Very New Player running a rogue need build advice

[ValonSunbeam]

Just started playing joined a guild. looking for quests and advice on playing a rogue.

Dex based two weapon and great crossbow.

[PrimalConcreteSledge]

Just started playing joined a guild. looking for quests and advice on playing a rogue.

Dex based two weapon and great crossbow.

First, if you want to use crosbow, you should be int based - that's the stat you can use to boost crosbow dmg. Secondly, repeater crosbows are better for a rogue, you get sneak attack dmg per bolt and those fire 3 bolts in one shot. Also, int is used for assassinate - rogues instant kill ability.

[unbongwah]

See my Mechassin thread.

[CThruTheEgo]

unbongwah's thread should give you a good start. There's a halfling version in there if you don't have drow.

Something important for any new rogue to understand is how to do traps. To spot and search traps, you just need to have your skill up to a specific number based on the trap, there is no roll involved. You either have the skill high enough to spot/search it or you don't. To disable, your skill is combined with a d20 roll. If your skill plus roll is above the trap DC, then you disable it. If your skill plus roll is below the trap DC but not by more than 4, then you fail to disable it and you can try again. If your skill plus roll is 5 or more points below the trap DC then you get a critical failure and you blow the trap box (causing damage to you and anyone close enough) and cannot try to disable it again. So it is important to know how to maximize your skills when needed.

Be sure to max ranks in spot, search, disable, and open locks. Then carry the max item at your level for each of those skills (eagle for spot, minute seeing for search, disabling for disable, and escaping for open locks). You will want to wear your spot item all the time so you always get the bonus, but you only need to swap in the others when you need to use them. Also carry a stack of int pots (called foxes cunning iirc) until you can get a +4 or higher int item, heroism pots, and +5 thieves tools. You can ask your guildies if they can help you acquire those or post here what server you are on and someone will likely be willing to help you out. There are other ways to boost your skills, such as good luck and greater heroism, but this is enough to get you started and will allow you to get the majority of traps in the game at level.

Pro tip: Arrange your buffs, gear, and skills on a single hotbar in the order that you will use them so you can just click quickly down the line to do all your trapping.

heroism pot -> int pot -> search item -> search skill -> disable item -> disable skill -> open lock item -> open lock skill

Groups don't like to wait for traps to get disabled, so the faster you get them done the better. If a group can handle a fight without me, I'll even pull out of combat to get traps/open doors so they are done before the battle is over. And don't get upset if a group simply goes right through a trap and leaves you behind while your getting it. In a lot of groups, the only reason you will be getting traps is for the xp bonus, not for getting past them.

I hope that makes sense and is helpful. Enjoy your rogue.