Anyone got a decent build for a knife-throwing character?

[Eltern]

Ripper-nk, why is it even necessary to take the levels in rogue? You're basically trading deflect arrows for evasion, and for the guy who's trying to be far away and throwing things at you, I'd rather have deflect arrows (You can knock aside their returning fire). It also makes things less of a headache for multiclassing

Eltern

 

[Ripper-nk]

Ripper-nk, why is it even necessary to take the levels in rogue? You're basically trading deflect arrows for evasion, and for the guy who's trying to be far away and throwing things at you, I'd rather have deflect arrows (You can knock aside their returning fire). It also makes things less of a headache for multiclassing

Eltern

3 levels in rogue gives much more skill points, +2d6 sneak attack and evasion. It's much better than one fighter feat.

 

[argo]

Let's presume you start with a Str of 14 (12 after penalty). Your average damage against an AC 20 opponent (reasonable average for opponents at 6th level) will be 8.365 (assuming weapons of at least masterwork quality). Not to be harsh, but this is utterly pitiful. Moreover, you won't have the hit points to stay in melee and even if you've flanked you still only get one attack.

For a knife thrower to be viable you MUST increase your number of attacks.

Ok, lets compare some other builds then. Same race, same stats.

Rapid Shot Rogue. Rog4/Ftr2
Replace Expertise with Improved Init and Improved Feint with Rapid Shot. In the first round you will murder your flat footed opponents but what about round 2+?
Attack at +10/+10 for 1d4 + 1 each. Avg 6 dmg/rnd (Advantage: can attack from beyond 30 ft but this guy still doesn't have Far Shot yet)

What about a straight fighter then? Ftr6
Replace Expertise with Far Shot and Improved Feint with Rapid Shot. Pick up Wep Focus and Wep Spec.
Attack at +12/+12/+7 for 1d4 + 3 each. Avg 15 dmg/rnd

Ok so the fighter kicks both their butts and has more HP to boot. But now we come to the point that the original poster wanted an "acrobat knife thrower" and this fighter is decidedly not that. Like I said before, the Rog gets all those skills to play with which is what will make this character fun and memorable, the better than average damage output is just a bonus.

Plus, the cool thing about Sneak Attack is that it scales with level. Lets compare our two rogues at level 11 (when the Ftr is also gaining another attack).

Sneak Attack Rog9/Ftr2
Attack at +15 for 1d4 + 5d6 + 1. Avg 18 dmg/rnd

Rapid Shot Rog9/Ftr2
Attack at +13/+13/+8 for 1d4 + 1 each. Avg 9 dmg/rnd

Plus the Sneak attacker has the advantage of attacking once at his highest BAB, it is wishfull thinking to assume those itterative attacks are always going to hit.

Honestly, none of these builds are really twinked out compared to what else you could do with those levels and feats. But they sure do have style, and sometimes that is all that really matters right?

 

[Eltern]

3 levels in rogue gives much more skill points, +2d6 sneak attack and evasion. It's much better than one fighter feat.

Oh no no! I meant swap the rogue levels for -ninja-, not fighter. Yeah, fighter would be dumb

I see taking fighter for just two levels, then straight up ninja and invisible blade (maybe master thrower, but I don't have it in front of me)

Eltern

 

[jgsugden]

I was going off memory, so I probably bought something else to begin with.

Just as an FYI, whan someone asked why they kept the +1 BAB requirement for Finesse, Andy Collins responce was something along the lines of: We did? That was a mistake.

 

[Gaiden]

Honestly, none of these builds are really twinked out compared to what else you could do with those levels and feats. But they sure do have style, and sometimes that is all that really matters right?

I do agree that, in general, the acrobatic knife thrower does definitely have style. However, there is the question of survivability. In games I have played in, your damage potentials will result in a character death - be it yours or someone else in the party. This has nothing to do with the image of the character, but merely the numbers. As I said, knife fighters are at a disadvantage already because of the low damage, so not compensating for that low damage is suicide for the character.

Here is an example build I would go with:

Strongheart Halfling
Rogue 4, Fighter 2
Str 12, Dex 18

PBS, RS, QD, TWF, WFin, WF -dagger

3 attacks at +10, +10, +9 or +10, +9, +9

 

[silentspace]

Oh no no! I meant swap the rogue levels for -ninja-, not fighter. Yeah, fighter would be dumb

I see taking fighter for just two levels, then straight up ninja and invisible blade (maybe master thrower, but I don't have it in front of me)

Eltern

What's a ninja?

 

[Eltern]

What's a ninja?

The core class from the Rokugan campaign setting. Fighter BAB progression, good Will save (poor other two), Sneak attacks like a rogue, and some other relatively piddly abilities.

Better than the rogue for those first few levels.

Some questions about this throwing schtuff:
Does feint work at range? I don't think so... if not, why is everyone automatically overlooking the Master Thrower class? Sure, they lose some sneak attack (+3d6, I think), but they get the feinting trick, which is -awesome- because they can get sneak attacks -all the time-, and they get the Weak Spot trick, which is invaluable. If you're a halfling it's even better, because you're small. Touch attack instead of normal? HOLY COW!

I know we're talking a knife thrower, but I've a question about shurikens. I thought that you could throw three at a time in 3.0. Is this not so in 3.5? If so, how does Sneak Attack work out?

Eltern

 

[silentspace]

The core class from the Rokugan campaign setting. Fighter BAB progression, good Will save (poor other two), Sneak attacks like a rogue, and some other relatively piddly abilities.

I was afraid that's what you were talking about.

 

[Eltern]

I was afraid that's what you were talking about.

I'm sorry, but didn't that come up in posts before mine?

Eltern