Build critique - ranged sniper (3.PF)

[WarKitty]

I'm working on a character for a new player. So I'm doing a build that is a cross between effectiveness and having the least amount of things to remember. The player is familiar with tabletop gaming in general but not with 3.PF specifically. I could use any comments on what would make the build effective without being too confusing, or if I'm missing anything glaring.

House rules in effect:
The rogue was allowed to trade in short sword and rapier proficiency for longbow proficiency. I allowed the weapon to be purchased at half off, since the other PC's got a free wish and a bunch of half off stuff at the end of last game. Also, the rogue keeps trapfinding while still getting the sniper variant range bonuses. Race is a cross between human and drow - he has the extra 1st level feat but not the human skill point bonuses, and he has limited darkvision, poison use, and drow racial score adjustments but not any of the other drow bonuses. Official race is "mutated human."

Scores:
Str:11
Dex: 22 (28 with items)
Con: 10
Int: 15
Wis: 14
Cha: 18

Levels:
Rogue 10/shadowdancer 1 (advancing as shadowdancer)

Rogue talents:
Talent lvl2: Sniper's eye
Talent lvl4: Snap shot
Talent lvl6: Surprise attack
Talent lvl8: Fast stealth
Talent lvl10: Stealthy Sniper
Extra Talent: minor magic: ghost sound
Extra Talent: major magic: true strike

Feats:
Racial Feat: Point blank shot
Feat 1: precise shot
Feat 3: rapid shot
Feat 5: mobility
Feat 7: shot on the run
Feat 9: rogue talent
Feat 11: rogue talent

Items:
+1 seeking ghost touch speed longbow
Arrows, adamantine, durable, 10
Arrows, cold iron, durable, 10
Arrows, silvered, durable, 10
Arrows, durable, 30
Ring of chameleon power
Ring of blinking
winged boots
nightscale armor (+2 ac, +10 max dex, from Underdark)
cloak of displacement, minor
efficient quiver
Bag of holding type I
Belt of incredible dexterity +6
Helm of comprehend languages and read magic

Max gold: 100,000 gp
Gold spent: 97,200 gp

Notes:
Official race is not negotiable, although the modifiers are negotiable. Weapon choice is completely non-negotiable.

[gorfnab]

I recommend Snipers Goggles from Pathfinder: Advanced Players Guide page 309. Mobility has Dodge as a prerequisite.

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

I wouldnt take both Snap Shot and Surprise Attack since they overlap. They are both used on a surprise round of combat. Snap Shot lets you "take 20" on your initiative if you have a ranged weapon in hand (allowing you to deal SA damage). Surprise Attack allows you to deal SA damage even if your target went before you.

thus, one of those is kind of a waste: I would drop Snap Shot personally.

EDIT: Nor should you advance as a shadowdancer. Also, why isn't the weapon negotiable? without Sniper Goggles the max range a sniper rogue can deal SA is 90 feet. a composite shortbow would be just fine until rogue level 12, and you wouldn't lose shortsword and rapier proficiency, which are the two main back up weapons of any rogue sniper.

[WarKitty]

I wouldnt take both Snap Shot and Surprise Attack since they overlap. They are both used on a surprise round of combat. Snap Shot lets you "take 20" on your initiative if you have a ranged weapon in hand (allowing you to deal SA damage). Surprise Attack allows you to deal SA damage even if your target went before you.

thus, one of those is kind of a waste: I would drop Snap Shot personally.

EDIT: Nor should you advance as a shadowdancer. Also, why isn't the weapon negotiable? without Sniper Goggles the max range a sniper rogue can deal SA is 90 feet. a composite shortbow would be just fine until rogue level 12, and you wouldn't lose shortsword and rapier proficiency, which are the two main back up weapons of any rogue sniper.

The longbow is not negotiable because it's one of the two main features of the original character. Has nothing to do with which one's the better weapon.

Curious, what's the issue with shadowdancer? It's not a super-useful combat class, but it's also not in a combat-heavy game - they only had one combat last session, and the difficulty in that was getting a bunch of peasants snapped out of a charm spell, not in the actual fighting. Still, that part is negotiable; I just want the hide in plain sight ability on the character. Although shadow jump is a cool ability.

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

1.)well a 2 level dip into shadowdancer is great.... Just everything else past that isn't. a shadowdancer is basically a rogue that gives up Sneak Attack and some skill points for some neat defensive tricks: defensive tricks you could have gotten (with the exception of Hide in Plain Sight, and Shadow conjuration) from just rogue levels.

2.)Shadow Jump is basically Dimension Door: Dimensions Door with a caveat that it must be shadowy where you start and land. caveats are lame.

Shadowmaster at level 10 is fairly cool, but again, only in shadows. You can't be in shadows all the time.

3.)I would perhaps suggest Tiefling in Pathfinder: there is no automatic LA adjustment, just clear it with your DM.

Grab Drow of the Underdark if you can. Its 3.5 material, but... if you have darkness as a racial spell like ability, there are several feats that you can take that willl allow you to cast it more than once per day, along with some other (admittedly secondary) effects.

Since Darkness in Pathfinder just lowers the illumination level of a given area, you can now trigger many of the Shadowdancer abilities that work only in "shadowy" or "dim light". This includes Shadow Master.

4.)You can also take Vital Strike tree in Pathfinder, which will up your damage a fair bit, considering that as a shadowdancer you will probably be shooting once, moving, and HiPS-ing... probably drop Rapid Shot for Vital Strike, because Rapid shot is a full round attack action, of which you will not have many. You will give more damage over time with Vital Strike.

5.)Also, do not forget Use Magic Device: Its a class skill as a rogue, it helps a lot and you have the CHA for it. you could have a 17 in it right now, without investing anything into items. That means you will only fail to trigger a wand on a 2 or less... 10% failure rate is not bad.

... I think that is all I have for right now. :smallamused:

[WarKitty]

1.)well a 2 level dip into shadowdancer is great.... Just everything else past that isn't. a shadowdancer is basically a rogue that gives up Sneak Attack and some skill points for some neat defensive tricks: defensive tricks you could have gotten (with the exception of Hide in Plain Sight, and Shadow conjuration) from just rogue levels.

Can always go back to rogue after that one level in shadowdancer. Thankfully PF rogue talents are nice.


2.)Shadow Jump is basically Dimension Door: Dimensions Door with a caveat that it must be shadowy where you start and land. caveats are lame.

Shadowmaster at level 10 is fairly cool, but again, only in shadows. You can't be in shadows all the time.

I'll see about a magic item.


3.)I would perhaps suggest Tiefling in Pathfinder: there is no automatic LA adjustment, just clear it with your DM.

I am the DM. The answer is no, because I don't want to deal with spell-like abilities and the other stuff. The only things he has from the drow are the racial adjustments, darkvision, and poison use.


Grab Drow of the Underdark if you can. Its 3.5 material, but... if you have darkness as a racial spell like ability, there are several feats that you can take that willl allow you to cast it more than once per day, along with some other (admittedly secondary) effects.

Since Darkness in Pathfinder just lowers the illumination level of a given area, you can now trigger many of the Shadowdancer abilities that work only in "shadowy" or "dim light". This includes Shadow Master.

Doesn't have darkness.


4.)You can also take Vital Strike tree in Pathfinder, which will up your damage a fair bit, considering that as a shadowdancer you will probably be shooting once, moving, and HiPS-ing... probably drop Rapid Shot for Vital Strike, because Rapid shot is a full round attack action, of which you will not have many. You will give more damage over time with Vital Strike.

Good idea. Done.


5.)Also, do not forget Use Magic Device: Its a class skill as a rogue, it helps a lot and you have the CHA for it. you could have a 17 in it right now, without investing anything into items. That means you will only fail to trigger a wand on a 2 or less... 10% failure rate is not bad.

... I think that is all I have for right now. :smallamused:

Of course not. He has a secondary role as the party face, since we don't have one.

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

you might also want to let him pick up a blur strike... well, not rapier, and not shortsword... so.. I guess... dagger? It will help if he ever gets pinned down and can HiPS and use shot on the run. Blurstrike from MiC.