I will be starting a new campaign next week with what is currently a 4 person group (Cleric, Rogue, Bard [me], Antipaladin). We will be starting at level 1 and we are evil should it matter. What I'd like to know are ways that I can deny an opponent their Dex to AC bonus in order to enable my Rogue to get their sneak attack damage.
I know I or our Antipaladin could simply flank with the Rogue to allow it, but I'd rather not be the one to sit in the fray of combat any longer than is necessary. What other options do I have at level 1 to deny their Dex bonus? What feat trees/spells would allow me to do the same at higher levels?
From the bit of research I've pulled together, the following conditions deny the dexterity bonus: blinded, cowering, flat-footed (duh), helpless, invisible (on the rogue), paralyzed (becomes helpless), pinned, sleep (becomes helpless), and stunned.
These spells apply such conditions (level/effect in parentheses):
Blindness/Deafness (2, blind)
Glitterdust (2, blind)
Pyrotechnics (2, blind)
Hold Person (2, paralyzed)
Hold Monster (4, paralyzed)
Frozen Note (5, paralyzed)
Invisibility (2, invisible)
Invisibility Sphere (3, invisible)
Greater Invisibility (4, invisible)
Sleep (1, sleep)
Deep Slumber (3, sleep)
Cloak of Dreams (5, sleep)
Stunning Finale (5, stunned)
Resonating Word (5, stunned)
Waves of Ecstasy (6, stunned)
And these feats:
Shattered Defenses (flat-footed)
Net Trickery (blind)
Can you think of other abilities/feats that I missed which allow me to apply one of those conditions?
At that level from a distance it's probably best to either cast vanish on the rogue or summon monsters directly into flanking position.
Other options like dirty trick require you to be adjacent or use lunge.
The rogue should go for the gang-up feat, that makes it a lot easier.
Finally, starting from lvl2 you could go for shatter defenses, which will take a few levels but is great for your party :-)
might I suggest the feint comabt maneuver, with it you cna make an enemy flat footed to everyone for the round.
Requires the feat Greater feint
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/greater-feint-combat---final
No option at low levels and more difficult than shatter defenses. Still, later it is an option.
Don't you need to be adjacent, though?
Shattered Defenses is certainly a possibility, but I am not eligible for it until level 9 (BAB +6 doesn't occur until 8, feat at 9). The feat chain to get to it though is quite useful as I can pick up Weapon Focus at 3 and Dazzling Display at 5 to have a nice debuff option to go with my spells.
Greater Feint, on the other hand, I'm not too excited about. It also requires 3 feats and wouldn't be unlockable until level 9, but Combat Expertise/Improved Feint have much less usefulness to my bard than Weapon Focus/Dazzling Display.
It looks like early levels I have a few options without having to flank. Grease and Sleep will be my 2 starting level 1 spells and they both enable Sneak Attack. I can pick up Vanish when I have enough levels to make the duration relevant for the Rogue to position herself. Summon Monster I will probably skip in favor of Hideous Laughter, Remove Fear, and Silent Image.
At level 4, Glitterdust and Invisibility will be 2 highly useful level 2 spells that both enable Sneak Attack and are just good on their own. Hold Person will probably get thrown in eventually as well and Summon Monster II could be useful for throwing out a bunch of flanking fodder. Level 3 spells start to come around the same time that Shattered Defenses will be available, so it is questionable which I will pick to help enable Sneak Attack at that point. It will largely depend on the focus of my Rogue and what route she takes whether or not my assistance will be required as much.
It seems like I have a good way to contribute at most levels without necessarily having to jump head first into combat. Is there anything else that may apply as well?
Unnatural lust can cause a target to lose their turn and manuever themselves into flank, though it is somewhat unpredictable, and may piss off your team mates (since it basically involves having the monster run up and start fondling their characters.) It can also be used to give lots of AoO to your team mates.
But if you are evil, especially chaotic evil, just giggle and do it anyway.
FLite wrote: Unnatural lust can cause a target to lose their turn and manuever themselves into flank, though it is somewhat unpredictable, and may piss off your team mates (since it basically involves having the monster run up and start fondling their characters.) It can also be used to give lots of AoO to your team mates.
But if you are evil, especially chaotic evil, just giggle and do it anyway.
Well she will be Neutral Evil and a former dominatrix/torturer so it certainly fits in with her character background. Can also be nice to use on the enemy spellcaster to shut them out of their next cast and have them run into our melee beaters. I will consider it.
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