the_redbeard
Explorer
Ok, here's another try at the Sneak Attack Mage. Previous standard builds where very weak in the mid-levels, and the 3 non-casting levels really hurt. But I've got a character concept that I think fits (roleplaying wise) and I'm determined to min/max the hell out of it within those boundaries. It still starts out slow, but it is only 1 caster level behind and has some interesting tweaks. Given the benefits, I think only 1 level behind is fine.
Sources: Complete Books, Forgotten Realms. Nothing too obscure
(Yeah, Dark Template is in Tome of Magic, so I guess that one, too.)
RP requirement: racially, some kind of “tainted” heritage. One of: Tiefling, Fiendish Heritage, Dark Template, a Bloodline (depending on what fits). Start as a rogue-ish class and proceed with arcane spellcasting. I'm torn between a Gray/Sun Elf with Dark Template and the Tiefling. If I'm human with Dark Template, my consolation prize would be Able Learner feat to make the skill acquisition less painful.
So, the exact racial fit is up for grabs.
Here is the class progression:
SpellThief 1 -> Wizard 5 -> SpellWarp Sniper 4+ ->Unseen Seer 2 (only 2) ->Arcane Trickster 8
Unseen Seer has the key second sneak attack die to qualify for Arcane Trickster.
SpellWarp Sniper has some very nice abilities, has its own dice to add to ranged touch attack spells, and helps with the skills required for both Unseen Seer and Arcane Trickster.
Unseen Seer is cool, but the third level ability lessens the DCs of my non-divination spells.
The key ability is to get sneak attack status via magic and then use ray spells/abilities for ranged touch attacks. Ranged touch sneak attacks get past armor AND dexterity. Basically, to hit for my attacks will be limited their magical defenses against my admittedly weak BAB. This starts paying off at 7th level, but I'm only 1 level behind other casters in the meantime.
Sneak Attack die: Lvl 1: 1d6, Lvl 7:2d6, Lvl9: 3d6, Lvl 10: 4d6, Lvl 14: 5d6, Lvl 16: 6d6
A few synergies and key feats:
Master SpellThief feat: all my arcane casting levels count for spell-stealing. I can take spells from any caster that I hit by sacrificing a sneak attack die.
Craven. +1/CL to sneak attack. Whoa.
Reserve Spell Feats: from Complete Mage. With the matching feat, if I keep a higher level spell in reserve and I can make unlimited supernatural ability attacks. For example, Acid Splatter is a ranged touch attack with as many d6 as my highest acid spell. As a supernatural ability, I don't need draw attacks of opportunity, have to concentrate, and it even bypasses SR! This would also free up most of my other spells for magic that will aid in getting my sneak attack – such as blink, greater invisibility, blindness and stunning spells, bigby's or tentacles for some grapples even..
A few choices:
Race. Tiefling has Darkvision which good for getting sneak attacks (although it doesn't see through magical darkness) and the very nice +2 Int and +2 Dx. Dark Template has the awesome Hide In Plain Sight ability as well as big bonuses to Hide, excellent for the sneak attack snipe. If I'm Dark Template, I have to decide between the Intelligence of the Elf and the Able Learner feat of human.
Class:
I could vary the levels of SpellWarp Sniper. The Ray abilities of the SpellWarper might not apply to the Reserve Spell Feats, but they are still cool. Plus, the skill selection helps qualify for the other classes on the list. I could skip SpellWarp Sniper entirely, but it would be difficult to get all the skills.
Anything I missed I should include? Anything illegal in this?
Then there's this:
Big Alternate Model: Warlock Sniper
This depends upon “casting 3rd level arcane spells” is something a warlock can qualify for. Later Prestige Classes say “Arcane caster level 5th” but the Arcane Trickster came out long before the Warlock.
This uses Warlock Eldritch Blast to make the ranged touch attacks. The downfall is that Charisma is the Warlock main attribute, so I won't have as easy a time getting cross-class skills to qualify for the Prestige Classes. The payoff: With my first two least invocations at Warlock 2nd level, I can cast “Devil's Eye” to see even in magical Darkness – which I can also cast. Every combat, any opponents that can't see in magical darkness would be vulnerable to a sneak attack Eldritch blast. That's a mean Arcane Trickster! It wouldn't be so nice for the rest of the party. How many True Seeings can you cast?
SpellThief 1-> Warlock 5 or 6-> Unseen Seer 2-> Arcane Trickster 10
Sneak Attack D6
Lvl 1: 1d6 Lvl 7: 2d6 Lvl 10: 3d6 Lvl 12: 4d6 Lvl 14: 5d6 Lvl 16: 6d6
Why the warlock rocks for this: With my first two Least Invocations – Devil's Eye and Darkness, I wouldn't even need the Dark Template and it's Level Adjustment (cool as it would be). I could be human with the Able Learner and (mostly for RP purposes) Fiendish Heritage feat – which would be good since I'd need the skill points.
It's true that undead, constructs and plants won't be affected by sneak attacks. Even so, for them I'd only be one level behind a normal mage in dealing with them. As for Barbarians and those with uncanny dodge, let's check their Will Save
Sources: Complete Books, Forgotten Realms. Nothing too obscure
(Yeah, Dark Template is in Tome of Magic, so I guess that one, too.)
RP requirement: racially, some kind of “tainted” heritage. One of: Tiefling, Fiendish Heritage, Dark Template, a Bloodline (depending on what fits). Start as a rogue-ish class and proceed with arcane spellcasting. I'm torn between a Gray/Sun Elf with Dark Template and the Tiefling. If I'm human with Dark Template, my consolation prize would be Able Learner feat to make the skill acquisition less painful.
So, the exact racial fit is up for grabs.
Here is the class progression:
SpellThief 1 -> Wizard 5 -> SpellWarp Sniper 4+ ->Unseen Seer 2 (only 2) ->Arcane Trickster 8
Unseen Seer has the key second sneak attack die to qualify for Arcane Trickster.
SpellWarp Sniper has some very nice abilities, has its own dice to add to ranged touch attack spells, and helps with the skills required for both Unseen Seer and Arcane Trickster.
Unseen Seer is cool, but the third level ability lessens the DCs of my non-divination spells.
The key ability is to get sneak attack status via magic and then use ray spells/abilities for ranged touch attacks. Ranged touch sneak attacks get past armor AND dexterity. Basically, to hit for my attacks will be limited their magical defenses against my admittedly weak BAB. This starts paying off at 7th level, but I'm only 1 level behind other casters in the meantime.
Sneak Attack die: Lvl 1: 1d6, Lvl 7:2d6, Lvl9: 3d6, Lvl 10: 4d6, Lvl 14: 5d6, Lvl 16: 6d6
A few synergies and key feats:
Master SpellThief feat: all my arcane casting levels count for spell-stealing. I can take spells from any caster that I hit by sacrificing a sneak attack die.
Craven. +1/CL to sneak attack. Whoa.
Reserve Spell Feats: from Complete Mage. With the matching feat, if I keep a higher level spell in reserve and I can make unlimited supernatural ability attacks. For example, Acid Splatter is a ranged touch attack with as many d6 as my highest acid spell. As a supernatural ability, I don't need draw attacks of opportunity, have to concentrate, and it even bypasses SR! This would also free up most of my other spells for magic that will aid in getting my sneak attack – such as blink, greater invisibility, blindness and stunning spells, bigby's or tentacles for some grapples even..
A few choices:
Race. Tiefling has Darkvision which good for getting sneak attacks (although it doesn't see through magical darkness) and the very nice +2 Int and +2 Dx. Dark Template has the awesome Hide In Plain Sight ability as well as big bonuses to Hide, excellent for the sneak attack snipe. If I'm Dark Template, I have to decide between the Intelligence of the Elf and the Able Learner feat of human.
Class:
I could vary the levels of SpellWarp Sniper. The Ray abilities of the SpellWarper might not apply to the Reserve Spell Feats, but they are still cool. Plus, the skill selection helps qualify for the other classes on the list. I could skip SpellWarp Sniper entirely, but it would be difficult to get all the skills.
Anything I missed I should include? Anything illegal in this?
Then there's this:
Big Alternate Model: Warlock Sniper
This depends upon “casting 3rd level arcane spells” is something a warlock can qualify for. Later Prestige Classes say “Arcane caster level 5th” but the Arcane Trickster came out long before the Warlock.
This uses Warlock Eldritch Blast to make the ranged touch attacks. The downfall is that Charisma is the Warlock main attribute, so I won't have as easy a time getting cross-class skills to qualify for the Prestige Classes. The payoff: With my first two least invocations at Warlock 2nd level, I can cast “Devil's Eye” to see even in magical Darkness – which I can also cast. Every combat, any opponents that can't see in magical darkness would be vulnerable to a sneak attack Eldritch blast. That's a mean Arcane Trickster! It wouldn't be so nice for the rest of the party. How many True Seeings can you cast?
SpellThief 1-> Warlock 5 or 6-> Unseen Seer 2-> Arcane Trickster 10
Sneak Attack D6
Lvl 1: 1d6 Lvl 7: 2d6 Lvl 10: 3d6 Lvl 12: 4d6 Lvl 14: 5d6 Lvl 16: 6d6
Why the warlock rocks for this: With my first two Least Invocations – Devil's Eye and Darkness, I wouldn't even need the Dark Template and it's Level Adjustment (cool as it would be). I could be human with the Able Learner and (mostly for RP purposes) Fiendish Heritage feat – which would be good since I'd need the skill points.
It's true that undead, constructs and plants won't be affected by sneak attacks. Even so, for them I'd only be one level behind a normal mage in dealing with them. As for Barbarians and those with uncanny dodge, let's check their Will Save
