Help my shadowdancer

[Anger Nogar]

Hello there. I decided to bring an old character back to life in what seemed to be a relatively low-OP campaign with a few new friend, but suddenly ended in a party with human spellslinger VMC rogue arcane trickster with absurd spell save DCs, human battle shaman with mauler dweomer cat and a human cavalier/packmaster hunter/evangelist of Erastil VMC cleric that ends up with an adequate mount, two buffed fully scaled animal companions, and still manages to be a decent archer.

I am already quite invested in the story of my character, so I would rather keep the 3 levels of shadowdancer part, but would appreciate any feedback on changes that will help not feel like an obsolete part of the team without spells and/or insane action economy on my side.

My stats rolled quite high at Str 13 Dex 18 Con 14 Wis 12 Int 14 Cha 15 so that helps a bit.

Race Human, Alternative Traits: Dimdweler, Focused Study
Traits: Ancestral Weapon, Defender of the Society

1. Weapon Master Fighter 1: EWP (Elven Curve Blade), Dodge, Skill Focus: Stealth
2. Unchained Rogue 1: Finesse Training (Weapon Finesse), Sneak Attack 1d6, Trapfinding
3. Rogue 2: Power Attack, Evasion, Ninja Trick: Pressure Points
4. Rogue 3: Danger Sense +1, Finesse Training (Dex to Damage), Sneak Attack +2d6
5. Rogue 4: Uncanny Dodge, Debilitating Injury, Combat Trick: Mobility, Combat Reflexes
6. Shadow Dancer 1: Hide in Plain Sight
7. Shadow Dancer 2: Darkvision 90 feet, Improved Uncanny Dodge, Spring Attack
8. Shadow Dancer 3: Shadow Illusion, Summon Shadow, Rogue Talent: Fast Stealth, Skill Focus: Intimidate
9. Fighter 2: Dampen Presence, Weapon Guard +1, Cornugon Smash
10. Fighter 3: Weapon Training +1
11. Oath of Vengeance Paladin 1: Detect Evil, Smite Evil 1/day, Step Up
12. Paladin 2: Divine Grace, Lay on Hands
13. Fighter 4: Advanced Weapon Training: Warrior's Spirit, Disruptive
14. Paladin 3: Aura of Courage, Divine Health, Mercy: Fatigued
15. Paladin 4: Smite Evil 2/day, Channel Wrath, Bounding Assault (3.5 feat)

I am mostly looking for a way to deal with the f...ing glitterdust that everyone and their mother seems to be tossing left and right (hiding in the cat's shadow and hoping for her to rend the eyes of the f...er who glitterdusted us is sweet tactic, but I'd rather not depend on it).

Increasing the survivability of my shadow (it's strength damage has nice sinergy with my pressure points trick, but I have horrendous base will save and a full attack can decimate her). Finding a way to give her spring attack will be at least some step in this regard, but even if I can retrain her skill focus to mobility (can I?), I am still one feat away from this.

Replacing the evasion I get from rogue with something else will also be nice, since I get it from Shadow Dancer as well and they don't stack.

[Cuup]

Swap your levels of Rogue and Fighter with levels of Slayer This will bump your BAB while keeping some SA and Rogue Talent options, while also giving you some Ranger Style feat options. You also won't be uselessly stacking Evasion. Studied Target will replace Weapon Training. Swap your Dex and Str scores if you can. This will free up a feat slot, as you can drop Weapon Finesse, and significantly bump your damage. Your stealth will go down 3 points, which I think you can live with, and you can still keep Spring Attack.

[Anger Nogar]

One of the other players suggested the same, but I am not seeing it.
Rogue gives me 2 rogue talents and Fighter gives me 3 feats.
8 levels of slayer will give me 5 talents (counting the human favored class bonus) which is more or less the same.

Unchained Rogue gives Weapon Finesse (an later Dex for Damage) for free so switching to strength won't net me a free feat. I would get a feat from not wasting it on Advanced Weapon Training, but is hardly a waste giving me the option 4 times per day to add keen, relevant bane and relevant 1d6 elemental damage to my weapon (gloves of dueling factored in).
For the cost of a feat and 15 000 gp I am getting +5 attack and 5+3d6 damage as well as more or less getting the feat back (keen=improved critical with the flexibility of going for something else for crit immune enemies) in all the important fights for the day. Granted it takes a standard action, but supposedly my stealth and perception skills are there to help me surprise enemy rather than be surprised.

Slayer will give me +2 attack and damage, +1 BAB, +1 Fort and Reflex, +4 hp and +2 attack, damage and an extra feat (that I will probably waste on Improved Critical, since I don't see better options). Those are permanent bonuses rather than 4 minutes per day, but still I am not seeing it as significant damage bump. It will also cost me debilitating attack, that is neat utility with all the minions running around. I am not seeing the extra 15 000 gold making up for the difference.

Anyway, my personal damage is not the issue here. Granted it's nothing to write home about, but I am sickening and shaking enemies, reducing their AC or attack and strength and being a nuisance to casters. More than enough to feel useful.
My problem is that glitterdust obsoletes the whole stealth attack part that is like the shadowdancer main thing (that I wasted half my feats on) and the fact that my shadow gets evaporated every time it shows itself during anything but the last round of combat, since anything that get pats its immunities autohit/autoeffect/autokills it.

[Cuup]

Then I guess accept the fact that stealth is only about 40% as useful at level 15 as it is at level 10 and below, no matter how much you invest in it, since monsters and NPC's alike have so many ways to find you.

As for your Shadow, there's not a whole let you can do to pad it up. I don't believe Boon Companion would do anything, and Augment Summoning wouldn't help as it has no Str or Con scores, and it's already immune to Enchantments and Sleep effects, so Moonlight Summons wouldn't do anything either. This might sound a bit silly, but you could give it Ghost Touch Adamantine Full Plate Armor for a +8 to AC (it loses 1 in Dex) and DR 3/-, and give the armor some cool defensive properties. It would take a -5 on its attack rolls for not be proficient, but as it's targeting Touch AC, the bonus to defense may be worth it if you're that worried about it.

[Anger Nogar]

Probably a bit too expensive, now that I think about it a potion of mage armor can work at least half as good and is dirt cheap... erm... can incorporeal undead drink potions?

[Cuup]

I don't think so

[Lune]

How are you failing your Will saves on Glitterdust? Your saves should be immense. You should have 7 base, +1 Wis, +2 Cha. That is 10 without considering items that give resistance bonus or pluses to Wis and Cha.

Or do you just mean the non-save effects from it. It can't be happening all that much and you should be pretty effective at toe to toe combat without the need to hide. You are halfway through the Cornugon Smash/Shatter Defenses combo. If you are worried about applying your Sneak Attack I would suggest swapping out some feats to pick up Shatter Defenses. My suggestion would be your last 3 feats. If you take my advice on this then I would also suggest the Thug Rogue Archetype. Oh... and a Cruel weapon. It doesn't stack with Thug but is in concept and helps with survivability.

You didn't list your items so it is hard to tell how to increase your effectiveness or survivability of your Shadow. I assume you have Gloves of Dueling? That will significantly upgrade your hit and damage bonuses. Anything that ups your HP ups your Shadow's HP. The first obvious suggestion is a Con belt. The Toughness feat and Favored Class options also help.

I'm actually not a fan of Rogue as an entry to Shadowdancer. I know it seems synergistic but I feel it is a trap. It also hampers the HP on the Shadow by having lower Hit Dice. I am going to second swapping the Rogue levels for levels of Slayer. It drops Evasion so it is not duplicated (the only Rogue Archetypes that swap it out are Smuggler and Underground Chemist neither of which seems thematic), retains your bonus feats/talents, keeps your sneak attack and gives Studied Target and Track as well as providing another point of BAB and more HP for you and your Shadow. I understand that your concept is for a Dex to damage build but when you take back your Weapon Finesse Feat and take Weapon Specialization and keep most of the rest of the build intact and calculate your damage I bet it comes out to about the same if not higher.

I also hope you have some ranks in Use Magic Device as there are a lot of great wand options that can help both you and your Shadow. How about Ablative Barrier? It helps you but helps your Shadow more. Undead are not subject to nonlethal damage so it basically gives them DR 5/- for as long as it lasts. Mirror Image could help a lot if you are concerned with melee attacks. You should have a wand of Inflict Light Wounds. Its too bad your Paladin levels do not allow for use of Infernal Healing as I would suggest that as well.

If you do not have Use Magic Device you could get the feat Improve Share Spells and just get potions. It halves the durations between you and your Shadow and will be twice as expensive (or up to 4 times if you consider that the halving of durations may mean multiple uses) so I wouldn't suggest it. If you are having trouble activating items a Circlet of Persuasion is a great buy and it stacks with the Cha Headband that I hope you have (it improves all your saves by 1... you better have one!).

As for more permanent solutions Cuup I think was on to something with his armor suggestion but I would avoid armor with a check penalty. A +1 Ghost Touch Mithral Chain Shirt would give it +5 armor bonus to AC and cost 18K. That should be affordable at your level and is almost half the cost of the Adamantine suggestion.

As far as giving your Shadow Spring Attack, good luck. I don't know of a way. Your DM does seem fairly flexible if he is allowing 3.x feats. Perhaps try to convince him that your Shadow is equivalent to a Familiar and anything that works for a Familiar aught to work for it. If you can do that then it opens up some possibilities. A level of Beast Bonded Witch would help you quite a bit. It would allow you to give one of your character feats to your Familiar Shadow thus allowing it to get Spring Attack. It would also allow you to take the Ward Hex which would give your Shadow +2 deflection bonus to AC and a +2 resistance bonus on saving throws. That is a fair amount of advantages for a single level dip. Also if he allows for this then it opens up the door to using Eldritch Guardian Fighter archetype which allows you to share your teamwork feats with your Shadow.

Good luck and hopefully something I said helps or at least inspires you. Also, can we hear more about your character's items? It would help us to give more valued advice. Also, I wanted to say that I really like the character concept. :)

[666bender]

i love U-Rogue X\ shadow dancer 3. love it.
but the shadow should almost never enter melee. he is a perfect scout, tracker etc - but if abused too much - any DM will kill it in 1 round - than you save fort 15 or lose levels.