It may just be me, but has the DCs of the various chest and other locked items through out the game been increased. I was jsut wondering as I have failed at every lock my rogue has tried despite an above avg DEX and max skill per level. I have ensured that the theives tools are equiped, but nothing I do seems to work. Yes, I have even tried saving and restoring to try again at one point, but even that has not helped. Thanks for your help.
Masterwork Thieves Tools help too. And Heroism from a Mage or Inspire Competence from a Bard Help too.
I don't know if it's changed significantly but I just use a 2nd level knock spell on all chests that can be opened that way. There's not a whole lot of chests that you need to pick. That way you don't have to waste a player slot on a straight rogue.
The chest in the fire temple with the Frostbrand sword in it, is magically held and needs a rogue with real good skills to open. A very talented rogue is a big plus for any party.
Use a Rogue/Ranger hybrid - you can easily keep up your core skills while retaining a decent BAB and getting TWF feats for free.
Ya, I would wait on the fire temple chest until you leveled a fighter/rogue to pick it. I just completely ignore the blacksmith's chest because it doesn't have anything decent in it.
Burne will pay about 1300GP for the magic horn. Does it produce a sound or fog if equipped by a bard? I don't know how to use a bard so i've never tried.
It casts Fog Cloud once per day. I've used it a few times - there was a battle in particular that I remember where it really came in handy vs. 3 ogres.
I wouldn't go that far. There are only two chests that were made unknockable, and a few quests that can be advanced with a rogue, but can also be solved a variety of other ways, (ex: pick pocket mona's orb from the guy who stole it instead of beating it out of him using non lethal damage, or intimidating him, or paying him, or just killing him, etc). Don't get me wrong, I got a rogue... but you don't really NEED one. (well ok, you don't really need most classes, but I mean rogue is an easy to "lose" class) that being said, having a rogue in the party means (in addition to the above) not wasting spell slots on knock and not having to heal the trap damage (traps are not dangerous, neither is poison, but it is annoying). And having sneak attack and possibly crippling strike (I love having a longbow using rogue; doing sneak attack with longbow... elves make perfect rogues, terrible wizards). A rogue is also one of the better "party face" characters. Although a bard is better.
Well, taking 4 levels of Rogue only costs 1 BAB and gets you lots of extra skill points as well as extra damage when flanking, so it's not as if it hurts you that much, is it?