The hateful sneak attack. What to do against Elementals, swarms, oozes... etc.

[Mr. Dodo]

Hello everyone.

I'm making a goblin Ranger1(guide-trapper)/Ninja8 for a Homebrew game

I'm making him unarmed, with sap adept and knocout artist (maybe i'm going to pick sap master as well, but I'm not sure about it)

Let's get down to the problem (yeah, i know a lot of things are immune to nonlethal, but he does not enjoy killing)

How do you deal with: Swarms(non alchemical options?), Elementals, Oozes, Monks, Barbarians, Rogue, high DR monsters and such?

Just how weak can the Sneak attack be? Do I have other combat options?

Probably going to max out UMD and use some 1st lvl wands (grease, fairy fire and CLW probably)

Should i just help with flanking, aid another?

The party should be (I do not know about races yet)

Magus
Gunslinger
Alchemist
Witch
Cleric
My ninja (yeah, I know, six people are a lot)

Also, how should I power up my amulet of mighty fists?

We can use CRB, APG, UM, UC, ARG and UE

I'm sorry if my english is hard to understand >____<

[wraithstrike]

If your character is 100% against killing then flanking and aid another are not bad options. If he is not 100% against it then I would carry a weapon that does lethal damage as a back up.

I would not worry about the amulet of mighty fist if you plan on using an manufactured weapon.

[Lincoln Hills]

Well, the good news is that with the alchemist, witch and cleric in the party, area-effect attacks are available to deal with swarms. About all that a weapon-focused character can do against swarms of Fine or Dimunitive creatures is fling acid or alchemist's fire or the like.

Best advice I can give on high DR is the same as for any character: lay claim to a +3 weapon when you can, and keep a couple alternate weapon choices (a silvered bludgeoning and a cold iron slashing are my usual recommendations) in the meantime.

These are fights where you aren't going to be up to your usual damage levels - this happens to everybody, particularly 'themed' spellcasters. Check with your teammates for any spells or effects they can produce that will leave the enemy flat-footed: being 'immune to flanking' doesn't matter if you get to hit the enemy while they're flat-footed.

[Cheburn]

Lincoln Hills wrote:

Check with your teammates for any spells or effects they can produce that will leave the enemy flat-footed: being 'immune to flanking' doesn't matter if you get to hit the enemy while they're flat-footed.

Rogues and Barbarians can't be caught flat-footed above a certain level. That being said, NPC Rogues and Barbarians generally have crappy Will saves. Your casters should be able to turn them to mush while you focus on 'easier' targets.

[Lincoln Hills]

Yeah, but they become impossible to flank a lot earlier. That's the aspect I was focused on. Guess I should have paid closer attention to the level range (9th).

[Mr. Dodo]

Yeah, I know that my spellcasters will have an easy time against lot's of things, but that does not make the character any more useful in combat

I'm going unarmed for three main reasons:

1 - The idea of a goblin punching someone so hard he fails unconcious (I find the idea really amusing)

2 - Not being weapon dependant (disarm, sunder, getting my weapon stolen in the night, rust monsters and so on)

3 - Helps a lot with high DR if foes are not immune to nonlethal

Still, elementals would be a HUGE problem, probably going to take a bane weapon against them...

I don't think i'll be able to have a bane weapon against Oozes though

Against Barbarian and monks feinting is usually golden, but FEATS (argh!)