I'm trying to create a pure rogue character but I'm a bit confused how the Feats work. I'd like to take Finesse, but it isn't available to me. Neither is weapon focus. It says I need +1 Base something, but it's not clear how to get that. So I took Martial Weapon: Short Sword. Wasted? Where I want to go with this character is a double-short-sword wielding sneak attacker. Suggestions?
You get the "+1 Base" attack bonus when you level up the first time, rogues start with zero. I strated with combat expertice(or reflexes, can't remember) and two weapon fighting and took the finesse feat (with my dex 18) when I reached level 3. I used rapier and short sword. IMO rogues make much more damage with ranged sneak attacks.
How does one perform a ranged sneak attack? Can you feint from a distance? Actually, I still kinda suck at getting around the backside of someone for a SA. I was kinda hoping on playing the rogue as a classic thief -- sneak up behind people and SUPPLIES! (Sorry, my AD&D 1st Ed brain still thinks in terms of backstab)
Yep, because rogues are proficient with shortswords already. As pointed out, you can take Weapon Finesse on level 3. Grab Two Weapon Fighting now. Other feats to consider for this build are probably Acrobatic, Dodge, and maybe Point Blank Shot. The rapier, btw, is slightly more useful than the short sword: Same damage, but larger threat range. Another fine weapon to consider is the kukri to cover also the slashing damage that some opponents may prefer, but last I checked, the game incorrectly didn't allow rogues to use one and you had to waste an Exotic Weapon Proficiency on it.
Any attack against someone who is "flatfooted" (and there picture will note it, so you can tell) or any attack against someone who is flacked, one or more characters adjacent and on opposite sides, can be a sneak attack from a rogue. For ranged weapons, you need to be within 30 feet. Now how to tell how far away you are is tough, but an unencumbered human, halfelf, elf, or halforc can walk 30' per round, so using the movement icon, where they could walk and still be "in the green " is about 30'. Once you note this in a few combats, you will get a feel for how far you need to be. Most combats that take place inside are in cramped corners, so almost all will be within 30 feet. A rogue or a fighter4/rogueX with a bow/composite bow can be your most deadly character. Nothing wrong with going TWF with shortswords (there are plenty of magic ones to find) and weapon finesse, but I always find the low HPs and weaker armor hurts the rogue as a frontline fighter. So now I stay back with a bow, and go for the bow feats, weapon focus, improved critical, etc. Once they get to 8th level and shoot more than once a round, it gets good. Elven rogue for the extra DEX and free longbow use is great.
Try this : Martial weapon proficiency : handaxe Marry Fruella, and "borrow" her cleaver, 17-20 critical range,, use that with sneak attacks and you will do some serious damage.
There's a lot of confusion out there apparently about rogues, sneak attacks, and dual wielding... Rogues get BAB +1 at lvl 2, which means most will need to get to lvl 3 to take weapon finesse, unless you go for a lvl of fighter at lvl 2. Dual wielding rapiers vs short swords, not a good choice as rapier is not a light weapon (though it's finessable) which means you suffer -4 to AB rather than -2 for using a light weapon in your offhand. in fact, dual wielding PERIOD at lower lvls is not a good choice, ESPECIALLY without weapon finesse for a high dex rogue type; you simply won't be able to hit with any consistency, while putting your rogue in melee range and getting beat up. Wait until mid levels to start messing around with that fancy stuff unless you want to whiff a lot. Ranged sneak attacks are more tricky to set up than simply flanking (you cannot flank with ranged in Core 3.5e rules anyway as flanking requires you to THREATEN and ranged weapons do not threaten without special feats/spells outside of Core books). Easiest way is to use Glitterdust or Blindness to blind your foes; they are effectively denied their dex bonus to ac under blindness condition which makes them eligible for sneak attacks regardless of whether you flank or not. In PnP Grease also sets targets up to be considered flatfooted, but I've not tested this in TOEE. Attacking while invisible is similar to attacking a blinded target, their dex bonus is denied against your attack which sets up for a sneak attack. However this works only on the first attack with standard Invis as attacking immediately breaks your invis, unless you are Improved/Greater Invisible in which case you can sneak attack to your heart's content. There are other ways, but those are some of the more common.
It is when they lose the DEX bonus to AC. So you could get sneak attacks off when they are webed, tangled, use Faint or they are proned and so on. But on the above situation u also fire sneak attacks off.
Okay, still having trouble figuring out how to effectively use a Rogue in combat. The "sneak" skill isn't available in combat. So how do people conduct the Rogue in combat (assuming you're into back-stabby type rogues, rather than fling-things type rogues). Do you wait for opponents to engage your tank, then use tumble or a wide travel arc to get behind the opponent? How do you know when you've out-flanked them? I think I'm 180 from the tank, or one of the tanks but I'm not getting off a SA. Or do I need to feint, then attack each round from a non-180? And is SA automatic if you're flanking? Or is there a roll for it? Maybe I am flanking but I'm losing the roll. Seems disappointing that invisibility is necessary to SA from the shadows (as it were). Might have been "house rules" from PnP V1, but we'd have the thief roll for "hide" and then "sneak" up on someone, backstab, then jump in the shadows again if possible.
Some enemies can't be flanked, like rogues or barbarians with the improved uncanny dodge feat. To my knowledge SA is automatic.
Basically. And there shouldn't be a need for wide arcs; if they can't successfully tumble, they are no good for this role anyway.
Some opponents (like Zuggtmoy, all Elementals, all Oozes, and all undead (except Seahags) are immune to sneak attacks (and hence critical hits). High-level rogues and high-level barbarians can't be "flanked" so your rogue can't sneak attack them when flanking them. I've found flanking in this computer game to be a bit dodgy at times. Sometimes my rogue won't sneak attack even though he/she is directly opposite my other flanking character. Other times my rogue will sneak attack even though he/she is only about 120 degrees away from my other "flanking" character. Feint is only useful if your rogue can't flank his/her opponent. Your rogue will be able to sneak attack an opponent if he/she successfully Feints first. A rogue using a bow or crossbow will be able to sneak attack with every attack if he/she has Greater Invisibility cast on him/her and he/she fires at an opponent that is within 30 feet. A maximum Tumble skill is essential for a rogue. It allows the rogue to move anywhere around the battlefield and attack any opponent from any position (e.g. a flanking position, getting out of the threat area of an enemy who wields a reach weapon so that the rogue can fire his/her bow). The most effective special feat that a rogue can choose when a rogue reaches level 10 is the Crippling Strike feat.
