Scout Skirmish ability and AoO?

[Ridley's Cohort]

Agreed, though it is easier than SA in ranged. A scout has the easier time with skirmish in ranged than in melee. Given the relative safety in ranged attacks over melee, it seems the scout got the better end of this one.

It is not that simple.

At lower levels, I agree.

At middling to higher levels there are ways for a Rogue to get a full iterative attack of ranged Sneak Attacks. Not easy to do necessarily, but not terribly difficult either. There are many ways to get a single Sneak Attack (regular Invisiblity, extremely good Hiding, Hide in Plain Sight, MEA bluffs, etc.)

At these higher levels it is also virtually suicide for a Rogue to wade into melee. I think of the Scout as mechanically better vision of what a melee Rogue should be.

A Rogue that really knows his stuff should be able to average close to 1 ranged Sneak Attack per round, and then all those SA dice will just leave the Scout in the dust.

 

[RigaMortus]

A Halfling Scout that takes Mounted Combat feats can move (using his mount's movement) and then use Halfling Skiprocks for some nasty damage.

 

[GM_Brad]

I have a player in my current campaign who is playing a character with seven levels of scout, giving him +2d6 damage when he's able to skirmish. He has found skirting around the edge of the battlefield, firing into melee with his short bow (and appropriate feats) as the best method for him. In a battle during last night's session, he was doing 3d6 worth of damage consistently, and it made the difference in the fight. There were no attacks of opportunity on him because the other party members had the bad guys engaged. It worked very well.

If I were going to play a scout, I think I'd do it the exact same way.

 

[Crothian]

I'd think Many shot and shot on the run would be great for this class

 

[Hypersmurf]

I'd think Many shot and shot on the run would be great for this class

Though not in the same round, of course

OotBI isn't bad, either - the OotBI's extra damage ability (Ranged Precision) only works with a single shot, and Skirmish is easiest to pull off with a single shot, so the two are a natural combination.

-Hyp.

 

[FireLance]

Another option for the melee scout is to use a reach weapon such as a longspear.

 

[Crothian]

Though not in the same round, of course

Why not? Manyshot is a standard action, shot on the run is used with an attack action which is a type od standard action.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Why not? Manyshot is a standard action, shot on the run is used with an attack action which is a type od standard action.

That's right. Attack action is a standard action. Manyshot is a standard action. Casting Magic Missile is a standard action. Drinking a potion is a standard action.

You can use Shot on the Run when you take the Attack action with a ranged weapon. You can't use Shot on the Run when you use Manyshot, or cast Magic Missile, or drink a potion. They're all standard actions, but they aren't the Attack action. Which is what Shot on the Run requires.

Just because you're attacking doesn't mean you're taking the Attack action.

-Hyp.

 

[Diirk]

That's one of the classic logical fallacies. Just because manyshot is a standard action and an attack action is a standard action, it doesn't mean that manyshot is an attack action (and in fact, its not).

 

[Crothian]

The thing that gets me though is there is no definition for attack action. Standard action yes, but no attack action in the glossary. In the index it is listed as Action (attack) making it seem even less real. There is no attack action under action types. Under Standard actions the first sentance is "making an attack is a standard action". It then takes about melle attacks, unarmed attacks, ranged attacks etc. but there is not attack action.