If you are going to go into the Arcane Trickster Prestige Class, the best way to do it is:
1. UC Rogue (Waylayer)
Finesse Training Ex.
Sneak Attack +1D6
Staggering Reflexes Ex. (Add 1/2 level to iniative, character level not class level)2.-4. Any Wizard of your choice, just take the Advanced Sneak Attack feat @ 3...
Arcane Trickster Prestige @ 5. Enjoy.
Might I suggest Dimensional Agility/Assault/Dervish...
We're going to start a Rise of the Runelords campaign and my buddy will be GMing. I was toying around with playing as a Witch, but I after reading what VoodistMonk wrote on a different post, I think I want to try this build. What archetype, if any, should I pick for the wizard? I was thinking Magical Lineage/Wayang Spellhunter for traits and put them into Burning Hands or Magic Missile. I'm thinking of going Elf with the Overwhelming Magic alt-racial trait so I can start off with free Spell Focus and get Burning Hands or Magic Missile as a Specialized spell with my level 1 feat. I want to try and be a stealthy anti-caster-ish style of build, focusing on picking Utility Spells and trading them out for my blaster spell if needed, and can put on the hurty-hurt when I need to. At level 14, I could apply Sneak Attack damage to targets who I surprise or catch flat-footed with my blaster spell. Thoughts?
Consider the Snowball spell from People of the North. Its a first level spell that does 1d6 per caster level (capped at 5d6). But it has a few things going for it. First, on a failed fort save, the enemy is staggered for 1 round. Not going to be great in the long run, but will get some decent mileage early game. Second, and more importantly, it is a touch attack that doesn't allow Spell Resistance. Very good spell to put sneak attack onto. Note that Magic Missile doesn't use any type of attack roll, so you can't add sneak attack onto it. Otherwise it would probably be king due to the fact that you could sneak attack up to 5 enemies at a time.
Edit: Even better, Snowball is a conjuration spell, not evocation, so you can pick it as a signature spell, and then instead of devoting your school based feats to evocation, you get to apply them to the school with the best BFC spells in the game.
There is a FAQ on the arcane trickster page that states that you can apply sneak attack damage to magic missile, but only to ONE missile of your choice.
There is a FAQ on the arcane trickster page that states that you can apply sneak attack damage to magic missile, but only to ONE missile of your choice.
What about Fireball or other aoe spells?
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I have a similar character, but I went Warlock Vigilante instead of wizard.
Buff and debuff spells are great, anything that makes you or your team mates stronger or tougher (Mage Armor, Shield, Enlarge Person, Invisibility, etc).
The nice thing about either method is they both use a spellbook...so you can learn as many spells as you can find/buy, and work accordingly. Got team mates who are plenty strong and dont need buffs? Focus on self buffs, debuffs, or damage spells...got team mates who don't wear armor? prep a couple mage armors. Need to infiltrate someplace, prep invis. etc.
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How does the Surprise Spells class feature of the Arcane Trickster prestige class work with spells like magic missile and fireball?
The Surprise Spells class feature allows the Arcane Trickster to add his sneak attack dice to spells that deal damage that target flat-footed foes. This damage is only applied once per spell. In the case of fireball this means it affects all targets in the area, with each getting a save to halve the damage (including the sneak attack damage). In the case of magic missile, the extra damage is only added once to one missile, chosen by the caster when the spell is cast.
There is a FAQ on the arcane trickster page that states that you can apply sneak attack damage to magic missile, but only to ONE missile of your choice.What about Fireball or other aoe spells?
Yes, as Slyme quoted that's a function of the Surprise Spells class feature which this character would gain at lv 14. Before that, this character has no way of adding Sneak Attack damage to Magic Missile.
Since the Rise of the Runelords campaign starts at lv 1, and ends at lv 15, I'd probably plan my build to come online long before lv 14.
To qualify for Sneak Attack damage, the spell needs to have an Attack roll, and deal hit point damage. The target also needs to be vulnerable to Sneak Attacks, which means that you're going to want to invest into Stealth or some Smoke trick (or both).
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Here's a couple ideas for your build.
The Expert Sniper and Signature Skill (Stealth) feats will allow you to make Sniping checks without the -20 penalty.
A Valet familiar and the Stealth Synergy feat greatly improves your Stealth since you're going to roll twice for every Stealth check.
You could pick up Magical Lineage/Wayang Spellhunter with the Additional Traits feat and retrain the feat whenever you want another spell to benefit from those two traits.
There is a FAQ on the arcane trickster page that states that you can apply sneak attack damage to magic missile, but only to ONE missile of your choice.What about Fireball or other aoe spells?Yes, as Slyme quoted that's a function of the Surprise Spells class feature which this character would gain at lv 14. Before that, this character has no way of adding Sneak Attack damage to Magic Missile.
Since the Rise of the Runelords campaign starts at lv 1, and ends at lv 15, I'd probably plan my build to come online long before lv 14.
To qualify for Sneak Attack damage, the spell needs to have an Attack roll, and deal hit point damage. The target also needs to be vulnerable to Sneak Attacks, which means that you're going to want to invest into Stealth or some Smoke trick (or both).
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Here's a couple ideas for your build.
The Expert Sniper and Signature Skill (Stealth) feats will allow you to make Sniping checks without the -20 penalty.
A Valet familiar and the Stealth Synergy feat greatly improves your Stealth since you're going to roll twice for every Stealth check.
You could pick up Magical Lineage/Wayang Spellhunter with the Additional Traits feat and retrain the feat whenever you want another spell to benefit from those two traits.
I wanted to be an Arcane Trickster for pure flavor reasons, but the most important reasons were Ranged Legerdemain (Char lvl5 - lvl1AT) and Sneak Attacking with Spells (lvl 14+). If RotR ends at ~15ish, I'm wondering what's the point of going Arcane Trickster at all...
Maybe I should just do Rogue1/WizX
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Edit: With Magical Lineage/Wayang Spellhunter traits, I can retrain them to Scorching Ray, which could technically benefit from SnA because it's an Attack roll? Or... no?
Ranged Chicanery (Disable Device 1 rank, Sleight of Hand 1 rank, ability to cast mage hand):
You can use mage hand to attempt Disable Device and Sleight of Hand checks at range. Working at a distance increases the normal skill check DC by an amount equal to 5 + 1 for every 5 feet the range is greater than 25 feet. You can’t take 10 or 20 on this check. Any object manipulated must weigh 5 pounds or less. If you also possess the ranged legerdemain class feature, you no longer increase the skill check DC by 5 while using Disable Device and Sleight of Hand at range.
This cloak comes in eight varieties—one for each school of magic. The cloak grants its wearer the ability to use a certain number of spells on command (caster level 1st) based on its school of magic. It also grants the wearer the ability to use prestidigitation on command and at will.
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Transmutation: at will—mage hand; 1/day—enlarge person, expeditious retreat
One feat and a cloak for 2,500 gp. With this anyone is able to make Disable Device/Sleight of Hand checks at 25 ft range.
And if you get Mage Hand from an actual spell slot, then the range of this ability would increase as your Close range increases.PFS legal.
Ranged Chicanery (Disable Device 1 rank, Sleight of Hand 1 rank, ability to cast mage hand):
You can use mage hand to attempt Disable Device and Sleight of Hand checks at range. Working at a distance increases the normal skill check DC by an amount equal to 5 + 1 for every 5 feet the range is greater than 25 feet. You can’t take 10 or 20 on this check. Any object manipulated must weigh 5 pounds or less. If you also possess the ranged legerdemain class feature, you no longer increase the skill check DC by 5 while using Disable Device and Sleight of Hand at range.This cloak comes in eight varieties—one for each school of magic. The cloak grants its wearer the ability to use a certain number of spells on command (caster level 1st) based on its school of magic. It also grants the wearer the ability to use prestidigitation on command and at will.
/.../
Transmutation: at will—mage hand; 1/day—enlarge person, expeditious retreatOne feat and a cloak for 2,500 gp. With this anyone is able to make Disable Device/Sleight of Hand checks at 25 ft range.
And if you get Mage Hand from an actual spell slot, then the range of this ability would increase as your Close range increases.PFS legal.
So maybe Rogue1/WizX is looking a little more attractive
Edit: With Magical Lineage/Wayang Spellhunter traits, I can retrain them to Scorching Ray, which could technically benefit from SnA because it's an Attack roll? Or... no?
Yes, it has an attack roll and deals hit point damage. Scorching Ray would benefit from Sneak Attack damage. You would however not add SA damage more than once per spell. FAQ
That is, if you fire 3 rays, only one of them would add SA damage. Even if you target three different enemies and all are flat-footed, only one of them qualifies for Sneak Attacks.So maybe Rogue1/WizX is looking a little more attractive
Rogue isn't a fantastic dip for a wizard, since at most you'll gain +1d6 damage in specific circumstances, whereas you'd lose 1d6 damage from the Caster level decrease.
Wiz is a pretty fun dip for Rogues, though. My character for a "0 point buy" game was a Wiz 1/Rogue X character that sniped with Acid Splash, which targets Touch AC while the opponent loses their Dex-to-AC from sniping.
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My URogue 1/Warlock Vigilante 6/Arcane Trickster X build is pretty fun...
You get loads of skill points to be useful outside of combat.
The Warlock Vigilante talent Tattoo Chamber is awesome.
You get access to the full Wizard spell list (but at Magus progression, so only up to level 6 spells max)
You get mystic bolts against touch AC (which can be used with sneak attack in melee or at range)
You get ranged legerdemain, and increase sneak dice from AT.
By the time you hit level 12 you could be doing up to 4 attacks per round against flat footed touch AC in melee (or at short range) with your mystic bolts, while running around with greater invisibility doing 1d6+4(I recommend acid for your mystic bolts) +1d6 acid from gloves +4d6 sneak attack...plus having access to a spellbook full of spells.
On the rare chance you run into something totally immune to acid damage, keep a +1 adamantine dagger in your tattoo chamber.