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DragonsAion
2010-06-17, 01:02 PM
I was wonder what would be a good base class to get into the ShadowBlade PRC from TOM and how would you all work the feats.

Pluto
2010-06-17, 02:03 PM
I'd probably go:

Ranger 3/Barbarian 2

For feats, I'd go with:

Blind-Fight (for entry)
Extra Rage, Power Attack, Favored Power Attack (Arcanist) or Leap Attack (for damage, in combination with Unexpected and Shadowy Strikes)
Darkstalker (to use stealth skills effectively)
Steadfast Determination (to survive will saves)

Hopefully you'll have a friendly neighborhood caster to blind/grease/grapple the baddies into SS-vulnerability.

DragonsAion
2010-06-17, 03:39 PM
one feat to take would be unseen arrow as well.

you think a rogue or scout would work with this too?

Pluto
2010-06-17, 06:41 PM
you think a rogue or scout would work with this too?
Rogue would make a decent Shadowblade lead-in. It'd be slow to get in, but its Sneak Attack would work nicely with Sudden Strike tactics and raising the max ranks on a Shadowblade's UMD skill can help with self-sufficiency. (If you can use a wand of Blink or Greater Invisibility, you won't have to rely as hard on the party's casters to steal your targets' Dex bonuses.)

Scout might be tricky, though. You'd need to both find ways to ensure Sudden Strike and to get iterative attacks while moving... a Magic Domain Cleric dip for the Travel Devotion feat (CChampion) and for Invisibility/Blink wands would help a Scout/Shadowblade (or any scout) immensely.

The lack of skill points would be a pain either way, but that's true regardless of entry.

DragonsAion
2010-06-17, 07:21 PM
Now that I'm thinking about it what about one of the classes from tome of battle?

true_shinken
2010-06-17, 07:29 PM
I like the intent of the Shadowblade class, put it SUCKS hard. It's like Dread Commando, only a lot less awesome.

Pluto
2010-06-17, 07:31 PM
Now that I'm thinking about it what about one of the classes from tome of battle?
Well, Swordsage with the Shadow Hand discipline does the same thing the Shadowblade does, but better. You could use it for a delayed SB entry, but you'd probably be better off using it alone, pretending to be a Shadowblade. (Frankly, the same can be said for the Rogue.)

If you do use ToB, the Cloak of Deception and Sapphire Nightmare blade maneuvers make targets flatfooted against your attacks, which is nice for Sudden-Strikers.

Neither Crusader nor Warblade is particularly friendly with regards to the Shadowblade's entry requirements or combat style.