Becoming the Rogue - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Becoming the Rogue

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
geektanic
May 15, 2008 21:52:42 Alright, so we got a game going, where we started out without a Rogue. Our DM kind of tried to hint at us that we would need one, and we're starting to feel it now. Game started at 6th level, and we just advanced to 8th at the end of our last session. The past few sessions we've run into a few traps, some very obvious and we dealt with best we could, and others we triggered unknowingly (I got poisoned ). Also we're running into hidden doors and such that the DM has been lenient about, and allowed us to eventually find by saying if everyone took 20 to only do it, then we could find it (then he jumped us with an impromptu encounter to jab at our no Rogue issue).

He was nice enough to allow me, our most skill worthy guy, to rearrange skills to pick up a few more ranks in Search than I had. So right now I'm barely scraping by with new skill arrangement and party bought Goggles of Minute Seeing. However this isn't going to help the trap issue, nor our Disable Device/Open Lock issue. Disable Device is the real killer, as we're not too ashamed to have the Barb smash things if he can.

So I'm looking to move into a class with Trapfinding. I'm currently a Human Fighter (2)/Swordsage (4)/Bloodclaw Master (2). Thankfully I'm taking the Assassin's Stance Swordsage idea, and eventually Gloom Razor, so I'm kind of in that role combat and character concept wise, I just wasnt nice enough to pick up Rogue levels, because I'm ALWAYS having to do that or the Cleric since everyone else in the group usually wants to make their own thing and not skill monkey or heal. Thankfully one of my buddies wanted to make a Druid, and concentrated it on Healing, so we didnt have to fight about that. :P

What I come to you is, how should I start going about this? I REALLY want to pick up the third level of Bloodclaw Master for the low-light vision (only one in the group with the low light/dark handicap), and not to mention the BAB and maneuvers progress, so it's not too horribly bad in my opinion. Rogue, Ninja, and Factotum are the only things that spring to mind, and Rogue is the only one with pure SA, so it's currently winning. I also wouldnt mind eventually going back into Swordsage for a couple more levels down the road, but my main priority now is Trapfinding and Disable Device.

We're a pretty open group to books, and most Wizards published books are open, but I do need to run things by my DM if it's outside the PHB, DMG, MM, and Completes, as he does bar some things (like my buddies love for the Half-Dragon). If anyone would like more info, I'd be happy to post. I'm just not sure what direction to go.
#2
gavinfoxx
May 15, 2008 22:08:45 Why isn't he editing the challenges for your party...?
#3
geektanic
May 15, 2008 22:14:20 I have no clue. I'm running Age of Worms along side his campaign. Same group of guys, just me as DM and him as a player, and he's well aware I'm completely overhauling my campaign for them. That campaign starts at level 1, and I'm mixing it up so they could all start at 3 instead, as that's what they wanted. He knows they give suggestions as to how to change it, but I'm also doing some custom stuff of my own. Guess he just doesnt wanna as nice?
#4
surreal
May 15, 2008 23:41:47 The solution to a lot of traps is a bag of tricks.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 geektanic May 15, 2008 21:52:42	Alright, so we got a game going, where we started out without a Rogue. Our DM kind of tried to hint at us that we would need one, and we're starting to feel it now. Game started at 6th level, and we just advanced to 8th at the end of our last session. The past few sessions we've run into a few traps, some very obvious and we dealt with best we could, and others we triggered unknowingly (I got poisoned ). Also we're running into hidden doors and such that the DM has been lenient about, and allowed us to eventually find by saying if everyone took 20 to only do it, then we could find it (then he jumped us with an impromptu encounter to jab at our no Rogue issue). He was nice enough to allow me, our most skill worthy guy, to rearrange skills to pick up a few more ranks in Search than I had. So right now I'm barely scraping by with new skill arrangement and party bought Goggles of Minute Seeing. However this isn't going to help the trap issue, nor our Disable Device/Open Lock issue. Disable Device is the real killer, as we're not too ashamed to have the Barb smash things if he can. So I'm looking to move into a class with Trapfinding. I'm currently a Human Fighter (2)/Swordsage (4)/Bloodclaw Master (2). Thankfully I'm taking the Assassin's Stance Swordsage idea, and eventually Gloom Razor, so I'm kind of in that role combat and character concept wise, I just wasnt nice enough to pick up Rogue levels, because I'm ALWAYS having to do that or the Cleric since everyone else in the group usually wants to make their own thing and not skill monkey or heal. Thankfully one of my buddies wanted to make a Druid, and concentrated it on Healing, so we didnt have to fight about that. :P What I come to you is, how should I start going about this? I REALLY want to pick up the third level of Bloodclaw Master for the low-light vision (only one in the group with the low light/dark handicap), and not to mention the BAB and maneuvers progress, so it's not too horribly bad in my opinion. Rogue, Ninja, and Factotum are the only things that spring to mind, and Rogue is the only one with pure SA, so it's currently winning. I also wouldnt mind eventually going back into Swordsage for a couple more levels down the road, but my main priority now is Trapfinding and Disable Device. We're a pretty open group to books, and most Wizards published books are open, but I do need to run things by my DM if it's outside the PHB, DMG, MM, and Completes, as he does bar some things (like my buddies love for the Half-Dragon). If anyone would like more info, I'd be happy to post. I'm just not sure what direction to go.
#2 gavinfoxx May 15, 2008 22:08:45	Why isn't he editing the challenges for your party...?
#3 geektanic May 15, 2008 22:14:20	I have no clue. I'm running Age of Worms along side his campaign. Same group of guys, just me as DM and him as a player, and he's well aware I'm completely overhauling my campaign for them. That campaign starts at level 1, and I'm mixing it up so they could all start at 3 instead, as that's what they wanted. He knows they give suggestions as to how to change it, but I'm also doing some custom stuff of my own. Guess he just doesnt wanna as nice?
#4 surreal May 15, 2008 23:41:47	The solution to a lot of traps is a bag of tricks.