What is a Rogue to do in an undead-heavy campaign?

[Rary the Traitor]

Path of Shadows by fantasy flight games ( a very good book and series btw) has rogue feats that allow you to sneak attack various no crit taking creatures i.e. undead, constructs etc. if i remeber correctly you have to take one for each type but it would allow you to do that.
check it out

All right, thanks.

An undead-heavy campaign without a paladin or cleric?

Hehe, don't worry, we have a cleric and a sorcerer too. What I meant is that our group already has plenty of melee-oriented characters.

Your "dashiness" could come from the clever insults you make up to hurl at them, all with an outrageous french accent..."Zee here, foul creaturez...your father wuz a wightz and your mommy wuz a mummie!"

Mwahahaha. Since my native tongue is French, that shouldn't be too difficult.

But aren't undead creatures immune to morale and mind-affecting effects?

 

[Old One]

But aren't undead creatures immune to morale and mind-affecting effects?

Rary,

True, but I would do it for effect and RPing...not because it has any actual IG effect. Getting zombies, skeletons and ghouls to chase your gaudily outfitted rake shouldn't be too hard - morale immunity or no!

~ Old One

 

[Rary the Traitor]

Rary,

True, but I would do it for effect and RPing...not because it has any actual IG effect. Getting zombies, skeletons and ghouls to chase your gaudily outfitted rake shouldn't be too hard - morale immunity or no!

~ Old One

I know, I know, I was just kidding, hence the .

Old One and a few others mentioned traps. I have and will continue to put points in Disable Device and Search, but where can I find rules regarding the making of traps, especially the kind of traps I could carry around in a dungeon?

 

[Old One]

I know, I know, I was just kidding, hence the .

Old One and a few others mentioned traps. I have and will continue to put points in Disable Device and Search, but where can I find rules regarding the making of traps, especially the kind of traps I could carry around in a dungeon?

I know there are a couple of books out there with trap-making stuff in them, I will see if I can get some "official" sources. Pages 114-117 in the original 3E DMG has some stuff on traps (pretty sparse), but is a good place to start. Simple mechanical traps - ie, tripwires, deadfalls, oilfire, etc - should be doable "on-the-fly" IMO. You just have to have some materials, make the set-up roll vs. the approapriate DC (12-18, maybe) with a critical failure yielding springing it on yourself.

Also, the ability to make magical traps with spells like burning hands, shocking grasp and acid arrow would be a great reason to add a couple of levels of sorcerer or wizard. Maybe I am playing too much NWN these days (with some very cool trapsetting skills), but I think it would make you a very valuable member of the party...just wear stripped pants and a poofy shirt!

~ Old One

PS - Just get the DM to let you buy a Portable Hole Trap(tm)...DC 20 REF save to avoid, 1 full-round action to set-up/take down, 20' deep for 3d6 falling damage + 1d6 spike damage, anything killed or destroyed within the trap turns to dust in 5 rounds, allowing you to pour the dust out and store the trap !

 

[Zogg]

I haven't read through all the responses BUT a rogue could always defer to that "Use Magic Device" skill they have.

A rogue with a high UMD skill could theoretically read a "Disrupting weapon" scroll and go to town.....couldn't they?

 

[Mista Collins]

If you want to make your Rogue a Swashbucler type rogue, whether or not it is in an undead heavy campaign, I would suggest taking the Thief-Acrobat prestige class in Song & Silence. You will gain some nice abilities that will help in any situation (Improved Trip, Defensive Fighting Bonus, Cartwheel Charge, Defensive Roll). These abilities will help keep you alive longer and staying alive is the first concern of all characters. Not only will you be able to stay alive longer, but you will be pissing off just about every enemy you encounter.

"God damn that pesky rogue."

Then again, I must really enjoy playing my Thief-Acrobat character. It is such a flashy prestige class.

 

[crater]

The Netbook of Feats has several feats for sneak attacking undead.

http://www.datadeco.com/nbofeats/

 

[Rary the Traitor]

Thanks Old One.

I would suggest taking the Thief-Acrobat prestige class in Song & Silence. You will gain some nice abilities that will help in any situation (Improved Trip, Defensive Fighting Bonus, Cartwheel Charge, Defensive Roll).

That's not a bad idea, and it would fit my character quite well.

There are a couple of things that puzzle me about the Cartwheel Charge ability, however.
The ability description states that "By somersaulting and cartwheeling in a straight line toward a foe 10 feet or more away, the thief-acrobat can make an unusual charge attack (...)
(...) executing the cartwheel charge requires a Tumble check (DC 20). Success means that the thief-acrobat deals sneal attack damage to her target on a succesful hit (...)"

Does the underlined part mean that Cartwheel Charge would work in conjunction with Spring Attack? I other words, is it possible, if you're right in front of an enemy, to step back 15 feet, then charge/somersault 15 feet toward the enemy, and deal sneak attack damage?

And does the part in bold mean this ability would, in essense, allow a rogue to sneak attack to undead, golems, and other creatures immune to critical hits?

 

[Dr_Rictus]

Tell your DM to read this story hour:

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=779

In it, the Defenders of Daybreak are facing the White Kingdom, composed of and led by ghouls. Lots of undead.

With servants.

Good example. I would also note that spellcasting undead can be using summon monster, vampires dominated victims, and ghosts possessed ones. Having an undead-themed campaign doesn't mean a rogue has to be completely at a loss for a sneak attack.

 

[Dr_Rictus]

Does the underlined part mean that Cartwheel Charge would work in conjunction with Spring Attack?

No, because a cartwheel charge is still a charge, and a charge cannot be performed as the same action as a Spring Attack. Spring Attack requires the attack action, which is different from the charge action.