Gonna play a scout. I can hear the other players whining already...

[Snapdragyn]

The only class I read in the completes that was outright overpowered IMO is the Warlock.

Going off-topic here, but have you really compared the damage capabilities with arcane casters of the same level? Warlocks start powerful, level out by midlevels, & end rather weak in comparison with the other arcanist classes. Being able to toss out eldritch blasts every round all day doesn't really mean much when the cleric is out of healing spells, & with battles lasting longer because of a warlock's lower damage at high levels this will actually happen sooner with a warlock in the party instead of a wiz or sorc.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

This is more an aspect of people limiting the horizons of the Rogue class, than the scout eclipsing it. "The other stuff is for bards" is an issue of taste and play preference, not a mechanical truth in any sense.

The Scout limits the horizons of the rogue class by doing what is, in my experience, a large part of the rogue's job better than the rogue. It's absolutely a matter of eclipsing the rogue.

I suppose this comes back to schtick. The rogue's schtick is being subsumed by the scout to a large extent, IMO.

And as for contributing in combat, by the time the Scout gets all his bonus feats, his bonus to armour class and +5d6 damage, the Rogue is dropping 10d6 extra damage in a sneak attack, and he's using his choice of 4 different bonus abilities.

And those special abilities are very strong. 2 points of Strength damage with every hit is a potent ability, and the Opportunist ability is very strong in any party where the Rogue and the primary melee character have learned to mesh tactics - done right, that's a freebie sneak attack every round.

And if bonus feats are the primary concern, the Rogue can skip the preset special abilities and get 4 bonus feats of his choice - the same number the Scout gains - and his choices aren't limited the way the Scout's are.

You make a lot of good points here. Looking at it heads up, it doesn't seem nearly as bad as I'd originally thought.

 

[Harlock]

I played in an online campaign in which the party were all part of a mercenary group. They were basically the recon portion of the outfit and when I saw Scout, I wished it had come out when I was in that campaign. It would have been the perfect fit for what many of us were going for in theme for our characters than the rangers and rogues we ended up with. The scout is more martial in nature and I think looking at it from this standpoint is where it really shines as a core class.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

just because you can find traps doesn't mean you have the potential to be good at it.....

But scouts can be good at finding traps. They have search as class skill, haven't they? They just cannot get rid of it.

And than there's that thing that Skirmish is +5d6 at 20th level. Sneak Attack is +10d6 at 20th level. I think that's better. Especially since you can do that more than once per round, without too much trouble. You just have to flank. Or you use improved invisibility (which you cast yourself from a wand)

Also, that scout won't help a bit if you're in trouble and have to talk your way out of it again.

No, the scout may be good, but the rogue is still the number one skillmonger out there (and still my favourite class).

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Coming from a completely different direction...

Perhaps the Scout out Rogues the Rogue in certain campaigns and that is a good thing. I am going through the G-series and the straight Rogue is having a hell of a time being effective without risking near certain death. He can Tumble for a flank, but that puts him within full attack range of 1 to 3 Frost Giants. We already had one Rogue/Ranger churned into a fine red mist. My wizard has decided the only hope for this Rogue is to cast Stoneskin and Improved Invisibility on him, or he might as well guard the horses.

 

[dagger]

Going off-topic here, but have you really compared the damage capabilities with arcane casters of the same level? Warlocks start powerful, level out by midlevels, & end rather weak in comparison with the other arcanist classes. Being able to toss out eldritch blasts every round all day doesn't really mean much when the cleric is out of healing spells, & with battles lasting longer because of a warlock's lower damage at high levels this will actually happen sooner with a warlock in the party instead of a wiz or sorc.

I would have to agree, but then again, I usually don't have knee jerk reactions until I have actually seen stuff in play for a while.

 

[Felon]

"Well, guys, there's this trap into the last room of the dungeon. I guess that's where all the treasure is. Looks like a pit trap. With my speed bonus and my Jump ranks, I ought to be able to clear it easily."

"Well, guys, there's this trap into the last room of the dungeon. I guess that's where all the treasure is. It looks like a scything blade trap. With my skirmish ability and 5 ranks of Tumble, I should have a +8 bonus to AC if I run by it and try to avoid it. Wish me luck!"

"Well, guys, there's this trap into the last room of the dungeon. I guess that's where all the treasure is. It looks like the trapmakers installed a hidden switch bypass element. If I press this button, we should all be safe."

"Well, guys, there's this trap into the last room of the dungeon. I guess that's where all the treasure is. It looks like an acid blast explosive runes. I might be able to avoid all the damage with my Evasion ability, but maybe the cleric should cast resist energy on me first, just in case."

"Well, guys, there's this trap into the last room of the dungeon. I guess that's where all the treasure is. It's pressure plate activated, so don't step beyond the chalk line I've drawn on the floor. The corridor wall looks pretty sturdy, though, so why don't you guys stay on the alert for trouble while I make some handholds and footholds with these pitons."

Well, guys, sounds like the scout should have Disable Device as a class skill instead of kludging these workarounds.

But I'll live with the non sequitor.

 

[MerricB]

Welll, I don't think the possibility that the omission of disable device from the scout's class skill list is an error should be discounted. What's the prescribed method for checking into errata? Posting on the WotC boards?

I asked Andy Collins (one of the developers), and he confirmed that the scout not having Disable Device is deliberate.

The Scout and Rogue are very similar, but they focus on different things.

Cheers!

 

[FireLance]

Well, guys, sounds like the scout should have Disable Device as a class skill instead of kludging these workarounds.

But I'll live with the non sequitor.

These "workarounds" will be necessary for any party that doesn't have a rogue, spellthief, atrificer, or some other character with the Trapfinding ability and Disable Device as a class skill. I've DMed for a few in my time, and my ususal approach has been to reduce the number of traps or eliminate them completely because the party is ill-equipped to handle them. With a scout, I can put in traps and challenge the party to find the "workarounds".

 

[focallength]

Hey Im new here, but I just started playing a scout character and I find as far as combat (my scout anyway) best serves dealing extra damage to the creatures the fighters are tangling with. Moving around the battlefield doing an extra 3d8 + 3d6 (long bow, electric +1d6 +2d6 skirmish and a +2d8 order of the bow) really helps everyone take down their opponents faster. I find that this is what the scout is best at, as a support character.