Design a House Phiarlan spy

[Javoryn]

I've been having fun with this, but there are just so many options and I'm a little lost. I'd like to hear your versions!

Desires:
- Elf, Least Dragonmark of Shadow or higher (Phiarlan flavor)
- Uses either a quarterstaff or fights unarmed
- Respectable melee prowess
- High end trap skills
- High end stealth
- At least "viable" from 1 to 25 both solo and grouped

The acrobat PrE just screams Phiarlan and looks good, but I have this nagging feeling that the quarterstaff just will not be competitive with unarmed, damage-wise. At least when sneak attacks enter the picture. Ninja Spy also has that shadowy operative feel that I'm going for.

I'm asking a lot with only a very general list of what I want from this char, but if someone feels like it I would definitely love to hear your ideas.

[Sillk]

I've been having fun with this, but there are just so many options and I'm a little lost. I'd like to hear your versions!

Desires:
- Elf, Least Dragonmark of Shadow or higher (Phiarlan flavor)
- Uses either a quarterstaff or fights unarmed
- Respectable melee prowess
- High end trap skills
- High end stealth
- At least "viable" from 1 to 25 both solo and grouped

The acrobat PrE just screams Phiarlan and looks good, but I have this nagging feeling that the quarterstaff just will not be competitive with unarmed, damage-wise. At least when sneak attacks enter the picture. Ninja Spy also has that shadowy operative feel that I'm going for.

Make sure you have Sunder on your hotbar, and use it often. The attack animation with a quarterstaff is excellent, even if it won't be a useful attack for you. (some of it is about looking cool!)

I'm asking a lot with only a very general list of what I want from this char, but if someone feels like it I would definitely love to hear your ideas.

Consider Druid 7 (for the Fatal Harrier Enhancement), Rogue 12 (Rogue Acrobat II Prestige), Monk 1 (Wind Stance). Use Quarterstaffs with Radience -- or take 13 Rogue levels for additional backstab damage, but I like the wind stance instead.

Half-Orc with a starting Strength of 20, Con 16, Int 12, Dex as high as you can get depending on what life you're on, and dump the rest.

Take Quicken, and the Two Handed Fighting Feats, Power Attack,

Max UMD, Balance, Bluff, Search & Disable... A lot into Open Lock. At least 1 into Tumble.

Enhancements, get your Half Orc Strength, Two Handed Fighting & Power Attack Enhancements, as well as Backstab Damage & Haste Boost from your Rogue Levels.

Use Sunder when you're in a party, because the attack animation with Quarterstaffs is excellent. (sometimes it's just about looking cool!)

If you're soloing, a dropping a Quickened Sleet Storm would be brutal.

[Talon_Moonshadow]

From your list of requirements, it sounds like you want an Acrobat.


IMO, a Phiarlan spy should probably be a Bard.

But a Rogue or a mage who uses Illusion spells would also fit.

Dragon marks would fit, but are most useful on classes that cannot cast those spells in another way..... like a Rogue.

Elves also make good Rangers, and some Ranger skills would be appropriate too. But Rangers tend to be wilderness focussed, which I think does not fit the Phiarlan Spy image.


All I know of Eberron is from DDO. You might get ideas from the PnP D&D Eberron books.... somewhere there should be a discussion about house Phiarlan.

[unbongwah]

Shadow Ninja strikes!

[Artos_Fabril]

Consider Druid 7 (for the Fatal Harrier Enhancement), Rogue 12 (Rogue Acrobat II Prestige), Monk 1 (Wind Stance). Use Quarterstaffs with Radience -- or take 13 Rogue levels for additional backstab damage, but I like the wind stance instead.

You prefer 7.5% haste (less than an item of alacrity) and 2.5% double strike over improved evasion or opportunist?

In my opinion, Monk is iffy because it requires you to be lawful. A spy shouldn't be second guessing accomplishing her mission just because she has to bend some rules. Here is a monk version anyway, because it meets all your other requirements and is more playable.

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 03.14.02
DDO Character Planner Home Page

Level 20 Lawful Neutral Elf Female
(6 Monk \ 13 Rogue \ 1 Wizard) 
Hit Points: 252
Spell Points: 160 
BAB: 13\13\18\23
Fortitude: 12
Reflex: 18
Will: 11

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(32 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             14                    21
Dexterity            16                    21
Constitution         14                    16
Intelligence         14                    16
Wisdom                8                    10
Charisma             12                    14

Tomes Used
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 7
+2 Tome of Dexterity used at level 7
+2 Tome of Constitution used at level 7
+2 Tome of Intelligence used at level 7
+2 Tome of Wisdom used at level 7
+2 Tome of Charisma used at level 7

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance               7                    24
Bluff                 5                    25
Concentration         2                    25
Diplomacy             1                     2
Disable Device        6                    26
Haggle                1                     4
Heal                 -1                     0
Hide                  6                    13
Intimidate            1                     2
Jump                  6                    17
Listen               -1                     2
Move Silently         7                    30
Open Lock             7                    21
Perform               n/a                   n/a
Repair                2                     3
Search                6                    28
Spot                  3                    25
Swim                  2                     5
Tumble                4                    12
Use Magic Device      5                    25

Level 1 (Rogue)
Feat: (Selected) Least Dragonmark of Shadow


Level 2 (Rogue)


Level 3 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Dodge
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Two Weapon Fighting


Level 4 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Precision


Level 5 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Path) Path of Inevitable Dominion: Fists of Darkness


Level 6 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Lesser Dragonmark of Shadow


Level 7 (Monk)


Level 8 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Toughness


Level 9 (Rogue)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Two Weapon Fighting


Level 10 (Rogue)


Level 11 (Rogue)


Level 12 (Rogue)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Bludgeoning Weapons


Level 13 (Rogue)


Level 14 (Rogue)


Level 15 (Rogue)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Dragonmark of Shadow


Level 16 (Rogue)
Feat: (Rogue Bonus) Improved Evasion


Level 17 (Rogue)


Level 18 (Rogue)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Two Weapon Fighting


Level 19 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Extend Spell


Level 20 (Rogue)
Feat: (Rogue Bonus) Opportunist
Enhancement: Rogue Damage Boost I
Enhancement: Rogue Damage Boost II
Enhancement: Rogue Extra Action Boost I
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost II
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost III
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost IV
Enhancement: Extra Dragonmark Use I
Enhancement: Rogue Subtle Backstabbing I
Enhancement: Rogue Subtle Backstabbing II
Enhancement: Rogue Subtle Backstabbing III
Enhancement: Static Charge
Enhancement: Way of the Clever Monkey I
Enhancement: Way of the Clever Monkey II
Enhancement: Monk Improved Recovery I
Enhancement: Monk Ninja Spy I
Enhancement: Adept of Wind
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Rogue Faster Sneaking I
Enhancement: Rogue Thief-Acrobat I
Enhancement: Rogue Thief-Acrobat II
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Accuracy I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training II
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training III
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training IV
Enhancement: Improved Balance I
Enhancement: Improved Balance II
Enhancement: Improved Jump I
Enhancement: Improved Jump II
Enhancement: Improved Tumble I
Enhancement: Improved Tumble II
Enhancement: Rogue Dexterity I
Enhancement: Rogue Dexterity II
Enhancement: Rogue Dexterity III
Enhancement: Rogue Wand and Scroll Mastery I
Enhancement: Rogue Wand and Scroll Mastery II
Enhancement: Rogue Wand and Scroll Mastery III

You will probably never pick up a quarterstaff, 15% faster staff attacks (tested speed of acrobat II speed increase) is going to be substantially less damage than handwraps against any mob you get sneak attacks on, and opportunist+precision give you 35% SA against 100% fort targets, so you'll still probably be better off with handwraps.

Wizard level is for extend metamagic to use with Displace dragonmark. Gives you 50% displacement = 25% incorporeality + 13% buck-naked dodge chance +n% dodge from gear, +50% stacking dodge clicky...

If you get 12% dodge from gear (1%+2%+3%+4%+mobility) you'll have a 72.875% miss chance before AC, or 91.625% miss chance with Improved Uncanny Dodge active, before AC.

You'll also be able to dual wield eEnvenomed blades and remain centered, which is like a better version of the Phiarlain Spy Dagger. (or one eEnvenomed Blade and one radII SS)

You could dump the 1 wiz for 1ftr, gain 16HP and a combat feat in exchange for a couple utility spells and extend.

Epic feats are kind of a mess. You could put 3 level ups into dex instead of str, and get Improved Sneak Attack, but you sacrifice to-hit and damage bonus, or yet another feat for finesse. Other options are CE+Improved Feint, Mobility+Quickdraw, or Quickdraw+Sap. With a +4 STR tome (or a +3 tome and a 34 point build), you could swap wiz for ftr, drop greater dragonmark and extend, and pick up PA, Cleave, GCleave, and OC.

If you have PL: Druid, you could go with 10 STR, and (17 minus tomes) dex starting and pump wis, locking yourself into using flameblades. Thematically, that sounds great since you'd be a spy who's always got their prefered weapon handy, but playing it in DDO would be... very suboptimal.

[parowan]

This is a fun idea, and I'd lean toward a Rog13/Bard7 - assassin and maybe virtuoso. Mostly for the flavor. With a spy dagger being required equipment. Finesse and max int for assassinate. Fascinate/enthrall and assassinate. Not an optimal toon but could have max perform and high assassinate dc. Would be high utility and survivable - but not much help against bosses. Oh, and of course you'd have to be an elf. Duh.

In any case, if you really want to play a phiarlan spy all you have to do is pike at the entrance, then once the party clears the way you can walk up to the boss, deliver your speech, claim the credit, and then go cash in your paycheck.

[Sillk]

You prefer 7.5% haste (less than an item of alacrity) and 2.5% double strike over improved evasion or opportunist?

In my opinion, Monk is iffy because it requires you to be lawful. A spy shouldn't be second guessing accomplishing her mission just because she has to bend some rules. Here is a monk version anyway, because it meets all your other requirements and is more playable.

No, I'm thinking he's looking for a flavor Rogue using quarterstaffs, so I'm going after the melee alacrity route.

15 Haste
30 Rogue Haste Boost
15 Acrobat
25 Harrier
2.5 Wind Stance (i think)

For nearly 90% melee alacrity on a backstabbing strength based rogue, using a two hander. With a quickened sleet storm, stunning blow, or radiance quarterstaff increasing the opportunity to get backstab damage.

Good damage, and looks cool.