Scout guidance, please

Discussion in 'The Temple of Elemental Evil' started by MrPhil, Aug 14, 2023.

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  1. MrPhil

    MrPhil Member

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    I don't understand the scout, the class is confusing me.
    The major feature is that it must move in order to get precision damage.

    If a scout moves, it cannot then full attack meaning it has no access to iterative attacks and also cannot use things like TWF and Rapid Shot.

    I've looked online and most of the advice seems to be to get alternative means of moving such as anklet of translocation and similar. Don't have those in TOEE.

    How is the scout supposed to be used?

    Thanks

    Phil.
     
  2. hammyh

    hammyh Established Member

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    I've never been a big scout fan (usually just have a rogue), but essentially a normal scout is trading his full attack for skirmish benefits.

    So while this is a bit like a rogue and SA, you don't have to have an opponent "flat-footed" (or be unseen or whatever approximation). Simply move 10'+ and attack.

    I'm not even certain if it has a range restriction like SA-> this depends on how it was implemented in ToEE. I've only tested closer attacks.

    Thus, much depends on your playstyle:
    • if crafting uber-weapons is your thing -then more APR is better
    • if low-magic and self-found - the extra skirmish damage will likely be valuable - especially if your scout is fragile and needs to avoid tanking.
    Scouts can easily have 14 tumble very early (iirc in ToEE 15 dc tumble check = automatic.) Also note that you won't get an extra attack until level 8...so ymmv for APR as well.

    And ofc there are the other various scout stuffs (extra feats, skills, movement, trapfinding, etc.)

    Apparently in 3.5 there are various loopholes to get around this movement restriction from various extra book feats/class combos/items, but in ToEE there are none.
    ______________________________________
    Edit:

    So imho you'd look to feats and skills that complement skirmish and the single attack. Unlike, for example, your typical archer which is so focused that there is no room for other feats and they all end up with the same feat bundles.

    You could be doing stuff like throwing daggers with far shot or look into a melee or ranged spring-attack build.

    And more ideas: crossbow sniper with Improved Skirmish feat, brutal thrower of spears or cleavers (hah!), charger (not sure if charge works with skirmish in ToEE), multiclassing with various combining feats, and so on...

    Lots of potential. (hmm, now I'm thinking of all the scout ideas...)
     
    Last edited: Aug 14, 2023
  3. sigofmugmort

    sigofmugmort Established Member Supporter

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    Keep in mind that sneak attack dice stack with skirmish dice when usable.
     
  4. Endarire

    Endarire Ronald Rynnwrathi

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    Does (Greater) Manyshot work in ToEE to solve this?
     
  5. OLLY613

    OLLY613 Member

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    I recently tried a barbarian scout. The movement stacks as far as I could tell and I took charger. The dmg of charger stacked with skirmish too. So that was fun.

    Also combat reflexes with a glaive plus skirmish plus charger was fun.
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2023
  6. Endarire

    Endarire Ronald Rynnwrathi

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    A Scout with a higher move speed helps, such as from Barbarian1 or expeditious retreat or haste or longstrider. Anything that increases size or/and reach can help for melee as well such as enlarge person or righteous might.
     
  7. MrPhil

    MrPhil Member

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    Thanks for all the replys.

    I notice that skirmish damage should only apply on the scouts turn. Any other attacks such as AOOs shoould not get the bonus.

    Does TOEE handle it this way?
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2023
  8. Pygmy

    Pygmy Established Member Supporter

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    I don't believe you have read this correctly. Providing the scout has moved 10' or more in their turn the skirmish bonuses persist until the start of their next turn. I am particularly fond of wood elf scouts with high strength and dexterity using a longspear with combat reflexes and then deft opportunist at 3rd level.
     
  9. zertzax

    zertzax Member

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    Hmm the Scout does sound interesting. I may give them a try.
     
  10. MrPhil

    MrPhil Member

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    You're probably right, it does seem odd that the bonus would only apply on the scouts turn.

    Here's my confusion - I googled the scout and wound up here:
    https://srd.dndtools.org/srd/classes/baseCad/scout.html
    where it says in the section on skirmish
    Reading that again, its confusing. On the one hand it says extra damage on any attack in the *round*, then goes on to say it only applies on the scout's turn.

    Is this a reliable source?
     
  11. Pygmy

    Pygmy Established Member Supporter

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    I think you are confused by the term "the scout's turn". Suppose a party of six pcs were fighting 12 ogres; one of the pcs was a sorcerer who casts an empowered fireball (taking a full round) How many rounds does it take for everyone to have their turn?
     
  12. Pygmy

    Pygmy Established Member Supporter

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    BTW the ogres are all alive
     
  13. MrPhil

    MrPhil Member

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    Thanks for the explanation, Pygmy, you are definitely right that I am not following the difference between round and turn.
    I would have said that the sorcerer in your example starts casting the fireball on her turn, and at the end of her turn the fireball has still not arrived.
    Then everybody else get a turn, in initiative order.
    Once everyone has had a turn and assuming the sorcerer is still alive and hasn't been interrupted, once her turn comes up in the imitative she will launch her fireball.
    So to answer your question, there are 12 turns in the round - each of the PCs and Ogres get one each.

    Is that right? If so, the line that's tripping me up is
    The extra damage applies only to attacks taken during the scout's turn
    So it wouldn't apply, for example, on an Ogre's turn when it provokes an attack of opportunity from the scout.
     
  14. Endarire

    Endarire Ronald Rynnwrathi

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    @MrPhil
    To clarify, a round is comprised of 1 turn for every creature. (If a creature can somehow get more than one turn per round, use that instead.)

    For example, if 20 creatures are in a fight, then a round means everyone gets a turn unless a creature is dead, disabled, or otherwise unable to act.
     
  15. MrPhil

    MrPhil Member

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    That's how I understood it.

    So this phrase, copied from the link given above, says:
    Which I am reading as saying that the scouts bonus damage only applies during the scout's turn, and will not apply during anybody else's turn. Which would include attacks of opportunity.
     
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