HELP! Rogue/Ranger Tiefling too powerful?!

[Blasphemonkey]

Hi all, please help the new monkey!

In my group, we've recently added a new player (well, he's been with us for a few months). He is multiclassing with rogue/ranger. From the ranger side, he can attack with two short swords. From the rogue side, he can sneak attack. So now we've got 4d6 on a sneak attack. He's built up his AC with feats and things, and he's also a tiefling. Using some Forgotten Realms rules on Tieflings, he's grown batwings now. I thought it would be neat would for rp'ing (and it is, actually - I get to have everyone go, "What in the nine hells is that thing?" or run away screaming), so I let him do it, but now he flies around sneak attacking with those damn twin swords of his, and a lot of the group just doesn't get as much action anymore. And wait! That's not all.

He's going for the the Shadowdancer prestige class, so now he gets to hide in plain sight, and make minions out of his fallen foes. Now the hiding when still being observed thing...can this happen in the middle of melee? I can't see him getting to sneak attack every stinkin' round, plus adding minions every round.
I've been trying to balance it out with multitudes of foes, rather than just one baddie alone, which he trashes too quick (with minimal help from the others), but now with a crowd of baddies, he'll just exponentially make shadow minions with them. Ack!

Everyone is 6th level at this point, and he's more powerful than any two of them put together. Maybe in the higher levels, it'll balance out, but for now...I'm trying to think of ways to tone this PC down without just "being the mean DM" and retroactively changing things. I'm usually pretty resourceful, but I'm stumped here. Besides just throwing loads of constructs/undead/plants at him, what can I do?

Thanks in advance for anyone who can suggest anything.

 

[SpikeyFreak]

1 word: undead

--Simple Spikey

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Another word: Constructs

 

[Blasphemonkey]

Nine words:

Read the second-to-last sentence of my post.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Fine fine fine.



Construct. Singular.

 

[Kerrwyn]

He can only use Hide in Plain Sight in areas of shadows, so spellcasters now have Light and Daylight. As for the flying part, use something with reach.
Or you could have his demonic/devilish ancestor come a' callin'.

 

[Kerrwyn]

Oh, I forgot. Displacement works good, along with Fortified armor. Have your melee fighters ready an action to smack the daylights out of him when he comes within reach.

Hmmm.... Displacement.... Displacer Beasts? Blink Dogs? Ooooh, Blink is good too. Hold Person, Cause Fear, Hold Monster, Dominate Person.

And remember, he only gets the SA if his opponent is flanked or flat-footed. And I thought that the Shadowdancer could only have one Shadow at a time.

 

[Privateer]

Remember he can only get one sneak attack even if he has two attacks -- only one gets the bonus damage. You may already know this, but it wasn't clear in your first post.

Armor of fortification can be a spiffy anti-sneak attack thing.

You could always nix the FR feats if you appeal to the player's sense of fair play and game balance... or maybe not, who knows?

Maybe have some sort of minor spider-based villain who has a spell that entagles people and keeps them from flying... preferably something that works outdoors, so something other than web.

You could rule that he has to join an organization for training for the Shadowdancer, and if they send him on quests it could a) if you want, keep him out of the class for a level or two or b) put restrictions upon him, like only using a certain, well, whatever you like.

Say he can't fly if he's wearing a cloak, then a session or two later give him a spiffy cloak that complements his other abilities. He may take the bait.

Have the enemies sneak up on his party, so that the party doesn't get sneak attacks.

That's all I can suggest, personally...

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Send him up against an ogre with levels of fighter, power attacking with a great axe. That the hobgoblin wizard cohort has cast invisibility and fly on. Assisted by two goblin rogue cohorts, to keep the melee fighters from setting up flanking. Add in a little missile fire for suppression, and split the party with a web spell or two.

No need to look for ways to negate sneak attacking; rogues (even rogue-rangers) have other weaknesses: like getting pounded to paste by extremely strong critters with reach. He's got to stand still for a round to pull off TWF/sneak attack.

Another under-used creature in situations like this: the hydra. Reach, eight heads, and can make an AoO with every head every round.

For the future: I suppose you've learned your lesson about allowing thiefling rogues with bat wings.

 

[Tabarnak Smokeblower]

Shadowdancers can in fact only have 1 shadow at a time, and if that shadow dies, it costs the shadowdancer some experience points (as a familiar, IIRC).

Also, multiclassing like that, he must have pretty lousy will saves, and his sneak attack isn't optimal since neither the ranger nor the shadowdancer gives sneak attack profession

What level are the players? what's the potential melee damage output of your fighter type(s)? I'm pretty sure the character doesn't outclass them totally.

It's true, in certain situations, he's deliver massive loads of damage (full flanking attack), but if their opponents are somewhat intelligent, the rogue shouldn't get too many full attacks.

Hope this helps

TS