Character advice!

[Ashling]

Hi! I posted this a few hours ago in the Strange Aeons, but I thought it might get more views and input over here :D

As soon as the plague finishes its run of terror and we're getting back together for gaming, my group will be starting Strange Aeons, and I'm super excited! For those of you who have played through it I would like a bit of character advice as I'm worried that my build I've designed will be less effective in later levels. Primarily she's an intimidate rogue build intended to bounce randomly and chaotically around the battlefield giggling and demoralizing her enemies.

I have a PDF of my build design here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e_osHjX_W5ZmneGIYpnn7LIfr4AIahgQ/view?usp= drivesdk

From a roleplay perspective she's Chaotic Neutral, and often pretends to be a human child to garner sympathy or to lure a victim into a false sense of security. She's intended to be somewhat creepy. She casts no shadow. Is apparently fearless, giggling at the horrors around her. And disappearing from sight at a moments notice.

Anyway I would appreciate thoughts and criticisms of the character build!

Thanks!

[avr]

First, quicken SLA won't work on dimension door until you're 14th level. You might be better to go for dimensional assault/dervish instead.

You have a problem with physical defence. Also spending 2 levels on blackjack fighter to get iron will and improved iron will is an enormously inefficient way of improving your will save. If you're going to dip how about a level in arcanist for a good will save and another form of teleport, or 2 levels in swashbuckler for the parry and charmed life, or 1 level in spiritualist with a dedicated phantom for a good will save, free iron will and a scout who can walk thru walls...you get the idea. There's better choices out there.

Not sure what you can do to keep a rogue relevant at late levels, sorry.

[Scott Wilhelm]

avr wrote:

First, quicken SLA won't work on dimension door until you're 14th level. You might be better to go for dimensional assault/dervish instead.

You have a problem with physical defence. Also spending 2 levels on blackjack fighter to get iron will and improved iron will is an enormously inefficient way of improving your will save. If you're going to dip how about a level in arcanist for a good will save and another form of teleport, or 2 levels in swashbuckler for the parry and charmed life, or 1 level in spiritualist with a dedicated phantom for a good will save, free iron will and a scout who can walk thru walls...you get the idea. There's better choices out there.

Not sure what you can do to keep a rogue relevant at late levels, sorry.

The most efficient way to boost your will save would be to dip a level in Arcanist. You get a +2 to your Will Saves. You can cast a number of level 0 &1 spells. You can use any Sorcerer or Wizard wand without needing to make a Use Magic Device Check. And you can take the Arcane Exploit Dimensional Slide, a 10' Teleport that you can do as part of your Move, and it doesn't end your turn like DimDoor does. It doesn't have the Range of proper DimDoor, and it certainly isn't as cool as having DimDoor and all those Dimensional Feats, but it is MUUUUUUCH cheaper, to be had at the cost of a 1-level dip.

Another way I like to pop in and out all around the battlefield is to have someone else DimDoor you instead: their turn ends; you can take any actions you have left. I found the Ratling Familiar. You need to take Improved Familiar at level 7 or later. Ratlings can DimDoor and take you with them. The only problem is that Ratlings are Lawful Evil, and you're planning on being Chaotic Neutral. I guess it all depends on how badly you want a tactical teleport and how important it is to you to get it quickly and cheaply, or get it in the fanciest form later and at the cost of more Feats.

[Zog of Deadwood]

Strange Aeons is a less than ideal campaign for an intimidate build. I am not saying it won't work at all, because there are certainly enemies it will absolutely work on, but there are a lot of undead. They're immune to demoralization, unless there is a feat out there I'm forgetting that allows that (I wouldn't be surprised). There are also some other creatures immune to fear. Just a heads-up.

[JiaYou]

Something Mesmerists have lets you demoralize undead and maybe others. It might just be Mesmerists since a fellow player had one in CoCT that demoralized some skeletons, but not sure.

[VoodistMonk]

Agent of the Grave's Undead Manipulator, and the Dirge Bard's Secrets of the Grave both allow their mind-affecting spells to work on the Undead... but I don't know of anything for Intimidating/demoralizing them.

Granted, I also know very little about the Mesmerist class, and what they may offer. I do like the class from what I have read, though.

No matter what, an Intimidate Rogue is not the build I would want to play in this campaign.

[Meirril]

Bump the priority on feats that improve will saves to first level. Seriously the earlier you have them the better for that AP. Also a lot of not undead creatures are immune to mind effecting.

I do not recommend an intimidation based build for the Strange Aeon's AP.

[Ashling]

Thank you all for your great advice! I've never played an arcanist, but I will definitely look into it now :D