I'll dogpile on ;-)
One thing to get out of the way first: Don't try to outperform warriors in the damage department. Won't work (assuming a similar level of optimisation [...]Damage is basically what warriors do.
Rogues can get near, but they can't beat it. So if you're in it just for damage, rather than the other stuff rogues can do, you might consider changing characters to get a different class.
+1
A lot of people on these boards will come up with cool calculation proving that you can do X amount of damage during condition Y, but in real game play rogues are not a fun class to play if you want to deal damage. I've seen it year after year in actual game play.
You got a 'to hit' problem. If you can't hit it you can't hurt it.
Sneak attack damage looks like much but it isn't, especially since you don't multiply it on a crit.
You can't always sneak attack creatures, some are immune like elementals, Oozes and incorporeals,
some have gear (fortification, etc) or abilities (uncanny dodge, wild shape, etc.) or feats (Blind fighting, etc.) that prevent you from using sneak attack,
some have spells (blur, some polymorph spells, etc) that prevent you from using sneak attack.
You can't do damage when you are one on one. You need to get them flat footed or feint them.
If your DM play the monsters smart you won't be able to flank them.
Full attack + flank + sneak attack is not that common. It sounds cool, but it won't happen and when it does the enemy AC will be high or/and the "warriors" will out damage you anyway.
TWF and sneak attack sounds cool, but it's not. I would pick Dervish Dance from The Inner Sea World Guide and use haste as often as possible.
Dervish Dance
Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Weapon Finesse, Perform (dance) 2 ranks, proficient with scimitar.
Benefit: When wielding a scimitar with one hand, you can use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on melee attack and damage rolls. You treat the scimitar as a one-handed piercing weapon for all feats and class abilities that require such a weapon (such as a duelist’s precise strike ability). The scimitar must be for a creature of your size. You cannot use this feat if you are carrying a weapon or shield in your off hand.
------------------
By RAW you can use a buckler since a buckler isn't held, it's strapped to your arm (ask your DM).
+2 elemental short sword sounds cool, but +3 is better. You need the bonus to hit and +3 helps with DR. Rogues will have a problem with DR, so +3 is better.
Changing character is probably a batter option. At higher things will get worse.
Mobility and Blind Fighting Feats (get Lunge later).
Bleeding Attack and Surprise Attack and a good Sneak skill.
Wand of Fog Cloud or Smokesticks aplenty.
Had a Rogue who used this combination to great effect to get sneak attacks every other round with Shortswords - great damage output - usually landed on the targets 'at the back' or away from the tank.
Eventually the tank got Blind Fighting too and flanking bonuses made it even worse.
I recently played a halfling fencer (9th level).
That is an awesome Rogue mate, no joke. You've inspired me to try one like that myself.
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Another thing a Dervish can do is make unarmed strikes with her off-hand -- now go take a look at Fighter[unarmed]; a one-level dip into that for Dragon Style, 5k for an Agile Amulet of Might Fists, and you're back in business with TWF.TWF and sneak attack sounds cool, but it's not. I would pick Dervish Dance from The Inner Sea World Guide and use haste as often as possible.
Dervish Dance
Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Weapon Finesse, Perform (dance) 2 ranks, proficient with scimitar.
Benefit: When wielding a scimitar with one hand, you can use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on melee attack and damage rolls. You treat the scimitar as a...<snip>By RAW you can use a buckler since a buckler isn't held, it's strapped to your arm (ask your DM).
+2 elemental short sword sounds cool, but +3 is better. You need the bonus to hit and +3 helps with DR. Rogues will have a problem with DR, so +3 is better.
Scabbards of Vigor are ultra-cheap; enjoy 'em before they're nerfed.
Isn't underhanded functionally broken because drawing a concealed weapon and attacking can't be done in the surprise round?
Quick Draw (Combat)
You can draw weapons faster than most.
Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: You can draw a weapon as a free action instead of as a move action. You can draw a hidden weapon (see the Sleight of Hand skill) as a move action.
A character who has selected this feat may throw weapons at his full normal rate of attacks (much like a character with a bow).
Alchemical items, potions, scrolls, and wands cannot be drawn quickly using this feat.
Normal: Without this feat, you may draw a weapon as a move action, or (if your base attack bonus is +1 or higher) as a free action as part of movement. Without this feat, you can draw a hidden weapon as a standard action.
The move action is better than standard, but you still only get one in the surprise round.
Another thing a Dervish can do is make unarmed strikes with her off-hand -- now go take a look at Fighter[unarmed]; a one-level dip into that for Dragon Style, 5k for an Agile Amulet of Might Fists, and you're back in business with TWF.TWF and sneak attack sounds cool, but it's not. I would pick Dervish Dance from The Inner Sea World Guide and use haste as often as possible.
Dervish Dance
Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Weapon Finesse, Perform (dance) 2 ranks, proficient with scimitar.
Benefit: When wielding a scimitar with one hand, you can use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on melee attack and damage rolls. You treat the scimitar as a...<snip>By RAW you can use a buckler since a buckler isn't held, it's strapped to your arm (ask your DM).
+2 elemental short sword sounds cool, but +3 is better. You need the bonus to hit and +3 helps with DR. Rogues will have a problem with DR, so +3 is better.Scabbards of Vigor are ultra-cheap; enjoy 'em before they're nerfed.
Awesome. This looks like something I'd play.
So the rogue that does 1d6+60 points of damage needs to be or get within 5 feet of their foe in the surprise round for it to work.
Another thing a Dervish can do is make unarmed strikes with her off-hand -- now go take a look at Fighter[unarmed]; a one-level dip into that for Dragon Style, 5k for an Agile Amulet of Might Fists, and you're back in business with TWF.
TWF = -2 on all attacks.
what you can't hit you can't hurt.But true Dervish and unarmed attack is legit combination by RAW.
Scabbards of Vigor are ultra-cheap; enjoy 'em before they're nerfed.
Scabbards of Vigor suck big time.
They take up the belt slot and can be used only once per day for 1 round up to maximum of 10 rounds.Belt slot
If the bonus counts for bypass DR is not obvious. There is still no answer on the fury property.
If I were the DM I would say Scabbards of Vigor does not count vs. bypassing DR.
Scabbards of Vigor are ultra-cheap; enjoy 'em before they're nerfed.
Scabbards of Vigor suck big time.
They take up the belt slot and can be used only once per day for 1 round up to maximum of 10 rounds.Belt slot
If the bonus counts for bypass DR is not obvious. There is still no answer on the fury property.
If I were the DM I would say Scabbards of Vigor does not count vs. bypassing DR.
Daaaamn. Yeah, the belt slot hurts. Thats where all your stat boosts come from. I assume that means you can only take a single one, too. But I hadn't noticed that "1/day" bit.
However, if they're an enhancement bonus, I'd say they bypass DR as a magic weapon. The price they pay for that bonus is not stacking with the weapons inherant bonus.
@Zark
You are right on everything except the bypass DR part.
Only core pathfinder books are open gaming. Their campaign settings are not. I believe this is why they are not found for free online.
Gang up is a great feat, it even let's you SA fro range.
Not quite, the mechanics are open game the fluff isn't and the d20pfsrd has in it every book paizo and many 3pp books.
Gang up is a great feat, it even let's you SA fro range.
Nope. Flanking is an inherently melee concept. One of the designers clarifies this specifically with respect to Gang Up in a post here somewhere if you dig for it.
Nope. Flanking is an inherently melee concept. One of the designers clarifies this specifically with respect to Gang Up in a post here somewhere if you dig for it.Gang up is a great feat, it even let's you SA fro range.
+1
Nope. Flanking is an inherently melee concept. One of the designers clarifies this specifically with respect to Gang Up in a post here somewhere if you dig for it.Gang up is a great feat, it even let's you SA fro range.
FAQ
Gang Up: Does this feat (page 161) allow you to flank a foe with ranged weapons?The Gang Up feat allows you to count as flanking so long as two of your allies are threatening your opponent. The feat makes no mention of ranged attacks being included, and since flanking specifically refers to melee attacks, ranged attacks do not benefit from this feat. (JMB, 8/13/10)
—Jason Bulmahn, 08/14/10
@Zark
You are right on everything except the bypass DR part.
Magic yes. Silver/Cold iron don't be to sure.
Check link and hit FAQ.
@Zark
You are right on everything except the bypass DR part.Magic yes. Silver/Cold iron don't be to sure.
Check link and hit FAQ.
For the furious weapon the might be needed but for the scabbard of vigor it isn't.
For the furious weapon the might be needed but for the scabbard of vigor it isn't.@Zark
You are right on everything except the bypass DR part.Magic yes. Silver/Cold iron don't be to sure.
Check link and hit FAQ.
And why?
If you want an answer hit the FAQ.BTW, those that don't want an anser usually fear the given answer ;-)
For the furious weapon the might be needed but for the scabbard of vigor it isn't.@Zark
You are right on everything except the bypass DR part.Magic yes. Silver/Cold iron don't be to sure.
Check link and hit FAQ.
And why?
If you want an answer hit the FAQ.
BTW, those that don't want an anser usually fear the given answer ;-)
I have already done so when the thread was created, and for the record i don't think that a FAQ is needed for furious weapon but after seeing some people saying that it doesn't help you i decided to hit the FAQ button.
For the furious weapon the might be needed but for the scabbard of vigor it isn't.@Zark
You are right on everything except the bypass DR part.Magic yes. Silver/Cold iron don't be to sure.
Check link and hit FAQ.
And why?
If you want an answer hit the FAQ.
BTW, those that don't want an anser usually fear the given answer ;-)
Can we leave this to the other topic and get back to ideas to help the OP raise his game?
Sure, the Scabbards of Vigor suck big time
And so does the rogue if you want DPR.
We have done pretty much all we can for the OP, the only thing we have left to do is re-make his character so that we optimize him from the start but we don't know if the OP's DM would allow that.
We have done pretty much all we can for the OP, the only thing we have left to do is re-make his character so that we optimize him from the start but we don't know if the OP's DM would allow that.
+1
When it comes to character design: The harsh truth is always better than a sweet lie.
It must be natural selection. The only players who can get to play effective rogues are the ones who already have trap-finding IRL.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I wonder what race he picked? It can be easy to think Rogue=halfling with knives. You'll wind up doing low base damage on the weapons. Then you get stuck into the Two Weapon Fighting trap. All the attacks in the world are meaningless if they don't hit.
Show your math. I'll show mine, involving nothing out-of-the-ordinary (i.e., no Ultimate Combat or archetypes or splat-feats aside from Dervish Dance and Piranha Strike which I assume most players and GMs know about by now).
halfling 15pt
STR-05
DEX+19
CON:12
INT:12
WIS:10
CHA+12
...The first trap we avoid in this design is MAD-statting for a lower DEX and a higher STR, when DEX is overwhelming far more important over the long-term. Our dexterity will be 20 or 22 with a Belt at 4th level as a 15pt character with four other stats that have even or positive bonuses. We have no penalties to any of our saving throw stats or social skills.
01 figh1 Improved Initiative, Agile Maneuvers
...The second trap we avoid here is the assumption that you can't be a "real rogue" if you multiclass even a smidgeon, or that the only appropriate use of an attack-action is swinging a weapon for damage.
...Fighter improves our fort save and gives more hit-points at 1st level. (In 3.5 you had to take rogu1 at 1st or you will slaughter your skill-points -- but not so in Pathfinder.)
...We are INIT+8 out-of-the-box (+10 if you are playing with Traits and you took Reactionary). Going first is critically important for rogues: it means sneak-attack damage versus lowered-AC flatfooted opponents, and effectively more attacks per combat since you're going first.
...Ranged attack bonus is +6.
02 rogu1 SA+1d6
...We are still fighting mostly CR1 mooks at 2nd-level; d6+d6 light crossbow sneak drops them in one shot 60% of the time.
...Ranged attack bonus is +7 w/MW.
03 rogu2 [finesse rogue:Weapon Finesse], Dervish Dance
04 rogu3 DEX>20, SA+2d6
...We are now very dangerous in melee; attack bonus of +12 in flanking for d4+5+2d6 = ~14.5dmg.
...Acrobatics is +13 (or +15 if you're clever enough to apply a 50gp "masterwork tool" to the skill); you blow right past the CMD of most level-appropriate opponents (MAD-statted human rogues with Dodge/Mobility are seriously suboptimal versus you at this point -- taking an opp versus D/M AC24 100% of the time on a move-into-flanking is worse than taking an opp vs AC 20 only on the miniscule chance your Acrobatics doesn't auto-succeed before rolling the dice).
05 rogu4 [Uncanny Dodge][Combat Trick:Quickdraw], Two Weapon Fighting
...Exploit #1: attack with MW scimitar, drop it, Quick Draw +1 scimitar and attack. Result? Dervish Dance damage on both.
...Exploit #2: Scimitar attack followed by Combat Maneuver.
06 rogu5 SA+3d6
07 rogu6 [Talent], Piranha Strike
...self-explanatory.
Equipment: Wands of Cure Light Wounds, Expeditious Retreat, False Life, Longstrider, Mage Armor, and Protection from Evil ("I have to collect them all!"), potion(s) of Invisibility, scimitars, light crossbow, riding dog (does not participate in combat beyond 1st or 2nd level; mainly just carries stuff), Muleback Cords, Circlet of Persuasion (this is more important than a +2 weapon; getting wand UMDs to 95% is goal).
03 rogu2 [finesse rogue:Weapon Finesse], Dervish Dance
04 rogu3 DEX>20, SA+2d606 rogu5 SA+3d6
07 rogu6 [Talent], Piranha Strike
Pirahna Strike doesn't work with dervish dance.
When wielding a light weapon, you can choose to take a -1 penalty....
Scimitar not light
halfling 15pt
STR-05
str 5?
A) Good way getting killed or paralyzedB) Also this:
Like armor, a character’s load affects his maximum Dexterity
bonus to AC, carries a check penalty (which works like
an armor check penalty), reduces the character’s speed,
and affects how fast the character can run, as shown on
Table 7–5. A medium or heavy load counts as medium
or heavy armor for the purpose of abilities or skills that
are restricted by armor.
Table 7–4
str 5: Light load 16 lbs. or less medium load 17–33 lbs. Heavy loead 34–50 lbs.
Bigger and Smaller Creatures: The figures on Table 7–4 are for Medium bipedal creatures. [...] A smaller creature can carry less weight depending on its size category, as follows: Small ×3/4.
01 figh1 Improved Initiative, Agile Maneuvers
A) Why Improved Initiative? You are not going to use SA at level 1. Better pick Dervish Dance and Weapon Finesse
B) Why Agile Maneuvers? With Weapon Finesse you can use dex when performing Trip, sunder or disarm. Also, your build doesn't have any combat Combat Maneuvers.
The second trap we avoid here is the assumption that you can't be a "real rogue" if you multiclass even a smidgeon, or that the only appropriate use of an attack-action is swinging a weapon for damage.
True he can multiclass. 4 levels rogue and rest of the levels he can go fighter or ranger.
If he is only going to pick one class he might just as well pick a level (Urban) ranger Urban ranger so he gets some good skills, Good reflex, good fort saves saves, martial weapon prof. medium armor prof. But one bonus feat might be nice.
..Fighter improves our fort save and gives more hit-points at 1st level
Without Dervish Dance or SA he will suck big time at level 1. Better pick a level fighter or ranger at level 2 or 3. More hit points? The net gain picking fighter at 1 instead of at a later level is 1 hit point.
But if he is going to re build a character at a higher level, fighter or ranger at level 1 is obvious. Even barbarian or paladin might be an option.
05 rogu4 [Uncanny Dodge][Combat Trick:Quickdraw], Two Weapon Fighting
...Exploit #1: attack with MW scimitar, drop it, Quick Draw +1 scimitar and attack. Result? Dervish Dance damage on both.
A) Scimitar is not a light weapon. TWF rules still apply even if you drop your first weapon.
B) Feeding the OP lies is not a great way to help him. What you might think find is a smart way to Exploit/abuse the rules might not be something the OP's GM will allow or find amusing and even if he/she did, in Round two the rogue is going to have his first Scimitar on the ground.
...Exploit #2: Scimitar attack followed by Combat Maneuver.
What Combat Maneuver?
07 rogu6 [Talent], Piranha Strike
Scimitar is not a light weapon.
Dervish dance can't be picked at first level because of the 2 ranks in perfomance being a prerequisite.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
<forehead smack> #$#* fracking worthless scimitars.
(This is why I just buy Agile weapons now; it means you suck in melee for a few more levels because it cost money -- suck until probably 5th -- but the payoff is better long-term, and you save a feat.)
As for the rest....
<stuff about STR5>
I though I mentioned Muleback Cords. Aside from that, there's functionally no difference between a STR7 and STR5, and wizards have been dumping STR for eternity and somehow managing to get away with it.
Sure, there are risks to min/maxing in any concept. Being boring, however, is the deadliest of all. Cool characters get played; boring ones get tossed.
A) Why Improved Initiative? You are not going to use SA at level 1. Better pick Dervish Dance and Weapon Finesse
B) Why Agile Maneuvers? With Weapon Finesse you can use dex when performing Trip, sunder or disarm. Also, your build doesn't have any combat Combat Maneuvers.
You don't need an "Improved XYZ" maneuver feat to perform combat maneuvers -- you just eat an AoO. If your AC is awesome, this doesn't bother you.
Improved Initiative: going first is also very useful if your Speed is low, or you'd like to buff yourself off that big pile of cheap wands you're accumulating.
Dervish Dance cannot be taken at 1st level (requires two ranks in a skill), which therefore renders Weapon Finesse equally useless at 1st level (since, until we can do damage with our dexterity score, melee is a pointless waste of time...except for combat maneuvers!)
So, Agile Maneuvers at 1st. Because, you know, things love to grapple halfling (often prior to swallow whole), and Weapon Finesse won't help you there. Say, did you know you could Bull Rush as a halfling and actually succeed? Well, you can now.
True he can multiclass. 4 levels rogue and rest of the levels he can go fighter or ranger.Rogue is an end-loaded class. Advanced Talents are better than most feats. Sneak-attack gets better and better as the dice pile up and the number of attacks increase. Double to triple the skill points of other classes means they suck and you win if you employ "skill versus CMD and you suck!" tactics. If a paladin can train his damn horse to do Dazzling Display by mid-levels, imagine what a rogue can do with it.
If he is only going to pick one class he might just as well pick a level (Urban) ranger Urban ranger so he gets some good skills, Good reflex, good fort saves saves, martial weapon prof. medium armor prof. But one bonus feat might be nice....
The point was to show how to do it without splats.
-- If I'm going to stuff any one new archetype into such a concept, it's going to be barbarian[urban], and crank DEX to the nines.
<stuff about STR5>I though I mentioned Muleback Cords. Aside from that, there's functionally no difference between a STR7 and STR5, and wizards have been dumping STR for eternity and somehow managing to get away with it.
Muleback Cord. Slot Shoulders same slot as cape or cloaks. No good. He wants/needs a cloak of resistence.
"Wizards have been dumping STR....."
A) Well a rogue isn't a wizard
B) not all wizards have managed to get away with it. Not in REAL game play.
C) Wizards don't carry that much so carrying capacity isn't a problem. They don't have stuff like armor or weapons.
D) The Wizard isn't a frontliner. He is not up there flanking the monsters.
E) The wizard is a spell caster. He uses spells. He don't need or want to be next to the monsters/foes. In case the monsters come close he casts spells like blur or mirror image, shield etc.
F) Smart player don't dump the wizards str to 5. If your GM roll 5 or 6 on ability drain die (or the ability damage die ) you are dead or (unconscious). You can actually crit such an attack and then there are spells like Blasphemy. So no, not all players dumps str to 5.
You don't need an "Improved XYZ" maneuver feat to perform combat maneuvers -- you just eat an AoO. If your AC is awesome, this doesn't bother you.
At level 1 your AC is fantastic? If so, you might just as well pick Weapon Finesse and start disarming and tripping your foes.
Agile Maneuvers at 1st. Because, you know, things love to grapple halfling (often prior to swallow whole)
At level 1?
The point was to show how to do it without splats.
APG is a splat? I think you will find that most sane poster, players and DM:s don't call the APG a splat book.
stuff
listen: The Rogue is not a full BAB class and unlike the bard, cleric and druid he can't buff himself . Sure he can use wands and scrolls but the buff won't be done effectively. He will lack caster level and quicken spell, etc. If he is small the weapon he uses will be small (base damage less), he will have a problem with his speed, his CMB and CMD, etc.
As Leo pointed out. We can't help Bladeace anymore, since we don't know if he may rebuild he character or not.
@OP. Hello Bladeace.
If your DM/GM will let you rebuild your char, let us know and we will help you.
If your DM/GM lets you creat a new char, let us know and we will help you.
If your DM/GM won't let you rebuild you char or creat a new one, get you character killed and build a new one. If you want help, let us know.
In order to be able to help you we need to know the following:
- What do you want with your class?
- Do you use 15 point buy or 20 or 25?
- Do you roll your stats, if so what was the result?
- Do you use dump stat or max stats?
- What level will you start on?
- Do you use traits? If yes how may? (The usual are two, but some use less or more. Some don't even use traits)
- If you use traits, do you have any specific campaign traits?
- Could you tell us what campaign you are playing. Does the campaign have a Player's Guide?
- Do your DM/GM use any house rules? If yes, What are they?
- What books will your DM/GM let you use? The most common are:
- Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook (Core Book)
- Advanced Player's Guide (APG)
- Ultimate Combat (UC)
- Ultimate Magic (UM)
- Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea World Guide
- Pathfinder Player Companion: Inner Sea Primer
- Pathfinder Player Companion: Adventurer's Armory
Final advice.
Rebuild your char, if DM/GM says no. Ask if you can create a new char, if DM/GM says no make sure your char dies.
Again, if you want damage don't play rogue.
stuff
+1
The problem with halfling rogues is the slow movement. When you have to double move to tumble behind someone you don't get an attack action that round. You have to get very lucky to get a flank with that little mobility.
|
|
Smart player don't dump the wizards str to 5. If your GM roll 5 or 6 on ability drain die (or the ability damage die ) you are dead or (unconscious). You can actually crit such an attack and then there are spells like Blasphemy. So no, not all players dumps str to 5.CON drain is the only ability drain that can kill in Pathfinder. Being unconscious is obviously not ideal, but if our AC (and especially touch AC) are significantly worse but not emphasizing DEX in a small race, we'd have been unconscious a lot more often before ever running into our first Blastphemy.
listen: The Rogue is not a full BAB class...At low level, the difference is trivial, and higher up, we'll have a lot of tricks to deny DEX-to-AC or shake people up and so on.
and unlike the bard, cleric and druid he can't buff himselfHello? UMD?
The problem with halfling rogues is the slow movement.
What slow movement?
UMD Longstrider = 30
UMD Expeditious Retreat = 60
You didn't mention armour for the halfling rogue. With Strength 5, he is going to be restricted in armour/encumbrance.UMD Mage Armor, UMD Barkskin...etc.
Rather than fighter, I would recommend one level of ranger. The ranger gives an additional +2 Reflex save. The fighter's heavy armour & tower shield proficiency are useless to the rogue.
The feat it provides (and archetype ability, if any) are definitely not useless, and Ref save is already in the stratosphere.
Although you are right on the ability drain rule, be aware that there are exceptions to this rule, for example the shadow kills you if it drains your STR completely.
CON drain is the only ability drain that can kill in Pathfinder.
No, you are talking about ability damage. Str drain may kills, shadows is one example.
UMD
Caster level is still an issue so is the standard action you need to activate the srcoll/wand (you can't always buff before battle) so is the GP cost. You also need a high UMD modifier to auto success.
more stuff
You haven't adress that it will be struggling to wear clothes and carry all of his equipment.
Whatever, it's now up the the OP.
@Zark
You are wrong on the ability drain, the rule is that only CON drain kills you, of course a STR drain to 0 would leave comatose forever unless someone magically heals you.
But as i said there are exceptions.
@ Leo.
I wrote "Str drain may kills"
If my english is bad, I'm sorry. I meant there are exceptions. Killed or not, if your str is 0 or lower your out of combat.
Edit: Str 5 for a melee char is a bad idea.
|
|
The weaknesses are known, and can be addressed. For example, emergency Enlarge Person (we hate gibbering mouthers) and Bull Strength both would get us from 5 to 11 in those rare encounters where we're useless anyway prior to a Ghost Touch weapon.
Aside from that, base touch AC after Belt acquisition is going to be 10+1(size)+6(DEX:22)+4(Mage Armor) = 21 just-walkin'-around-the-dungeon touch-AC. A shadow's attack is +5; a greater shadow's is +11. Simply going on full-defense reduces the shadow's chance to kill us on a single attack to 1.667%. UMD wand of Shield grants another +4 to touch AC, and Shield of Faith grants another +2 (so touch AC 31 is doable in two actions). Probably takes too much time if the party is ambushed by greater shadows (and the other PCs with crappy touch AC are going to have it way worse than the halfling, because they're much easier for the shadows to hit twice or thrice in two or three rounds)...would probably go with potion of Invisibility (the dumb things can't see invisible) as first action.
| 1 person marked this as FAQ candidate. |
Does Dervish Dance work with the flame blade spell? It creates a beam of fire that can wielded like a scimitar.
A wand of flame blade would be a bit like a lightsaber, and make touch attacks.
What slow movement?
UMD Longstrider = 30
UMD Expeditious Retreat = 60
The slow movement you get because-
Longstrider cast from a wand lasts 1 hour. You are either burning 16 charges a day or you have to use at least 1 action at the start of the fight that you could otherwise be using to fight.
|
|
What slow movement?
UMD Longstrider = 30
UMD Expeditious Retreat = 60The slow movement you get because-
Longstrider cast from a wand lasts 1 hour. You are either burning 16 charges a day or you have to use at least 1 action at the start of the fight that you could otherwise be using to fight.
Past about fifth level, fights start when I want them to start, and I always go first.
|
Time to face the fact that rogues suck. It takes alot of careful optimisation, gear and planning to put them close to equal to other classes as far as damage output is concerned.Plain vanilla halfling rogue, straight class, nothin' weird or "recent" (i.e., Ultimate Combat, etc), PFS legal 20pt buy:
STR-05
DEX+19
CON:14
INT:12
WIS:12
CHA+14Traits: River Rat, Reactionary
01 rog1 Improved Initiative
02 rog2 [Finesse Rogue:Weapon Finesse]
03 rog3 Two Weapon Fighting
04 rog4 [Weapon Training:Weapon Focus:Dagger]
05 rog5 FEAT (any General)
06 rog6 [Combat Trick:Piranha Strike]Equipment: Scabbard of Vigor (several), Haversack, various 750gp wands bought with PFS "fame" (CLW, Mage Armor, Longstrider), non-masterwork daggers (oodles), +1/Agile dagger (two), Muleback Cords, Vest of Escape, potions of Invisibility (two).
-- This is about as easy as a "stereotype" rogue build gets, and it kicks maximum ass when you add the numbers up.
I have a level 10 PFS character similar to this. He is human, and rogue 8 (scout and swashbuckler), cavalier 2 (order of the cockatrice).
River Rat, dual wield daggers, Power Attack, 16 STR and 16 DEX when he first started, now he's at 20 STR and 16 DEX still. UC wasn't out back then, but I would have taken knifefighter archetype if I could have.
I usually put out around from 30-50 a round, depending on number of hits and such. Being able to move and deal sneak attack is pretty good, and usually opponents do not have uncanny dodge. Solid damage, not as good as it could be since I've spent more on armor on a pair of winged boots so my daggers are still only +1.