| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Hello, everybody. I'm about to take part in a campaign that has between 6 and 8 players (including myself). The characters will all be level six, classes and races haven't been determined yet with the exception of a single Human Magus. Otherwise, there's no party information to go off of.
Regardless, I've made it perfectly clear that my character will be a stealth based one, an assassin of sorts (without necessarily taking levels in the assassin prestige class). I'm hoping someone can help me out with this, as most of the players are notorious min/maxers and I'm rather atrocious at it myself. Most of the campaigns I participated in in the past were fairly loose on rules and more heavily about RP than the numbers, this one appears to be different.
To reiterate: I need help getting the best I can for a level six assassin-y class. Races are open, to my knowledge, and there are no class restrictions that I'm aware of.
I'd like to use something like the rogue or ninja, as I'm relatively familiar with these two classes, but I'm not opposed to others. The biggest restriction I'd like to place on it is magic, I don't care much for any class that utilizes spells of any sort.
If you guys have any advice to offer, that'd be great. Even a nudge in the right direction could go along way!
Thank you.
Well, in addition to the level 6 Human Magus, there's a character who is Human Monk 4/Ninja 2.
Some new revelations. The GM is having us use point buy, standard fantasy (15 points) to determine our initial stats.
|
go full rogue
human or half-elf or gnome
DX>ST/CHA>WIS/CON/INT
max Stealth, Perception, Disguise, Sleight of Hand, Acrobatics, Bluff, Sense Motive
(keep that armor check penalty at 0!)
Skill Focus (Stealth), Hellcat Stealth
Fast Stealth, Camouflage, Ledge Walker
use traits and other feat to bolster Will/Fort saves...
Canter if there is room.
...
most importantly, brush up on your Stealth rules, including Bluff, cover and concealment, and lighting.
most importantly, brush up on your Stealth rules, including Bluff, cover and concealment, and lighting.
and realize that they suck and that it's practically impossible to use stealth RAW, and then ask your GM to use these stealth rules instead.
I recommend ninja over rogue, though now that their is one in the party already you may not want to go that route. You may want to look at the wayang from the advanced race guide as a race. I am playing one as a witch (not normally a stealthy class) and they are stupid good at sneaking, small size bonus for stealth, a racial bonus to stealth, and a racial alternate ability to cast invisibility. Plus they have a dex and int bonus, both quite nice for skilled sneaky types.
I seem to recall that Hobgoblins get a +4 Racial Bonus to Stealth. Also they have a +2 to Dex (and Con) Combine that with Darkvision and that's pretty sneaky.
Well, I've received a few more updates on the campaign since my latest post. To address a few concerns: Firstly, the GM is allowing us to choose from all races and classes, third party or otherwise (with the exception of homebrew) and a lot of the campaign will be taking place in large cities. It's a sort of epic adventure, involving many different kingdoms of various cultures that are inspired by European history, Scandinavian history, African history and Middle-Eastern history. So there's plenty of flexibility there.
For races, I'm a little boring. I've never particularly enjoyed the outrageous non-humans (just my thing), but I'm not wholly opposed if the build is good enough. I'll look them over and think about it.
For classes, the more and more I look at the campaign and party, the more I realize that a full stealth character isn't going to be as useful as I thought. With that in mind, I'd like to accomplish the role of rogue-y/assassin without being heavily reliant on stealth and sneak attack for damage. For the campaign our GM has in mind, it appears that there were will be several large scale battles including large armies, and considering the heavy combat that will take place, I might need something a little tougher than the full rogue build. I'm considering throwing classes around and working out how to build a character who could be an assassin from Assassin's Creed, part stealth and the other part rough-and-tumble ass-kicking fighter.
To reiterate: The stats are point buy, 15, all races and classes are open except homebrew. I'll ask the GM when I can about alternate stealth rules.
Go ninja. The raw stealth rules don't let you stealth.
I recommend ninja over rogue, though now that their is one in the party already you may not want to go that route. You may want to look at the wayang from the advanced race guide as a race. I am playing one as a witch (not normally a stealthy class) and they are stupid good at sneaking, small size bonus for stealth, a racial bonus to stealth, and a racial alternate ability to cast invisibility. Plus they have a dex and int bonus, both quite nice for skilled sneaky types.
It is almost as if you had ghost written this for me.
Completely true
I'm a fan of blackbloodtroll's inquisitor angle. he gets skills, crazy good class ability synergy, and your judgement and bane abilities let you choose when to turn into a murdering bad-ass... which means you can choose to do it in the middle of a battle or as you're stalking the target of your assassination contract. :D
Catfolk Ninja(Scout Archetype) with d8 sneak attacks and the Vanishing Trick talent. At level 10 get Invisible blade and have Greater Invisibility on you ALL DAY, then at level 14/15 get your racial feat "Claw Pounce".
This means that you are always full attacking and always sneak attacking, no matter what. Make it even worse and get a friend with a cornugon smash intimidate build and get Dazzling Display and Shatter Defenses. This means that you're attacking Flatfooted even when fighting enemies who have true sight.
|
Inquisitor then.
Heretic Inquisitor of Irori with the Wisdom of the Flesh trait will net you x2 wisdom to stealth.
For race, small-sized Oni-Spawn Tiefling with the Prehensile Tail, Maw or Claw, and Scaled Skin alternate racial traits.
Continuing this: Skill Focus (Stealth), and Hellcat Stealth is all you need to invest for extreme stealth anywhere. Nab some Boots of the Soft Step to hide from Tremorsense.
You will have access to Darkness, Invisibility, Deeper Darkness, Greater Invisibility, along with spells like Circle of Death.
If you want slightly more offensive, then you can Nightmare Fist, and then Fiend Sight, to combine with Deeper Darkness. Add Feral Combat Training to get Nightmare Fist damage on claws, and pick up Dragon Style later.
While that idea is great, it's not what I'm going for. I'm hoping to stick clear of magic for the most part and looking for a more martial style combatant, rather than one relying on something that an Inqusitor or similar class would get. It's a great idea, but doesn't fit my particular style.
|
|
While that idea is great, it's not what I'm going for. I'm hoping to stick clear of magic for the most part and looking for a more martial style combatant, rather than one relying on something that an Inqusitor or similar class would get. It's a great idea, but doesn't fit my particular style.
Stealth really does not work all that well without magic.
Even the Ranger uses some magic.
Just how "magicless" do you want to go?
Well, as I stated above, things have changed. Considering the party I'll be working with, a purely stealth character won't be as useful as he would have in the beginning.
The monk/ninja has swapped his levels for two in monk and four in ninja, whereas another character made a pure six level Shadow Assassin. Thus, I've decided to forgo the whole stealth build for something more akin an Assassin's Creed style of fighter, who uses stealth to a degree but is more than capable of dishing out heavy doses of damage in combat. I'm thinking of just going straight fighter with some traits that would grant stealth and sleight of hand as class skills.
Goblin is best min/max for stealth. Small size for +4, racial trait for +4, +6 mod on dex easily (17 base +4 race +1 level) +3 class skill, +6 ranks for a total of +23 at level 6. If you really want to, skill focus stealth will give you another +3 and there is probably a trait that will give you another +1 or 2 capping out at +28. Playing a ranger into shadow dancer gives you good combat potential early with combat style, favored enemy, and full BaB. Favored terrain gives + to stealth as well if I'm not mistaken. You even have 6 skill ranks a level makes you a competent skill monkey. Once you hit shadow dancer, you get hide in plain sight, rogue talents, and shadow jump, adding to you stealth capability.
|
|
Hobgoblins have +2 Dexterity, and +2 Constitution, and a +4 to Stealth.
Their Goblinoid subtype allows them to always treat stealth as a class skill.
The Urban Barbarian can use Stealth whilst in Rage, and can choose to have a +4 to Dexterity whilst in Rage. The Dervish Dance feat will allow you to use Dex for attack rolls and damage when using a Scimitar in one hand.
Being Dex-focused, you will be stealthy, and keep the damage up.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I'm digging the hobgoblin barbarian mix up, I'm going to write up the character and give it a whirl. Working out what feats and stuff to grab. Thanks!
To Johnlocke90, we're starting at level 6 with the character advancement table's starting gold guide (which grants 16,000 starting gold). That might help a bit with what he's suggesting, however before I delve too far into that I have a question for everyone here.
Going sort of off of what blackbloodtroll suggested, I'm looking a possible combination of the Savage/Urban Barbarian and the Two-Weapon Warrior fighter archetype, dropping the Dervish Dance feat and forgoing the Amulet of Mighty fists and Natural Attack rage power for something else. I've always had a soft-spot for two weapon fighting, personally. The bonus to AC granted by the Two-Weapon Warrior for full-attack actions would help defensively considering the armor restrictions placed by the Savage Barbarian, not to mention I could take the Two-Weapon defense feat for an additional +1 shield bonus to AC (not applicable with the use of natural weapons).
So, my thought was 3 levels in Barbarian with the Savage/Urban archetypes which would give me Naked Courage (+1 to AC and saving throws against fear when not wearing armor), Crowd Control (+1 bonus on attack rolls and +1 dodge bonus to AC when adjacent to two or more enemies, no-crowd impeded movement, 1/2 barbarian level bonus on Intimidate checks to influence crowds) and Controlled Rage. Then, take the 3 Fighter levels with the Two-Weapon Warrior archetype which would grant me Defensive Flurry (+1 dodge bonus to AC against melee attacks after making a full-attack with both weapons). In addition, I'll still have the Barbarian uncanny dodge, a rage power (I haven't looked into them just yet) and Bravery from the Fighter. Then, depending on my race I could have between 4 and 5 feats to choose from depending on if I'm human or not (with one obviously being two-weapon fighting, another being two-weapon defense, a third perhaps being in weapon-finesse to optimize the high Dex build that might be built in, if I decide to go that route).
After that, grab a Ring of Protection +2, maybe enchant a couple of weapons with something like keen to increase crit-threat range and swing away.
Thoughts?