« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2008, 03:16:59 PM » |
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Skill Basics
- Skill check rolls are 1d20 + skill ranks + ability modifier. You already have a special ability that lets you increase the bonus on the roll according to your level and a passive ability that applies your intelligence modifier on strength and dexterity checks.
- A natural 20 is not an automatic success and a natural 1 is not an automatic failure
- Taking 10: When not threatened, hurried or distracted (unless you have skill mastery, which is unlikely) you can skip a die roll and assume you have rolled a 10.
- Taking 20: When performing a skill which has no repercussions due to failure, you can assume that you have rolled 20 (but it takes 20 times as much to complete).
Useful Rules
- Aid Other: You can assist allies in a specific skill by making a skill check at DC 10. If you succeed you grant a +2 circumstance bonus to the person you are helping. There is an optional rule from Complete Adventurer where you can grant people higher bonuses, according to your skill check.
- Assist Allies: This is from Complete Adventurer, page 96. You can accept a penalty on a target skill you have spent at least 5 ranks on and grant a bonus on allies at least within 30ft that can see or hear you. The skills are: balance, bluff, climb, craft, diplomacy, escape artist, handle animal, hide, move silently, ride, search, survival, swim.
- Skills with Different Abilities DMG p.33: This is awesome, because if you change the key ability to strength or dexterity, then you can add your intelligence modifier to those checks, because of brains over brawn. This is exceptionally useful with intimidate that is keyed off strength. I remember a variant that allowed you to do strength intimidate checks, but i wasn't able to find it.
There are generally five broad categories factotums can spent their skills on:
- The must haves: Not only should you get these, but they are also great candidates for spending the bulk of your skill points.
- The situational skills: These are not worth maxing or spending a lot of ranks on and most players rarely ever bother to spent just one skill point on them. This is where you'll want to spent 1 point in each skill to benefit from cunning knowledge.
- The synergies: There are skills that, although, not exactly useful, grant synergy bonuses on great, must have skills. This is where you'll want 5 ranks to get the synergy bonus.
- The bad: Certain skills are just, well, worthless. Don't get them plain and simple.
- The skill tricks: They are cheap, at only 2 skill points per trick, but not all of them are useful.
The Skills
- Appraise 0 ranks: Don't bother.
- Balance 5 ranks: Balance is a synergy-like skill. Actually, it offers no synergy bonuses to other skills, but in the entry being attacked while balancing, it gives you the ability to retain your dexterity bonus to AC when balancing. Thus, you can walk in greased areas without being flat-footed. This is good, because of the synergy with iaijutsu focus.
- Bluff 5+ ranks: Bluff is one of the best synergy skills around, it provides bonuses to four different skills which are quite useful, too (especially intimidate and diplomacy). Besides that, it has some use in combat through the feint option, if you want someone denied of his dexterity bonus to AC for some reason. You can use the lying and secret messaging options easily, as NPCs usually have low sense motive checks. If you have the drow sign language, you can substitute charisma with dexterity for delivering a secret message, thus you will be able to get your intelligence modifier to the check, too! Creating a diversion to hide is also useful if you have ranks in the hide skill.
- Climb 0 ranks: Don't bother. Remember that you get your intelligence modifier as a bonus to this skill due to brains over brawn.
- Concentration 5+ ranks: Concentration can be used untrained and you will probably need it to cast your spell-like abilities in combat. However, cunning knowledge will take care of things most of the time. Other useful options include becoming psionically focused, if you have a psionic reserve. The five ranks are for the synergy bonus to autohypnosis. There is also the possibility of using tome of battle maneuvers like sapphire nightmare blade (through a feat or a cheap item) to deliver iaijutsu focus damage.
- Decipher Script 1 rank: You can decipher writings and make your own ciphers by using the complete adventurer option.
- Diplomacy Max ranks: Diplomacy is one of the best skills around, to the point of being broken. You can also use it to save some gold pieces when buying equipment by haggling as per complete adventurer.
- Disable Device 1+ rank: You do have trapfinding, so you can deal with magical traps. Depending on the campaign, you can either use cunning knowledge to disable the occasional trap or spend more ranks if you are involved into heavy dungeon crawling. Just remember that the most complex mundane traps have a DC of 25 and magical traps have DCs of 25 + the spell's level used to create the trap.
- Disguise 0 or 1 rank: Disguise is a useful skill, but you can easily receive fat bonuses to your checks by using spells or a hat of disguise. If you plan to use disguise a lot or need really big checks you can spend a rank to benefit from cunning knowledge.
- Escape Artist 0 or 1 rank: The important feature of this skill is that you can substitute your escape artist result for your grappling check, which is a lot easier to optimize (especially with your brains over brawn ability). In the rare case that you actually have
- Forgery 1 rank: This is a fairly good skill, especially because it can only be countered by forgery checks. With complete adventurer, you can use it to boost some of your social skills (bluff, diplomacy, intimidate), if you got the time to forge documents.
- Gather Information 1 rank: One rank and cunning knowledge will do the trick.
- Handle Animal 1 rank: One rank and cunning knowledge will do the trick. Here is an extensive guide on the skill. You can even use this skill to train some draconic animals, by taking a penalty to the check.
- Heal 1 rank: This skill's uses have such a low DC, that you won't even need cunning knowledge. Remember that you can figure out how a person died with a heal check, which is important information.
- Hide 1+ ranks: It's a pretty straightforward skill and a lot of people prefer to max it. However it is easily optimized, too: brains over brawn, small size, positive dexterity modifier, etc.
- Intimidate Max ranks: Like diplomacy, this is a very good skill to possess. In combat you can make great use of the demoralize option, which can be devastating along with the imperious command feat. With tome of battle, you can use the duel of wills option, which is not an action and can even give you an attack roll bonus against a single opponent.
- Jump 0 or 5 ranks: Well, either invest 5 ranks for the tumble synergy or forget about it. Remember that you get your intelligence modifier as a bonus to this skill due to brains over brawn.
- Listen 1+ ranks: Listen is one of those skills that are generally useful, because they almost always see play. The good thing is that you don't have to max it to really shine, but any leftover ranks can be invested here.
- Move Silently 1 rank: I know that most people like to max this along with hide, but it won't matter in battle and outside of it you can use cunning knowledge to boost it enough to avoid detection.
- Open Lock 1 rank: You can take 20 with open lock. Add to that fact cunning knowledge and brains over brawn, and no lock will be able to resist you.
- Ride 0 ranks: Well, the skill has quite a few applications, but they all have low DC.
- Search 1+ ranks: You need this if you are going to be finding the traps. Remember that you can take 20 in this skill, your main attribute is intelligence and the DCs for finding traps are around 25+.
- Sense Motive 5+ ranks: The skill has some useful features, but most importantly you can use it for the synergy bonus to diplomacy.
- Sleight of Hand 1 rank: One rank and cunning knowledge will do the trick.
- Speak Languages 1+ ranks: It is a good idea to get all or at least the most important languages in your campaign.
- Spellcraft 1 rank: One rank and cunning knowledge will do. Spellcraft checks are quite common, especially when using arcane spells. Which means that the rank isn't only for spell identification, but can come in handy.
- Spot 1+ ranks: This skill is quite good to dump any left over points. Aside from the obvious use, you can detect invisible creatures and even read lips with it!
- Survival 5 ranks: This is a synergy skill. You receive bonuses to knowledge (nature) and you can always discern where the true north lies in relation to yourself. You can use the track function if you have the feat, too.
- Swim 0 ranks: Skip it. Remember that you get your intelligence modifier as a bonus to this skill due to brains over brawn.
- Tumble 5+ ranks: The main use of this skill is to move about the battlefield without drawing attacks of opportunity. No need to overdo it, a couple of ranks will do until you reach a check of 15. In special occasions (like using the free stand from complete adventurer - free action stand up from prone with a DC of 35) you can use cunning knowledge. Also it grants synergy bonuses to jump and balance.
- Use Magic Device Max ranks: This is a wonderful skill that will let you use wands and other spell trigger items. You will probably need to max it to be able to make the high DCs this skill's functions require. However note that this skill depends a lot on the campaign.
- Use Rope 1 rank: One rank and cunning knowledge will do.
- Autohypnosis 1+ ranks: Autohypnosis is a very good skill because of the different functions it offers. You can memorize a map or a piece of important text and stabilize. You can even substitute your autohypnosis check for shrugging off fear effects and poison, which is quite nice, since your only good save is reflex. If you can make high enough checks, you can get damage reduction and some temporary hit points out of it.
- Psicraft 0 or 1 rank: One rank and cunning knowledge will do the trick. Only if you want to identify powers when they are being manifested.
- Use Psionic Device 1+ ranks: This depends a lot on your campaign. Use magic device is a lot better because of the wide array of spells available, but there are useful powers out there. If your DM is like mine, don't expect to find power trigger items, but you can probably purchase them.
- Martial Lore 0 or 1 rank: One rank and cunning knowledge will do the trick.
- Truespeak 0 or 1 rank: Unfortunately this will do nothing for you, unless you want to identify utterances. I'd skip it.
- Control Shape 0 or 1 ranks: It is debatable if you can get ranks in this skill. If you can use it to resist spells that turn you into an animal, like baleful polymorph, then you should invest a skill point. Otherwise skip it. For those who wonder where the skill description is: page 303, monster manual I.
- Iaijutsu Focus 1+ ranks: Iaijutsu focus is a new skill from the supplement oriental adventures. For some reason i hate that book and rarely -if ever- use it. However, this skill boosts the combat ability of the factotum, which makes it quite important. To use it you must draw a weapon and attack a flat-footed opponent with it in the same round. According to your check result you get a bonus of extra damage dice, highest being 9d6 with a check of 50. The extra damage is good, but it can be situational without the correct equipment. You don't have to overdo it.
Knowledges
- Arcana 1 or 5+ ranks: Identifies constructs, dragons and magical beasts. You can invest 5 ranks for the synergy bonus to spellcraft. Additionally, it's a pretty wide area of knowledge that provides useful information.
- Architecture and Engineering 0 or 1 or 5 ranks: Not much to say here, you can probably use it to assess fortifications, how much a bridge can hold, etc. With stormwrack, you can use it to design vessels. With complete warrior, you can spot the weaknesses of an enemy stronghold. The synergy gives you a bonus when searching for secret doors and compartments.
- Dungeoneering 1 rank: Identifies aberrations and oozes.
- Geography 0 or 1 rank: Not much here, either. You can use it to help navigate better.
- History 0 or 1 rank: With complete warrior you can know the basics of how a particular army organizes itself. The check is really easy to make, at DC 15. Moreover you can remember a historic battle if you are located in the site it took place.
- Local 1 or 5 ranks: Identifies humanoids. The synergy provides a +2 bonus to gather information checks.
- Nature 1+ ranks: Wow! Identifies monstrous humanoids, fey, giants, animals, plants and vermin. It can be quite potent along with the knowledge devotion feat.
- Nobility and Royalty 5 ranks: Just for the synergy bonus to diplomacy.
- Religion 5 ranks: Identifies undead and it's a generally useful area of knowledge. The five ranks are for the bonus to turning checks with opportunistic piety.
- The Planes 1 rank: Identifies elementals and outsiders.
- Psionics 1 or 5 ranks: Identifies astral constructs and psionic races, but you can probably identify them already with your other knowledges. It offers a synergy bonus to psicraft.
Crafts
- Alchemy 1+ ranks: It's a good idea to put at least one rank here. You can craft alchemical items, which are handy, nonmagical devices. Crafting these devices is better, because it cuts the cost of acquiring them to one third. Good items include tanglefoot bags, smokesticks, dither bombs and thunderstones.
- Drawing 0 or 1 rank: Required for creating magical tattoos.
- Painting 0 or 1 rank: Required for creating magical tattoos.
- Calligraphy 0 or 1 rank: Required for creating magical tattoos.
- Basketweaving 1 rank: Because it's the most broken thing in the universe. One rank will do. If you want to add more don't say you haven't been warned.
- Poisonmaking 1+ ranks: You can employ poisons to your benefit early in your carreer and crafting them cuts the costs down to one sixth. For an extensive guide on poisons and poisonmaking, check this guide.
- Musical Combosition 0 or 1 rank: Quite cute, you can create songs, plays and even symphonies!
- Writing 0 or 1 rank: As above but with poems, novels, reference books.
Performances
- Weapon Drill 1+ ranks: The advantage this perform type has over musical ones is that you add a fraction of your base attack bonus to it.
Professions
- Sailor 0 or 1 rank: You can use profession(sailor) checks versus some spells in the spell compendium if you are the operator of the vessel. If you play in an aquatic campaign (at a fairly high level) don't forget to put one point here.
- Miner 0 or 1 rank: In races of the dragon you can dig 5-foot cubes depending on your profession check.
Skill Tricks
- Acrobatic Backstab 12 tumble: Well, not much that can benefit you here.
- Assume Quirk 5 disguise: This will only be helpful if you want to disguise yourself as a specific person. If that's the case, go for it.
- Back of your Feet 12 tumble: Well, you can stand with tumble alone as a free action, but it's a 35 DC check.
- Clarity of Vision 12 spot: Detecting invisible creatures is quite potent, but the duration is only one round. Remember that you can pinpoint the location of a living active creature with the same DC, with no listed duration with spot alone, but it's an epic use.
- Clever Improviser 5 disable device, 5 open lock: It's only a -2 penalty and you already able to get high checks with those skills, using tools or not.
- Collector of Stories 5 knowledge: Identifying a monster provides you with important information regarding weaknesses your opponents have and tactics they prefer. If you can use it with knowledge devotion it's even more potent.
- Conceal Spellcasting 1 concentration, 5 sleight of hand, 1 spellcraft: If it extends to your spell-like abilities or you have multiclassed to a spellcaster class, this skill trick can prove useful.
- Corner Perch 8 climb: Well, first of all it requires you to invest into climb, which is not a good thing. Then it is not useful outdoors and simple spells or a climb speed make it obsolete.
- Dismount Attack 5 ride: If you are using mounts, you're doing something wrong
- Easy Escape 8 escape artist: This skill basically counters your opponent's bonus to grapple from his size, that is if you're medium-sized. I don't think it's worth it, you can break grapples easily with cunning knowledge.
- Escape Attack 8 escape artist: Too situational to be of any help. You need to have the weapon ready, have someone grapple you and escape the grapple. Damage probably won't matter, because you won't have your swift action available to enhance it.
- Extreme Leap 5 jump: It's just not worth it.
- False Theurgy 8 bluff or sleight of hand, 8 spellcraft: Again, if it works on your spell-like abilities it's quite good, although it requires some investment in spellcraft. The best part is that you don't have to roll anything, it just works.
- Group Fake-Out 8 bluff: Feinting is not a suitable combat option for factotums.
- Healing Hands 5 heal: Healing a person is strictly better and it auto-stabilizes him.
- Hidden Blade 5 sleight of hand, quick draw: Meh, there are better ways to catch your opponent flat-footed and this requires a useless feat to boot.
- Leaping Climber 5 climb, 5 jump: OK, this is a joke
- Listen to This 5 listen: At last, something useful. You may not know the language spoken or understand the technical terms.
- Magical Appraisal 5 appraise, 5 knowledge(arcana), 12 spellcraft: It requires heavy investment in spells and you can identify magical items easily with a detect magic spell and an artificer's monocle.
- Mosquito's Bite 12 sleight of hand: This is tricky! You can use poisoned weapons to give yourself an advantage before the battle even starts, or engage in hit-and-run tactics.
- Never Outnumbered 8 intimidate: This is very good and when you combine it with imperious command it can be exceptionally devastating.
- Nimble Charge 5 balance: It's ok, but not really needed.
- Nimble Stand 8 tumble: You can stand up from prone with a 35 DC tumble check as a free action. This is obiously usable earlier, but it's not worth it.
- Opening Tap 12 open lock: Just use knock
- Point it Out 8 spot: Well, even if they don't realize that someone is around, they will. Unless you want to help a certain ally to take action before something bad happens, don't bother.
- Quick Escape 12 escape artist: Yeah, twelve escape artist ranks, no thanks.
- Quick Swimmer 5 swim: Yeah.
- Second Impression 5 bluff, 5 disguise: At last something useful. You get a second chance at maintaining your disguise if it has been blown.
- Shrouded Dance 8 hide, 5 perform (dance): Concealment, even for a round, is a good thing. If i understand correctly, you can use it to make a hide check, but you will probably remain hidden until the start of your next turn. Remember that concealment gives people attacking you a miss chance.
- Social Recovery 8 bluff, 5 diplomacy: This is decent enough to save you from difficult situations after a failed diplomacy check.
- Slipping Past 5 escape artist, 5 tumble: Don't bother.
- Speedy Ascent 5 climb: Awful.
- Spot the Weak Point 12 spot: Take a standard action and your next attack will be treated as a touch attack. Quite good, especially if used with attack options like manyshot.
- Sudden Draw 8 sleight of hand, quick draw: Since you don't get any benefit from catcing a foe flat-footed and this requires a crappy feat, i'd probably skip it.
- Swift Concentration 12 concentration: It requires a great deal of concentration points, but if you plan of using spells that are based on concentration, this can help you maintain concentration while doing other stuff. Remember that this can be used once per encounter and only lasts for 1 round.
- Timely Misdirection 8 bluff: This is actually quite good and can help you against lockdown and similar builds. If you just want to move about in the battlefield though, just use tumble.
- Tumbling Crawl 5 tumble: Use it to tumble 5ft without provoking attacks of opportunity. I'd rather just provoke them
- Twisted Charge 5 balance, 5 tumble: This has very good requirements, you probably have the ranks anyway. Moreover, the ability is very useful.
- Up the Hill 5 balance, 5 jump: Ignore this, full speed instead of half speed?.
- Walk the Walls 12 climb, 5 tumble: OK, if you really really want to climb walls, get yourself some climb or fly speed. Dumping 12 ranks in climb is just bad.
- Wall Jumper 5 climb, 5 jump: Again, climb speed, trick obsolete.
- Whip Climber 5 use rope, whip proficiency: Unless you get a free exotic proficiency, don't bother.
[/t] | | | « Last Edit: January 19, 2010, 08:33:29 PM by Dictum Mortuum »
Note: Polymorph subschool spells are very bad, because although you get some powerful features, you lose all class features. However, spell compendium polymorph spells are an exception, because they clearly let you keep your extraordinary class features.
0-Level
- Acid Splash PHB: And the rest of the touch attack spells (like ray of frost). You can make sneak attacks with them and the damage is transfromed to elemental damage!
- Prestigitation PHB: I can't stress the importance of this little spell. It can work wonders when used correctly. Some even refer to it as minor wish!
- Caltrops SC: Fill up to five squares with caltrops. Can help ward off chargers and stagger other opponents.
1st Level
- Grease PHB: Grease forces opponents to make balance checks and if they don't have 5 ranks in the balance skill they are denied their dexterity bonus to AC and are thus flat-footed. You however have spent those precious ranks and can move about the greased area without trouble. You can use this spell to sneak attack or deliver iaijutsu focus damage to those poor opponents.
- Master's Touch SC: Gain proficiency with a weapon or shield touched, with a duration of minutes per level. You will only use it once in a given day, but you'll be able to benefit from a strange exotic weapon you keep carrying.
- Sniper's Shot SC: Mentioned earlier, you can use this to make assassination attempts with cunning strike from a great distance, either with a long range touch spell (favorably one that does force or sonic damage) or a bow.
- Nerveskitter SC: Actually better in an eternal wand, a +5 initiative bonus is always welcome.
2nd Level
- Glitterdust PHB: Glitterdust is still one of the most potent early game offensive spells. You gain it at the same level a sorcerer does, but your benefit is even greater, as you can hurt your enemies and engage in melee.
- Alter Self PHB: Alter self is one of the best all-around spells at all levels. It provides you with racial bonuses, feats, movement speeds and even potent combat modes if you are an outsider. Use with caution.
- Heroics SC: Wow, gain one [fighter] feat for 10 minutes/level. There is a long list of useful fighter feats, like improved initiative, goad, improved trip, combat panache and others. You can cast it on party members, too.
- Quick Potion SC: Quick potion is wonderful for a variety of reasons. First of all you can use the created potions to save actions in combat (you will still benefit from two spells of your party's buffer, but he will only have to concentrate into casting one).
- Whirling Blade SC: Whirling blade is sort of a "nuke" attack. You can use it to attack as many lined-up enemies possible, possibly applying iaijutsu focus damage (remember that the weapon used is a melee one!). You can also perform mini-novas with eternal wands of whirling blade (preferably stored into the weapon's wand chamber). If you can affect a respectable amount of the enemy force, use cunning surge to cast it again!
- Wraithstrike SC: Another spell that can enable you to perform a mini-nova. Your melee attacks are resolved as touch attacks. Combined with cunning surge and a good amount of damage (like using a two handed weapon and power attack) you can deal a significant amount of damage!
- Primal Hunter DrM: Get a bonus on climb, jump and swim checks. I'm just mentioning this because coupled with another primal spell you can get uncanny dodge (or improved uncanny dodge, with all four active). The duration is 24 hours.
- Share Talents PHB II: Cast this on you and your familiar and you just got a +2 on all of your skills. Hurray!
- Unseen Crafter RoE: Has a great duration and it's perfect for people who want to craft but don't have the time for it.
3rd Level
- Explosive Runes PHB: This is a downtime spell, good for making bombs with explosive runes.
- Magic Weapon, Greater PHB: Great for enhancing your weapons, coupled with a lesser metamagic rod of chain.
- Wand Modulation CS: This changes the spell contained in a wand. The great point here is that it doesn't specify from which list, although it does have to be a spell of lower level. Best coupled with wands that you don't need and with trapsmith's spell list.
- Primal Instinct DrM: Now this is awesome, +5 on survival and initiative checks. If you are of the dragonblood subtype, you get +5 on a knowledge check, too! Again, duration is 24 hours.
4th Level
- Dimensional Door PHB:
- Minor Creation PHB:
- Animate Dead PHB:
- Polymorph PHB: Polymorph gives a deadly combat edge and versatility. Good forms are basically those that have standard action extraordinary special attacks, like hydras, to benefit from cunning surge.
- Displacer Form SC:
- Ruin Delver's Fortune SC:
- Aspect of the Icy Hunter CM:
- Primal Senses DrM: Gain low light vision and +5 to spot and listen checks. The real benefit comes from having the dragonblood subtype, providing you with blindsense 10ft.
5th Level
- Fiendform SC:
- Nightstalker's Transformation SC:
- Draconic Polymorph Drac:
- Unfettered Heroism RoE: If you're playing with action points, this spell is awesome, combined with the wand surge feat. Remember that you can buy wands with fewer charges cheaper, check the rules in the magic item compendium.
6th Level
- Antimagic Field PHB:
- Bite of the Werebear SC:
- Body of War SC:
- Elemental Body SC:
- Primal Speed DrM: +5 bonus on reflex saves and a +10ft enhancement bonus on all of your speeds, but too high to be helpful. This spell is only listed for the improved uncanny dodge ability.
7th Level
| | | « Last Edit: March 04, 2010, 03:04:06 AM by Dictum Mortuum »
« Reply #5 on: November 13, 2008, 03:18:16 PM » |
Weapons
Things to remember:
[/color]- Weapon Familiarity CW: You can change your familiarity to another weapon, as long as it is related to your race. This is especially important for gnomes, who can gain access to the gnomish quickblade, which is handy for delivering iaijutsu focus damage.
- Reach Weapons PHB: Remember that if you're wielding a reach weapon then your natural reach is doubled. You need reach weapons to be able to demoralize efficiently. The guisarme is probably the best reach weapon, because you can make trip attempts with it. Also remember that you don't have to possess the improved trip feat to actually trip someone. It's also a good idea to use another melee weapon so that you can threaten nearby squares.
- Thrown Weapons PHB: It is a good thing to keep on yourself throwing secondary weapons, as they are melee and if you draw and throw them in the same round on a flat-footed opponent you activate iaijutsu focus damage.
And the list:
- Gauntlet or Spiked Gauntlet PHB: Gauntlets are handy because you can place useful enhancements on them (like eager, warning, etc) for a low cost, especially at higher levels (the same is true for double weapons, like quarterstaff). Because they do lethal damage you can use them to attack adjacent foes in case you are using a reach martial weapon.
- Light Hammer, Dagger, Javelin, Dart PHB: Secondary weapons in case you want to activate your iaijutsu focus damage.
- Guisarme PHB: The best martial reach weapon, simply because you can make trip attemts with it.
- Gnome Quickrazor RoS: One of the few weapons that is good enough to take exotic weapon proficiency for. Because of the strange mechanics it has, it is safe to assume that you "draw" it each time you hit, thus you got to worry only for your opponent to be flat-footed to apply your iaijutsu focus damage.
Special Materials:
- Pandemonic Silver CW: When you draw a weapon in light or greater wind, people around you must succeed in a saving throw versus fear or cower for 1d4 rounds. This is great for a gnome quickrazor, as you're going to be drawing it a lot.
- Feycraft DMG II: If you want to focus on dexterity, don't waste a feat on weapon finesse. You can use feycraft light weapons and use your dexterity modifier for attacking.
Enhancements:
- Defending DMG: Only useful if you are using weapons like gauntlets, armor and/or weapon spikes, you can enhance them with the defending property and chain-buff them with greater magic weapon. Then as a free action when fightning, allocate all of the weapons' enhancement bonus to AC. It's a dodge bonus, so it stacks. You might want to warn your fellow players for this trick because sometimes it's debatable (and it requires an investment).
- Spell Storing DMG:[/b] You have the ability to cast spells, any wizard spell, which includes wonderful stuff like shivering touch and shivering touch, lesser.
- Blurstrike MIC: This is if you have trouble getting people flat-footed (no flanking buddies, no opportunity to hide during a battle, etc). It functions ten times per day and it has a swift action initiation.
- Eager MIC: You get a +2 initiative and +2 on any damage rolls made in the surprise round of combat. Good enhancement to put on a secondary weapon.
- Sizing MIC:[/b] The sizing weapon enhancement has numerous applications: from creating instant bridges with gargantuan shaft weapons to making your arms too small to pass through city guards. It is only a gp cost.
- Spellstrike MIC: As with defending, but this affects your saves against spells and spell-like abilities. It is an unnamed bonus.
- Warning MIC: As with eager, this is good on secondary weapons. A +5 bonus to initiative for almost 8.000 is a very good trade.
Armor/Shields
You are proficient with light armor and shields. The usual optimized choice is getting a mithral medium armor (breastplate) and a buckler for your shield.
- Chain Shirt: Great for low levels.
- Mithral Breastplate: Only -1 check penalty and no speed penalties.
- Buckler: Useful if you want to get some shield enhancements. Remember that you'll most likely get a penalty to your attack rolls if you use your off-hand weapon and lose the AC bonus. However the lost AC lasts only until the end of the current round, so the only time this rule will concern you is when you provoke attacks of opportunity (or others provoke them).
- Other shields: An animated shield is better than a strapped-on buckler. This option is available later on, when you can afford it.
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