The Scout Class: How is it in play?

[Timeboxer]

One path makes for an excellent melee scout, the other eventually lets the scout get two skirmish attacks in one round (the only combo I've found so far that achieves this.)

Actually, a full-attack skirmish should be able to be obtained by a Psion/Scout/Elocater, who eventually is able to take two five-foot steps per round, and therefore moves ten feet and can perform a full-round action. Large investment, admittedly, since Capricious Step comes in at Elocator 7, but the mobility bonuses you get actually synergize very well with the Scout.

 

[FireLance]

Dervish from Complete Warrior also synergizes very well with the Scout, as it allows the character to move up to his speed while making a full attack when he performs a dervish dance. The Dervish's movement mastery ability also allows him to take 10 on Tumble checks, which makes it relatively easy to avoid AOOs from movement, even when tumbling at full speed.

 

[johnsemlak]

I really like the class. The bonus feats it gets makes the class fairly flexible. The skirmish ability is a nice alternative to the thief's sneak attack.

If I play one again I'd like to look more carefully at the feat paths and deciding how to maximize it's ability. It seems to combine real well with the Order of the Bow Prc--I might consider that.

I don't have any problem allowing the player to move back and forth to the same square.

 

[drothgery]

I don't see how that is lame, they are better at searching then disabling. If everyone who could search could disable, then no need to have two different skills.

I don't think everyone with Search as a class skill should get Disable Device as a class skill. But everyone with Trapfinding should have both. They have a class ability that allows them to find and disable traps that no one else can (and the disable device part of trapfinding is pretty much worthless without disable device as a class skill).

 

[ForceUser]

One thing I've noticed about the scout that's cheesy: to get the 10 feet of movement required for skirmishing, one can simply back up 5' or jig side to side to get the distance. It looks pretty silly on the battlemat and makes no sense from anything but a purely mechanical viewpoint. I like skirmishing in concept, but I wish they'd have put a movement restriction on it similar to the rule for charging, i.e. all of your movement prior to your attack needs to be in the same general direction to get the bonuses. It's a minor gripe, though; the class is cool overall.

 

[Sir Brennen]

Actually, a full-attack skirmish should be able to be obtained by a Psion/Scout/Elocater, who eventually is able to take two five-foot steps per round, and therefore moves ten feet and can perform a full-round action.

Dervish from Complete Warrior also synergizes very well with the Scout, as it allows the character to move up to his speed while making a full attack when he performs a dervish dance.

Let me clarify: Hurling Charge is the only way I've found to get Skirmish Damage on multiple attacks in a round while sticking to the base class

Since I've never play the class before, I wanna stick with it as far as I can. The only reason he's even got Ranger levels is because CV wasn't out when I created the character. I mean, if I was really trying to maximize his combat ability, I would have taken something besides Stealthy and gotten a jump on one of the other feat chains I'm considering now. I'm really playing the class because it was the best fit for a character concept and backstory I started with.

One thing I've noticed about the scout that's cheesy: to get the 10 feet of movement required for skirmishing, one can simply back up 5' or jig side to side to get the distance. It looks pretty silly on the battlemat and makes no sense from anything but a purely mechanical viewpoint. I like skirmishing in concept, but I wish they'd have put a movement restriction on it similar to the rule for charging, i.e. all of your movement prior to your attack needs to be in the same general direction to get the bonuses. It's a minor gripe, though; the class is cool overall.

I dunno about making it all in the same direction like charge, but prohibitting the Scout from getting his Skirmish bonus if he ends up in the same square where he started his move sounds reasonable. My DM hasn't enforced this, but that's the way I'm playing it. It seems to me the skirmish ability is all about bobbing and weaving in and out of combat, looking for a better opening to do damage (and increase AC). If you end up in the same spot, you're not in a better position, then, are ye? So, no skirmish bonus.

 

[Unseenlibrarian]

Let me clarify: Hurling Charge is the only way I've found to get Skirmish Damage on multiple attacks in a round while sticking to the base class

Three feats for your scout:

Mounted Combat.

Mounted Archery.

Improved Mounted Archery (From Complete Warrior).

Scouts as mounted archers works well visually, and in terms of class thematics, and it makes skirmish damage easier, since you can full attack while taking a double move with your mount. Also, mounted charges get skirmish damage added on, making mount-oriented scouts scary in a charge.

 

[Brain]

I've been playing a Scout/Fighter in a "no spellcaster" game and having a lot of fun with it. At low levels, the extra skirmish damage makes a big difference. I've got him built as a longspear fighter. (side note: deft opportunist rocks!)

 

[Klaus]

Let me clarify: Hurling Charge is the only way I've found to get Skirmish Damage on multiple attacks in a round while sticking to the base class

Since I've never play the class before, I wanna stick with it as far as I can. The only reason he's even got Ranger levels is because CV wasn't out when I created the character. I mean, if I was really trying to maximize his combat ability, I would have taken something besides Stealthy and gotten a jump on one of the other feat chains I'm considering now. I'm really playing the class because it was the best fit for a character concept and backstory I started with.

I dunno about making it all in the same direction like charge, but prohibitting the Scout from getting his Skirmish bonus if he ends up in the same square where he started his move sounds reasonable. My DM hasn't enforced this, but that's the way I'm playing it. It seems to me the skirmish ability is all about bobbing and weaving in and out of combat, looking for a better opening to do damage (and increase AC). If you end up in the same spot, you're not in a better position, then, are ye? So, no skirmish bonus.

Actually, if you move out of your square then return to it (making it 10' of movement), your opponent may be caught off-guard by your erratic movement, and that's why you get your skirmish damage. Foes move (within their squares) during your turn too (they don't stand there frozen).

 

[ForceUser]

I dunno about making it all in the same direction like charge, but prohibitting the Scout from getting his Skirmish bonus if he ends up in the same square where he started his move sounds reasonable. My DM hasn't enforced this, but that's the way I'm playing it. It seems to me the skirmish ability is all about bobbing and weaving in and out of combat, looking for a better opening to do damage (and increase AC). If you end up in the same spot, you're not in a better position, then, are ye? So, no skirmish bonus.

Simple, elegant, logical. Consider it yoinked!