Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="irdeggman" data-source="post: 2553080" data-attributes="member: 16285">First off Voadam - it is your campaign and you can do anything you want to in it - you don't need our permission or blessing of your house-rules or the way yuo run your game.The scout is indeed a non-core class, being in a supplemental book so, IMO, like presitgue classes its inclusion is soley up to the DM.This I think is the crux of the problem with your understanding of the class' ability.  It has nothing to do with catching the foe off guard - that is what a rogue does. The skirmish ability has nothing do with the opponent being denied his Dex bonus (which is what the catching him off guard boils down to).  If you keep thinking of it in this way you will never see why or how it works.I have to go along with the deduction that you were looking for someone to provide you with some rationalization for not allowing the class to be used, since you had seemingly already made up your mind on it - this really wasn't a question to be answered.There have been several different explanations given for why the skirmish ability could be justified, but you seem to have fixed on the one that parrallels the rogue's ability that is based on catching the opponent off guard or distracted.  I still think my explanation fits much better - the scout uses movement to locate the weakest part of his opponent by gaining a slightly different view.  His attack then takes advantage of this weak area. And yes even a straight movement would work since the scout is getting a different view, either closer or farther. A few in/cm can make a huge difference from 20 ft away. My explanatin also works for determining why the scout uses his movment to get an AC Bonus - he is moving to minimize his weak areas with relation to his foe.Regardless, if you are still thinking that the skirmish works via catching the foe off guard then you will never be satisfied with any other explanation and just let it be.A side note - a rogue can still get a sneak attack with movement from range. He can take a move and then use a ranged attack at up to 30ft and get a sneak attack as long as his opponent is denied his Dex bonus to AC.So pretty much the differences in every class have been reduced. Fair enough, but it does make things like the Bard (a heavy skill based class) less effective when everyone has the same class skills.</blockquote>

Verification