Need a Better Red Mantis Assassin for CotCT


Advice


This is in the adventure path Curse of the Crimson Throne.
My Players are 50% power gamers, 50% hack and slash.
I need something to challenge them.
This is what the module gives me, but i'm not happy with it.
Any tips on building a better/deadlier Red Mantis assassin?
Potion/Scroll buffs in preference to item buffs, please

Assassin, Red Mantis
Male human fighter (two-weapon fighter) 2/red mantis assassin 5/rogue 3
LE Medium humanoid (human)
Init +5; Senses Perception +17
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 19, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +5 Dex)
hp 80 (10 HD; 8d8+2d10+30)
Fort +10, Ref +12, Will +5 (+1 vs. fear)
Defensive Abilities evasion, red shroud, trap sense +1
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft.
Melee dagger +12/+7 (1d4+1/19-20) or
. . dagger +12/+7 (1d4+1/19-20) or
. . dagger +12/+7 (1d4+1/19-20) or
. . dagger +12/+7 (1d4+1/19-20) or
. . mwk sawtooth sabre +15/+10 (1d8+3/19-20) or
. . mwk sawtooth sabre +15/+10 (1d8+3/19-20) or
. . unarmed strike +12/+7 (1d3+1 nonlethal)
Special Attacks sneak attack +4d6
Red Mantis Assassin Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +7)
. . 1/day—summon mantis
Red Mantis Assassin Spells Known (CL 5th; concentration +7)
. . 2nd (3/day)—cat's grace, invisibility, spider climb
. . 1st (5/day)—disguise self, expeditious excavation[APG], feather fall, jump
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 12, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 14
Base Atk +7; CMB +8; CMD 23
Feats Alertness, Blind-fight, Double Slice, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (sawtooth sabre), Greater Weapon Focus (sawtooth sabre), Two-weapon Defense, Two-weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (sawtooth sabre), Weapon Specialization (sawtooth sabre)
Skills Acrobatics +18, Bluff +10, Diplomacy +6, Disable Device +10, Disguise +6, Escape Artist +12, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (local) +10, Perception +17, Sense Motive +2, Sleight of Hand +9, Stealth +18
Languages Common
SQ resurrection sense, rogue talent (lasting poison[APG]), trapfinding +1
Combat Gear mask of the mantis[ISWG], potion of resist fire 10, alchemist's fire; Other Gear +2 darkleaf cloth leather armor, dagger, dagger, dagger, dagger, mwk sawtooth sabre[ISWG], mwk sawtooth sabre[ISWG], cloak of resistance +1, thieves' tools
--------------------
Tracked Resources
--------------------
Alchemist's fire - 0/1
Dagger - 0/1
Dagger - 0/1
Dagger - 0/1
Dagger - 0/1
Mask of the mantis (3 charges) - 0/3
Potion of resist fire 10 - 0/1
Red Shroud (5 rounds, 3/day) (Su) - 0/3
Summon Mantis (1/day) (Sp) - 0/1
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Blind-Fight Re-roll misses because of concealment, other benefits.
Evasion (Ex) If succeed on Reflex save for half dam, take none instead.
Lasting Poison (Ex) Applying poison as a full-rd action makes it last for 2 hits, but foes save at +2.
Red Shroud (5 rounds, 3/day) (Su) Create a red mist around yourself that grants +1 AC and fast healing.
Resurrection Sense (Su) Sense if someone you killed within the last year is resurrected.
Sneak Attack +4d6 Attacks deal extra dam if flank foe or if foe is flat-footed.
Summon Mantis (1/day) (Sp) Summon giant praying mantises.
Trap Sense +1 (Ex) +1 bonus on reflex saves and AC against traps.
Trapfinding +1 Gain a bonus to find or disable traps, including magical ones.
Two-Weapon Defense +1 to AC while wielding 2 weapons. +2 when doing so defensively.


1) make him an URogue 3 rather than a Rogue 3
a) add 1 feat because Weapon Finesse is free.
b) pick a better rogue talent - Lasting Poison is useless because he has no poison (according to the stat block you've posted)...
c) You're the GM, get creative, and edit the sawtooth sabre, from "If you have the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (sawtooth sabre) feat, for the purpose of two-weapon fighting you can treat it as a light melee weapon; for all other purposes, it is a one-handed melee weapon." to If you have the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (sawtooth sabre) feat, while two-weapon fighting you can treat it as a light melee weapon . This allows him to use Weapon Finesse with the sabre, and get dex to damage as well by selecting it as the rogue's 3ed level finesse training.
d) Switch his potion of resist fire for one with more punch - with the above changes, cat's grace...

The alternative to doing c) is to go with using 2 daggers, rather than the iconic sawtooth sabres.


Going URogue definitely upped his game! better attack & damage.
Lasting Poison Rogue Talent will be more useful with Deathblade poison.
Also took the rogue Poisoner archetype.

Any more ideas?

Assassin, Red Mantis
Male human fighter (two-weapon fighter) 2/red mantis assassin 5/unchained rogue (poisoner) 3 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 109, 134, Pathfinder RPG Adventurer's Guide 282, Pathfinder Unchained 20)
LE Medium humanoid (human)
Init +7; Senses Perception +17
--------------------Defense--------------------
AC 26, touch 18, flat-footed 18 (+4 armor, +7 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 natural)
hp 103 (10 HD; 8d8+2d10+53)
Fort +12, Ref +15, Will +5 (+1 vs. fear)
Defensive Abilities evasion, red shroud; Resist fire 20
--------------------Offense--------------------
Speed 60 ft.
Melee dagger +15/+15/+10 (1d4+3/19-20) or
. . dagger +15/+15/+10 (1d4+3/19-20) or
. . dagger +15/+15/+10 (1d4+3/19-20) or
. . dagger +15/+15/+10 (1d4+3/19-20) or
. . mwk sawtooth sabre +18/+18/+13 (1d8+9/19-20) or
. . mwk sawtooth sabre +18/+18/+13 (1d8+9/19-20) or
. . unarmed strike +15/+15/+10 (1d3+3 nonlethal)
Special Attacks sneak attack (unchained) +2d6, sneak attack +2d6
Red Mantis Assassin Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +7)
. . 1/day—summon mantis
Red Mantis Assassin Spells Known (CL 5th; concentration +7)
. . 2nd (3/day)—cat's grace, invisibility, spider climb
. . 1st (5/day)—disguise self, expeditious excavation[APG], feather fall, jump
--------------------Statistics--------------------
Str 16, Dex 24, Con 20, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 14
Base Atk +7; CMB +11; CMD 28
Feats Alertness, Blind-fight, Double Slice, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (sawtooth sabre), Greater Weapon Focus (sawtooth sabre), Two-weapon Defense, Two-weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (sawtooth sabre), Weapon Specialization (sawtooth sabre)
Skills Acrobatics +20 (+30 to jump, +32 to jump), Bluff +7, Diplomacy +6, Disable Device +11, Disguise +16, Escape Artist +14, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (local) +10, Perception +17, Sense Motive +2, Sleight of Hand +11, Stealth +40 (+60 when immobile)
Languages Common
SQ master poisoner, poison use, resurrection sense, rogue talent (lasting poison)
Combat Gear mask of the mantis[ISWG], potion of resist fire 10, alchemist's fire, deathblade (4); Other Gear +2 darkleaf cloth leather armor, dagger, dagger, dagger, dagger, mwk sawtooth sabre[ISWG], mwk sawtooth sabre[ISWG], cloak of resistance +1, thieves' tools
--------------------Tracked Resources--------------------
Alchemist's fire - 0/1
Dagger - 0/1
Dagger - 0/1
Dagger - 0/1
Dagger - 0/1
Deathblade - 0/4
Mask of the mantis (3 charges) - 0/3
Potion of resist fire 10 - 0/1
Red Shroud (5 rounds, 5/day) (Su) - 0/5
Summon Mantis (1/day) (Sp) - 0/1
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Blind-Fight Re-roll misses because of concealment, other benefits.
Energy Resistance, Fire (20) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Fire attacks.
Evasion (Ex) If succeed on Reflex save for half dam, take none instead.
Lasting Poison (Ex) Applying poison as a full-rd action makes it last for 2 hits, but foes save at +2.
Master Poisoner +1 (Ex) Use Craft (alchemy) for 1 hr to change poison type (failure ruins). +1 Craft (Alchemy) for poisons.
Poison Use You do not risk poisoning yourself accidentally while poisoning a weapon.
Red Shroud (5 rounds, 5/day) (Su) Create a red mist around yourself that grants +1 AC and fast healing.
Resurrection Sense (Su) Sense if someone you killed within the last year is resurrected.
Sneak Attack (Unchained) +2d6 Attacks deal extra dam if flank foe or if foe is flat-footed.
Sneak Attack +2d6 Attacks deal extra dam if flank foe or if foe is flat-footed.
Summon Mantis (1/day) (Sp) Summon giant praying mantises.
Two-Weapon Defense +1 to AC while wielding 2 weapons. +2 when doing so defensively.


Give him a potion of greater invisibility, blur, and mirror image


Use 5 slayer levels instead of rogue and fighter levels.

Or 5 levels of Achechek worshipping Arsenal Chaplain Warpriest.


Look at the Bone Flense spell. The way I read the spell is essentially there's no initial save, and the Fort saves only come after.

Slayer would also be a good option for dual-wielding. Can you be a Sczarni and Red Mantis worshipper? Just since Sczarni Executioner gives Studied Target bonuses against humanoids...


I am Nemesis wrote:

This is in the adventure path Curse of the Crimson Throne.

Assassin, Red Mantis
Male human fighter (two-weapon fighter) 2/red mantis assassin 5/rogue 3

Where does this NPC pop up? My copy of CoCT has a fighter3/rogue3/red mantis 3 and some Red Mantis associates at level 12+, but nothing quite as you detailed.

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