Sneak Attack Master

[Belphanior]

You know, these rules aren't really any more complicated than the ISO technical standards that I have to read at work.

True, but they're also not really any less complicated..

 

[James McMurray]

For tricks, I was planning on taking Sneaky Shot first, and definitly the one that allows you to attack as a touch attack. That leaves one more trick that I have not decided on.

Did someone mention a feat called Sidestep? What is it?

You can't take Weak Spot until Master Thrower 5. My favorite lineup involves palm throw, trip shot, then weak spot. If I were you I'd look at going Cleric instead of rogue and maximizing charisma for divine might. Sneak attacks are fairly easy to avoid, and hard to get multiple rounds of with missile weaponry. Divine Might is always there, ready to increase your damage by huge amounts.

I don't know if its better than the rogue route, but it does offer the option of spellcasting. The Spell Somain gives Anyspell, which gives access to reduce person. With that you can even use Weak Spot on other halflings. No frequently a concern, but it stacks with Righteous Might to make you a small creature with +6 strength, +4 con, +2 dex, and +4 natural armor. Almost as good as the Half-dragon template (albeit in the form of a two-spell combo.

Fighter 2 / Cleric x / Master Thrower 5 could be nasty. Of course, my only experience with a Master Thrower is in an epic arena, and in that setting you can manage to have shuriken that deal 50+ damage each with 8 attacks per round, each one being 2 shuriken. It ain't pretty.

 

[CCamfield]

We are starting the campaign with 1st level characters. I am planning on taking Improved Initiative and Point Blank Shot for starters. Later, Two Weapon fighting so that he can throw two knives at once and get double sneak attack. Also, Point Blank Shot, Far Shot, Rapid Shot and Precise Shot.

You can use BOTH Rapid Shot and TWF simultaneously?

 

[James McMurray]

Yep, its spelled out in the PH somewhere. Sorry I don't have a page reference for you, but it specifically allows for TWF and RS. Its about the only reason to use thrown weapons over bows (or at least it was before the Master Thrower came out)

 

[Hypersmurf]

The meaning of "would be" is explained by the rest of the sentence. Some characters don't have any dex bonus to AC simply because they have low dexterity. However they can still be sneak-attacked.

Right.

He can be sneak attacked if he would be denied his Dex bonus, even if he doesn't have a Dex bonus; not if he would be denied his Dex bonus, even though he has an ability that means he isn't denied his Dex bonus.

Uncanny Dodge definitely means you can't be sneak attacked solely for being flat-footed, because you don't lose your Dex bonus while flat-footed with UD. (There are other ways you can be sneak attacked, but flat-footed ceases to be one of them.)

Now, to be fair, that "would be" construction is horrid, and many, many people over the past few years have read it exactly the same way the Bruiser did... but it's not how it should be read.

-Hyp.

 

[Darklone]

Yep, its spelled out in the PH somewhere. Sorry I don't have a page reference for you, but it specifically allows for TWF and RS. Its about the only reason to use thrown weapons over bows (or at least it was before the Master Thrower came out)

I didn't find it neither, but it's not forbidden as well. Rapid Shot: One additional attack with ranged weapons.... TWF applies to thrown weapons (Two weapon fighting description in the combat chapter). So no reason why they shouldn't work together.

 

[Stalker0]

Ring of blinking is your friend, all sneak attack all the time, and the 50% miss chance ain't half bad either

Also, in traps and treachery there's a feat called improved sneak attack, that increases your SA to d8's.

 

[James McMurray]

Ring of Blinking is nice, but I'd rather go invisible blade. Giving yourself a 20% miss chance can really hurt when that attack you needed misses.

If you'd rather use WotC products only, BoED has an exalted feat that increases sneak attack damage to d8s versus evil creatures. The XPH has a feat that lets you reroll ones once per die when rolling sneak attack damage (if you roll a second one, it stays a one).

 

[ARandomGod]

Ring of Blinking is nice, but I'd rather go invisible blade. Giving yourself a 20% miss chance can really hurt when that attack you needed misses.

If you'd rather use WotC products only, BoED has an exalted feat that increases sneak attack damage to d8s versus evil creatures. The XPH has a feat that lets you reroll ones once per die when rolling sneak attack damage (if you roll a second one, it stays a one).

How about a ring of blinking and a Ghost touch weapon?
The ghost touch should be able to hit whether you're etherial or not, thereby neatly eliminating that 20% miss chance on your part.

Of course, a ghost touch weapon in the opponents hand reduces the 50% change to be missed down to 20%, but YOU know you need it. They are much less likely to have one.

 

[Will]

Heh. Ghost touch weapon doesn't work!

We've hashed this out in our group a billion times. Woof.

Ghost touch affects incorporeal creatures, not ethereal creatures.

Ethereal creatures are insubstantial, but this is a different effect than incorporeal. Among other things, magic weapons don't have a 50% chance of hitting ethereal creatures, they have a _0%_, unless a force effect is involved.

Conversely, while ethereal, you can't affect the material plane... in _any_ way.