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zakkain
2010-07-02, 02:02 PM
I'm making a psychic rogue build - a ranged attacker, who manifests Energy Rays to attack and deal SA damage. Psychic Rogues don't get that power, so I know I have to take Expanded Knowledge as my level 3 feat. I figure my L1 feat is Point Blank Shot, and my L9 feat will be Cloak Dance, so I can deny dex bonus with a move action.

What can I take for my L6 feat, and any advice on good powers that will help me get SA damage, or just any build advice in general? Its a low-mid level campaign, and there isn't much optimization. I want to stay mostly Psychic Rogue, no wacky dipping. I can take one flaw if more feats are needed (probably would be Noncombatant). I remember reading some feat that let you manifest a power as a swift action, as long as you don't manifest another power that same turn. Does that exist? I also like the look of Psionic Shot.

My rolled stats are 11, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17. I've picked Elan for my race, and allocated my stats as follows: STR 11, DEX 15, CON 14, INT 17, WIS 11, CHA 12(-2)=10

Keld Denar
2010-07-02, 03:33 PM
You can get Energy Ray with Hidden Talent instead, since its a 1st level power. Hidden Talent also gives you 2 bonus PP, which is solid gold.

Look into getting Craven at some point. Its in Champions of Ruin. It adds your CHARACTER LEVEL when you get SA dice. This is pretty much amazing.

Another great feat, although you won't qualify till 9th level, is Staggering Strike (CWarrior). When you make a SA, your foe has to make a fort save vs the amount of damage you just dealt or suffer the effects of the "staggered" condition for 1 round. Staggered means just 1 action (standard or move), so no full round actions. Since the Energy Ray damage is part of the SA, you add it together with your SA damage (and your Craven damage) to calculate the save. This often leads to DC 30-40 saves, really tough for just about anyone to make.

Other than those, standard Rogue stuff applies. Darkstalker from Lords of Madness is nifty if you expect lots of Dragons or other folks with Scent/Tremorsense/etc. Check out the Rogue Handbook by PId6 (should still be on the 1st or 2nd page) for more details.

zakkain
2010-07-02, 04:31 PM
Oh yeah, sweet! Hidden Talent makes this viable right from level 1.

Fax Celestis
2010-07-02, 04:38 PM
Also maybe a 1 level dip into Spellthief and take the Psithief feat from CScn?

Optimystik
2010-07-02, 05:11 PM
Any particular reason why you picked Elan? If it's just to be an Aberration, Synad gets you there with cooler racials. If it's just to be psionic, Xephs make excellent psychic rogues. Neither have a Cha penalty, and you might need a positive Cha mod to make Hidden Talent work depending on how your DM interprets it.

ErrantX
2010-07-02, 06:08 PM
Also consider Crystal Shard as another option for your ranged arsenal, for times when energy types just don't work. I'd second the vote for a 1 lvl dip in Spellthief for Psithief.

-X

Fouredged Sword
2010-07-02, 06:33 PM
Stolen powerpoints are great for long endurence. You can walk out of a fight with only haveing spent 1 point (first ray) and stolen the rest. If you grab the Touch of Healing power with a feat you can burn any exra power points for some party healing. Utility.

zakkain
2010-07-02, 07:20 PM
I picked Elan because they're very humanlike, but I wanted a psionic race (and their racial healing and saving throw features are cool). I think I'll go human now because of this Hidden Talent feat though.

I do like a dip into spellthief. +1d6 sneak and the pp stealing, at the cost of losing a manifester level. Seems worth it to me, very intriguing. The problem is that if I go PsyRogue 1 / Spellthief 1 / PsyRogue X, my first two levels I have no BAB.

Fax Celestis
2010-07-02, 07:43 PM
Ask your DM if you can use fractional BAB.

zakkain
2010-07-13, 09:48 AM
So I've changed things around, now I'm a psiforged warforged. Sticking with Psychic Rogue only since no fractional BAB allowed. My gimmick is getting reliable big damage through Psionic Shot and a Deep Crystal weapon, spending my pp to get extra dice and expending and regaining psionic focus. Campaign starts at level 7, 15k wealth, 32 point buy. This is what I've got:


Name: Fray
Race: Warforged (Psiforged)
Player: Stuntman Mike
Classes: Psychic Rogue 7
Hit Points: 44
Experience: 21000 / 28000
Vision: Normal
Speed: Walk 30 ft.
Languages: Common, Elven, Dwarven

Stat Score Mod
STR 10 (+0)
DEX 17 (+3) (+1 level 4)
CON 14 (+2)
INT 14 (+2)
WIS 13 (+1)
CHA 8 (-1)

-------------------------- Skills --------------------------
Skill Total Rnk Stat Msc
Autohypnosis 12 10 2
Balance 3 0 3
Concentration 12 10 2
Disable Device 10 8 2
Hide 11 8 3
Intimidate 9 10 -1
Jump 2 0 0 2
Knowledge (Psionics) 2 0 2
Knowledge (Local) 2 0 2
Move Silently 11 8 3
Open Lock 11 8 3
Search 10 8 2
Tumble 3 0 3
Use Magic Device 9 10 -1

-------------------------- Feats ---------------------------
Psiforged [Level 1]
You gain 1 power point, and your body acts as a cognizance crystal, storing 1 power point per 2 character levels (currently 3)

Point Blank Shot [Level 2]
+1 attack and damage on ranged attacks within 30 feet

Psionic Meditation [Level 4]
Can become psionically focused as a Move action

Psionic Shot [Level 6]
Can expend psionic focus to add 2d6 to a ranged weapon's damage

-------------------- Special Abilities ---------------------
Living Construct: Warforged are immune to poison, sleep effects, disease, nausea, fatigue, exhaustion, sickening, and energy drain.
Healing spells heal half the value. Warforged do not need to eat, sleep, or breathe.
Composite Plating: +2 Armor bonus to AC, Light Fortification (25% change to ignore sneak attacks and criticals)
Proficiencies: Simple weapons, crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, short sword, light armor
Sneak Attack: +3d6 damage on a flanked, flat-footed, or surprised target, or any condition that denies their DEX bonus
Trapfinding: Can find traps with a DC greater than 20
Evasion: Takes no damage on a successful Reflex save that allows half-damage
Danger Sense: When psionically focused, gains +4 REF and AC versus traps,
and gains Uncanny Dodge (retain DEX bonus to AC when flat-footed)

---------------------- Psionics ------------------------
Power Point Reserve: 11 + 3 in Psiforged body crystal
Powers Known:
Offensive Precognition (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/precognitionOffensive.htm) (Level 1)
Defensive Precognition (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/precognitionDefensive.htm) (Level 1)
Force Screen (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/forceScreen.htm) (Level 1)
Concealing Amorpha (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/concealingAmorpha.htm) (Level 2)
Read Thoughts (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/readThoughts.htm) (Level 2)
Psionic Levitate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/levitatePsionic.htm) (Level 2))

-------------------------- Combat --------------------------
Total / Touch / Flat Footed
AC: 15 / 13 / 15

Initiative: +3
BAB: +5
Melee tohit: +5
Ranged tohit: +8 (+1 within 30 feet)

Fortitude: +5
Reflex: +8
Will: +3

Weapons To Hit Dmg Crit
Precise Deep Crystal Dagger +10/+6 1d4+1 19-20/x2 (ranged/melee)
Returning: Returns to my hand before my next turn, free action
Precise: Does not take the -4 penalty for ranged attack into melee
Material: Deep Crystal (spend 2pp, +2d6 to the weapon's damage as free action)

Full Attack:
+10/+6 main hand (ranged/melee)

------------------------- Equipment ------------------------
Name
Enchanted Composite Plating
Fray's composite plating is enchanted with Stamina (FORT +1)

Deep Crystal Dagger (Precise, Returning)
Special: See above

Gloves of Fortunate Striking (Warforged Component: Hands)
Special: 1/day reroll an attack roll

Vanisher Cloak
Special: 3 charges/day. Invisibility. Myself 4rds/me+1 3rds/me+3 2rds - 1/2/3 charges

Eternal Wand of Repair Light Damage
Special: 2/day cast Repair Light Damage (1d8+1)

Belt Pouch:
3x Sunrods
3x Thunderstone
50gp cash
Identification Papers (with portrait)

Optimystik
2010-07-13, 10:01 AM
Go with Warforged Scout (MM3) - they have a lighter build, small size and a Dex bonus - perfect for a sneaky type. They have all the Warforged immunities and are still LA 0.

They can also grab Psiforged Body like a regular Warforged.

I would advise against Psionic Shot - You can get more damage by full-attacking instead, and save your focus for other feats like Linked Power. Plan to get the arm-mounted crossbow Warforged attachment from ECS; it's a repeating crossbow, so you'll be able to get your iteratives with it, and it's only a standard action to reload with a new stack of bolts instead of a full-round action.

zakkain
2010-07-13, 10:19 AM
Go with Warforged Scout (MM3) - they have a lighter build, small size and a Dex bonus - perfect for a sneaky type. They have all the Warforged immunities and are still LA 0.

They can also grab Psiforged Body like a regular Warforged.

I would advise against Psionic Shot - You can get more damage by full-attacking instead, and save your focus for other feats like Linked Power. Plan to get the arm-mounted crossbow Warforged attachment from ECS; it's a repeating crossbow, so you'll be able to get your iteratives with it, and it's only a standard action to reload with a new stack of bolts instead of a full-round action.

Good call on Warforged Scout, I like that, even if its got lots of negative ability scores.

Optimystik
2010-07-13, 10:37 AM
Good call on Warforged Scout, I like that, even if its got lots of negative ability scores.

None of which matter to you - all you need are Dex, Con and Int :smalltongue:

After all, you can grab Metamorphosis and turn into a Stone Golem if you really want to break things.

Keld Denar
2010-07-13, 10:55 AM
Oh Metamorphasis...is there any problem you CAN'T solve?

Optimystik
2010-07-13, 11:01 AM
Oh Metamorphasis...is there any problem you CAN'T solve?

It may be the most versatile power in the game, but does it know why kids love the taste of Cinnamon Toast Crunch?