Rogue Changes I would like to see

[Theconiel]

• A rogue may have twice her rogue level in ranks in a rogue class skill. This does not stack with levels in other classes. A rogue 1/sorcerer 3, for example, could have 4 ranks in UMD. A rogue 3/sorcerer 1 could have 6 ranks in UMD.
  
• A rogue receives Skill focus as a bonus feat at levels 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20. This bonus feat can be taken only in a rogue class skill in which the rogue has ranks.
  
• The rogue's sneak attack damage is a bonus of 4 at first level, and increases by 2 at subsequent levels. This bonus damage is multiplied on a critical hit.
  

[Honorable Goblin]

Theconiel wrote:

• A rogue may have twice her rogue level in ranks in a rogue class skill. This does not stack with levels in other classes. A rogue 1/sorcerer 3, for example, could have 4 ranks in UMD. A rogue 3/sorcerer 1 could have 6 ranks in UMD.

That's a little too complicated, and could get super wonky. Instead, how about incrementally increasing the class skill bonus for the rogue, either as a talent or separate class feature.

Theconiel wrote:

• A rogue receives Skill focus as a bonus feat at levels 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20. This bonus feat can be taken only in a rogue class skill in which the rogue has ranks.

Something like this has been suggested before. Why limit it to Skill Focus? Skill feats include:

Acrobatic
Alertness
Animal Affinity
Athletic
Deceitful
Deft Hands
Magical Aptitude
Persuasive
Prodigy
Self-Sufficient
Skill Focus
Stealthy

And why only for skills in which the rogue has ranks?

Theconiel wrote:

• The rogue's sneak attack damage is a bonus of 4 at first level, and increases by 2 at subsequent levels. This bonus damage is multiplied on a critical hit.

Is that just a flat damage boost or the number of dice? Do mean to have it increase every level or just odd levels (as per usual)? Not sure it needs to be multiplied on a crit. I'd rather a scaling bonus to attack rolls that accompanies sneak attack (maybe +1 per 2d6), though maybe this could be implemented as a talent as opposed to a change to the base class feature.

[Tangent101]

Rogue Talents should not be limited to once per day. Instead, they should scale upward - once per day for every three levels, for instance. This way they are not useless.

[rainzax]

well, there are three rough 'frequency tiers' of limited-use rogue talents:

1/day
1/day + 1/5 rogue levels
X/day, X = relevant ability score

bearing that in mind, arguably, it'd be good to maintain the frequency tiers, just increasing them each. for example:

1/day becomes 1/day + 1/5 rogue levels
1/day + 1/5 rogue levels becomes 3/day + 1/5 rogue levels
X/day becomes X/day + 1/5 rogue levels

or even:

1/day becomes 1/day/opponent (see Master Strike rogue capstone)
>1/day becomes 1/round as a swift or immediate action under certain conditions

the second suggestion tries to work around the 'limited daily use' paradigm using other parameters to limit usage - such as number of encounters, action economy, or difficulty of set up.

[Theconiel]

The sneak attack bonus damage is fixed (4 points at 1st level, 6 points at 2nd level, 8 points at 3rd level etc.). What I think most important is that it multiplies on a critical hit.

Yeah, the skill ranks thing is rather complicated. But I really like the idea of a rogue's being able to have 2 ranks per level in a skill.

I agree that the requirement that the rogue have ranks in the skill to take Skill Focus is unnecessary. But I do think it should apply only to rogue talents.

[Rerednaw]

1-I'd like to see some way of balancing sneak attack with an improved chance to hit.

Maybe say half sneak dice for a full BAB. As a rogue combat trick or feat...or even class feature.

Or I suppose a scalable version:

'Accurate Sneak' ability. A rogue with 'Accurate Sneak ability' may exchange sneak dice for accuracy. For every sneak die you sacrifice for damage you gain a +1 to hit until the start of your next turn.

This ability may be used against targets even normally immune to sneak attack. Why? To make up for the critters that sneak attack doesn't work on.

So a 10th level rogue could have effectively the same to hit as a full martial (+3 difference) and keep 2d6 of sneak attack. He still doesn't get the other iteratives of course. And 2d6 at 10th is paltry compared to other class features...not sure how to make that up. Though if it the rogue at 10th gave all the dice up he'd get a nice +5 to hit, a +2 edge over most full BAB martials...and in line with most full BAB extra abilities in terms of to hit. (Smite, Bane, Favored Enemy, Weapon Training). Though he's behind on damage again.

And he's no slayer (full BAB, 2 favored saves, d10, favored target)...but then he's not supposed to be.

2-Rogueish Knowledge: A rogue adds half his level to all skills he has 1 or more ranks in (i.e. trained) (minimum +1). Similar to bardic knowledge.

[Tangent101]

How's this: A rogue Talent that allows a Rogue to do Sneak Attack damage with ranged attacks if firing at a foe that has an ally on the other side of the foe. In essence the Rogue treats the foe as if flanking him or her even though the Rogue is at range and not directly flanking.

Either that, or a Rogue Talent allowing the Rogue to fire a bow or crossbow without causing attacks of opportunity, thus allowing the Rogue to directly flank the foe. Do note, there is precedent for this with certain class abilities and the feat Point Blank Master.