I've got an elf rogue with an emphasis on mobility who has gone in way too many directions, and I'm looking at using retraining from Ultimate Campagin to get her back under control.
Before we get into the "best defense is a good offense" debate, let's make something clear: the character is in a steampunk horror campaign where some things can't be defeated with enough hit point damage. Survivability is key, and keeping a high degree of mobility is crucial.
Let's start with her feats (she's a 7th level rogue/2nd level bard):
- Weapon Finesse
- Combat Expertise
- Dodge
- Mobility
- Spring Attack
Second, let's look at her rogue talents:
- Firearm Training
- Grit (quick clear/Deft Shootist)
- Fast Stealth
Here's what I have in mind:
- Get rid of the bard levels and go straight up rogue.
- Add a SA-based talent like Bleeding Attack
However, I'm drawing a blank on what else I could do. Rogue Eidolon focused on 4 builds that don't suit this character's modus operandi, so I'm willing to solicit some input on this.
get rid of Bard, exchange for fighter/Ranger. Boost the BAB, pick up power attack and go STR based. Get a Boarding Pike of Repelling, combat Reflexes, and go to town.
Bleeding Attack is a great idea. Bleed can't be healed except through a heal check or magical healing so feel free to jab a foe and run away. I don't particularly like Combat Expertise so I might drop that for say Fleet or something else if you want to keep the idea of mobility.
instead of Bard, could do barbarian. Fast Movement would be nice. Alternatively, Ranger and a wand of Longstrider... Or a Cleric Dip for Travel Domain.
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I would recommend the following
1.)Retrain bard into urban barbarian (Dex rage) and use an elven curve blade to finesse on a spring attack.
2.)Retrain rogue levels into scout archetype. When you get skirmisher you can spring attack to sneak attack any time you like.
3.)Retrain combat expertise into extra rage and pick it up later (if you can afford it). You get the ability to rage more with urban barb.
Also, if you can retrain traits (Can't recall if you can or can't) and you have a trait that you think you can swap out, take berserker of the society trait (+3 round of rage).
Rogue 7/Fighter(Lore Warden) 2
1 Toughness
3 Dodge
5 Iron Will
7 Mobility
9 Skill Focus(Acrobatics) or Skill Focus Stealth or Stealthy
FB1 Weapon Finesse
FB2 Spring Attack
Lore WardenB Combat Expertise
Rogue Tanlens
•Firearm Training
•Grit (quick clear/Deft Shootist)
•Fast Stealth
Good ideas, but I'm not quite sold on the urban barb path.
Forgot to mention my alternate race traits too: shadow hunter and darkvision.
I also misspoke. Instead of Fast Stealth, I have Combat Feat (sidestep).
Good ideas, but I'm not quite sold on the urban barb path.
Forgot to mention my alternate race traits too: shadow hunter and darkvision.
I also misspoke. Instead of Fast Stealth, I have Combat Feat (sidestep).
After see that you may want to look Eldritch Heritage chain
(Shadow Blood Line)Shadowstrike (Sp): At 1st level, you can make a melee touch attack as a standard action that inflicts 1d4 points of nonlethal damage + 1 for every two sorcerer levels you possess. In addition, the target is dazzled for 1 minute. Creatures with low-light vision or darkvision are not dazzled by this ability. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.
Nighteye (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain darkvision 30 feet. At 9th level, you gain darkvision 60 feet. If you already possess darkvision, its range is increased by these amounts.
Shadow Well (Sp): At 9th level, you can use the Stealth skill even while being observed and without cover or concealment, as long as you are within 10 feet of a shadow other than your own. In addition, when within an area of darkness or dim light, as a standard action you may choose to switch places with a willing ally within 60 feet, who must also be in darkness or dim light. At 13th level, you can instead switch the positions of two willing allies, each of whom must be within 60 feet of you. Unless otherwise noted, this travel is identical to dimension door. You may use the ability to switch places once per day at 9th level, plus one additional time per day at 17th level and 20th level.
Enveloping Darkness (Sp): At 15th level, you may create an area of deeper darkness that you can see through without penalty. All creatures except you are entangled within this darkness unless using freedom of movement or a similar effect. You may use this ability once per day.
Also look at
Hell Cat Stealth
Prerequisites: Skill Focus (Stealth), Stealth 6 ranks.
Benefit: You may make Stealth checks in normal or bright light even when observed, but at a -10 penalty.
Normal: You cannot make Stealth checks while observed.
I like the idea of the Scout archetype... certainly fits her character better. Rake is nice too, but she is the party trap finder, so I can't justify losing trapfinding.
I'm pretty sure the reason I took Combat Expertise had something to do with the Improved Feint ability, but on second thought, I'll have to get rid of that too because it really doesn't fit my character, even though it has saved my butt the couple of times I used it.
Light Step has some pretty steep requirements too...
My rogue only has a Wisdom modifier of +1, so grit right now is maxed at one. The fact that deft shootist lets me fire in melee without provoking AOO is all that I need from grit so far, so I don't mind, but I'll need Extra Grit if I want to take things further.
Here's what I've got so far...
- Retrain for the Scout archetype
- Retrain bard levels for full rogue
- With new rogue levels, gain the talent Bleeding Attack
- Retrain Combat Expertise for Extra Rogue Talent or Extra Grit
I'm open to other options for retraining Combat Expertise...
Deft shootist was the feat I got to take for free with the Grit rogue talent, since it was the only one that didn't require the use of a grit point to get full usage; besides, sometimes it makes sense to fire in melee, and I like to keep my options open.
Light steps isn't a bad choice, but it's not like difficult terrain comes up too often... Nimble moves might not be a bad idea, though. It'd be nice to be able to take a 5 foot step at all times.
Hmm... I could take Nimble Moves -> Acrobatic Steps, or PBS -> Shot on the Run -> Parting Shot... one makes me more agile, while the other does more damage.
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Do the Scout archetype's abilities mesh with Spring Attack? I was under the impression that Skirmish (Scout's 8th level ability) required a standard action to use while Spring Attack is a full round action making them mutually exclusive? I would love to be wrong about this but have not been able to find a definitive answer.