As My Self said, Rogue 3 can be good if you were, say, an Urban Barbarian looking to spike Dex into the stratosphere. Rogue 1 I could kind of see for the free Finesse Training if you were doing something like a Snakebite Striker and trying to goose your sneak attack dice. Two levels of Rogue doesn't make much sense, to be honest.
Most people take Weapon Focus and Combat Trick as early Rogue Talents... and if you're going to do grab free feats you might as well grab a couple levels of Lore Warden.
Really, just be a barbarian and smash faces in. It's a very valuable contribution to the team.
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Dipping Core Rogue is like dipping an NPC class.
First of all, there are a number of Archetypes which grant you Trapfinding already, so if that's your aim, you can take those.
Secondly, you either go 1 or 3 levels into Rogue - 1 to gain Weapon Finesse or 3 levels to get Finesse Training for Dex to Damage.
Dipping 2 levels into Rogue only nets you a Rogue Talent, which generally isn't groundbreaking (you could take Minor Magic and then later Major Magic through Extra Rogue Talent, but... eh.)
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Here's the thing - you're a Barbarian dipping into Oracle already, which means you're NEVER getting Improved Rage if you dip into a third Class.
Retraining yourself as an Invulnerable Rager Urban Barbarian X / Scout Unchained Rogue 3 / Oracle 1, however... THAT is a scary combo, and well worth the loss of Improved Rage.
Dipping 3 levels into Rogue isn't bad - it's basically a loss of 1 BAB since you're not going until level 5.
And as recompense, you get Sneak Attack +2d6, an hilarious number of Skill Points for 3 levels, a Rogue Talent, and the ability to go Dex to Attack & Damage AND deal 1.5x Dex on two-handed weapons (Yay, Elven Curveblade!), the ability to Sneak Attack on a Charge, PLUS the ability to pump your Dex via Rage.
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Half-Elf Barbarian-Rogue-Oracle of Utter Nonsense.
Invulnerable Rager Urban Barbarian 8 / Scout Rogue 3 / Oracle (Battle) 1 | Ancestral Arms Half-Elf
Race Exotic Weapon Proficiency - Elven Curve Blade
CL1 Brb1 Weapon Finesse <Retrain to Power Attack at lv3>
CL2 Ora1 Weapon Focus (Elven Curve Blade)
CL3 Rog1 Weapon Finesse, Improved Sunder
CL4 Rog2 ???
CL5 Rog3 Finesse Training - Elven Curve Blade, ???
CL6 Brb2 Superstition
CL7 Brb3 Extra Rage Power - Witch Hunter
CL8 Brb4 ???
CL9 Brb5 ???
CL10 Brb6 Spell Sunder
CL11 Brb7 ???
CL12 Brb8 ???
SAVES AT LV12: Fort +7 / Ref +6 / Will +4
So the end result is that you'll have BAB of +10, 4 Feat slots open, and 2 Rage Power slots open, and 1 Rogue Talent slot open.
You'll be swinging with Dex to Attack & Damage, and you'll be pumping your Dex with your Rage. You'll also be gaining bonuses against spellcasters, and you'll be breaking spells by Sundering them.
And, of course, charging in like any good Barbarian and getting a Sneak Attack off in the process for an extra 2d6 damage.
Trapfinding can be accomplished with a summon monster 1 spell. Or just by toughing it out and taking the damage. As a barbarian, that's your version of evasion: taking the hit. So you already have evasion, just by having lots of hp, and someone else can always summon up a critter (or chuck a critter you've killed) at areas you suspect are trapped. Pressure plates don't care if it's a living or dead goblin on them, after all.
There's nothing wrong with dipping rogue. Do it if it works for you.
If all you're looking for is the biggest and baddest way to get the biggest and baddest numbers, don't look to rogue.
-Nearyn
Trapfinding can be accomplished with a summon monster 1 spell. Or just by toughing it out and taking the damage. As a barbarian, that's your version of evasion: taking the hit. So you already have evasion, just by having lots of hp, and someone else can always summon up a critter (or chuck a critter you've killed) at areas you suspect are trapped. Pressure plates don't care if it's a living or dead goblin on them, after all.
I love it when people try that against my traps. I plan for that kind of thinking. Their faces are always priceless after.
Trapfinding can be accomplished with a summon monster 1 spell. Or just by toughing it out and taking the damage. As a barbarian, that's your version of evasion: taking the hit. So you already have evasion, just by having lots of hp, and someone else can always summon up a critter (or chuck a critter you've killed) at areas you suspect are trapped. Pressure plates don't care if it's a living or dead goblin on them, after all.I love it when people try that against my traps. I plan for that kind of thinking. Their faces are always priceless after.
That's up to you. I'm sure smarter foes would anticipate that tactic. The world doesn't consist entirely of pressure plates, after all. Sometimes, you need to see something-which a summoned creature can do. But sometimes, you just have to grab the handle and pull. Again, a summons can do that. It's not a perfect solution, but it works pretty well.
Good GMs don't use traps unless they're thematically important. The trap-rogue interaction is bad for the metagame. If this were single player CRPG where having a rogue only cost a party slot not an actual human being forced to play a specific class it would be fine, but it's not.
"Good" GMs do many different things, so many in fact that it's hard to really categorize "Good" GMs - the unifying feature of "Good" GMs seem to be to make efforts that everyone has fun with the game and the story.
Not using traps unless "thematically important" doesn't ring like "Good" GMing in my ears - you can employ many different types of challenges with a multitude of differing aestetics, and they don't have to be in any way chained to the theme, much less important to it, as long as they're enjoyable. Also, the pressence of traps doesn't force a player into a class. Having a rogue is merely convenient for dealing with magic traps, - the system is versatile enough to give players options for dealing with stuff that is not their class' forte. If the adventure in question doesn't, then that's more likely to be an effect of weak writing/planning, than anything else.
-Nearyn
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Good GMs don't use traps unless they're thematically important. The trap-rogue interaction is bad for the metagame. If this were single player CRPG where having a rogue only cost a party slot not an actual human being forced to play a specific class it would be fine, but it's not."Good" GMs do many different things, so many in fact that it's hard to really categorize "Good" GMs - the unifying feature of "Good" GMs seem to be to make efforts that everyone has fun with the game and the story.
Not using traps unless "thematically important" doesn't ring like "Good" GMing in my ears - you can employ many different types of challenges with a multitude of differing aestetics, and they don't have to be in any way chained to the theme, much less important to it, as long as they're enjoyable. Also, the pressence of traps doesn't force a player into a class. Having a rogue is merely convenient for dealing with magic traps, - the system is versatile enough to give players options for dealing with stuff that is not their class' forte. If the adventure in question doesn't, then that's more likely to be an effect of weak writing/planning, than anything else.
-Nearyn
I believe the defining quality of a good GM is that everyone at the table has fun. That said-
I also give my players the option of solving traps in other ways, and I have taken to implementing traps in combats, rather than out. Wall flame gouts? Yeap, you can make a know. check/perception check to time them and get out that way. Or, just walk through it. (most don't), another one was inspired by skyrim, floor blades popping up mid combat when friend or foe stepped on a pressure plate. The rogue can disable it, or ignore it. Adds new elements imo. Traps can be good fun, but not constantly. Save traps for dungeons/keeps with highly intelligent/devious BBEGs.
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That's up to you. I'm sure smarter foes would anticipate that tactic. The world doesn't consist entirely of pressure plates, after all. Sometimes, you need to see something-which a summoned creature can do. But sometimes, you just have to grab the handle and pull. Again, a summons can do that. It's not a perfect solution, but it works pretty well.Trapfinding can be accomplished with a summon monster 1 spell. Or just by toughing it out and taking the damage. As a barbarian, that's your version of evasion: taking the hit. So you already have evasion, just by having lots of hp, and someone else can always summon up a critter (or chuck a critter you've killed) at areas you suspect are trapped. Pressure plates don't care if it's a living or dead goblin on them, after all.I love it when people try that against my traps. I plan for that kind of thinking. Their faces are always priceless after.
If the traps are in the middle of nowhere - yes. If the traps are being used intelligently in combo with foes - maybe.