Ronin - 13 Rogue/7 Paladin - 32 Point

[TreknaQudane]

As with all of my characters, I preface it with this simple statement. This is not the most optimized character plan nor do I wish it to be. I like making characters based on a theme. The theme for this character is the Ronin Prestige Class, sort of a dishonorable warrior. Information about the Ronin Prestige Class can be found in the Complete Warrior

Designed with level 20 in mind, this character will have full rogue skills for Disable, Search, UMD, a good chunk of Open Lock and Spot. This is by no means a trap monkey, the skills are there as a safety net if a more capable rogue cannot be found. Hide and Move Silently are at/near cap due to my playstyle. This is, a waste to most players, a sword and board rogue. Unlike traditional rogues, this Ronin build has full Intimidate, mostly to save squishier characters than I who pull aggro. Bluff, and Improved Feint in turn, allow me to deal Sneak Attacks (and Sap Strength due to Crippling Strike) while having aggro.

In regards to HP, this character will be able to easly get near 400 Hit Points with room to improve. Saves are decent with the lowest being 27 but backed up by Slippery Mind to allow rerolls of saves versus enchantments. Due to the relatively high hitpoints for a rogue type, I'm skipping Improved Evasion for Slippery Mind. The plan is to take both the Thief-Acrobat 2 Prestige Enhancement and Defender of Syberis 1. Exalted Smite 1, Extra Smite 2, and Divine Sacrifice are definites from the Paladin side of things, with the rogue going to invest in Sneak Attack Damage. The end result, I hope, will be a Durable Rogue with a somewhat decent AC, Good Saves, and the ability to deal with pulling aggro besides 'running away'

Additional Note: Tome usage below is rather minimal, since I can only guarantee +1 tomes, in all likely hood, Higher level tomes will be used. The +2 Int is to be used before level 2. Towershield used below is Levik's Defender, used with Levik's Bracers. Currently planned to have 7 Paladin levels, only six are required. The last Paladin level could be replaced but a level of Fighter or another class for the feats.

Quick Stats planned for level 20

STR 28 HP: 390
DEX 24 MP: Not worth mentioning
CON 22 BAB: 16
INT 16 Saves: 30/32/27
WIS 8
CHA 22

Skills
Max: Intimidate, Bluff, Disable Device, Search, UMD, Hide, Move Silently
Some: Open Lock, Spot
Litte: Balance, Tumple, swim, Jump

Feats:
Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, Toughness, Force of Personality, Power Attacks, Cleave, Improved Critical: Slashing, Towershield Prof., Crippling Strike, Slippery Mind
7d6+12 Sneak Attack

Longer Breakdown


Ability Scores:
STR 28 (+9) = 15 Base + 5 Level + 6 Item + 1 Enhancement + 1 Inherent
DEX 24 (+7) = 14 Base + Level + 6 Item + 3 Enhancement + 1 Inherent
CON 22 (+7) = 14 Base + Level + 6 Item + 1 Enhancement + 1 Inherent
INT 16 (+3) = 14 Base + Level + Item + Enhancement + 2 Inherent
WIS 8 (-1) = 8 Base + Level + Item + Enhancement + Inherent
CHA 22 (+6) = 14 Base + Level + 6 Item + 1 Enhancement + 1 Inherent

HP:
78 Base(Rogue)
70 Base(Paladin)
20 Feat(Heroic Durability)
10 Feat(Draconic Vitality)
22 Feat(Toughness)
40 Enhancement(Toughness)
30 Item(Greater Falselife)
120 Stat(Constitution)
---
390 Total

MP: Not relevant, but enough for a few lesser restores.

Saves:
4/ 8/ 4 Base(Rogue)
5/ 2/ 2 Base(Paladin)
6/ 6/ 6 Feat(Divine Grace)
5/ 5/ 5 Resistance(Item)
4/ 4/ 4 Morale(Greater Heroism)
6/ 0/ 0 Stat(Constitution)
0/ 7/ 0 Stat(Dexterity)
0/ 0/ 6 Stat(Charisma)
--------
30/32/27 Total

AC:
10 Base
10 Armor
9 Shield
5 Dexterity
3 Dodge
5 Deflection
4 Insight
3 Barkskin Potion
1 Aura
--
50 Total
5 Combat Expertise
2 Defensive Stance
--
57 Defensive Total
2 Barksin
2 Aura
--
61 Buffed Defensive
6 Imp. Uncanny Dodge
--
67 Not Practical AC, but it could happen

Level Progression:

1 - Rogue - Human: Combat Expertise, Bonus: Improved Feint
2 - Paladin
3 - Paladin- Bonus: Toughness
4 - Rogue
5 - Rogue
6 - Paladin- Bonus: Force of Personality
7 - Paladin
8 - Rogue
9 - Rogue - Bonus: Power Attack
10 - Rogue
11 - Paladin
12 - Paladin- Bonus: Cleave
13 - Rogue
14 - Rogue
15 - Rogue - Bonus: Improved Critical: Slashing
16 - Rogue - Rogue: Crippling Strike
17 - Paladin
18 - Rogue - Bonus: Towershield
19 - Rogue
20 - Rogue - Rogue: Slippery Mind


Comments are Welcome.

[Noctus]

- You loose 4 points of BAB from the 13 rogue levels. You´ll end at BAB 16, not 18.

- Force of Personality is overkill. I´d recommend to swap this feat out for Dodge. That will help your defence much more.

- As you spend a feat on Tower Shield Prof, have you though on substituting the 7th Paladin level with 1 level of Fighter? This would effectively give you 2 (!) bonus feats.

[TreknaQudane]

- You loose 4 points of BAB from the 13 rogue levels. You´ll end at BAB 16, not 18.


Thats what I get for doing that by hand.

[TreknaQudane]

Playing through this character, I just reached level six.

I decided to take Force of Personality, for now. I'll have the free feat respec from the Dragonmark Quest to swap it out to something else later. What the swapped feat will be is up in the air at the moment, but the extra will while leveling without good items is definitely useful. Least Dragonmark of the Sentinel, Dodge, SF: UMD... I'll see how it goes from here.