Karsh
2010-07-20, 11:10 AM
I tried a few days ago to see if there was a way that I could make a Swordsage that also had trapfinding without being too incredibly hindered. What I ended up was something much more interesting than I anticipated, a trap-monkey mage slayer.
Human Ranger 2/Swordsage X (PRC if you want, I didn't.)
DEX>WIS>INT>CON>STR/CHA>CHA/STR
At 1st level, take the Trap Hunter ACF from Dungeonscape to trade out Track for Trapfinding and get Disable Device as a class skill. Arcane Hunter (Complete Mage) is a decent choice if you want to pick up some of the Mage Slayer feats, but it's not essential to being both awesome and the trap monkey. Your feats should be Able Learner and Weapon Finesse. If your DM allows flaws, take one (Unreactive is a good one since your DEX will be so high, as well as having Quick to Act) and take Tactile Trapsmith with that feat. Otherwise take it at 3rd level.
Go TWF with your second Ranger level, and then switch to Swordsage. Put max ranks in Search and Disable Device, as well as Open Lock (CC ranks, but only 1 skill point per rank thanks to Able Learner).
Tactile Trapsmith switches your DEX modifier for your INT on Search and Disable Device checks, which synergizes nicely with the TWF-Weapon Finesse-Shadow Blade combo Swordsages love so much.
Pump DEX at every level, and you have an excellent trap-monkey who can do some sneak attack while also Comet Throwing enemies around the battlefield. Who needs a rogue when you can have a martial adept do their job just as well?
Open Lock lags a little bit, but Masterwork Thieves' Tools + a Lockpicking Ring gets you a +7, not to mention that it's already DEX-based, which should be your highest stat.
The beauty in this is that since you get Disable Device and Search as class skills at 1st level, their cap is permanently HD+3. Thanks to Able Learner, you only have to spend one skill point on them, making it as though any class skill you've ever had is always a class skill.
Human Ranger 2/Swordsage X (PRC if you want, I didn't.)
DEX>WIS>INT>CON>STR/CHA>CHA/STR
At 1st level, take the Trap Hunter ACF from Dungeonscape to trade out Track for Trapfinding and get Disable Device as a class skill. Arcane Hunter (Complete Mage) is a decent choice if you want to pick up some of the Mage Slayer feats, but it's not essential to being both awesome and the trap monkey. Your feats should be Able Learner and Weapon Finesse. If your DM allows flaws, take one (Unreactive is a good one since your DEX will be so high, as well as having Quick to Act) and take Tactile Trapsmith with that feat. Otherwise take it at 3rd level.
Go TWF with your second Ranger level, and then switch to Swordsage. Put max ranks in Search and Disable Device, as well as Open Lock (CC ranks, but only 1 skill point per rank thanks to Able Learner).
Tactile Trapsmith switches your DEX modifier for your INT on Search and Disable Device checks, which synergizes nicely with the TWF-Weapon Finesse-Shadow Blade combo Swordsages love so much.
Pump DEX at every level, and you have an excellent trap-monkey who can do some sneak attack while also Comet Throwing enemies around the battlefield. Who needs a rogue when you can have a martial adept do their job just as well?
Open Lock lags a little bit, but Masterwork Thieves' Tools + a Lockpicking Ring gets you a +7, not to mention that it's already DEX-based, which should be your highest stat.
The beauty in this is that since you get Disable Device and Search as class skills at 1st level, their cap is permanently HD+3. Thanks to Able Learner, you only have to spend one skill point on them, making it as though any class skill you've ever had is always a class skill.