Attack and damage with Dex [Archive] - Wizards Community

Attack and damage with Dex [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
MrPoor
08-26-07, 11:08 PM I'm rolling a 1 rogue/13 Swordsage and I'm trying to figure out my stats and gear to get a viable character in a campaign. I've never been good at balancing out stats on classes that need most of them at decent levels. As a high Dex character who needs Wis for AC and a decent Cha for Leadership (DM is making me take a cohort heal-bot), whats a good way of getting the attack bonus and damage up when there aren't many points in Str? Are there better gear choices than the simple Gloves of Dex, Periapt of Wisdom, etc?

I'm not a noob, just not a very good min/maxer :)

Also, are there good ways of getting my cross-class Search and Disable Device skills up? Thats the whole reason I took the level of Rogue, as a straight Rogue doesn't interest me as much as a stealthy Swordsage.

Thanks for reading! (and hopefully posting)
LoneFlame
08-26-07, 11:34 PM Crap. You're a Swordsage without a good strength... Most of the styles work on Strength for Save DCs(though, it doesn't seem to be required to use the maneuvers & what not).

If you're stuck with Dex, focus in Shadow Hand. Take the Shadow Blade feat & weapon finesse. Then stay primarily in Shadow Hand stances and use a Shadow Hand preferred weapon.

That's about the best you're gonna do. Alternatively, you could just use highly damaging maneuvers such as Ancient Mountain Hammer(which you can pick up through the 13 lvs of Sword Sage). Again, realize that most things will probably make the saves against most of your maneuvers(with Shadow Hand & Desert Wind minor exceptions since they are Wisdom-based).

Having to make Charisma a high stat really hurts a Sword Sage, which would otherwise not benefit from Charisma at all except for Feinting(which, while a good concept, sucks, btw.).
Ecureuil_Diabolique
08-27-07, 12:07 AM Take your level in rogue last so you can put skill points into UMD and poof, no more heal-bot needage. Just grab yourself a wand of cure light wounds and maybe a healing belt from MIC and you'll be all set.

Here (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=900290) is a good thread about healing.
the_narrator
08-27-07, 12:16 AM Since you're a Swordsage, you're actually pretty set with this build. Take the Shadow Blade feat and you get your Dex to damage while in a Shadow Hand stance and using a Shadow Hand weapon. With Weapon Finesse, you're basically set to forget Str alltogether (though a few points invested isn't a bad idea. Don't want to be encumbered just by wearing clothes, eh?).

Basically with the character you're describing, you'll want a high Dex (high as possible), with a decent Wis for extra AC, and a passable Cha. The rest can be fairly low.
MrPoor
08-27-07, 12:32 AM All of your suggestions is pretty much exactly what I had in mind. Givin that, I'm thinking that the high damage manuvers are going to make for most of my damage (I'll get 3d6 sneak attack damage in Assassins' Stance).

Are there any feats that add damage from flanking? I figure that'll be my best way to make up for my crummy attack is to constantly be flanking people, and I can always build my cleric cohort so he'll be a usefull flanker (I really want to give Shadowbane Stalker a try, not sure if it'll work well).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
MrPoor 08-26-07, 11:08 PM	I'm rolling a 1 rogue/13 Swordsage and I'm trying to figure out my stats and gear to get a viable character in a campaign. I've never been good at balancing out stats on classes that need most of them at decent levels. As a high Dex character who needs Wis for AC and a decent Cha for Leadership (DM is making me take a cohort heal-bot), whats a good way of getting the attack bonus and damage up when there aren't many points in Str? Are there better gear choices than the simple Gloves of Dex, Periapt of Wisdom, etc? I'm not a noob, just not a very good min/maxer :) Also, are there good ways of getting my cross-class Search and Disable Device skills up? Thats the whole reason I took the level of Rogue, as a straight Rogue doesn't interest me as much as a stealthy Swordsage. Thanks for reading! (and hopefully posting)
LoneFlame 08-26-07, 11:34 PM	Crap. You're a Swordsage without a good strength... Most of the styles work on Strength for Save DCs(though, it doesn't seem to be required to use the maneuvers & what not). If you're stuck with Dex, focus in Shadow Hand. Take the Shadow Blade feat & weapon finesse. Then stay primarily in Shadow Hand stances and use a Shadow Hand preferred weapon. That's about the best you're gonna do. Alternatively, you could just use highly damaging maneuvers such as Ancient Mountain Hammer(which you can pick up through the 13 lvs of Sword Sage). Again, realize that most things will probably make the saves against most of your maneuvers(with Shadow Hand & Desert Wind minor exceptions since they are Wisdom-based). Having to make Charisma a high stat really hurts a Sword Sage, which would otherwise not benefit from Charisma at all except for Feinting(which, while a good concept, sucks, btw.).
Ecureuil_Diabolique 08-27-07, 12:07 AM	Take your level in rogue last so you can put skill points into UMD and poof, no more heal-bot needage. Just grab yourself a wand of cure light wounds and maybe a healing belt from MIC and you'll be all set. Here (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=900290) is a good thread about healing.
the_narrator 08-27-07, 12:16 AM	Since you're a Swordsage, you're actually pretty set with this build. Take the Shadow Blade feat and you get your Dex to damage while in a Shadow Hand stance and using a Shadow Hand weapon. With Weapon Finesse, you're basically set to forget Str alltogether (though a few points invested isn't a bad idea. Don't want to be encumbered just by wearing clothes, eh?). Basically with the character you're describing, you'll want a high Dex (high as possible), with a decent Wis for extra AC, and a passable Cha. The rest can be fairly low.
MrPoor 08-27-07, 12:32 AM	All of your suggestions is pretty much exactly what I had in mind. Givin that, I'm thinking that the high damage manuvers are going to make for most of my damage (I'll get 3d6 sneak attack damage in Assassins' Stance). Are there any feats that add damage from flanking? I figure that'll be my best way to make up for my crummy attack is to constantly be flanking people, and I can always build my cleric cohort so he'll be a usefull flanker (I really want to give Shadowbane Stalker a try, not sure if it'll work well).