Vigilante play test
I had fortunately taken perform: acting for my day job; as a result I was able to immediately notice something amiss with the performance and slip away to change
Find cover, stealth, move
draw weapon, ready attack
hidden strike attack, attacked for 6/9 hit points
Hit and step away for 3 damage, not flanking hidden strike possibl because my partner moved
Healed with clw
Stealth to cover; double move
Attack max damage and hidden strike, yay!
Enemy still alive, hit me for 8/9 hit points
+7 from CLW
Fumble attack
Flanking hidden strike: table all ask "huh? What's with the d4?"
Open room
Hid behind enlarged person
Enemies dead before a hit
Picked up a short bow, decided to try ranged
Move To a hiding place, hide
Shoot, miss, fail to snipe roll
Enemy Chan energy 3 dam (resisted)
Shoot, miss
Enemy Chan energy 6 dam (not resisted)
Collapse
The level 1 stalker played very much like a Chained rogue and I found I tried to be the Arkham Batman, always looking for an opportunity to strike from hidden, to avoid the Hidden Strike penalty on mere flanking attacks. Ultimately I felt like I wasn't making as big a contribution as I might have, and chances to use my social skills were limited even before the scenario turned combat, partly because at the first hint of something odd I immediately went to change persona (although in retrospect, at level 1 with no talents I would have been as effective in social as vigilante).
The class has potential and I like the dual-split damage of hidden strike, but it was still underwhelming compared to other classes and even to the rogue. Maybe go the other way and make it D8/D6? I'm sure it will improve with talents; hide in plain sight would be a good one.
As I was playing a stealthy skill monkey I opted for finesse, which ran into the standard vanilla rogue damage issues. I experimented with sniping and I won't be doing that again.
