Tips for rogue soloing

[Donovitch]

Been using this build http://forums.ddo.com/showpost.php?p=2782313&postcount=5
I'm currently level 3 and I have been having some issues soloing 'all' the objectives of the quests I've been doing.

To an extent I expected this, given that rogues have always been more on the side of glass canons that rely on others to take the hits or otherwise just avoid them entirely.

What I am asking is to what extent I should avoid enemies entirely, when I should just call it for a quest/dungeon, and when it would be more worth it to start finding a semi-regular dungeon running group?

[Bodic]

First please go here (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=274155). I think it is the most concise Thread for a Rogue to learn with.

Second, tell me you are sword and board or THF(two handed fighting) @ lvl3 your 2hit score is in the tank for TWF (two weapon fighting).

Third, try a little sneaky sneaky keep them in small groups. you need to use your bluff and diplomacy skills to maintain SA. SA is not really needed much at lvl 3 if you you are jsut creaming them with a greatsword or Great axe.

Fourth a little more info would be nice.

[Donovitch]

First please go here (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=274155). I think it is the most concise Thread for a Rogue to learn with.

Second, tell me you are sword and board or THF(two handed fighting) @ lvl3 your 2hit score is in the tank for TWF (two weapon fighting).

Third, try a little sneaky sneaky keep them in small groups. you need to use your bluff and diplomacy skills to maintain SA. SA is not really needed much at lvl 3 if you you are jsut creaming them with a greatsword or Great axe.

Fourth a little more info would be nice.
1. Been there already :D
2. as the build I link dictates I am dual wielding with TWF and weapon finesse (dual +1 rapiers)
3. I am have been truly soloing most quests so diplomacy does little good since I am the only hostile target for the enemies and Bluff is not in the build at all.
4. Been having difficulties getting past some extremely crowded tunnels, maintaining stealth when going past certain groups when an ooze or spider elsewhere gets a fix on me, and managing to kill certain bosses with lots of support (understandable, I just need to know when to call it and if I can manage certain situations).

[JollySwagMan]

A stack of Summon Monster 1 scrolls can prove most helpful in providing cannon fodder for you to get those sneak attacks in :)

Also here is a thread with some helpful stealth tactics:

http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=317786

[Arianrhod]

TWF even on a low level rogue is ok as long as you keep your to-hit number positive. If it's going into the negatives, switch to single-weapon or weapon & shield (small masterwork or magical, or large mithral, so as to avoid non-proficiency penalty - if there's no armor check penalty, non-proficiency penalty won't affect your to-hit)

For those crowded tunnels, my rogue will sneak attack the first one then start tumbling backwards to keep from getting surrounded. If there are casters, get around a corner and kill of the melees that chase you if possible. If you get backed into a corner, sometimes jumping over the crowd can get you a little more room to maneuver.

For oozes - kite them with a bow, use cheap clubs, or punch them barehanded if you don't have a Muckbane (just don't keep shooting once you start running into slimes - spliting them gets annoying)

[Bodic]

A stack of Summon Monster 1 scrolls can prove most helpful in providing cannon fodder for you to get those sneak attacks in :)


or wind gems :( and Hirelings are nice too.

now back to what I said. DROP THE OFF HAND WEAPON.

with only TWF you get 40% off hand proc and a serious drop to your attack bonus hefting a rapier <DPS of a Two Hander or single sword and board is king.
I would say no matter your build/class running around with a greataxe is a fair idea until lvl 8.

I go either way if I am having 2hit issues(me hitting them/them hitting me) I bring on the sword n board, otherwise its all about the GREATAXE. I even still S&B in Sands as I know it still can maintain a fair AC.

I don't know if you are talking harbor or island quests all are relatively easy

[thwart]

When I solo I bring a hireling cleric along. Either park him at the entrance and call him when you need him or bring him with you and when he gets some aggro ... you can get sneak attack bonus.

Also, I found that a dex based weapon finesse rogue was far less desirable then a strength based rogue. Wants I went strength based I did a lot more damage and soloing became a lot easier. It really becomes about damage. I also agree about TWF ... at early levels a sturdy two handed weapon is often much better until your to hit bonuses get higher.

[EnjoyTheJourney]

A few thoughts came to mind.

First, until you have Oversized Two Weapon Fighting, your to hit will be in the tank with anything other than a light weapon (ie: a dagger) in your off hand; your character is too young for dual rapiers. Second, if you have both Two Weapon Fighting and Weapon Finesse at level 3, then unless your character is human, you haven't yet taken Toughness. That could go a long way toward explaining the difficulties you're having, although if you're human and you've taken toughness, then clearly that's not an issue.

I have a level 4 assassin-in-training with Toughness and Weapon Finesse as feats (halfling), who is currently using "Sword and Board", with a +1 Chitin shield so that he has no armor check penalties (found the shield by pure luck). Until your to hit is sufficiently high, you'll survive better with rapier + shield than you will dual wielding weapons.

[Donovitch]

so rapier/shield, 2 hander, rapier/dagger maybe?

[Arvess]

1. Been there already :D
2. as the build I link dictates I am dual wielding with TWF and weapon finesse (dual +1 rapiers)
3. I am have been truly soloing most quests so diplomacy does little good since I am the only hostile target for the enemies and Bluff is not in the build at all.
4. Been having difficulties getting past some extremely crowded tunnels, maintaining stealth when going past certain groups when an ooze or spider elsewhere gets a fix on me, and managing to kill certain bosses with lots of support (understandable, I just need to know when to call it and if I can manage certain situations).

I solo my mechanic and bluff is hella useful. You can pick apart mobs of guys. Generate sneak damage. It works on bosses...but not undead bosses. or regular udead...sometimes.

I bluff all the time when I get aggro. When I don't. When I need to separate a mob. Bluff rocks.

[Donovitch]

well I went with a rapier/shortsword (same chance to hit as rapier/dagger) it seems to help some. I am just curious how useful bluff is considering the stickied rogue build guide doesn't have it at all..

[Phemt81]

so rapier/shield, 2 hander, rapier/dagger maybe?

Exactly, but at low level the penalty will be ugly anyway.

Also, if you like to sneak (attack), you just don't need (yet) TWF to do good damage ;)

[nerdychaz]

See the assassin guide in my thread. It is not concise, but it is thorough.

Rogues really can't solo that well until they are very well geared. For a rogue to solo well, you need a radiance II greensteel weapon. This will allow you to get sneak attacks while holding aggro.

[Arvess]

well I went with a rapier/shortsword (same chance to hit as rapier/dagger) it seems to help some. I am just curious how useful bluff is considering the stickied rogue build guide doesn't have it at all..

I'm pretty sure the build was created before the bluff redesign. In the past it was this long animation that maybe got you 1 hit of sneak attack. and it didn't make mobs come to you. So it stank. And it wouldn't be in anyone's build ...ever. But they redid the bluff feat and its very useful. Still, if you want to keep to advice thats 18 months old, that's cool.

[Enoach]

When dealing with mobs you cannot get around due too:

Part of Quest - Must kill
close hallway no way to get by


Then one option is to put on some armor - Every class at level 3 can get a decent AC to protect themselves and than conduct yourself for the brief time as a tactic fighter - use bluff and diplomacy to crowd control and gain occational sneak bonus.

With UMD you have Other options:

Charm wands are cheap, can be found in chests. Charm the one furthest away and than sneak in from behind.
If going with robes, use Mage Armor scrolls/wands plus Shield scrolls/wands. This can boost your AC upto 8 points.
false life and aid (wands/scrolls)
Bears/Bulls (wands/scrolls) <- Boost HP/Str
Rage/Haste scrolls <- if UMD is high enough
Web/Obscuring mist/Grease scrolls
summon monster 1 & 2 scrolls

[destiny4405]

take power attack, turn it on and quarterstaff your way to lvl 12 :)

[Donovitch]

I'm pretty sure the build was created before the bluff redesign. In the past it was this long animation that maybe got you 1 hit of sneak attack. and it didn't make mobs come to you. So it stank. And it wouldn't be in anyone's build ...ever. But they redid the bluff feat and its very useful. Still, if you want to keep to advice thats 18 months old, that's cool.
So because of this, would yall suggest that I reroll? I mean I am certainly new enough that when yall say how "good" bluff is I have no idea at all, heck I was interested in having a helf rogue with a dille in a class that I can get early scrolls with.

[Mavnas]

My approach was: Be a halfling, have a high AC, have dragonmarks. It worked pretty well for low levels, but depending on what kind of groups you get later on you might want to swap those feats out. (If you don't have a regular group and your healers tend to suck, being able to fully heal yourself pretty quickly is very nice; it's also very nice if you're in a not very squishy group that has little other healing or for soloing wilderness areas.)

If you don't plan on TRing you'll almost certainly swap those out for a bit more DPS in groups at high level. If you are doing what I did and TRing as soon as you hit 20, you might just keep them. Optimization of DPS becomes less important than being able to keep running dungeons late at night with sub-optimal groups and just get to 20.

[Aragorn41]

I've played many rogues from level 1 to cap. It's not that hard to solo at low level, just need the tactics to win. Read the posts above for starters, and read the rogue guide "Notes From a Dancing Rogue" on these forums.

My first suggestion is use bluff!!!!! It was changed recently to be VERY useful to any solo rogue! Second, try looking at the new Runestones in Cannith Crafting, the flash one works pretty good even up to Sorrowdusk Isle. It can blind and daze a single target, equals more sneak attack, then bluff on a different target, kinda like getting two bluffs for free LOL. Try using Summon monster 1 to draw aggro, then run in for the kill.

Hope you keep trying, rogues are a fun class to play, just takes a bit to learn the ropes with them.

[Arvess]

So because of this, would yall suggest that I reroll? I mean I am certainly new enough that when yall say how "good" bluff is I have no idea at all, heck I was interested in having a helf rogue with a dille in a class that I can get early scrolls with.

I think people have lived without bluff and rogued and soloed and succeeded. If you are new, and decently along your career path, I'd go on without it. I did in my past life. Its why I appreciate it now. It won't break the game. It makes things somewhat easier. If you run into a wall with your toon and want to start over, try out a good bluff score.

There are other ways to get sneak as a soloist. Some are quite clever. Necessity is the mother of invention and its fun to figure out a playstyle that works.

[EnjoyTheJourney]

If your rogue is human and already has the toughness feat, then you're in better shape to just keep moving ahead, instead of re-rolling. If your rogue is not human, with the weapon finesse and two weapon fighting as the first two chosen feats, then you might find it more of a slog to get to level 6, at which point you could finally take the toughness feat.

If you do re-roll and stick with a finesse build, then consider taking toughness at level 1, weapon finesse at level 3, and two weapon fighting feats starting from level 6 onward. You can take the "Improved Critical: Piercing" feat at level 12, and then Greater Two Weapon Fighting at 15.

My own halfling assassin-in-training is very young (only level 4), but he is a solo character and when soloing bluff is proving to be very, very helpful; it allows me to pull out mobs and separate them from others, as well as making mobs temporarily vulnerable to sneak attacks. Still, if you consistently group, then diplomacy might serve you better than bluff.

[katana_one]

Been experimenting with some low-level Rogues lately, actually.

First, yes, Bluff is now useful! If you're planning on soloing a lot, then take Bluff instead of Diplomacy. If you're planning on grouping, then stick with Diplomacy. If your build has the skill points to spare, then take both.

Use Bluff to get in extra sneaky damage. Use it to pull single targets out of a large mob and mug them around the corner. It's fun!

I've also been playing with a STR build that has both Stun and Sap. Still undecided on the build, but it has come in handy a couple of times - sneak up to a group of critters, Sap the caster. Caster is out for 30 seconds because it was a Sneak Attack, then Stun the next guy, if he fails his save, he's out for a few seconds, too. Move on the the third guy and Trip him. If that fails? Bluff him and stab him in the kidneys! By the time you finish him off, your stunned guy is starting to wake up - kill him quick. Then finish off the caster who's been standing there drooling on himself the whole time. It's been an interesting experiment, that's for sure.

[nerdychaz]

I must also concur on the quarterstaff use. Quarterstaffs and other two handed weapons allow for a much higher base damage, and thus, make soloing way easier.

[Falco_Easts]

Easiest way is to just bring a hireling (divines are aways handy). Sneak along until the monsters see your hireling, come out of hiding and stab away with full sneak attack damage as they run past.

[Donovitch]

Well know that I have gathered all this info and I have decided to reroll an h-elf what would be the best Dille feat for a new rogue? Wizard or Art for self buffing? some dille for healing UMD stuff until my UMD is higher?

[Angelus_dead]

so rapier/shield, 2 hander, rapier/dagger maybe?
No level 3 character should use two weapons at once. Either use a shield or a greataxe, but don't try to TWF. Even if the lower AC and attack rolls weren't a problem, the small proc rate of left hand attacks would make it barely worthwhile.

The fact that TWF is ineffective at low levels is a design flaw in the game.


Well know that I have gathered all this info and I have decided to reroll an h-elf what would be the best Dille feat for a new rogue? Wizard or Art for self buffing? some dille for healing UMD stuff until my UMD is higher?
Taking a dilettante to provide you with use of wands/scrolls is pretty pointless. Good ones would be Monk or Paladin, but they have stat requirements you probably wouldn't reach.

[Philibusta]

Weird.

I've rolled quite a few fighters and rogues that are TWF...even at low levels...both human and non-human...

Never really had a problem killing stuff.

In fact, with rogues especially, it's not till about level 6 or 7 that I even start having a problem with to-hit. Mostly, these days, that's due to the fact that good low-level weapons have been pillaged from the AH and pawn brokers by crafting addicts.