1st assassin

[akiraproject24]

Hi guys, my first toon ever was a gimped trapmonkey rogue back when the cap was 10...I was that rogue that blew boxes in deleras and couldnt damage anything anyhow ...Im lookin to TR my str ranger as since the release of FB and kensai. and the speed nerf to tempests..he is not at the top of line as far as dps builds (anymore) I watched an assassin ownin in epic chrono the other day and want to try something different. What kinda int we talkin bout? Gear isnt gonna be an issue but as one whos never used a planner...I need to utilize your opinions on good starting stats for a 34 pt assassin...gonna either go human, wf or horc?

[RJBsComputer]

The First Rule of rolling a Rogue is that Str, Dex, and Con are not DUMP STATS.
The Second Rule of being a Rogue is that it is spelled R-O-G-U-E. rouge is a make-up.
The Third Rule of being a Rogue is NO ONE TALKS ABOUT BEING A ROGUE.

For Con you will need 12 to 14.
For Assassin DC rolls, you want to be around 12 to 14 on Int.

Assassin I has no strength to it and a lot don't take the Assassin line until Teir 2 or Level 12.

As for a Str Build or a Dex Build, well, stand on top of a very tell ladder, because that is when the monkey bombs fly. Right now, the Acrane and Divine buffs support the Str Build. So if you are wanting to be on the high DPS side, a Str Build might be what you are looking for. As for Dex Builds They still beneifit from the Str buffs too, but they trade a higher AC to be one step (swing) behind in DPS. However, it is still hard to tell the difference between someone playing a Str or Dex build if you don't ask them.

Now is where the Rogue proves to be the exception to the rule. The Rogue's main DPS comes from Backstabbing Damage. What does this mean? It means, a Rogue doesn't need to use Khopeshes to get high DPS. It is another topic in the Rogue Forums that you need to stand on a ladder for too.

Now Draccus has put together a very good general information thread on how build a Rogue. It is a must read.

Str/Dex or Khopesh/Rapier...way to many threads to count and both are extremely polarizing, so good luck with pick how you will go with the build/weapons.

[Rydin_Dirtay]

What kinda int we talkin bout? Gear isnt gonna be an issue but as one whos never used a planner...I need to utilize your opinions on good starting stats for a 34 pt assassin...gonna either go human, wf or horc?

16 16 15 14 8 8 is one stat split on a human

I don't know your tome situation, but the above means you will need a +1 DEX tome prior to level 9 (where you will want to take Improved Two Weapon Fighting).

16 STR is a decent number, will allow a decent on-aggro base number when the situation demands it. 14 INT is very nice and is something the 34-point build allows you to do. 15 CON base on a human would mean you would take the Human Adaptability: CON enhancement, to raise that to the next higher bracket, and opening Toughness III. This, on a human would mean 30 more hp.

You might even consider 17 base CON on a 34-pt human, although this would cut into your INT.

[karl_k0ch]

I TR'd from an old Rogue build into a pure Halfling build, because I have no access to HOrc, I followed the lines of this build. My weapon choice was Rapiers, because I used the extra feat for the rogue past life feat.
Since you do not have PL:Rogue, I think that Khopeshes are the best weapon choice. Any race which starts with an H is fine; dps-wise, we have Half-Orc > Halfling > Human > Half-Elf, where the order for versatility und survivability is rougly the other way around. But all of them are reasonably close to each other.

The starting stats are heavily dependant on your tome situation, especially the access to +3 ones. That and having end game items ready is, in my opinion, one of the biggest advantages playing a TR'd rogue.

For instance, if you have a +3 Dex tome, you could go with

Str 20/Dex 14/Con 15/Int 10/Wis 8/Cha on a half-orc.

This already assumes that you can get an even ending stat in Con. If you can't, you can redistribute build points between Con and Int.

Even with such a low int, you will be able to get enough skill points and be able to deal with 99% of all traps.

And, if you like some reading material; Draccus has a nice Rogue build advice thread, which even contains more links to Rogue introductions, in particular SableShadow's Notes from a Dancing Rogue. I highly recommend reading both guides.

[suszterpatt]

I know I'm going to get flak for this, but I firmly believe that INT is the single most important stat on an Assassin. I'm currently half a level away from capping my Drow Assassin: she started at 18 INT and put all her points there. She'll reach 38 INT at lvl 20 (18 base + 5 stat increases + 6 item + 3 exceptional + 4 tome + 2 ship buff), for an Assassinate DC of 42, currently 40. And let me tell you, mobs in Amrath can still save against it more often than I'd like. And then there'll be epics. Not to mention that one-shotting rednames in quests/explorers can be very helpful (and an immensely satisfying experience).

If that wasn't enough blasphemy for one post, I'd recommend DEX over STR too. Sure, your DPS won't be as high as it could possibly be, but you gain, on average, 3.5 points of damage from Sneak Attack every second level anyway. Plus, Assassinate (with a high DC) is technically infinite DPS, no Barb can beat that. On the other hand, you'll get a better Reflex for dealing with elite/epic traps, and better sneak skills for your Assassinate that'll allow you to solo with ease. That's not to say you should completely dump STR, but a starting score of 12 with a +6 item (I recommend Levik's Bracers for the healing amp), and whatever tome you find will be plenty enough.

[akiraproject24]

appreciate the feedback everyone....I actually took the whisper ring on 20th tod, your rplies have narrowed it down a bit more for me, ty.

[Razcar]

I know I'm going to get flak for this, but I firmly believe that INT is the single most important stat on an Assassin. I'm currently half a level away from capping my Drow Assassin: she started at 18 INT and put all her points there. She'll reach 38 INT at lvl 20 (18 base + 5 stat increases + 6 item + 3 exceptional + 4 tome + 2 ship buff), for an Assassinate DC of 42, currently 40. And let me tell you, mobs in Amrath can still save against it more often than I'd like. And then there'll be epics. Not to mention that one-shotting rednames in quests/explorers can be very helpful (and an immensely satisfying experience).

If that wasn't enough blasphemy for one post, I'd recommend DEX over STR too. Sure, your DPS won't be as high as it could possibly be, but you gain, on average, 3.5 points of damage from Sneak Attack every second level anyway. Plus, Assassinate (with a high DC) is technically infinite DPS, no Barb can beat that.

I think you have saturated the blasphemy per paragraph-ratio.