Drow Pure Rouge Build

[JakLee7]

I am a new player. Only been at it for about 2 months. My main character is a paladin. I took the default build and have been learning to play and having a great time. I don't have cool loot stored (nor am I looking to have people donate things, I enjoying playing and finding things as I go). I am not looking to build to a by the numbers "greatest" rouge dps machine. I like a bit of the roll playing involved and like to build characters like I would in PnP. However I am not normally a rouge player so I would like advice on building a pure rouge (even if their advantages to multi, I would like to build a pure) drow. The main thing I would like to be able to do is find & disable traps and open chests. I understand from reading lots of builds that rouges can do SO much more. If you know of a pure rouge drow trapmonkey focus build I would appreciate it if you would share it. Thanks

[sigtrent]

I don't have a build for that but I can give you basics...

And please don't just make a trap monkey... it really is both kind of boring to play and not all that helpfull to groups. What people really want is equal parts traps and combat. There are a lot more mosnters in quests than traps after all.

Drow make great rogues so it isn't too tough to make a decent Drow Rogue

Balanced Stats
Str 12
Dex 18
Con 12
Int 14
Wis 10
Cha 12

Take Two weapon fighting at frist level, take weapon finesse at level 3
Make sure you max out (Disable Device, (Diplomacy and/or Bluff), Open Lock, Search, Spot, and Use Magic Device. Balance, jump, tumble are all handy as well but don't need to be maxed out to be usefull.

you can change enhacnements fairly cheaply so just play around with those or look at other rogue builds for ideas.

[JakLee7]

well I don't want to be useless but I do want to be able to find & disable EVERY trap in the game, I see alot of builds that say they can do everything except 1. Is there a build that can be usefull & get that last trap too? Focusing on being a trap monkey is not the same as ignoring the rest of the things a rouge can do, its just specializing.

[Rameses]

The cabal trap isn't even worth it. It's just a waste of time.

[Kiranselie]

Agreed

[flatlyne2001]

And don't bother trying to use TWF until at least 3-6 you just won't be very good at it.

[Hvymetal]

And don't bother trying to use TWF until at least 3-6 you just won't be very good at it.

Agree, even if I pick up the feats early due to build I normally don't actually use two weapons till around level six or so, basically when I get improved TWF.

[sigtrent]

And don't bother trying to use TWF until at least 3-6 you just won't be very good at it.

That isn't true. At bab +0 TWF gives you three times as many attacks as if you didn't have it. -2 to hit is definately worth 2 extra attacks.

At bab +1 - +4 it is 3 attacks vs 2. Lets say you need a 10 to hit normaly and 12 with twf. thats two swings at 50% or 3 swings at 40%.. 100% vs 120%. Only if you have a very low attack chance is it not worth while.

At bab +5 its not quite so good but you get ITWF at bab +6 and it turns around again.

Add to that the fact that a rogue can use a Backstab weapon in their off hand. This will increase accuracy and damage on all swings and takes nothing away from the main hand weapon (the off hand weapon will have -1 to its normal magic value for each rank of backstab).

The only reason not to use TWF with a rogue is either you don't have it, or you want to use a shield.

[CSFurious]

& a cleric's worst nightmare

first, ac matters for every melee until about level 6 to 9

+2 adamantine buckler was my drow rogue's best friend until about level 7 or 8

now, at level 9, i just run around in a fearsome robe of axeblock

second, you will not be able to hit anything consistently with your off-hand weapon until after level 6 IMO as a rogue

also, i would submit that if you want to be a good dps rogue that you should take 1 to 2 levels of fighter

toughness is a great feat for level 1

weapon finesse for level 3

i would take a fighter level early and pick up weapon focus: piercing, if you take another fighter level early, you qualify for power critical: piercing well before you can take improved critical: piercing

at level 6, you can start to take twf feats

also, max out the rapier/shortsword damage & attack enhancements, they are great for a dual-wielding drow rogue

drow & halfling are the best races for rogues

however, if you do not have access to 32-pointers, go drow as they are the poor-man's 32-pointer

[Shyver]

1.)toughness is a great feat for level 1

2.)weapon finesse for level 3

3.)i would take a fighter level early and pick up weapon focus: piercing, if you take another fighter level early, you qualify for power critical: piercing well before you can take improved critical: piercing

4.)at level 6, you can start to take twf feats

5.)also, max out the rapier/shortsword damage & attack enhancements, they are great for a dual-wielding drow rogue

6.)drow & halfling are the best races for rogues



1.)Toughness is only a good feat for a rogue if you can access the toughness enhancements of being a dwarf. A feat for 18 hp isn't worth it.

2.) Agree

3.) Both weapon focus: anything, and power critical are wastes of feats. With the drow enhancements, rogue backstabber enhancements, and backstabbing weapons in the game using a feat for a +1 to hit is a waste. The exception would be if you were planning on having Fred switch it to something else later on. Power critical is one of the worse feats introduced into the game ever for any class.

4.) You can take 2-wpn feats before 6. I would just suggest going sword and board untill lvl 6.

5.) Agree

6.) Only if you are trying to hit the cabal trap on elite. All other races make great rogues too. I have a 32pt Battle Rogue that can hit every trap in the game on elite except for that one. I will agree that a Drow rogue will be better than a 28 pt rogue of another race.

[CSFurious]

1) toughness is good for any rogue that takes some fighter levels, 23 extra hitpoints still makes a difference; if you take 4 levels of fighter, that would be 33 extra hitpoints (might be 28)

2) no debate

3) completely agree that Fred should be used to switch these feats out; however, i will submit that at level 9 with the bloodstone, power crit: pierce & a seeker weapon, that i do some serious damage to the enemy, i.e., in some PUG groups i cannot even fight sometimes because not even barbarians can take aggro away from me & with 154 hitpoints ogres & trolls will crush me unless there is either an intimidator or other serious dps'er in the group

4) you can take other combat feats & then use Fred to switch them out; this is easier for veterans but it might be good for a new player to learn about Fred; i took slicing blow to just see what it would do, i will probably switch that out with sap just to see how effective it is

5) no debate

6) i think that drow & halfling are better rogues because they are squishy, i.e., i have a dwarf 10 rogue/4 fighter with 330 hitpoints, after a while, those hitpoints equal lazy, boring play & loss of sneak attack damage due to heavy tanking; i will qualify my statement by saying that drow/halfling make the best assassins due to drow starting int advantage & halfling enhancements


1.)Toughness is only a good feat for a rogue if you can access the toughness enhancements of being a dwarf. A feat for 18 hp isn't worth it.

2.) Agree

3.) Both weapon focus: anything, and power critical are wastes of feats. With the drow enhancements, rogue backstabber enhancements, and backstabbing weapons in the game using a feat for a +1 to hit is a waste. The exception would be if you were planning on having Fred switch it to something else later on. Power critical is one of the worse feats introduced into the game ever for any class.

4.) You can take 2-wpn feats before 6. I would just suggest going sword and board untill lvl 6.

5.) Agree

6.) Only if you are trying to hit the cabal trap on elite. All other races make great rogues too. I have a 32pt Battle Rogue that can hit every trap in the game on elite except for that one. I will agree that a Drow rogue will be better than a 28 pt rogue of another race.

[Shyver]

however, i will submit that at level 9 with the bloodstone, power crit: pierce & a seeker weapon, that i do some serious damage to the enemy, i.e., in some PUG groups i cannot even fight sometimes because not even barbarians can take aggro away from me



Power Critical feat does not add into critical damage. Only items do that. So all that power critical feat is doing is giving you a +4 to confirm the crit, no extra damage. Also the bloodstone and seeker weapons do not stack. It will use whichever modifier is higher.

[CSFurious]

i just got my bloodstone

looks like i am selling off some seekers

i will also switch out the wf & power crit for improved crit & improved twf in the near future

however, does power crit stack with improved crit for +10 & then with the bloodstone for +16? i might have to keep it then because that would be great with an assassin build

thanks for the help


Power Critical feat does not add into critical damage. Only items do that. So all that power critical feat is doing is giving you a +4 to confirm the crit, no extra damage. Also the bloodstone and seeker weapons do not stack. It will use whichever modifier is higher.

[Shyver]

i just got my bloodstone

looks like i am selling off some seekers

i will also switch out the wf & power crit for improved crit & improved twf in the near future

however, does power crit stack with improved crit for +10 & then with the bloodstone for +16? i might have to keep it then because that would be great with an assassin build

thanks for the help

Power critical would stack with the bloodstone for +10 to CONFIRM crits. But you would only get the +6 from the bloodstone added into the base damage on a critical hit before mutiplier. Improved critical does nothing for your seeker, but doubles the crit range of your weapon. Example: Rapier becomes 15-20 instead of 18-20.

[CSFurious]

however, i am keeping power crit for now because with the bloodstone that means that i dual-wield with every weapon +10 seeker

IMO that is awesome at level 9


Power critical would stack with the bloodstone for +10 to CONFIRM crits. But you would only get the +6 from the bloodstone added into the base damage on a critical hit before mutiplier. Improved critical does nothing for your seeker, but doubles the crit range of your weapon. Example: Rapier becomes 15-20 instead of 18-20.

[Shyver]

however, i am keeping power crit for now because with the bloodstone that means that i dual-wield with every weapon +10 seeker

IMO that is awesome at level 9

Just keep in mind that all seeker (from your power critical) does is help confirm if you crit or not.

1.) You roll 1d20 and if you fall withing your crit range 18-20 you get a chance to crit. (we'll say rapier since we're talking about a dex build)

2.) You then get a "behind the scenes/phantom" roll of 1d20. On that roll you only have to hit the mob, not fall between the crit range. If on the "phantom" roll you hit then you CONFIRM your first critical roll and do critical damage.

3.) On that phantom roll is where that +10 seeker (+6 seeker bloodstone, +4 confirm power critical) comes in. If you are not having any problems hitting to begin with then that extra +4 on the confirm roll isn't getting you much.

4.) If your critical roll is confirmed by the "phantom" roll then the Bloodstone (seeker +6) would add 6 damage into the base damage before the multipier. So it really gives you an extra +12 (x2 crit multiplier on rapiers) damage on a crit.

So if you are not missing very much to begin with then you don't need the extra +4 to confirm and should be alright with just the bloodstone.

[Aspenor]

Just keep in mind that all seeker does is help confirm if you crit or not.

I think you meant "power critical" here, not seeker.

Seeker adds to base damage on a critical hit as well as adding to the die roll to confirm. Power critical only adds +4 to the confirmation roll and not damage.

[Shyver]

I think you meant "power critical" here, not seeker.

Seeker adds to base damage on a critical hit as well as adding to the die roll to confirm. Power critical only adds +4 to the confirmation roll and not damage.

Yeah I corrected it to make it more clear.

[EKKM]

I am a new player. Only been at it for about 2 months. My main character is a paladin. I took the default build and have been learning to play and having a great time. I don't have cool loot stored (nor am I looking to have people donate things, I enjoying playing and finding things as I go). I am not looking to build to a by the numbers "greatest" rouge dps machine. I like a bit of the roll playing involved and like to build characters like I would in PnP. However I am not normally a rouge player so I would like advice on building a pure rouge (even if their advantages to multi, I would like to build a pure) drow. The main thing I would like to be able to do is find & disable traps and open chests. I understand from reading lots of builds that rouges can do SO much more. If you know of a pure rouge drow trapmonkey focus build I would appreciate it if you would share it. Thanks

Rouge: a type of make up
Rogue: a character class in DnD,

Sorry, pet peeve of mine