Eric and his sister Gwennith were of the ages 8 and 9. They were happy children and were raised by loving parents. Their father owned a large area of land on the outskirts of the Kingdom of Eidelon. He was a farmer and his wife a clothier. Soon, their picture perfect life was about to change…

King Arelon was not known for his kindness and ruled his land with an iron glove. Wealth was his most important asset. It seemed that being rich and king of the land was not enough so he decided to expand his kingdom. His plans required that a particular farm needed to be removed to make way for a warriors training arena and other bastions of war.

The king and his guards traveled to the small farm house, and demanded the family uproot and leave. Eric’s father refused and without hesitation Arelon killed him where he stood. As Eric stared at his now lifeless father, he realized he and his sister were in danger. The guards had already restrained his mother and were moving towards him. He quickly evaded the guards, ran upstairs and grabbed his little sister and they made way out the window and into a nearby forest. Eric heard his mother scream one last time before all was silent. He wanted to stop running, give up, and cry for his parents but he knew he could not. He had to save his sister. She had no knowledge of the events that took place other than the screaming and he had no desire to tell her.

They made their way into the forest but the King’s guards were behind them, hunting dogs in pursuit. Eric found a somewhat hidden cave within a large tree. He and his sister crawled in hoping that whatever may be inside was safer than the guards chasing them.

Eric told his sister to stay inside and he went back out to try and lure the guards away but it was too late. They grabbed Eric as soon as he exited the cave. The guards laughed and started wagering on how long Eric could survive a mauling by the dogs when suddenly the quick sound of a blade removed from its sheath was heard but only by Eric. Moments later, one of the guards fell silent as if he had just died for no reason. The other 3 soon realized they were not alone, for as the guards lifeless body fell, so did his head from his shoulders. Seemingly out of nowhere a figure appeared in front of Eric. It was human but dark as if a shadow had come to life. The guard holding Eric soon screeched in pain as his arms came lose from his body, freeing Eric from his grasp.

The last two guards began to attack the shadowy figure but they could not seem to hit him. Steel and sweat seemed to pass right through him as if he did not exist. Yes, his dagger was real enough to make quick work of them.

Eric wanted to run, to scream, to do something, but he stood there knowing he was the last thing alive protecting his sister. The figure kneeled down and looked at Eric. He grabbed his shoulder and spoke, “You have been through a lot today young one. Perhaps you and your sister could use some rest.”

Eric and Gwennith were led deeper into the forest until they came to what seemed to be a stone wall. The figure then pressed upon the stone and soon it opened up offering passage within. They entered the cave and Eric thought that the dwelling was quite comfortable considering it was carved out of rock.

The shadow, as Eric came to call him, explained that he had seen what happened to his parents and had followed him and the guards. While he usually never interferes with common citizens of the land, he saw a quality in Eric that made him something special. He had great agility, even for a child and endurance and cunning. Eric eventually became the Shadow’s student. Since he had no one left, he took him in and trained Eric in the arts of stealth and blade. In the meantime, the Shadow took Gwennith to a small village and had found a family willing to raise her as their own.

After several years, Eric became a master of the Shadows. He too could glide in and out of sight, seemingly bending light to his will. He would often visit his sister and was ultimately her guardian angel.

By the age of 22, Eric could no longer stand his nightmares. He went to his sister and said, “I can never forget the look of our father’s face when he was killed that day. I can always hear our mother’s scream, the howling dogs, and the cackling guards. I will extract revenge and lay these ghosts to rest so I too can sleep again.” Gwennith pleaded for Eric to stay but he had already disappeared before her very eyes…

It was not long before word got out of the king’s assassination. While only a few had witnessed the aftermath, reports were of a violent, almost inhumane murdering of the king. No one was caught or seen the night it happened but Gwennith knew. She also knew Eric could never show his face in the kingdom again.

Gwennith spent the rest of her years in peace and happiness. She got married, had children, and eventually moved back to her parent’s old farmhouse. While she never saw Eric again, face to face, she could feel him. She knew she was being watched over, but more importantly, she knew her brother loved her. Shadow Tank Halfling (Rogue 8/Fighter 12/Shadowdancer 20)

Stats:
Str 10
Dex 20(32)
Con 12
Int 14
Wis 8
Cha 8

Playable 1-40 PvM
Alignment: <any> <any>

(1) Rogue Dodge
(2) Fighter Weapon Finesse
(3) Fighter Mobility, WF - Handaxe
(4) Fighter (Dex)
(5) Fighter WS - Handaxe
(6) Fighter Toughness
(7) Rogue
(8) SD (Dex)
(9) Fighter Knockdown, Imp Knockdown
(10) SD
(11) SD
(12) SD Imp Critical - Handaxe (Dex)
(13) SD
(14) Rogue
(15) SD Expertise
(16) SD (Dex)
(17) SD
(18) Fighter Blindfight
(19) Rogue
(20) Fighter Imp Expertise (Dex)
(21) SD EWF - Handaxe
(22) SD
(23) Fighter
(24) Fighter EWS - Handaxe, Epic Prowess (Dex)
(25) Rogue
(26) SD
(27) SD Great Dexterity
(28) SD Epic Dodge (Dex)
(29) SD
(30) Rogue Great Dexterity II
(31) Fighter
(32) SD (Dex)
(33) SD SC, SC II
(34) SD
(35) Rogue
(36) SD SC III (Dex)
(37) SD SC IV
(38) SD
(39) Fighter SC V, Armor Skin
(40) Rogue (Dex)

AB 42/37/32/27 (Mundane Handaxe)
Damage 1d6 + 6 19-20x3 +4d6 Sneak
BAB 27
Base AC 31
HP 390 Max

Saves:
Fort 21 (+4 vs Spells)
Reflex 34 (+4 vs Spells)
Will 15 (+4 vs Spells)

Skills:
Dicipline - 42
Disable Trap - 43(45)
Heal - 24(23)
Hide - 43(54)
Move Silently - 43(54)
Open Lock - 43(54)
Search - 43(45)
Spellcraft - 18(20)
Tumble - 40(51)

Another dex based fighter, but this one is focused on standing up on the front line along side the Dwarves and Fighters.

Base AC of 31. Average +5 armor and equipment:
+5 jerkin
+5 amulet
+5 cloak
+5 boots
+5 large shield(+2 base)
+10 Imp Expertise
+4 Shadow evade
+4 Haste spell
+6 Dex bonus

=81AC. If anything gets past that, there's still a 50% chance to miss. Of course, the first attack is nill thanks to Epic Dodge. Shadow Evade give 14/+5 DR. And just for fun, rogue levels spaced apart for some effective treasure hunting and dungeon crawling.

Probably not the best AC and of course, gear can vary, but pretty darn good considering he's not a Dragon.

Edited By griphook on 10/30/05 22:33

I honestly never thought about using Imp Expertise with an SC V/ E.Dodge build... nice touch and yes 81 AC with the stuff you got isn't rare but nice... I've built Cleric/ Monks with more and let's not talk about Dragon shifters but this is a nice change... only thing he's vunerable to is Timestop/ IGMS...

LOVED THE STORY TOO!!!! Thanks for the comments. Glad you enjoyed the story. I forgot to factor in Uncanny Dodge 3 which gives an extra +2 to reflex saves. Also, you can take UMD and drop heal or whatever you like. I never factor it in since the PW I play in caps UMD to class level(where UMD is a class skill) + skill focus + 3 + cha mod.
Quote: Posted 10/04/05 01:29:48 (GMT) -- Talamier

Thanks for the comments. Glad you enjoyed the story. I forgot to factor in Uncanny Dodge 3 which gives an extra +2 to reflex saves. Also, you can take UMD and drop heal or whatever you like. I never factor it in since the PW I play in caps UMD to class level(where UMD is a class skill) + skill focus + 3 + cha mod.

Nifty little story. I liked it, and your build's cool too. Just a note: Uncanny Dodge only gives you a boost to your saves vs traps, not to your overall Relfex saves. Do you think taking a ninth Rogue level as opposed to a 20th SD would be worth it? You'd drop from 14/+5 DR from Shadow Evade to 12/+4 (and your Shadow Daze feat would have 1 lower on the DC), but another Rogue level would net you 1d6 sneak, 2 more skill points, and allow you to top up any Rogue-only skills you want.
_________________
Wave upon wave of demented avengers marched cheerfully out of obscurity into the dream...
Quote: Posted 10/04/05 01:37:20 (GMT) -- Cinnabar Din

Quote: Posted 10/04/05 01:29:48 (GMT) -- Talamier

Thanks for the comments. Glad you enjoyed the story. I forgot to factor in Uncanny Dodge 3 which gives an extra +2 to reflex saves. Also, you can take UMD and drop heal or whatever you like. I never factor it in since the PW I play in caps UMD to class level(where UMD is a class skill) + skill focus + 3 + cha mod.

Nifty little story. I liked it, and your build's cool too. Just a note: Uncanny Dodge only gives you a boost to your saves vs traps, not to your overall Relfex saves. Do you think taking a ninth Rogue level as opposed to a 20th SD would be worth it? You'd drop from 14/+5 DR from Shadow Evade to 12/+4 (and your Shadow Daze feat would have 1 lower on the DC), but another Rogue level would net you 1d6 sneak, 2 more skill points, and allow you to top up any Rogue-only skills you want.

Actually, my first run of this build was 9Rog/12Ftr/19SD. I decided that, since he's designed to be a front line tank, sneak damage is not that important. True, you get sneaks with knockdown but to me, the DR threshold was a better choice. This is mainly due to the PW I play on where only the really tough monsters top off at +5 or +6 enhancements leaving most of the world at +4 or less.

As far as topping off skills, I have the last rogue level at 40 so i'm not sure what you meant by that.

Thanks for the info on uncanny dodge. I wasn't aware of it only affecting traps. Great story and nice SD-heavy build. That's not too common.

What PW do you call home?

Kaliban
_________________
The people he knew were less than golden-hearted
Gamblers and robbers, drinkers and jokers, all soul searchers
Like you and me
Quote: Posted 10/04/05 02:05:50 (GMT) -- Kaliban99

Great story and nice SD-heavy build. That's not too common.

What PW do you call home?

Kaliban

Thanks! Proud member of Dor Maeglin Underdark http://www.dormaeglinunderdark.com/
Quote: Posted 10/04/05 01:56:24 (GMT) -- Talamier

Actually, my first run of this build was 9Rog/12Ftr/19SD. I decided that, since he's designed to be a front line tank, sneak damage is not that important. True, you get sneaks with knockdown but to me, the DR threshold was a better choice. This is mainly due to the PW I play on where only the really tough monsters top off at +5 or +6 enhancements leaving most of the world at +4 or less.

Ah, I figured I'd point it out in case you hadn't considered it. I think the 20 SD is probably better anyway.

Quote: As far as topping off skills, I have the last rogue level at 40 so i'm not sure what you meant by that.

Oh, my apologies, I wasn't being clear. That comment was intended to illustrate my poor reading skills; specifically that I'd looked over your build and had completely missed your Rogue level at level 40.

Quote: Thanks for the info on uncanny dodge. I wasn't aware of it only affecting traps.

No problem. Nice build. As Kal said, it's refreshing to see a SD-heavy build. Been a long time since one's been posted, I think.
_________________
Wave upon wave of demented avengers marched cheerfully out of obscurity into the dream...
Quote: Posted 10/04/05 02:17:24 (GMT) -- Cinnabar Din

Quote: As far as topping off skills, I have the last rogue level at 40 so i'm not sure what you meant by that.

Oh, my apologies, I wasn't being clear. That comment was intended to illustrate my poor reading skills; specifically that I'd looked over your build and had completely missed your Rogue level at level 40.



It's all good Cin. I was looking this over and read up on epic dodge. It really is a wonderful feat so I moved a few levels around post 20 to get it sooner. Who doesn't like epic dodge? (Except maybe those at the end of your blade)

(21) SD EWF - Handaxe
(22) SD
(23) SD
(24) SD Epic Prowess (Dex)
(25) SD Epic Dodge
(26) Rogue
(27) Fighter Great Dexterity
(28) Fighter EWS - Handaxe (Dex)
(29) SD
(30) Rogue Great Dexterity II
(31) SD
(32) SD SC (Dex)
(33) Fighter SC II
(34) SD
(35) Rogue
(36) SD SC III (Dex)
(37) SD SC IV
(38) SD
(39) Fighter SC V, Armor Skin
(40) Rogue (Dex)
Quote: Posted 10/06/05 03:39:19 (GMT) -- Talamier

Quote: Posted 10/04/05 02:17:24 (GMT) -- Cinnabar Din

Quote: As far as topping off skills, I have the last rogue level at 40 so i'm not sure what you meant by that.

Oh, my apologies, I wasn't being clear. That comment was intended to illustrate my poor reading skills; specifically that I'd looked over your build and had completely missed your Rogue level at level 40.




It's all good Cin. I was looking this over and read up on epic dodge. It really is a wonderful feat so I moved a few levels around post 20 to get it sooner. Who doesn't like epic dodge? (Except maybe those at the end of your blade)

(21) SD EWF - Handaxe
(22) SD
(23) SD
(24) SD Epic Prowess (Dex)
(25) SD Epic Dodge
(26) Rogue
(27) Fighter Great Dexterity
(28) Fighter EWS - Handaxe (Dex)
(29) SD
(30) Rogue Great Dexterity II
(31) SD
(32) SD SC (Dex)
(33) Fighter SC II
(34) SD
(35) Rogue
(36) SD SC III (Dex)
(37) SD SC IV
(38) SD
(39) Fighter SC V, Armor Skin
(40) Rogue (Dex)

I heard some mention of this before and wanted to clarify: doesn't Epic Dodge require a 30 tumble? Or is that a misnomer?
_________________
Favorite PW's: Hall of the Worlds, Higher Ground, World of Iniquity. Epic dodge requires Tumble=1, defensive roll and Improved evasion. that's it.
Quote: Posted 10/06/05 15:23:18 (GMT) -- Grimnir77

Epic dodge requires Tumble=1, defensive roll and Improved evasion. that's it.

Well, there's the 25 DEX requirement too...
_________________
Wave upon wave of demented avengers marched cheerfully out of obscurity into the dream... That's what my smiley said, right? Couldn't you read behind it? It clearly says: Oh, and 25 DEX.