So not Rogue or Monk because you'd be doubling up on Evasion/Improved Evasion and it doesn't stack with Sneak Attack or flurry, right?A lore warden fighter in light armor could go into shadow dancer, deal reasonable damage, and have good knowledge skills
There's a guide around here somewhere for fighters going into shadowdancer
Correct. Fighter tends to be best since it gets extra feats, and leaves room to get other nice things (since the prerequisite feats are a bit...meh).
I would advise a reach build, which means power attack, combat reflexes, and for me, lunge and pushing assault (helps you to master control of how far an enemy is away- helps you set up more AoOs). Being an unseen circle of pain is great.
I would also grab spring attack, both because you already have the prerequsites, and because you could possible go out of stealth and right back in while getting an attack in. And with reach weapons, you spend less of your movement to do so, which means you can make your position even less clear.
There are Rogue archetypes that trade out Evasion for other things. I would look at the (Bandit) Rogue who trades out Evasion for full actions on a surprise round (which Rogues are very good at) and Improved Evasion for Fearsome Strike which basically lets you remove one enemy from the fight when you crit them.
Although, if you go Rogue 10->ShadowDancer 7 at 10th level you unlock the better Talents and Shadowdancer will give you extra talents that can be selected from the advanced list, which includes things like free AoO and dealing 2 Str damage on SA.
Just to clarify, how is this better than straight fighter? BAB is lower, you get no significant hit bonus increasing things, and the stealthy thing doesn't work too well with getting off more than a single attack.
You thought 10 levels of shadowdancer is better than straight fighter?
You haven't actually looked much at the shadow dancer, have you?
The big shiny (shadowy) abilities are all front loaded. It is kind of shaky to advise anything more than shadowdancer 3, where you get the shadow that does nonlethal str damage and is incorporeal. Anything past that is fluff (some shadow evocation/conjuration might be nice, but not enough for what you lose, usually).
So fighter 14/shadow dancer 3 has plenty of extra tricks with the incombat stealth and the really dangerous buddy. And they lose little in comparison to the normal fighter (2 feats and maybe a +1; may depend on archetype)
If you are building a Shadowdancer, you should definitely check out the Shadow Jumper's Tunic from the Dirty Tactics Toolbox.
Bard? They also share the cha stat, and bards get darkness as a spell. They get plenty of uses from 7 levels (again, assuming your level 17 argument). So they could consistently get things out.
I wouldn't want to go with base bard though, since inspire courage is either visual (when you are doing something to make yourself less visible) or audible (which would give away your position).
So either arcaheologist (who gets bonuses to attack, damage, skills, and saves...as well as rogue talents) or Dawnflower dervish (who can get double inspire courage bonuses...but only on herself; you don't need to see yourself).
Both of these also give superior buffs than standard bard for your own purposes (archaeologist needs a trait, fate's favored, but that gets an extra +1, giving you +3 by the time you get out of the class).
Vigilante (Stalker) 10 can probably get a lot of mileage from a few Shadowdancer levels. Especially from the hide in plain sight and the shadow jump.
Going shadowdancer with a barbarian is very worthwhile.
Not only does it fit the theme of a grim person hanging out with a shadow, but the shadow also profits from the hp.
Primal Hunter is a barbarian archetype.
Besides that, UC rogue and slayer are both good options too.
Look into the dirty tactics player companion for awesome feats.
Flanking helps a bunch of teamwork feats. Either work something out with your party, or you could maybe go with one of the classes/archetypes which gains the ability to share teamwork feats or which gets solo tactics. Spare a few feats for the dimensional dervish line of course.
Barbarian's Bestial Leaper Rage Power is infinitely better than Spring Attack, but the ability to Stealth after attacking makes the Shadowdancer levels worthwhile I guess.
What's the Shadow Jumper's Tunic do? Haven't bought the DTT yet.
Gunslinger into shadow dance can be sometimes fun.
What's the Shadow Jumper's Tunic do? Haven't bought the DTT yet.
It grants a Shadowdancer an extra 40' of Shadow Jumping per day.
Pretty nifty! One more reason to grab that book. :) Thanks.
You are welcome. I think it is the best "Toolbox" book yet. The authors really worked hard to address a lot of old deficiencies with feat chains and prestige classes.
Kaouse, bestial leaper doesn't provide any protection against attacks of opportunity, so you'd probably need a reach weapon to even begin to be effective.
Or you could take the attack of opportunity and shrug it off with Invulnerable Rager DR + Flesh Wound rage power, or better yet, attack them while the attack you with Come and Get me.
If you're not a straight Barbarian and include Shadowdancer levels, then just abuse Stealth so they can't attack you before or after you leave their reach. Isn't that the benefit of Hide in Plain Sight?
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One (and a half) thing(s):
How would you build a character with 10 levels of Shadowdancer that starts at 17th level?
Preferably one that either doesn't fall too far behind in utility compared to a bard, deals a reasonable amount of damage compared to a paladin, finds a unique niche that neither the bard nor paladin can fill, or has an otherwise special and useful in-combat or out-of-combat combination or ability?
Inspired Blade Swashbuckler for Shadowdancer capstone power, Paladin for charisma synergy with shadow dancer, Fire Dancer Bard for flavor shadow dancer.