Anyway, the build I'm working on operates on the following rulings/house rules ...
1. The Unseen Seer can add Sneak Attack et al to a character without any to begin with; you simply add +1d6 to the 0d6 the character has.
2. The 'When you start play' part of the ToB classes stance text overrides the '1st level stance' only, allowing a character who multiclasses into a ToB class later to pick up a higher level stance for which he qualifies.
Beguiler 1-5/Unseen Seer +5/Swordsage +1/Unseen Seer +5/Arcane Trickster +4
Feats:
1. TWF
3. Somatic Weaponry (Comp. Mage)?
6. Practiced Spellcaster (Beguiler)
9. ??
12. Shadow Blade?
15. Spell Hand (Comp. Arcane)
18. ??
The ? feats are 'maybes' ... in the 'I couldn't think of anything else' mold. Somatic Weaponry is necessary to cast spells with a weapon in each hand, and Shadow Blade, well, is Shadow Blade.
Spell Hand provides the ability to use Mage Hand, to qualify for Arcane Trickster. Swordsage is there for (what else?) Assassin's Stance. Practiced Spellcaster negates the CL loss from the Unseen Seer and the one level of Swordsage exactly.
I THINK I placed the Swordsage level at the right place in the progression to take 3rd level maneuvers and stances; if not, it can be easily moved in the appropriate direction.
Recommendations on which maneuvers to take, and what to use for those ?? feats, and which maneuvers to pick up with the level of Swordsage, would be appreciated ... assuming the build isn't total failsauce, of course.
EDIT: I don't know what the general consensus is on Gloom Razor, but I think some of the options it provides are pretty cool. Free invisibility for one round whenever an opponent misses you due to concealment? Invisibility means surprise casting and no attacks of opportunity.
Why Beguiler? Their spell list has NO synergy with sneak attack.
+1
For a sneak attacking mage you need one of two things.
1. Ray Spells, which the Beguiler doesn't have.
Or
2. Melee ability and TWF, which the Beguiler is poor at because of the lack of combat buff spells to cover your fragile little arse.
Don't do it.
Go Wizard or Sorcerer. Bard would be better as well, even without Sublime Chord. At least it has some buffs and can use Snowflake Wardance and/or Dragonfire Inspiration for TWFing.
Why Beguiler? Their spell list has NO synergy with sneak attack.
Partially for being able to enter it without losing caster levels/multiclassing.
Partially to avoid redundant gainings of Trapfinding, for which there are no class substitutions I'm aware of. Not critical, but it just BUGS me.
I also argue that a class with sleep, blinding color surge, glitterdust, invisibility, hold person, greater invisibility, and phantom battle has no synergy with sneak attack.
And Beguilers may not have ray spells, but they have Use Magic Device, which means they have access to all the buffs they could ever want.Which reminds me, I forgot about Able Learner.
Decay
Fire
Force
Mysticsm (Assuming you can sneak attack off a Spiritual Weapon)
Necromancy
Spirit (Interesting, but Dragon Magazine)
Suffering
War (Spiritual Weapon, see above)
There are a good 10 or so more domains there with ranged touch spells. More in other books that haven't been added (SpC).
Other notes: Don't bother with Practiced Spellcaster. You're only losing one caster level, take an Illumian.
Other notes: Don't bother with Practiced Spellcaster. You're only losing one caster level, take an Illumian.
He's an unseen seer. -4 to all non divination caster levels? That sounds like PS material to me.
Partially to avoid redundant gainings of Trapfinding, for which there are no class substitutions I'm aware of.
The first Changeling Rogue substitution level from Races of Eberron gives you amazing social abilities (like the ability to take 10 with all social skills), and 10 + Int skill points for that Trapfinding. There's also something that gives you Poison use instead of Trapfinding in Drow of the Underdark, but that's lame and requires you to be a sucky drow. Of these two I know, but there could be more in some of the more obscure books (Expedition to Castle Ravenloft).
Just wanted to point those out.
Darn near full casting though, so that's nice ... but you're hurting yourself in the hitting department.
What is your stat order? INT ... I see Shadow Hand so DEX ... no weapon finesse ...
When those ACs are climbing you're going to have a hard time hitting. Does Beguiler get Wraithstrike or something? Am I missing something / not seeing the trick?
He's an unseen seer. -4 to all non divination caster levels? That sounds like PS material to me.
Geh. I can't believe I forgot that bit. Definately keep Practiced Spellcaster. Illumian will also make up the last caster level loss, aswell as making it so that you don't need Practiced Spellcaster until later, letting you pick up other feats earlier in your progression.