Kal-Yik's page

Also offers his "Biz-niss card".

"*Skik!* He pays me by the hour. I like him."

The totals are also used to gauge the popularity rank of a Faction.

If one Faction's membership seems to be dropping, then Campaign Leadership can adjust the next Season's Journal Cards to increase incentives for joining.

If one Faction's membership continues to drop, it may set the stage for another storyline upheaval, like we had with Shadow Lodge, Lantern Lodge, or Sczarni.

* that one evil Garuda!

First character death ever...

...or people who really like Offensive Defense ^_^

CURRENT FACTIONS:

• Sovereign Court: Lord Arthur Higgenstrom III, (19th Level, 114 Fame)
  
• The Exchange: Venture Captain Antonius Gallonica, Viscount of Faldamount, Signifier of the Order of the Gate (18th Level, 97 Fame)
  
• Liberty's Edge: Eagle Knight Captain Ra Loi, (19th Level, 88 Fame)
  
• Silver Crusade: Venture Captain Kaeril Adon, Silver Crusader, Life Oracle (14th Level, 75 Fame)
  
• Grand Lodge: Woodros Scufflegrit, (12th Level, 59 Fame)
  
• Scarab Sages: Venture Captain Ru-Sateph, the Risen. High Priest of Pharasma (14th Level, 79 Fame)
  
• Dark Archive: Nehyril Corrum, Barb of Asmodeus, Venture Captain of Korvosa (13th Level, 75 Fame)

• Sczarni: Kal-Yik (15th Level, 77 Fame)
  
• Shadow Lodge: Venture-Captain Mash (14th Level, 65 fame)
  
• Lantern Lodge: None yet

I hear (READ) ppl all the time saying how rogues are underpowered. You must be running them wrong

I will echo the sentiment about necroing a 3 year old thread just to rant (that's what the General Discussion forum is for), but since it's here now may as well respond.

I love Pathfinder's Rogue (and its Unchained version). My first PFS character (this profile) is now a 15th level Rogue. But as much as a I love them, you're missing out on quite a few variables.

It's extremely difficult to get a full attack off during high level play, and adding the requirements for Sneak Attack on top of that makes it even more difficult. Intelligent foes are rarely stationary, or alone. AoOs help add damage, but ultimately in order to get a full attack you must be adjacent to your enemy, and some of those high level baddies hit hard.

For perspective, I present to you a hasted Tengu using Bite/Bite/Claw/Claw. I went with natural attacks rather than TWF because the penalties to-hit with weapons were just too much for my poor 3/4 BAB character to take (on top of the penalties for Power Attack). He Sneak Attacks for 8d6 and his base damage is 1d3+10 (so an average of 40 damage per hit).

That's only 160 damage on a full attack, assuming all 4 attacks hit. His Attack Bonus is respectable for his level, but it's not +30 (which is the average AC of a CR 15 creature). And even if they did, I better roll above average on damage, because the average CR 15 has 220 hit points.

And how many times are you fighting a single creature whose CR matches your APL?

Rogues can deal decent damage, and Unchained helped add more to their repertoire, but they still can't quite hold up to the Full BAB frontline classes (who don't need to set up flanks to deal damage). Damage is more of a secondary ability after their skills have been put to use.

When I started PFS I was told having a high Initiative modifier was key, and so my first feat was Improved Initiative, and one of my Traits was Reactionary. With an 18 Dex, I was +10 at first level.

But I was a melee striker, and I kept going before the buffs were handed out. I found myself just delaying until I could get a Haste.

By 10th level, after *just* dying to a full attack, I retrained Improved Initiative for Toughness.

Learning from that, now I try to give my casters and buffers a higher than average Initiative so they can go before others have to delay.

I CANNOT CONDONE THIS SORT OF CREATURE TRAIPSING THE HALLS, ITS STENCH OF FERMENTED OFFAL STAINING THE HALLS AS IT STAINS OUR REPUTATION.

I gEt dRagGed iNto tHiS... hOw??

There is a very satisfying *thud* of dice when my Tengu Rogue gets all his Sneak Attack dice off.

3d3+24d6 is a lot of dice.

HERE is the profile of my first PFS character, who's now a 15th level Rogue. He's been immense fun.

I'd suggest ignoring the haters out there. Rogues are perfectly viable in PFS.

Combining 3 natural attacks with Sneak Attack and Haste means I can dish out 32d6 of Sneak on a full attack, and I don't suffer the attack penalties that two-weapon fighters do. The Opportunist advanced talent adds even more chances to hit.

Step Up and Strike ensured that Mages and Archers weren't getting away from me.

I saved up for a Ring of Invisibility by level 8, and it's been invaluable in helping me not only serve as party lookout, but helping get into the perfect flank.

Quoth, the Tengu:

"Sczarni for life!"

My very first PFS character was a natural attacking Tengu Rogue, and he's 15th level now. He's been a blast. If you're looking for advice on how to build one, feel free to click on this profile.

"I join Acadamae as biz-ness opportunity. Much like my mentor, Guaril Karela, I have come into the legal acquisition of many fronts shops due to my years as a Path-finder. The most recent, an old bookstore, in Goka. I even update back of biz-ness card to help advertise. I keep its name, "The Learned Crane". Such beautiful name, but more beautiful profits selling overinflated affordable textbooks to Acadamae students, yes yes."

"Mmm. Sounds like you need Kal-Yik's Handy Guide to Creature Traits. Yes, yes. Good buy. Only cost you... a favor... you tell others how generous the Sczarni are. Yes, yes. Now go!"

I carry this book with me whenever I GM a PFS game. If the PC successfully identifies a critter, I give them everything there is to know about that type or subtype, because those are universal facts. I then let the player ask any additional questions about that specific critter for every 5 pts they exceeded the DC by.

Speaking as a 13th level Rogue in PFS I often have GMs ask me that same question.

Characters with the trapfinding ability (like rogues) can disarm magic traps. A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.

The Rogue isn't a spellcaster, and there are no rules for requiring Spellcraft or Knowledge (engineering) in order to use Disable Device on magical traps. All you really need is a set of Thieves Tools.

I think this just requires a little bit of metagaming.

I went ahead and spent an entire Chronicle's worth of gold on odds and ends just so I could justify my ability to disarm traps of all sorts, including an Adamantine Wire Saw, a Glass Cutter, Glue Paper, a Magnet, a Small Steel Mirror (for use against visual triggers), Universal Solvent, 500ft of String, a Drill, a Crowbar, and Sealing Wax, but it's really just for flavor.

I've considered making a tengu with claws as a rogue but the damage is sooo low and circumstantial, it just goes against the grain of wanting to succeed and not having the abilities.

I encourage you to reconsider.

A rogue made it to level 10? Dear gods let them bask in the only use of that ability.

*cocks his head to the side*

"What you say? No others? *caw* Good, good. More biz-niss for me!"

(currently level 13 Rogue (no multi-classing), will be 14 after GMing Siege of the Diamond City at Conquest, and then 15 if I survive the Academy of Secrets)

Can someone please tell me where to find a listing of the defensive abilities listed on a Monster stat sheet...

"Mmm. Sounds like you need Kal-Yik's Handy Guide to Creature Traits. Yes, yes. Good buy. Only cost you... a favor... you tell others how generous the Sczarni are. Yes, yes. Now go!"