

As stealthy as possible, and he said to just give him a build that could work well from levels 5-15. I'm not in his campaign, he just wants my help.

I thought sneak attack was a trap. Am I wrong?

[blackbloodtroll]

It is.

Guider/Trapper Ranger, or Heretic Inquisitor, are just great for this.

[Avoron]

Vivisectionist could work quite well, for access to extracts of reduce person, invisibility, etc. Also, Dexterity mutagens.
Don't forget elixirs of hiding, which gives a +10 bonus on Stealth checks for an hour for only 250 gp.

[Dafydd]

Normally, I agree, sneak attack is a trap. However, building a hit and run type sneaker, they should have the sneak attack often. Surprise round and first round, if init is high enough.

I typically hate consumables, so I forget about the elixers. Vivisectionist is a good suggestion for sneaky. Master chemist would be an interesting PrC for it, as long as your friend is willing to allow the bomb advancement to count for the sneak attack advancement. You can also gain wings for some aerial escapes.

[Master of the Dark Triad]

Is there anything in the ACG that might help?

Are there any arcane classes that could do this? Other than arcane trickster, which to my knowledge can never be made to be optimal.

It occurred to me that if he gets caught, he'll be easily dispatched, so summons from an arcane class would be nice. That's the only reason I specifically bring up an arcane possibility.

[Dafydd]

Well, besides most arcane casters being bared from armor, thus no ACP to stealth, not really. The arcane classes from ACG are arcanist and bloodrager. Neither are all that sneaky as a base.

No clue why they did not make a rouge/wizard or rouge/sorcerer for ACG to go right into Arcane Trickster.

Invisibility will be a handy way to sneak out of combat to come back later.

[Reynard_the_fox]

If this is supposed to be viable into the high levels, make sure he has protection against scrying and simple Detect spells. Greater Invis is your best bet for repeated sneak attacks, as sniping (shooting from stealth without revealing your position) gives a -20 on your stealth check. I think a Cape of the Mountebank or other source of dimension door will also GREATLY increase his survivability should the PCs find him.

A vivisectionist with bow proficiency seems like a good bet. Conveniently, that gives him Poison Use and easy access to alchemical supplies (Alchemist's Fire, Thunderstones, Flash Powder, etc.) to distract PCs and make good on his escapes. The discoveries Chameleon and Rag Doll Mutagen would be fitting for this guy. Consider even using the Vivisectionist "Torturous Transformation" ability to give him some friends; must get lonely out there in the ruins...

Oh, and if you're thinking about multiclassing, a 4-level dip in Shadowdancer gets you a number of useful defensive/tricky abilities: Hide in Plain Sight, Uncanny Dodge, Evasion, Shadow Illusion, Shadow Conjuration, shadowy Dimension Door (only 40 ft though), a Rogue Talent, and a shadow companion. You'd lose out on some sneak attack damage, discoveries, and higher level extracts, though.

[Thanael]

If he's living alone in a ruin he needs some survival skills IMHO maybe he is a ex-commando bad guy who just wants to be left alone.

I love the idea of a little goblin Rambo slayer/ranger/barbarian kicking the PCs ass with lots of ranger traps, camouflage, hit and run tactics etc.

Give him a composite bow, javelins, a big knife or two , high stealth and mobility. Also don't forget to tell your friend to design the terrain around the ruin in detail.

[Master of the Dark Triad]

I just don't like the flavor of the alchemist on this one. I'm not sure why. I guess it just doesn't fit the "ancient ruins in an even more ancient forest" feel.

I do like the idea of getting HiPS, so shadow dancer definitely might be an option. What classes go well with that PrC?

[Thanael]

A chameleon rogue 1 dip gives you +1d6 sneak and a stealth pool scaling with your bluff skill. A 3 level dip grants effortless sneak.

ARMOR OF THE SHADOW LORD is an example intelligent item that gives a lot of stealth.

Terrain mastery rogue talent and/or ranger's favored terrain, maybe even the Horizon walker prc may be of interest.

While I like the fast movement to offset small size of a brb dip, the true primitive brb archetype grant terrain mastery at lvl 1. The fetish stuff it grants later makes for fun visuals too.

So maybe:

Chameleon rogue 3 or 4/guide trapper ranger 3+/true primitive barbarian x.

[Zhayne]

It's an NPC ... just go 'he has a stealth bonus of (whatever is appropriate)' and be done with it.

[Master of the Dark Triad]

Zhayne wrote:

It's an NPC ... just go 'he has a stealth bonus of (whatever is appropriate)' and be done with it.

Just feels like cheating to me lol

[Thanael]

He does not need HiPS if he uses terrain and movement appropriately.

Camouflage though is nice to have.

Triple dipping favored terrain/ terrain mastery is normally over specialization but for that encounter the terrain is set.

Add sniper slayer to the list of classes.

Or maybe use raging cannibal brb archetype just for the maximum shock effect on fellow PCs.

[Avoron]

In terms of theme, you could get a really cool goblin Serpent Shaman. Imagine a party wandering through ruins while all sorts of snakes leap out of the shadows and pick them off one by one. You could get a snake animal companion, or you could get the Deception or Ambush subdomains for good stealth for the goblin itself, which could be pretty nice while using wild shape.

[blackbloodtroll]

Nondetection is an Inguisitor spell, and Stygian Slayer can use spell completion items that have the spell, so both are good options.

[Thanael]

Checkout the goblin traits here.

[Weirdo]

Thanael wrote:

Checkout the goblin traits here.

Specifically, colour thief.

EDIT: Reduce person is definitely nice for a sniper since you get +5 stealth, +2 attack, and +2 AC at the cost of about -2 damage.

[blackbloodtroll]

Hellcat Stealth and Improved Eldritch Heritage(Shadow) negate the need for Shadowdancer.

Just follow those feats, and go Heretic Inquisitor, Ranger, or Stygian Slayer.

[Master of the Dark Triad]

blackbloodtroll wrote:

Hellcat Stealth and Improved Eldritch Heritage(Shadow) negate the need for Shadowdancer.

Just follow those feats, and go Heretic Inquisitor, Ranger, or Stygian Slayer.

Don't the CHA reqs of eldritch heritage make those classes really MAD..?

[blackbloodtroll]

Sort of.

Stygian Slayer, with Hellcat Stealth still works great.

Terrain Mastery, and then Slayer Camouflage will work with it as well.

You can even nab Extra Slayer Talent over and over, to nab Terrain Mastery over and over, to mass boost Stealth.

You could even eventually go Horizon Walker, and then use all those Favored Terrain bonuses, for damage.