Hello folks! Last night I decided to PK another player, one that had it coming, and my character was exiled for his actions.(At least he wasn't executed, it was a close vote!) So be it, now I must roll in a new character
I'm looking for ideas to help make this class I'm building better suited to destroy casters, it's going to be my primary focus, but I also can't suck at doing other things. :]
So here's what I've got so far.
Coming in at 10th level.
Race: Human
Class: 3 Rogue(Archtype: Chameleon), 2 Ranger, 5 Crimson Assassin(Mantis Assassin.)
Two-Weapon Fighting build, Sawtooth Sabres of course and yeah. Here were my starting stat rolls.
Rolls: 18, 14, 13, 12, 12, 11
Distribution: STR: 11, DEX: 18, CON: 14, INT: 12, WIS: 12, CHA: 13.
-I opted for the alternative race trait (Dual Talent), to sacrifice the Human Feat and Skilled, to instead get the +2 to another ability score.
I figured, +2 on Dex, +2 on Charisma,
4th (+1 CHA), 8th (+1 Dex)
Final Stats: STR: 11, DEX: 21, CON: 14, INT: 12. WIS: 12. CHA: 16
Feats:-
Bonus:
Rogue Talent:: Weapon Focus(Sawtooth Sabre),
Ranger Combat Style 2nd Level:: Two-Weapon Fighting,
Red Mantis Assassin 1st Level:: Weapon Specialization
Red Mantis Assassin 5th Level:: Greater Weapon Focus
1st level:: Weapon Finesse
3rd level:: Exotic Weapon Proficiency(Sawtooth Sabre)
5th level:: Improved Initiative (Our DM does a round by round Init)
7th level:: Unsure
9th level:: Unsure
I have base wealth for a 10th level character, so 62,000g
I figure I know I want good weapons, and I'd love to have Phase Locking on one of my sabers, cause I am so sick of quickened DDs. -_- and my DM loves them... but from there I'm not sure
You may want to look at the slayer from the ACG instead a multiclass rogue/ranger. It gives you everything you need without having to multiclass and more. Focus on STR instead of DEX and use the slayer talents to get two weapon fighting. If you go to 6th level Slayer you can even pickup improved two weapon fighting.
Hmm.. I will have to look both of these over, thank you for the input. Warpriest has highly interested me just from looking it over, only problem is the spells/wisdom...
and the Slayer, that would save me from needing Weapon Finesse, but then my AC would take a substantial hit, not that I want to get hit, My DM just has a knack for turning around and killing rogues, especially after they just tore up the enemy.
I'm sold on the Slayer build, all though I'm noting War-priest as a future character candidate, cause it looks like it could be some fun. Slayer just seems to fit the character I've got in mind already, the thrill of the hunt, a house assassin that's about to turn on his house.
The party does have an alchemist that can whip up Potions of Invisibility, so I don't think the archetype is necessary, though I do like it's description.
I was looking at the Cleaner Archtype for the Slayer, I like that one for the character a lot.
I single level dip into war priest looks pretty solid idea. Exotic Weapon Prof and Weapon Focus...
I'm also curious about the Sacred Weapon (or Profane Weapon in this case.) Need to look into it.
I would probably drop the rogue and keep the slayer. If you go with a sword and shield build you can have pretty good DPR. If you are looking to being mechanically effective, then dropping the mantis assassin will also work, but if that is part of your background and you want to keep it, then going slayer can work. The problem with slashing grace is that and the sawtooth sabre is that it is treated as a light weapon when weilded in your off-hand so the GM may not allow it to work, but if he does then you don't have to worry about double slice.
1H iron will
1 weapon focus (saber)
2 finesse rogue (saber)
3 improved initiative
4 combat trick(slashing grace
5
6 Ranger Combat Style (TWF)
7
8
9
10Ranger Combat Style (ITWF)
or
1 exotic prof sabe
1 weapon focus (saber)
2 Ranger Combat Style (TWF)
3 improved initiative
4 combat trick(slashing grace)
5 Iron Will(you don't want to ginsu the party)
6 Ranger Combat Style (TWF)
7 Weapon Specialization red mantis(1st level)
7 normal feat ?
9 normal feat ?
10 Weapon Specialization red mantis
or
Go sword and board TWF. You will give up a little DPR, but your AC will be a lot better. For such a build you just have to get enough dex to qualify for TWF, but after that you just boost strength. However you would have to go slayer for 10 levels to get the most out of it.
Ah yes, Iron Will.. one must not forget about that. Especially when they have a 12 Wis, and the classes you're taking doesn't give jack for will saves.
I'm already sold on the Mantis Assassin for sure, I like the Mask of the Mantis too... perfect for the scenario, as we're taking up residence pretty deep underground, so the dark vision would be nice.
So what do you think about the single level of war priest, I know part of me sees that as min-maxing, which quite a bit of this is in the first place, but as I read about the class, and picture the characters background, as he starts off a slayer/clearer for such-and-such organization or house, he gets essentially find the mantis god for one reason or another, creates a link for him (explaining the level of war priest.) Then gets actually recruited into the organization, and is able to go back to his roots as the assassin. For an RP stand point, I can see it better than most level dips...
Though how do I start if I do...
4,5 or 6 levels of Slayer
1 level of War-priest
and 5, 4, or 3 levels of Mantis Assassin.
and I will surely plan on going back to Slayer.
As for the Sword and Board, that's something I'll have to consider. It also saves me money from buying 2 swords, which leaves more funds for other items...
As for the focusing on Strength, I'm fairly certain the DM will okay the Dex on the offhand as well... but also I've played 2 other rogues in the past few years, and both have had strength over dex, one an Orc-rogue/fighter, and the other a human poisoner/fighter also... I'd like to focus this one on light armor, and heavy dex build.
what do you mean by a house assassin about to turn on his house?
If you mean this as if you are going ro turn on the Red Mantis, be prepared for some pain.
If you go warpriest I would avoid the swashbuckler. It is not really needed.
As a human you get an free bonus feat anyway, and it will make your saves worse.
So far your plan look solid with your last post.
Another alternative is to go with a DEX based Slayer and use slashing grace and two weapon fighting. Dip one level in swashbuckler to pick up swashbucklers finesse. Take the next 6 levels in slayer using your favored class bonus to pick up an extra slayer talent. Also use ranger combat style to get two weapon fighting, and improved two weapon fighting. By 10th level you will be +19/+14/+19/+14 with studied target and doing 1d8+13 damage and if you are able to sneak attack you will be doing an extra 3d6 damage per hit. This assumes that you get a +4 belt of dexterity and have at least a +1 weapon in each hand.
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Thanks for the extra advice. Will look into it more tomorrow
What I meant by house was just some in-game knowledge, there are 12 different houses that make up this city we're working on taking over, with one main house"castle/ruler that oversees it all. Something along those lines.
Here's the characters background /info I sent to my DM, just incase you're interested.
Name: Zeek Revin’Aka
Class: 6 Slayer(Cleaner Archtype: Advanced Class Guide), 1 Warpriest of Achaekek(ACL), 3 Red Mantis Assassin (ISWG)
Race: Human (Dual Talent:- Alternative Racial Trait) +2 to any 2 ability stats. (Replace bonus feat, and Skilled)
Age: 30
Background: Zeek grew up within the human city, a hardly noticed member of one of the houses.(Think fourth son, or something along those lines.) He delved into a trouble in his youth, finding he had a canny knack for getting out of it as well as covering for others. While he got chased away from the city guard from time to time, no one ever managed to catch him in the act, at least no one of legit authority. He got caught stealing ale and goods from other crooks in the city, though not on his first attempts. So he sustained some beatings, but eventually his talents were seen for what they were, and that caught the idea of some of the more shady members of a household(Perhaps his, perhaps another. Maybe he didn’t like his own house, perhaps there was something there about the king or leader of it, that disgusted him.)
He was only 15 when that occurred and then the coaching began. Over the years he would hone his skills, not only the typical rogue skills, but also his deft hand with a blade. A year later into this ordeal he had going on, Zeek witnessed the eldest son of whatever house, commit an act that would have had him likely killed. He panicked and left a bloody scene behind. Zeek made it his own business to clean up the mess, delicately destroying any sign of evidence that it had happened.
Eventually the son confessed to his crime to his father, begging for him to help him. When they went to check the location, there was nothing to be found. While the immediate family did not know of Zeek’s involvement in it, his coach and mentor (So and So and So and So. I don’t know, you pick whoever that is.) was quite privy to the knowledge. This led to even more opportunities for Zeek.
Over the next few years, Zeek became the “Cleaner” for his mentor/their house/ and even for higher, along this time he had also started to take contracts to end lives, though they were scattered few and far between at first, mainly when the “go to guy” was unavailable to complete a necessary task. Eventually, Zeek, though not his true identify, was starting to create an infamous reputation, but only for those were privy to the deeper areas of the criminal syndicates or whatever you’d call it. It would be said that when a name was marked, the price was paid, that in frightening time, the victim would simply... cease to be. No sign of struggle, not a speck of evidence left behind, at least none that got out publicly.(Figure he made a mistake here or there, but ya’know... you’re bound to roll a 1.) The nickname was “Reapers hand.”... saying, best watch it or the reapers hand will take you, and things of that sort.
Zeek did hold a certain bravado about himself, but he could keep his night life separate from his daily deeds.
So that continued for some time.. (Until 6th level!)
Then one day when he was out to take the life of another victim, while he was cleaning the blood from his blade, he came across a book. It was laying out just waiting for him to take, it felt almost convenient. (As in it was set out for him to find.) This book held knowledge of a patron deity, the Red Mantis. His heart froze when, and for the first time in years, he felt true panic. The Red Mantis Assassins, they were known to him, though he’d never truly seen one, or met another who had seen one. But he always knew they existed, even if some claimed it rumor.
Had he just taken the life of one of their members? Was his time no forfeit, would he be dead before the sun raised in the morning. He did not know, but he finished his job nonetheless, combing over the area in a far more meticulous way then usual. He would leave nothing, he would hope that he would not be found. There was no sign of the victims weapons, or other things to lead Zeek to believe him to be of that dreaded order.
He would not sleep that night, or for the follow three nights at that, instead he just held up in his quarters, armed and waiting. Over the time he read over the book, and on the third day he prayed to the Mantis God, asking him to forgive him for taking the lives of one his followers. He did so in not a desperate manner, as he’d already accepted his fate. “If there is anything I can do, to make this right... I will do it.”
Then something strange happened... He got a response.
(1 level of Warpriest of Achaekek. ) More story to develop here.
Five lives to take in the name the Red Mantis, at no cost, that was fine and fair way to have his life spared.
In the months to pass, he took four lives, names whispered into his head, and into his dreams. Then on the night of his fifth, as he finished. He was confronted, by a man clad in black and crimson armor, wearing the mask of a Mantis. He two sheathed blades with wicked hilts, wrapped it what he’d later find to be the belly skin of a gold dragon. This is when his true oppurtunity presented itself, and he was invited to join the ranks of the Crimson Assassins.(Or Red Mantis Assassins.)
Pardon it being full of typos.
Okay, so how does this look for Feat Progression
---Slayer--- (1st-6th level)
Feat #1 Weapon Finesse (1st)
Feat #2 Improved Initiative (Human)
Feat #3 Deceitful (Cleaner -replaces- Track)
Feat #4 Two-Weapon Fighting (Slayer Talent 1)
Feat #5 Slashing Grace (3rd)
--(Slayer Talent 2 is replaced by a Cleaner Archtype ability)---
Feat #6 Alertness (5th)
Feat #7 Improved-TWF (Slayer Talent 3)
---Warpriest---- (7th level)
Feat #8 Exotic Weapon Prof (Sawtooth) (Warpriest)
Feat #9 Weapon Focus (Sawtooth) (Warpriest)
Feat #10 Iron Will (7th)
---Red Mantis Assassin---(8th-10th level)
Feat #11 Weapon Specialization (Sawtooth) (Sabre Fighting 1)
Feat #12 .... ??? (9th)
Feat Ideas:
-- Bloody Assault (I am using Blood-Crystal Sawtooth Sabres. Could cast true strike, throw a dart on my way into combat, get the bleed started, then get an extra 1 damage per hit, and mad style points.)
-- Combat Expertise
-- Improved Disarm ( Could be quite useful, I imagine )
-- Critical Focus, Bleeding Critical,
-- Skill Focus (Stealth, Bluff, Other things...)
-- Arcane Strike (+3 dmg once my caster level reaches 10th.)
-- Combat Reflex ( Suppose this could be useful with a 24 dex...) **
-- Quick Draw
-- I don't know, other stuff.
---Future Progression---
---Red Mantis Assassin--- ( 10th-17th level )
Feat #13 Improved Critical (Sawtooth) (11th)
Feat #14 ... Great Weapon Focus (Sawtooth) (Sabre Fighting 2)
Feat #15 ... (13th)
Feat #16 ... Greater Weapon Specialization (Sabre Fighting 3)
Feat #17 ... (15th)
Feat #18 ... (17th)
---Resume Slayer or War-priest, or pick up something new all together. ---
Feat #19 ... (19th)