Need help with Shadowdancer build [Archive] - Wizards Community

Need help with Shadowdancer build [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
VannGrants
02-11-08, 04:24 PM I am going to be DM'ing a campaign for the first time and I want to build one of the big bad guys as a shadowdancer. I was looking at the requirement and builds and was writing a few stuff down. The fastest how I could turn him into Shadowdancer, from what I could tell I could only turn him shadow dancer, the soonest, with as much BAB as possible, would be a 2 rogue, 5 ranger, to get even a first level of shadow dancer. is there a faster way so I can produce a higher level shadow dancer at a 9th ECL?
Whisper_Swiftblade
02-11-08, 04:34 PM You are the DM. You make the rules. Requirements be damed.
VannGrants
02-11-08, 04:36 PM I wanna stat him as if he was a PC so that when they got up high enough they can actually kill him.
Leress
02-11-08, 05:06 PM I am going to be DM'ing a campaign for the first time and I want to build one of the big bad guys as a shadowdancer. I was looking at the requirement and builds and was writing a few stuff down. The fastest how I could turn him into Shadowdancer, from what I could tell I could only turn him shadow dancer, the soonest, with as much BAB as possible, would be a 2 rogue, 5 ranger, to get even a first level of shadow dancer. is there a faster way so I can produce a higher level shadow dancer at a 9th ECL?

You can just do Ranger 7 and get into shadow dancer (purchase perform at cross class cost). There really isn't a much faster way to get it, since the you need 10 ranks (7 levels).
Darryl_Licke
02-11-08, 06:40 PM You can just do Ranger 7 and get into shadow dancer (purchase perform at cross class cost). There really isn't a much faster way to get it, since the you need 10 ranks (7 levels).

Ditto. I play a Shadowdancer and I took my first level after 7 levels of rogue. Depending on how you want to flavor your character, since you mentioned ranger, the buying of skill points as cross class points may be an issue. Rogue is the easiest I found.
Leress
02-11-08, 06:43 PM Ditto. I play a Shadowdancer and I took my first level after 7 levels of rogue. Depending on how you want to flavor your character, since you mentioned ranger, the buying of skill points as cross class points may be an issue. Rogue is the easiest I found.

The only reason I even said ranger is because the OP wanted the highest BAB they could get.
Legdiwena
02-11-08, 07:53 PM You could be evil and start SD levels at lvl 1, ignore all requirements and treat as a base class.
DonThelonious
02-12-08, 04:28 AM Are you dead set on the Shadow Dancer? If you are than cool, I would go with Darryl_Lickes suggestion for rogue. If your not dead set on it than might I suggest a class with similar powers and abilities but a bit more... evil wierdness?

My suggestion is my Goblin Pigsticker (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=980793). It has a funny name, because it was meant for goblins;). The race can be changed of course. Though I think your players may be more surprised to find the BBEG is a shadow hopping goblin with a nearly invisable hound companion. You could easily make them think it is a shadow dancer than WAM! you hit them with a SA after a howl from the shadow mastiff. And besides, its a goblin. Nobody is scared of goblins after 3rd level...:evillaugh
Pangeon
02-15-08, 01:02 PM Two things- One, I've read the Goblin Pigsticker class, and it's one of my favorite homebrew PrCs I've seen on the boards. I highly recommend it.

Second, If all you want from Shadowdancer is Hide in Plain sight, give the baddie the Dark template (ToM.) It gives a ridiculous +8 racial bonus to hide, +6 to move silently, HiPS, as well as a movement bonus, some cold resistance, and really good eyes. It's LA +1, and ranges from +0 to +1 CR adjustment.

Also, you're the DM, never forget that. In a previous game, the DM put us against a Shadowdancer BBEG with an artifact sword that gave anyone with one level in the PrC unlimited Shadow Jump. It had a corrupting influence, though, so when the PCs got their grubby hands on it, we only ended up using it twice. :P Feel free to do stuff that's not entirely within the rules.
LSMFT
02-15-08, 01:27 PM I’ve always felt that there was a sort of tacit agreement between players and DMs: in general, NPCs, good and bad, will follow the same rules for character creation as PCs.

Ranger 7, can easily meet the prereqs for Shadow Dancer, and would have as high a BAB as any other possible build.
elyse
03-13-08, 05:58 PM Why is the bab important? Rogue 7 (maybe a fighter level if you want some other feats b/c the shadowdancer requirements are tough) is very easy.

If you want him to have a higher attack, just buy him a better weapon (breaking the money rules is more kosher than breaking the game rules imo as a DM)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
VannGrants 02-11-08, 04:24 PM	I am going to be DM'ing a campaign for the first time and I want to build one of the big bad guys as a shadowdancer. I was looking at the requirement and builds and was writing a few stuff down. The fastest how I could turn him into Shadowdancer, from what I could tell I could only turn him shadow dancer, the soonest, with as much BAB as possible, would be a 2 rogue, 5 ranger, to get even a first level of shadow dancer. is there a faster way so I can produce a higher level shadow dancer at a 9th ECL?
Whisper_Swiftblade 02-11-08, 04:34 PM	You are the DM. You make the rules. Requirements be damed.
VannGrants 02-11-08, 04:36 PM	I wanna stat him as if he was a PC so that when they got up high enough they can actually kill him.
Leress 02-11-08, 05:06 PM	I am going to be DM'ing a campaign for the first time and I want to build one of the big bad guys as a shadowdancer. I was looking at the requirement and builds and was writing a few stuff down. The fastest how I could turn him into Shadowdancer, from what I could tell I could only turn him shadow dancer, the soonest, with as much BAB as possible, would be a 2 rogue, 5 ranger, to get even a first level of shadow dancer. is there a faster way so I can produce a higher level shadow dancer at a 9th ECL? You can just do Ranger 7 and get into shadow dancer (purchase perform at cross class cost). There really isn't a much faster way to get it, since the you need 10 ranks (7 levels).
Darryl_Licke 02-11-08, 06:40 PM	You can just do Ranger 7 and get into shadow dancer (purchase perform at cross class cost). There really isn't a much faster way to get it, since the you need 10 ranks (7 levels). Ditto. I play a Shadowdancer and I took my first level after 7 levels of rogue. Depending on how you want to flavor your character, since you mentioned ranger, the buying of skill points as cross class points may be an issue. Rogue is the easiest I found.
Leress 02-11-08, 06:43 PM	Ditto. I play a Shadowdancer and I took my first level after 7 levels of rogue. Depending on how you want to flavor your character, since you mentioned ranger, the buying of skill points as cross class points may be an issue. Rogue is the easiest I found. The only reason I even said ranger is because the OP wanted the highest BAB they could get.
Legdiwena 02-11-08, 07:53 PM	You could be evil and start SD levels at lvl 1, ignore all requirements and treat as a base class.
DonThelonious 02-12-08, 04:28 AM	Are you dead set on the Shadow Dancer? If you are than cool, I would go with Darryl_Lickes suggestion for rogue. If your not dead set on it than might I suggest a class with similar powers and abilities but a bit more... evil wierdness? My suggestion is my Goblin Pigsticker (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=980793). It has a funny name, because it was meant for goblins;). The race can be changed of course. Though I think your players may be more surprised to find the BBEG is a shadow hopping goblin with a nearly invisable hound companion. You could easily make them think it is a shadow dancer than WAM! you hit them with a SA after a howl from the shadow mastiff. And besides, its a goblin. Nobody is scared of goblins after 3rd level...:evillaugh
Pangeon 02-15-08, 01:02 PM	Two things- One, I've read the Goblin Pigsticker class, and it's one of my favorite homebrew PrCs I've seen on the boards. I highly recommend it. Second, If all you want from Shadowdancer is Hide in Plain sight, give the baddie the Dark template (ToM.) It gives a ridiculous +8 racial bonus to hide, +6 to move silently, HiPS, as well as a movement bonus, some cold resistance, and really good eyes. It's LA +1, and ranges from +0 to +1 CR adjustment. Also, you're the DM, never forget that. In a previous game, the DM put us against a Shadowdancer BBEG with an artifact sword that gave anyone with one level in the PrC unlimited Shadow Jump. It had a corrupting influence, though, so when the PCs got their grubby hands on it, we only ended up using it twice. :P Feel free to do stuff that's not entirely within the rules.
LSMFT 02-15-08, 01:27 PM	I’ve always felt that there was a sort of tacit agreement between players and DMs: in general, NPCs, good and bad, will follow the same rules for character creation as PCs. Ranger 7, can easily meet the prereqs for Shadow Dancer, and would have as high a BAB as any other possible build.
elyse 03-13-08, 05:58 PM	Why is the bab important? Rogue 7 (maybe a fighter level if you want some other feats b/c the shadowdancer requirements are tough) is very easy. If you want him to have a higher attack, just buy him a better weapon (breaking the money rules is more kosher than breaking the game rules imo as a DM)