Need help with Dread commando build for FR campaign

i'm about to take part in a campaign based on FR. chances are that most of the time the party is going to stay in Waterdeep. ECL: 6.
Characters are supposed to be rugged mercenaries. maybe veteran soldiers, pirates or thugs. i thought of the dread commando - is it even viable in faerun? and what classes are better to take before DC? fighter/ranger? barbarian/ranger? swashbuckler? or maybe its worth to wait one more level before taking PrC in favour of some rogue or scout levels?
any advice is appreciated. plus i'd be very grateful for some roleplaying notes - which region in FR dread commandos can hail from, etc.

Here's a Dread Commando I whipped up for a one-PC one-shot:

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Male Human Ranger 3/Fighter 2/Dread Commando 5 CR 10
AL NG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +8; Senses Listen +12, Spot +12; tatoo of darkvision
Languages Common

AC +13, touch +4, flat-footed +10 (+3 Dex, +6 armor, +3 shield. +1 deflection)
hp 71 (HD 8d8+16 and 2d10+4)
Fort +12, Ref +13, Will +8

Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee +1 scimitar +14 (1d6+3, 15-20) or
+1 scimitar +12/+7 (1d6+3, 15-20) and +1 scimitar +11 (1d6+2, 15-20) or
quarterstaff +12 or +10/+9/+5 (1d6+2 or 1d6+1) or
masterwork alchemical silver dagger +13 or +13/+8 (1d4+2, 19-20)
Ranged shortbow +13, +13/+8 or +11/+11/+6 (1d6+2, x3) or
masterwork alchemical silver dagger +14 (1d4+2, 19-20)
Base Atk +10; Grp +12
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Atk Options Rapid Shot, Sudden Strike +3d6, Telling Blow, Two-Weapon Fighting

SQ favored enemy (humans +2), wild empathy +2
Abilities Str 13 (15), Dex 17, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
Feats Endurance (b), Improved Buckler Defense (b), Improved Critical (scimitar), Iron Will (b), Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting (b), Rapid Shot (b), Telling Blow, Track (b), Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (scimitar).
Skills Climb +9, Heal +6, Hide +12, Jump +13, Move Silently +17, Survival +10, Swim +8.
Possessions 2 +1 scimitars, +1 mighty (+2) composite shortbow, 40 arrows, masterwork alchemical silver dagger, quarterstaff, +1 mithral chainmail, +2 buckler, gauntlets of ogre power, cloak of resistance +3, quiver of Ehlonna, boots of elvenkind, ring of protection +1, ring of sustenance, tattoos of cure serious wounds (3d8+5, x2), darkvision (60-ft., 3 hours) and resist energy (10, 30 minutes), blast disk (damage 5d6 fire, 10-ft. Radius, Reflex DC 15 half), token of mount, standard adventurer kit., 30 gp.

I used the Fighter feats to get Two-Weapon Fighting and the Ranger feat for archery.

The tattoos work just like potions.


The character starts out as a woodsman and scout (ranger) who gets drafted and trained (fighter) so he could join an elite recon force (dread commando).

Great! Thanks a bunch.
but why does he have so many weapons? the quarterstaff is probably for blunt damage, but what is the dagger for? is iron will so crucial? why take oversized TWF? which book is blast disc from?

As you guessed, the staff is for bludgeoning damage, and can be used to help climb. The alchemical silver dagger is for those things that need silver to be hurt, plus it's a nice back-up secondary weapon, and it is an utility tool when setting up camp (ditto on the staff).

Iron Will bumps up the one bad save (all classes here improve either Fort or Ref).

Oversized TWF lets the character fight with two one-handed weapons (as in 2 scimitars) with only -2 penalty (as if the off-hand weapon were light).

Blast Disc, like the dread commando itself, comes from Heroes of Battle.

got it. but why did you actually choose scimitars?

I can't speak for Klaus, but scimitars (and kukris, rapiers, etc.) are nice for commando-type characters because they crit a lot more often. And devastatingly efficient blows are totally in-theme for commandos. So is Sneak Attack and Skirmish.

At least that's my take on it.

Animal said:

got it. but why did you actually choose scimitars?

Click to expand...

As Enforcer guessed, it's for the crits.

With Sudden Strike, Improved Critical and Telling Blow, you're adding +3d6 to damage from every critical hit, and you roll a threat 30% of the time.