D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5e] Favorite or Best Rogue PrC

[hunterofjello]

I'm going to be joining a new campaign at level 8 and was strongly considering playing as a Halfling Rogue. I've taken a look a lot of PrC like Dervish, Shadowdancer, Master Thrower and Dread Commando, but am still undecided about what type of PrC path I'd like to go after (or if I should go after one at all). What are you favorite 3.5e Rogue builds for roleplaying, powergaming or just generally having fun?

 

[Shin Okada]

While sneak attack may inflict devastating damages, so many things are immune to it, and there are so many ways to prevent it. Also, because Tumble DC is heightened and speed enhancing magic items are nerfed down, it is harder to flank opponents than to do that in 3.0e.

Also, Rogues have a lot of weak spots. Namely, miserable Fort & Will saves, not enough HPs.

So I prefer either Warrior/Caster type with a little bit of rogue levels for dealing with traps, or Caster type multiclassing.

One of my favorite is Rogue 2/Cleric 3/Shadowbane Stalker X. By boosting up caster level by Practiced Spellcaster feat, you can have at least more than descent offensive, defensive & utility spell casting abilities. And you have well round-up saves. Also, Cleric spell Divine Insight is so great for a rogue.

One of my former PC was a Human Rogue/Cleric/Shadowbane Stalker with Able Lerner feat. He could make ANY skill roll needed to solve a problem met
(thanks to Able Lerner feat) with big (max +15) modifier from Divine Insight spell. The only lacking critical ability as a rogue was Stonecunning. So he was wearing Belt of Dwarvenkind. His domain was Magic & Travel and thus even more versatile, too.

As his BAB were low, for attacking enemies, he mainly used either Cleric spells or wands of wizard spells (such as fireball), or some wands of touch attack spells (say, Shocking Grasp). The latter can be used for making sneak attacks. So even a wand with caster level 1 was useful.

Another player of mine was playing a dwarven Fighter Rogue. He was mainly a fighter and was taking only Search, Spot & Tumble in rogue levels. As his speed is not slowed by armor (because he was a dwarf), he could tumble in heavy armor.

 

[Vykarius]

For a Utilitarian Party Rogue, I recommend Rogue to level 7, then take the Dungeon Delver Prestige Class. It builds upon and augments many Rogue abilities. For example I have a Hexblade(3)/Rogue(2) I am gaming with now, who will take 1 more level in each Hexblade & Rogue and then go exclusively into Dungeon Delver PC. At 4th level the Dungeon Delver gets Evasion, which stacks with any other Evasion to upgrade to Improved Evasion...Only allowance of this with Evasion I have seen. They also get Skill Mastery at like 3rd level and have good Fort & Reflex saving throws and skill points/choices like a Rogue with 8 per level. You do sacrifice sneaks a bit, but you get a lot of Rogue ability outta only taking 3 levels of Rogue (as I did in example). You need to be 7th level to enter the PC which requires 10 skill ranks in a few skills as prerequisites and the dreaded Alertness feat too. In my above example, the build has Skill Mastery, Darkvision 60' even if human, Mettle & Improved Evasion all by level 11. Just my $.02...

 

[insanogeddon]

Best:
Spell Thief 1, Cleric 4, Shadowbane Stalker 10, ~ Spell Warped Sniper 5 .. with feat 'Master Spell Thief' from complete scoundrel or mage.
Beguiler 20.. with the feats from dragon magic giving your level as sorcerer level and the breath weapon one for some straight no SR damage (maybe even track if you get survival as a dragon skill)

Most Fun:
Spell Thief 1, Hexblade 19 with Able Learner and Master Spell Thief.
Rogue 3 (with complete champion sub level to sneak attack undead), Cleric 1 (luck .. re-roll, and liberation .. re-roll will saves, domains), Mythic Exemplar 10
With a ranged attack to play to the ability to sneak attack at range and negate bab and HP issues. With cleric spells for silence and divine favour, massive dex bonuses, rogue skills and the anility to (SU... undispellably) blink, greater invis and etheralness: you can sneak attack most things in campagns short of constructs and oozes, do good missile damage regardless, hit, and cannot be stopped from entering or escaping situations at whim.

Seen the top one. Linear good rort. The second was alot of fun.. track, search, spells, blasts but was bad in that took from MANY peoples character in the party and was unfair on the poor sorcerer and rogue (6 person party)
The third is subversive but was hell fun to play even if a little underwhelming and prone to melee dropage at higher levels if un-prepped with a stolen mirror image and displacement. Forth is in play and fulfilling my want to play a classy rogue with some real mystery and escape potential and a crossbow guy nicely tho my build is not optimised for power but fun and theme for savage tides.... posted for interst :

Justin Credible.
Assorted Personas of the many faced master: Chet, Birdwatcher Bob, Indiana Gnome, Umar, Manuel 'of the Planes', Epona, (S.S, Chet, Duke Aethonem
Rogue 1, Shukenja (air) Order of Ineffable Mystery 1, Rogue 2 (swap trap
sense to sneak att. Undead in C.Champion.), Mythic Exemplar 10, Master of Masks 1 (Faceless and Warrior), Occult Slayer 2. (?Maybe then Spell Warped Sniper 3?)
28 point buy = 12.14.14.14.8.14. Human. B. Point Blank, 1 Precise Shot, 3
Weapon Focus (Faustus Malkeith the crossbow), 6 Crossbow Sniper 9 Rapid
Reload, 12 Combat Panache, 15 Improved Initiative, B: Improved Precise Shot, 18 Force o Personality
(retraining ?? Combat Expertise, Sense Weakness ?? for levels after 13th .. maybe 10th as these feats will end up better tho tedious)
Complete Champion and Complete Divine.

I'm going to be joining a new campaign at level 8 and was strongly considering playing as a Halfling Rogue. I've taken a look a lot of PrC like Dervish, Shadowdancer, Master Thrower and Dread Commando, but am still undecided about what type of PrC path I'd like to go after (or if I should go after one at all). What are you favorite 3.5e Rogue builds for roleplaying, powergaming or just generally having fun?

 

[Dandu]

I'm going to be joining a new campaign at level 8 and was strongly considering playing as a Halfling Rogue. I've taken a look a lot of PrC like Dervish, Shadowdancer, Master Thrower and Dread Commando, but am still undecided about what type of PrC path I'd like to go after (or if I should go after one at all). What are you favorite 3.5e Rogue builds for roleplaying, powergaming or just generally having fun?

Rogue5/Chameleon10/Whatever5

 

[Unkabear]

For the joy of the flavor, I always enjoy a few levels of Thief Acrobat. This helps with the Tumble (negate penalty to tumbling at full speed). It is not the powerbuilder thing to do. But offers a bit more utility. Even if just for a two level dip.

 

[Andras]

Rogue5/Chameleon10/Whatever5

This^^^

Girallon's Blessing + Rend + SA = massive hurts. I used a lot of Druid spells with that character.

Consider getting Rogue 6 for the extra bab and save, and trade in Trap Sense for Penetrating Strike or Spell Sense.

 

[calighis]

This^^^

Girallon's Blessing + Rend + SA = massive hurts. I used a lot of Druid spells with that character.

Consider getting Rogue 6 for the extra bab and save, and trade in Trap Sense for Penetrating Strike or Spell Sense.

Thrikreen monk + Girallon's Blessing + permanence. Would that even work?

 

[Andras]

The problem with being a monk and using Girallon's Blessing is that the claws only do 1d4. If you use your monk's unarmed damage you don't get rend.

 

[Theroc]

The problem with being a monk and using Girallon's Blessing is that the claws only do 1d4. If you use your monk's unarmed damage you don't get rend.

Use the additional arms for the claws+rend, and do an FoB as well?