Another novelty build (lol). I aimed for a rogue which was the best at all rogue skills, especially everything to do with traps. Probably best in a party. No SC V. Ranger was chosen for the skill points (I felt I needed them - the more the better!), HP, BAB and two-weapon fighting feats. Ranger also has Set Traps as a class skill. What I need, though, is info on the crafting DCs for traps so I know how far to take it :S. Obviously don't go anywhere near this if you can't use/craft traps.
Open Lock: 43(53) <-- 73 with Take 20 UMD: 41(40) <-- UMD operates on the modified score in multiples of 5 Spot: 28(27)
Search: 41(43) <-- can detect all default traps including epic Disable Trap: 34(48) <-- with Take 20, can recover all default traps including epic Set Trap: 33(45) <-- with Take 20, can set all default traps including epic Craft Trap: 43(45) <-- I need to know crafting DCs :/
If you think disabling the traps is enough, use the feat for something else (maybe ESF: Discipline or scrap Epic Will or something as well and take two more Grt DEX).
Info to optimize the skills taken from the NWN Grimoire.
Cons: -Base damage low, harder for you to deal with crit-immune monsters -Mediocre saves -Gets ITWF very late
Look for: good maces that which help with Crit-immune monsters, DEX boosting items, save-boosting items, a haste item.
I didn't take exotic for Kukris because with that low STR, most of your damage will be coming from Sneak Attacks anyway so the extra Crit damage will have negligible effect. The only other weapons there you could possibly effectively use from that weapon set are Kukri, Kama (you're not a monk), Whip (might be fun =P) and Shuriken which aren't all that good. Also, if a monster is Crit immune, it is also sneak-immune and the small amount of extra base damage that the maces do will help with this. If you want, you can take Shortswords instead but bludgeoning is the least resisted of the damage types.
just a quick idea. you could use the large amount of initial points from dex, and put some into wis. with level 2 ranger spells you could get cat's grace, which would give you a boost to your AB and AC (roughly making up for the exchange in stats on a good roll), increasing will saves by 2, and giving access to some other interesting spells such as camoflage (allowing you to drop skills points from hide into something else like spot), one with the land (again you can take away 4 skills points from set trap into something else), and a few others that are rogue friendly. not really neccessary, since you can buff with UMD scrolls, but just an idea. also, leaving off the improved critical for a mace isn't a bad idea. criting against undead won't happen anyways. just personal preferences.
-c _________________ "You cannot pass!"
Hm - only thing is might have to get Epic Dodge far later if he dropped the initial starting dex or sacrifice other feats to maintain the OK AB. I wanted to make it somewhat playable and the Ranger spells didn't seem all that important. I know you could drop Imp. Crit quite easily (any suggestions on what to replace it with other than move toughness up to pre-epic?) but if you took short swords instead, I'd take it. I figured you could just drop that ESF: Disable Traps (lol - suggestion to take it on Discipline instead ) and max disable traps, ending up with a modified skill of 47 and just quaff a potion, meh.
Edited By Jennalee on 09/19/05 07:46
Thing with the Ranger spells is, you'll only have two spell slots for level one and one for level two received at level 39 - pretty long to wait for self-casted Cat's Grace unless you wanted to wear WIS-boosting items IMO.
good point. if you wanted to wear a wis amulet +2, then you have a cat's grace and a one with land spell per day, as well as a darkvision and camoflage. not really tough to find an aumlet like that. but again, it takes reworking, and as mentioned you must push ED back. just really an idead for those, whe, like me, enjoy using the ranger abilities.
-c _________________ "Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger."
I have 2 suggestions, and neither one is earth shattering, but if I were to play this build I would do the following:
1. Take that 9th Ranger level in pre-epic. Getting ITWF 5-7 levels earlier can make a big difference.
2. First, delay Skill Mastery for Defensive Roll. Then drop Improved Critical and move Toughness to that slot, and take Great Dex I at Lvl 24 general feat. Then, you could take Epic Dodge at Rogue Lvl 16, and take Skill Mastery(or ESF: Set Traps) at Rogue19.
Basically, getting Epic Dodge 3 levels earlier is more important that getting Skill Mastery, even for for a Trap Master. You lose Improved Critical, but that feat wasn't doing a lot for you anyway. _________________ Got Hommlet? World of Greyhawk Action Server (with 1/2 price ales on Mondays!)
Ariel, Ookla, RIDE!
I read somewhere that the Craft Trap DC is the same as the Set Trap DC for the trap in question. I've not seen it disputed, so I'd go by that formula. _________________ It's rogue, dammit, ROGUE!!!
Ow I was hoping to scrape more skill points off to put more points into Spot so he'd also excel at scouting somewhat. That's kinda tough then if you want to craft epic traps. Do you get a Take 20 for it? Or do you have to do a skill roll? (I really don't know how the crafting works).
Anyway thanks for the help - much appreciated
Edited By Jennalee on 09/19/05 15:18
Quote: Posted 09/19/05 15:05:31 (GMT) -- Jennalee
Ow I was hoping to scrape more skill points off to put more points into Spot so he'd also excel at scouting somewhat. That's kinda tough then if you want to craft epic traps. Do you get a Take 20 for it? Or do you have to do a skill roll? (I really don't know how this works )
Aye, but it's really moot anyway: epic traps can't be crafted.
One other thing I feel I should mention: I know you said you chose Ranger for the skill points, but I'd still advise going with FTR. You'd lose 20 overall skill points and 3 FE, but you'd gain 6 feats. 2 of those feats could be used for WS/EWS, which will give you +6 damage on all successful attacks and 3 could be used for Ambi, TWF, and ITWF. Much better than the +3 you'd get vs only 3 specific enemy types. You could also juggle your levelling a wee bit to fit in Weapon Finesse at level 2 (instead of level 3) and you'd also be able to fit in a save-booster like Iron Will or Epic Will (just take some of your other feats as the FTR bonus feats and take the save booster on a general feat level). In order to make up the loss of skill points, you'd have to drop a skill (I'd drop Spot) by 20 points though. _________________ It's rogue, dammit, ROGUE!!!
I did consider fighter but I like my skill points :S. I'll fiddle around and see how it turns out but I really ought to go to bed now.
Yeah, i know. You will lose 1 AB by doing this, but it is how I would have done it, and how I did it, since I play an exact char like this. Except he is Halfling.
Hit lvl 13 as Rogue3/Ranger9/SD1. It will get you Hips and ItwF as early as possible, which improves playability. It will only have 2d6 sneak damage, but that is enough to make "normal" damage at that time.
I dont understand why everyone waits until lvl 21 to grab SD, since playabity increases tenfold the earlier you can get it.
edit: You will also have 5 attacks each round this way at lvl 13, which will give two attacks in both the first and second attack sequence for a nice number of sneaks when hitting from stealth.
Edited By Grimnir77 on 09/19/05 16:59
The 1st Revised Edition incorporating the grizzled_dwarflord's suggestions to improve playability (and stay somewhat true to concept).
Some suggestions if you want to play this: -Move Skill Mastery up even later and take Slippery Mind earlier -Drop two of ESF: Discipline, Epic Fortitude or Epic Will and take two more Great DEX if you feel those are unecessary and get +1 to AB, AC and ref save -If you can endure it, keep it like it was and take 9th level Ranger in Epic and move 12th level Rogue to pre-epic so you'll have one more Fort save in the end -If you can't endure not having HiPS NOW rather than later, take SD pre-epic by shuffling some feats around. You'll lose one AB in the long run (suggested by Grimnir77 - you know when I first twiddled with this, he was a Halfing but got bigger somewhere along the way. It's rather easy to turn him back with same basic stats with INT 16 but somewhere you're going to have to chop one feat and KD won't work as well)
Race: Human <- I would REALLY like to choose elf but that would incur EXP penalties with this set-up Alignment: any Playable 1-40 PvM
Max HP: 402 AB (dual-wielding two maces): 39/34/29/24, 39/34 BAB: 27 Naked AC: 30 Sneak Attack: 15d6
Saves: Fort: 25 <-- loses one Fort for taking Ranger(9) in Pre-Epic but I took Epic Fortitude Ref: 31 Will: 19 <-- has Slippery Mind which may help a little
Skills (431 skillpoints):
Tumble: 40(50) Discipline: 42(52) <-- took ESF: Discipline. Need 20 Discipline pre-epic to take it at the level shown Hide: 43(53) Move Silently: 43(53)
Open Lock: 43(53) <-- 73 with Take 20 UMD: 41(40) <-- UMD operates on the modified score in multiples of 5 Spot: 19(18)
Search: 41(43) <-- can detect all default traps including epic Disable Trap: 43(47) <-- with Take 20 and an INT +2 boost, can recover all default traps Set Trap: 33(45) <-- with Take 20, can set all default traps Craft Trap: 43(45) <-- has a good chance of crafting all craftable traps(?)
Info to optimize the skills taken from the NWN Grimoire. Cinnabar Din said Craft Trap DCs are the same as Set Trap DCs and Epic Traps can't be crafted (grrrr)
If I were playing this not as a Trapmaster and rather as a good party-rogue, I'd probably chop 9 from Disable Traps and be satisfied with disabling all traps and use the skillpoints from Craft Traps elsewhere - probably in Heal or Spot and maybe even consider slashing Set Traps and taking Imp Sneak Attack instead of Skill Mastery.
- only thing is might have to get Epic Dodge far later if he dropped the initial starting dex or sacrifice other feats to maintain the OK AB. I wanted to make it somewhat playable and the Ranger spells didn't seem all that important. I know you could drop Imp. Crit quite easily (any suggestions on what to replace it with other than move toughness up to pre-epic?) but if you took short swords instead, I'd take it. I figured you could just drop that ESF: Disable Traps (lol - suggestion to take it on Discipline instead 
) and max disable traps, ending up with a modified skill of 47 and just quaff a potion, meh.
Ow 
I was hoping to scrape more skill points off to put more points into Spot so he'd also excel at scouting somewhat. That's kinda tough then if you want to craft epic traps. Do you get a Take 20 for it? Or do you have to do a skill roll? (I really don't know how this works