Cheiromancer
Adventurer
I'd allow it.Corsair said:
Character Creator's Block
- Thread starter Corsair
- Start date
Although come to think of it, I really don't even know if I need more than 1 swashbuckler level. Level 2 grace is ok, but scout has good reflex so it isn't necessary. Level 3 for Int to damage is ok, but I'm not sure I wouldn't be better served just by having 14 strength.
I'm Looking at Scout 4 / Swashbuckler 1
Assuming that my DM ok's a feat as I described, would I be better off just taking more scout levels for the other goodies they get?
I'm thinking of going for rapier and buckler as my standard fighting style, with a shortbow for backup and mounted use. (I know I won't get skirmish mounted, but it's a style issue. I gotta have a horse if I'm noble. I certainly wouldn't just WALK everywhere!)
Can anyone think of any suggestions for improving my combat via feat or specific equipment selection? I plan on having Able Learner so my scout skill points can go into face skills via swashbuckler, so that leaves me two other feats to play with.
I'm Looking at Scout 4 / Swashbuckler 1
Assuming that my DM ok's a feat as I described, would I be better off just taking more scout levels for the other goodies they get?
I'm thinking of going for rapier and buckler as my standard fighting style, with a shortbow for backup and mounted use. (I know I won't get skirmish mounted, but it's a style issue. I gotta have a horse if I'm noble. I certainly wouldn't just WALK everywhere!)
Can anyone think of any suggestions for improving my combat via feat or specific equipment selection? I plan on having Able Learner so my scout skill points can go into face skills via swashbuckler, so that leaves me two other feats to play with.
One more question: Which would you guys suggest - Rogue 3 / Swash X eventually getting Daring Outlaw, Swash 1 / Scout X (with able learner to pour scout skill points into face skills as desired), or Scout 
/ Swash X (with n being whatever my DM decides necessary to qualify for our newly made up stacking feat, probably 3 or 4)?
Which of those options is most appealing to you? Why? Do you have a similar but different option?
/ Swash X (with n being whatever my DM decides necessary to qualify for our newly made up stacking feat, probably 3 or 4)?Which of those options is most appealing to you? Why? Do you have a similar but different option?
szilard
First Post
Well, starting out with Scout rather than Swashbuckler will give you a ton more skill points.
Additional levels of Swashbuckler will give you better BAB and hit points than scout. If I were you, as long as you have an Int bonus, I'd end up at Scout 3/Swash 3 at level 6... and then probably proceed with Scout from there.
-Stuart
Additional levels of Swashbuckler will give you better BAB and hit points than scout. If I were you, as long as you have an Int bonus, I'd end up at Scout 3/Swash 3 at level 6... and then probably proceed with Scout from there.
-Stuart
Dragon Snack
First Post
I cringe to suggest it...Corsair said:
How about a level in Aristocrat? There, I said it, an NPC class.
It plays into your background (milk it for points with the DM) and gives you the face skills without spending a feat on Able Learner.
Arkhandus
First Post
Rogue 2/Ninja 2/Soulknife 1, or Rogue 2/Ninja 1/Soulknife 2.
Seriously. Advance primarily as a ninja (Complete Adventurer) or soulknife (Expanded Psionics Handbook, or just look at the 3.5 SRD's psionic section), dabbling just a bit in the other and rogue. Your 1st and 5th levels would be in rogue, then you'd just advance your rogue level every once in a while for that extra bit of Sneak Attack and a dumping of ranks into Search/Disable Device/Open Lock (most other class levels will see you spending points on Hide/Move Silently and other skills, not trap/lock stuff).
You'll be sneaky-sneaky, disappearing mysteriously sometimes and then reappearing with you shimmering, blood-red Mindblade protruding from an enemy's throat, only to wink out as you draw and hurl a barrage of shuriken (or another Mindblade) at the next foe. You'll have both Sneak Attack and Sudden Strike, as well as a few tricks with your Mindblade later.
Of course, you'll have to play a Human, Halfling, or Xeph (Xephs from the XPH have Soulknife as a favored class), depending on if you emphasize the ninja class primarily or the soulknife class primarily. By 10th-level you might be a Rogue 3/Ninja 5/Soulknife 2, or Rogue 3/Ninja 2/Soulknife 5, or Rogue 3/Ninja 4/Soulknife 3, or whatever. By 15th you may be a Rogue 5/Ninja 6/Soulknife 4, or Rogue 4/Ninja 3/Soulknife 8, or whatever. At some point, a Soulknife-oriented prestige class from Complete Psion might beckon, or not.
Go for a total of 6, 8, or 10 Soulknife levels (6 or 8 probably best), 3 or 5 Rogue levels (5 probably best for being effective with traps/locks), and 5-11 Ninja levels, by your 20th character level. 4 levels of Soulknife are probably needed early on, to get the +1 mindblade enhancement (to bypass DR X/magic and at least have some chance of harming shadows/wraiths/etc.). Rogue levels are just for taking once in a while (once every 4-5 character levels) for boosting the roguish skills you just need to fill the basic Rogue role of trap/lock remover.
Speed of Thought at 6th-level Soulknife will make you quicker, and if your race is Xeph, you'll have their Burst of Speed ability too for really-quick escape or closing into melee reach in a snap (and make the most of your Ninja abilities to go invisible or whatnot for a single round at a time; invis, charge 80 or 100 or 120 feet, stabbity doom with sneak attack added to sudden strike added to psychic strike, reappear). The Aligned Attack psionic feat could be taken later to do a bit more damage and ignore some creatures' aligned DR momentarily. The Ghost Attack psionic feat will also help, giving Ghost Touch to your weapons usually. Up The Walls is a neat psionic feat for maneuvering ninja/wuxia-style in a dungeon or city environment. Mental Leap may be useful for big wuxia-style jumps, especially with the extra speed you'll have already on running jumps, but ML isn't very great, sadly (only +10 on the Jump check for expending psionic focus). Psionic Meditation may be useful if you end up using Aligned Attack or Mental Leap frequently.
I'm not so familiar with Complete Adventurer, so I'm not sure what level of Ninja is best to aim for, or what prestige classes might best suit a Ninja.
Or at least go Rogue/Ninja (with maybe a brief dip into 1 or 2 levels of Monk or Scout). Less cool than a tricky psionic ninja assassin with blades of physically-manifest spite, but a ninja assassin is a ninja assassin.
Seriously. Advance primarily as a ninja (Complete Adventurer) or soulknife (Expanded Psionics Handbook, or just look at the 3.5 SRD's psionic section), dabbling just a bit in the other and rogue. Your 1st and 5th levels would be in rogue, then you'd just advance your rogue level every once in a while for that extra bit of Sneak Attack and a dumping of ranks into Search/Disable Device/Open Lock (most other class levels will see you spending points on Hide/Move Silently and other skills, not trap/lock stuff).
You'll be sneaky-sneaky, disappearing mysteriously sometimes and then reappearing with you shimmering, blood-red Mindblade protruding from an enemy's throat, only to wink out as you draw and hurl a barrage of shuriken (or another Mindblade) at the next foe. You'll have both Sneak Attack and Sudden Strike, as well as a few tricks with your Mindblade later.
Of course, you'll have to play a Human, Halfling, or Xeph (Xephs from the XPH have Soulknife as a favored class), depending on if you emphasize the ninja class primarily or the soulknife class primarily. By 10th-level you might be a Rogue 3/Ninja 5/Soulknife 2, or Rogue 3/Ninja 2/Soulknife 5, or Rogue 3/Ninja 4/Soulknife 3, or whatever. By 15th you may be a Rogue 5/Ninja 6/Soulknife 4, or Rogue 4/Ninja 3/Soulknife 8, or whatever. At some point, a Soulknife-oriented prestige class from Complete Psion might beckon, or not.
Go for a total of 6, 8, or 10 Soulknife levels (6 or 8 probably best), 3 or 5 Rogue levels (5 probably best for being effective with traps/locks), and 5-11 Ninja levels, by your 20th character level. 4 levels of Soulknife are probably needed early on, to get the +1 mindblade enhancement (to bypass DR X/magic and at least have some chance of harming shadows/wraiths/etc.). Rogue levels are just for taking once in a while (once every 4-5 character levels) for boosting the roguish skills you just need to fill the basic Rogue role of trap/lock remover.
Speed of Thought at 6th-level Soulknife will make you quicker, and if your race is Xeph, you'll have their Burst of Speed ability too for really-quick escape or closing into melee reach in a snap (and make the most of your Ninja abilities to go invisible or whatnot for a single round at a time; invis, charge 80 or 100 or 120 feet, stabbity doom with sneak attack added to sudden strike added to psychic strike, reappear). The Aligned Attack psionic feat could be taken later to do a bit more damage and ignore some creatures' aligned DR momentarily. The Ghost Attack psionic feat will also help, giving Ghost Touch to your weapons usually. Up The Walls is a neat psionic feat for maneuvering ninja/wuxia-style in a dungeon or city environment. Mental Leap may be useful for big wuxia-style jumps, especially with the extra speed you'll have already on running jumps, but ML isn't very great, sadly (only +10 on the Jump check for expending psionic focus). Psionic Meditation may be useful if you end up using Aligned Attack or Mental Leap frequently.
I'm not so familiar with Complete Adventurer, so I'm not sure what level of Ninja is best to aim for, or what prestige classes might best suit a Ninja.
Or at least go Rogue/Ninja (with maybe a brief dip into 1 or 2 levels of Monk or Scout). Less cool than a tricky psionic ninja assassin with blades of physically-manifest spite, but a ninja assassin is a ninja assassin.
Nonlethal Force
First Post
Anyone here suggest a warlock?
With their UMD, there isn't much a warlock can't reasonably do.
With their potential for invisibility and flight, they can make good scouts. With an eldritch spear on their eldritch blast, they can even attack while things are far off and still be a good scout!
With their UMD, there isn't much a warlock can't reasonably do.
With their potential for invisibility and flight, they can make good scouts. With an eldritch spear on their eldritch blast, they can even attack while things are far off and still be a good scout!
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