I'm thinking of playing a rogue

[Shard O'Glase]

This may sound a bit wierd, but I've found it to be disturbingly effective. At 3rd evel take exotic weapon Prof: spiked chain. You can then flank at 10'. One of the problems with the rogue is that they do great damage and then attract the attention of the big monster. Their ACs are fine with their likely high dex, but their HP are usually somewhat light. The flank at 10' option lets you avoid some of that problem, though it doesn't help vs large foes.

 

[d12]

introducing...

Thanks for all of your help everyone. I've copied and pasted all of your advice into my new character's character sheet. Here he is, back story and all. I assigned skill ranks based on usefulness and what made sense given his backstory. I decided on these feats because improved initiative lets him act first more often and dodge is not only useful in its own right but is also the first feat on the way to Spring Attack (helpful for tumbling in, flanking and then tumbling out).

I don't have a set plan on how I'm going to advance him. He's the kind of guy that would get good and whatever the party is bad at, and that's what I'm going to to. I'll probably put future skill ranks in whatever skills I find myself using the most often.

Zage Hane a.k.a. Scrubber, human, Rog 1, hp 7; init +6; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16 (touch 14, flat 12); Atk: +1 melee (1d6+1, rapier) or +1 melee (1d4+1, dagger), +3 ranged (1d6, shortbow); AL CN;
SV: F +1, R +5, W +2;
Str 12, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 10,
Sneak Attack +1d6

Skills (ranks): Tumble +7 (4), Balance +5 (2), Jump +5 (4), Climb +5 (4), Bluff +4 (4), Hide +7 (4), Move Silently +7 (4), Spot +6 (4), Listen +3 (1), Pick Pocket +7 (4), Open lock +5 (1), Disable device +3 (1), Search +5 (3), Ride +5 (2*) *cross-class skill

Feats: Improved Initiative, Dodge

Possessions: Arrows (20); Dagger; Dagger; Rapier; Shortbow, Leather, Backpack, Bedroll, Caltrops, Flint and steel, Rations, trail (4 days), Rope, silk (50 ft.); Torch; Torch; Waterskin (full), 100 gp.


Zage Hane was born to a prostitute in an inn and bordello in a wild frontier town near the Groslen Wood. When he was three years of age, his mother disappeared and Zage was raised by the bordello’s cook, a grumpy but relatively kind woman who gave him his first name - “Scrubber.” As soon as he could carry a pot, Zage was set to scrubbing them. Through his childhood Zage cleaned stables, changed sheets, did laundry, swept, mopped, fetched water and scrubbed pot after pot after pot. When it was discovered that Zage could do backflips and handstands, he was sent out every night to entertain the guests. This earned him a few coppers and gave him a few hours off pot duty. So Zage got reasonably good at acrobatics. At age 14 he had a falling out with the innkeeper and left “home.” He took up with a band of somewhat successful horse thieves who utilized him first as a cook, then as a lookout and finally as a fellow thief. When he was 16, Zage stole a fine stallion from the very stable where he had once shoveled manure. The next day, he discovered that he had taken the prize horse of Baron Lureaux, a vain and cruel man with a reputation as a sadist. Sensing the hangman’s noose in his future, Zage saddled the Baron’s horse and rode for two weeks, making up his new name along the way. He has sense decided to take up the adventurer’s life as it is both somewhat more reputable than horse thievery and an occupation that keeps one traveling a lot. He has three goals in life. First, to not get caught and executed. Second, to never to wash another pot. Third, to make money in a (usually) honest fashion.
]

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Just one thing for your future: Don`t worry if you can`t max every skill. There will never be enough skill points for this.

Some things:
If you have Disable Device, have it at a good value (read: max it) - the difficulties of trap typically increase with your level, and if you accidently activate a trap, you have good chances to end up dead (a Delay Poison, by the way, is a nice way for Clerics and Rangers to hold you alive - but it won`t help you against a death effect or negative levels!)

You can take 20 on Open Lock, so even a few ranks can allow you to open most doors...

Bluff, Sense Motive, Diplomacy, Intimidate - choose as they fit your character. If you do not really want to be the greatest social character, more than 5 ranks (for synergy bonus) will probably be unneccessary.

Use Magic Device: The penalties for failure aren`t really bad - you get an additional check against it. It will be guaranteed success at high levels, but if no one else can use the wand of Cure Light, you might consider trying it even with a few ranks only..

There are several creatures out that are immune to sneak attack (this begins with undeads and ends with high level Fighters wearing Full Plates of Fortification or how it is called). So don`t let it be your only trick to use in combat, (Flanking does help the fighter to, Disarms or Trips might sometimes work also) especially don`t give up if your 1d6 to 10d6 points of Sneak Attack damage won`t work. (but don`t risk your life, either. True Resourection isn`t cheap)

A danger - at least it seems to me - is to rely on Ranged Weapons only. You can`t flank with them, so remember having a melee weapon (preferably with some pluses against DR) ready. If you have a high Dex (like your rogue), Finessing is probably a good idea. (Which does also reduce your need for strengh boosting).

For high levels (you are far away from it now): Improved Evasion or Skill Mastery are some of the most useful Rogue`s Special Ability, I think. (Skill Mastery Disable Device, Open Lock, Tumble can reduce many risks for a rogue)

Since you are starting at 1st level, you will figure out the most things on yourself, I think. And actually, I think there is no real perfect way to play a rogue. Just have fun with it...

Mustrum Ridcully