Arcane Trickster Critiques


Advice


Build:
Dual Talented Human Arcane Trickster||10 18 14 17 8 10|| Traits: Magical Knack, Blood of Dragons
R1 |Weapon Finesse, Sneak attack 1d6, trapfinding
R2 |Fast Stealth, Evasion
W1|Craft Wondrous Item, Scribe Scroll, cantrips, Universalist School, Familiar(Valet), Hand of the Apprentice
W2|
W3| Craft Magic Arms and Armor
R3 | Sneak attack 2d6, trap sense +1
AT1| Craft Constructs, Ranged legerdemain
AT2| Sneak attack 3d6
AT3| Craft Wand, Impromptu sneak attack 1/day
AT4| Sneak attack 4d6
AT5| Craft Rod, Tricky spells 3/day
AT6| Sneak attack 5d6
AT7| Craft Staff, Impromptu sneak attack 2/day, Tricky spells 4/day
AT8| Sneak attack 6d6
AT9| Forge Ring, Invisible thief, Tricky spells 5/day
AT10| Sneak attack 7d6, surprise spells
W4| Quicken Spell
W5| Empower Spell
W6| Persistent Spell
W7|

I'm thinking the crafting focus goes well with the trope of hoarding wealth.
Universalist is quite the spell slot hit, but consequentially I like having easy access to all the schools. That makes changing tactics easier mid-game.


You really don't want all those crafting feats. Wand/Ring/Rod/Staff... you seriously can't think of anything better to use with your feat slots? Construct is going to be really, really GM-dependent too, and making a construct worth the money requires a metric ton of wealth... which doesn't really play into the hoarding trope.

Rogue needs an archetype. If nothing else, Ninja.


I'm going to warn you, this is not a good class. It should be, tons of flavor, but the mechanics are not sound.

If you're inclined to do this, consider rogue 1/wizard X. With all those skill points, just invest into sneaky skills.

The weak spots are the miserable BAB, the weak hit points, and the awful fort save. I' concerned that you will die the way all the AT's I've ever seen die, including mine.

A) got critted, lacking the hit points to withstand, or the spells to avoid.
B) blew a fort save, even a straight wizard would have a better chance.

Sneak attack is just a kind of damage, which you can also get from higher level spells.


I've heard the recommendation on these boards that if you want to go Arcane Trickster and you DON'T need a Rogue Talent/Ninja Trick, you pick 1 level each of the following: Snakebite Striker Brawler, and Rogue/Ninja (Rogue to go with Wizard or Ninja to go with Sorcerer). Caution: I have also heard Vivisectionist Alchemist recommended, but this is written so that instead of giving you Sneak Attack at specific levels, it gives you an effective Rogue level that stacks with Rogue or Ninja, so that you still need 3 levels of non-casting class to get Sneak Attack 2d6. Snakebite Striker and Rogue/Ninja instead each give you +1d6 at specific levels, including 1st. In other words, choose Snakebite Striker as your non-caster non-Rogue/Ninja class, because, like other stuff in the ACG/ACO, it is broken . . . in your favor. It also gives you +1 better BAB and slightly more Hit Points (especially if you take it first).

Edit: Also checked Rogue and Ninja to make sure that they really give you +1d6 Sneak Attack at specific levels. Rogue is a bit vague in the text but explicit in the class features table, whereas Ninja is explicit in both the text and the class features table.


yeah I would check out either my guide or expert's guide if not both.


UnArcaneElection wrote:
Snakebite Striker Brawler

Oh my. That is nice.

Hmmm you lose like evasion, but that is about it.
EDIT: I guess you also lose out on any rogue talents.


Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I recommend Snakebite Striker, also. On top of that, pick up an Improved Familiar and give it a Wand of Mudball. Train/command it to ready to fire the Mudball until just before you finish casting. Target is hit and is now blinded, get your Sneak Attack on 'em. Good for enemies that see through Invisibility.

Additionally/alternatively, pick up Feint Partner with that Valet familiar and have it feint. Another invisibility ignoring tactic for your ranged touch attacks.


On the plus-side for the Rogue, a Thug/Scout Rogue 4 with the Offensive Defense talent and perhaps a way to cause fear can really sandbag a charged target.

The Ninja's Vanishing Trick has the enormous advantage of being a swift-action Invisibility, so you can charge or full-attack before vanishing into thin air at the end of your turn, ready to sneak attack again.

Combining the two is problematic, but I suppose it's doable with Extra Talent and Extra Ki.

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