HI all Inspired by Kalshane attempt to play the game with the stadard point buy system I'm getting myself into a new ToEE game with the same rules.. I've already made the rest of the party - 1 cleric death/trickery domain, 1 bard with all the social skills, 1 necromancer with barred illusion/enchantment, 1 warrior (to bad there isn't a blackguard class in the game ) - now i need something with disable device/open lock and survival (last one could do even as a cross class skill i guess). Role-wise I was thinking at some badass dwarf bounty-hunter character.. so, even if I would have loved to just take 1 level of rogue for the whole party, considering the penalty i would get as a dwarf, i'll need to take at least 4 levels of the class, unless i go for fighter/rogue (but considering the huge number of x-class skills i Would anyway need to get some rogue levels). I know that as a human this wold be 1000% easier (+1 skill points per level, +1 talent, no remorse on using bows, any favored class) yet I think a dwarf it's just so badass as a bountyhunter! Also consider that I can't stand to see a dwarf with a bow.. so as a ranged weapon of choice I'll have a crossbow (which takes aways as an option the archery path of ranger, since manyshot only works with arrows, not darts).. maybe throwing daggers would be acceptable (since quick draw is surely more usefull than rapid reload) but i've just done it in a past game with an halfling rogue.. so i would like to take a change. Would love to make an effective dwarf-ranged char with either a xbow or a rifle.. but sadly can't seem to be done in ToEE. Anyway, thre options came to my mind so far: FIRST OPTION: RANGER 6/ ROGUE 4 starting statts str 15 -> +1 lvl 4 dex 14 con 8 (10 racial) int 14 -> or maybe lower and raise something else instead? wis 13 -> +1 lvl 8 -> or maybe leave at 8 and send to hell spellcasting? cha 8 (6 racial) Brief Spec description: Basically with this spec i would take full advantage of the rogue sneak attacks with dual wielding (more attacks= more senak attack damage) whist not raising dex due to talents coming from ranger class. Pro: - many skill points, will surely be able to raise the skills i need (since i don't mind about hiding/move silently i could probably even lower intelligence score... yet this would mean no improved trip, but considering the few talent points i have, maybe it's something viable.. instead of taking combat expertise/improved trip i could take quickdraw/pointblank shot/precise shot/rapid shor or somethig like that). - would be able to chose dual wield (warhammer-handaxe woha!) even with low dex - animal companion (not that strong but the attack dog just makes so much bounty hunter to me!) - minor acces to spells (but don't know if it's worth to spend the stat points considering the late access to them as well as the reduced spell slots, maybe it would be better to put 16 Str from start instead... yet long strider spell is nice) Cons: - late access to most of the strong abilities: improved 2 weapon fighting only at level 10, animal companion and spells only from level 7. - light armor only (yet the chain shirt it's so good it's almost some medium armor). SECOND OPTION: BARBARIAN 5/ROGUE 5 starting statts str 15 - > +1 lvl 4 dex 14 con 13 (15 racial) -> +1 lvl 8 int 14 wis 8 cha 8 (6 racial) Brief Spec description: I would take the spiked chain as a weapon of choice and with barbarian rage become a "trip machine" due to high str and dwarf stability bonus.. maybe take combat reflexes and, with some dex buffing (gloves of dexterity), make it a cool crowd controller. Pro: - would take advantage of dwarf stability feat and barbarian rage to trip, trip, trip the opponent. - medium skill points due to the many rogue levels.. should be able to nearly max out all the abilities i need with carefull planning. - rouge and barbarian levels should stack for determining uncanny dodge imminuty to sneak attacks - fast movement would speed up that lazy dwarven ass (ranger longstriter would do about the same, but only with at least 11 wisdom and higher level). - medium armor (no speed penalty due to dwarf). Cons: - doesn't take full advantage of sneak attack damage since it doesn't dual wield THIRD OPTION: WARRIOR 8/ROGUE 2 starting statts str 16 -> +1 lvl 4, +1 lvl 8 dex 13 con 8 (10 racial) int 16 wis 8 cha 8 (6 racial) Brief Spec description: As with barbarian spec i would go for a spiked chain, with almost as much STR (no rage, but better starting stat) about same damage (maybe more with weapon specialization) and so many talents i can get whirlwind attack. pro: - high str from start due to limited attribute focus - heavy armor (no speed penalty due to dwarf, can be removed to open chests/disable traps) - a lot of talents and, thus, chance to get whirlwind attack (i know it's a kinda "situational talent" yet it just rocks the house with the spike chain!) - doesn't waste too much sneak attack damage (since it's only 1d6) Cons: - awkward skill raising (with 7 skill points per level but all those cross-class skills when you take a warrior level you'll just be able to raise disable device/open lock and half search to keep em maxed.. even survival will seem like a luxury). So, what do you think it's the most viable spec? have any suggestion?
Third option will not have enough skills to open locks or disable traps in most cases throughout the game, since DC is pretty high, so I'd get rid of it unless you give it more rogue levels. Remember that option 1 could have a multiclass XP penalty. Also, you only need Wis 11 to cast 1st level ranger spells, iirc, and that's how much you get at level 6.
With 6 sp per level i would be able to raise 3 cross class skills to top (search, disable device, open lock) that should be enough. Yet i wa thinking that maybe i could go for: warrior x/barbarian 1/rogue 1 technically since the favored class "doesn't count" towards the xp penalty thinghie I should be alright that way.. adding that sweet fast movement and barbarian rage..
No such class as Warrior, I presume you mean Fighter. Basically in answer to your question I'd have to use the Irish, "If I wanted to get there I wouldn't start from here". Let me explain. What's good about Dwarves is that they are tough - extra Con and +2 versus spells/poison. Rogues are dextrous & intelligent. Mismatch. A Dwarf's Favored Class is Fighter. Fighters have poor skill points, so too many levels of Fighter is going to cripple your Rogue skills. That said you can get away with idea 1, and providing you stick to level 10 max you can get away without an XP Penalty providing your last level is Ranger. The problem I have with it is that, skills aside, you'd be better with a Dwarven Ranger going the Str/Con route, but that would bugger your skills. Anyway if you do go that route I would certainly lower Wisdom, not bother with Cha, and increase Con. Remembering that your TWF skills only work in Light Armor I would still increase Dex over Str and take Weapon Finesse at level 3. Levelling would be Rogue/Ranger 2/Rogue 2/Ranger 2/Rogue/Ranger2. Stats maybe Str12/Dex16+2/Con12/Int14/Wis11/Cha6. IIRC Spiked Chain is a Finessable Weapon.
