Orc Ranger Shadowdancer - How can I build it?

[Tzevash]

I'm about to play in a Eberron campaign with a level 8 PC. I wanted to do something quite original, and a Orc who crushes you with brutal attacks jumping out from the shadows and who is quite uncanny for his race standards might do the trick. But... how can I build this PC without sucking all the way? :smallbiggrin:

PS: I haven't rolled the stats yet. Just tell me your ideal level build for that. :smallwink:

[Cog]

Well, if you want him jumping out of the shadows to maul people, Shadow Pounce is the classic way. The best method - Telflammar Shadowlord - is Forgotten Realms, but it should be easily adaptable. You're looking at a Rogue rather than Ranger entry, but a strength-focused Wilderness Rogue should cover all the flavor you want from Ranger.

[Icestorm245]

I think rogue is a better choice for shadowdancer since you can meet the skill requirements faster and HiPS meshes well with sneak attack. A barbarian/rogue/shadowdancer would be hilarious, but alas if you rage, you can't hide/move silently anymore. Ranger/rogue would actually be awesome because you still get sneak attack and favoured enemies. But I guess you don't want to lose too much BaB, correct?

[Tzevash]

Correct, Icestorm. :smallwink:

Tell me more about that Wilderness Rogue and Shadow Pounce, Cog, or just link me something if you can. Thank you in advance! :smallsmile:

[Cog]

Wilderness Rogue is from UA, and available here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#rogueVariantWilderness Rogue).

Shadowlord is from Unapproachable East. It's a 6-level PrC, requiring skills and feats compatible with Shadowdancer, a few sneak attack dice, and either Shadowjumping or Dimension Door as a spell/SLA. Like Shadowdancer, it doesn't progress sneak attack, but adds to your shadow jump uses, gives the ability to make a full attack any time you use a [teleportation] ability like shadow jump, and some minor Assassin-like spellcasting along with other benefits.

[Tzevash]

I did some research: what do you think about a Fighter/Scout/Dervish, with one flavour level of Shadow Dancer in the future?

With skirmish (as a dervish, I'll move every time attacking what's around) and maxed-out str the damage should be good, and with Fighter levels I get the feats I need quite quickly.

[Darrin]

I did some research: what do you think about a Fighter/Scout/Dervish, with one flavour level of Shadow Dancer in the future?

With skirmish (as a dervish, I'll move every time attacking what's around) and maxed-out str the damage should be good, and with Fighter levels I get the feats I need quite quickly.

Everything cool about Dervish can be obtained via two feats: Oversize TWF and Travel Devotion. Skip it.

Shadowdancer is also skippable. At best, it's a 1- or 2-level dip, and there are other/better ways to get Hide in Plain Sight: Dark template or Collar of Umbral Metamorphosis (Tome of Magic), Umbral Disciple (Magic of Incarnum AKA MoI), etc.

Scout also tends to be underpowered unless you want to go into a Swift Hunter build, which can be quite nifty, but doesn't dovetail all that well with Shadowdancer. I'd consider something in the neighborhood of Scout 4/Ranger 3/Umbral Disciple 3/Ranger +10. Actually, starting at level 8... Scout 3/Ranger 2/Umbral Disciple 3, which lets you start with Hide in Plain Sight. How about:

Frostblood Orc (Dragon Magic)
1) Scout 1. Feat: Travel Devotion (CChamp). Skirmish 1d6.
2) Scout 2.
3) Scout 3. Feat: Indigo Strike (MoI). Skirmish 1d6+1AC.
4) Ranger 1. Bonus: Track, Wild Empathy -> Spiritual Connection ACF (CChamp), Favored Enemy: Undead
5) Ranger 2. Bonus: TWF
6) Umbral Disciple 1. Feat: Swift Hunter (CScoundrel). Skirmish 2d6+1AC.
7) Umbral Disciple 2. Sneak Attack 1d6.
8) Umbral Disciple 3. 20% miss chance, Hide in Plain Sight.
9) Ranger 3. Feat: Staggering Strike (CAdv). Bonus: Endurance -> Craven (Champions of Ruin, swap via Frostblood Orc).

NOTE: At this point, spend 100 GP for Dragonborn of Bahumat (Races of the Dragon). You lose Endurance but not Craven, and you can swap Track for the Dragon Wings feat. If not, at Ranger 1 trade Track for the Trap Expert ACF in Dungeonscape and take Travel Devotion again (or some other feat) at ECL 12.

10) Scout 4. Bonus: Improved Skirmish (CScoundrel). Skirmish 2d6+2AC/4d6+4AC.
11) Ranger 4. Animal Companion -> Distracting Attack ACF (PHBII)
12) Ranger 5. Feat: Improved Dragon Wings (RotD). Favored Enemy: Constructs. Skirmish 3d6+2AC/5d6+4AC. Miss Chance 30%.
13) Ranger 6. Bonus: Improved TWF.
14) Ranger 7. Skirmish 3d6+3AC/5d6+5AC.
15) Ranger 8. Feat: Travel Devotion (can take this more than once)
16) Ranger 9. Evasion. Skirmish 4d6+3AC/6d6+5AC.
17) Ranger 10. Favored Enemy: Elementals.
18) Ranger 11. Feat: Travel Devotion. Bonus: Greater TWF. Skirmish 4d6+4AC/6d6+6AC.
19) Ranger 12.
20) Ranger 13. Camouflage. Skirmish 5d6+4AC/7d6+6AC.

Something else to consider, you mentioned Eberron. I think the Mark of Passage is human-only (half-orc maybe?), but ranger leads in nicely to Blade of Orien, which has a dimension-leap/shadow-pounce-like ability. Comes in later, though... ECL 13ish at the earliest I think.

[Cieyrin]

Wilderness Rogue is from UA, and available here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#rogueVariantWilderness Rogue).

Shadowlord is from Unapproachable East. It's a 6-level PrC, requiring skills and feats compatible with Shadowdancer, a few sneak attack dice, and either Shadowjumping or Dimension Door as a spell/SLA. Like Shadowdancer, it doesn't progress sneak attack, but adds to your shadow jump uses, gives the ability to make a full attack any time you use a [teleportation] ability like shadow jump, and some minor Assassin-like spellcasting along with other benefits.

Crinti Shadow Marauder (Shining South) can get you Shadow Pounce by ECL 10 w/o having to have shadowjumping prior to getting in, though modern Shadow Pouncers usually just grab up the Shadow Hand maneuvers, which is not very relevant in this build.

[Darrin]

Crinti Shadow Marauder (Shining South) can get you Shadow Pounce by ECL 10 w/o having to have shadowjumping prior to getting in, though modern Shadow Pouncers usually just grab up the Shadow Hand maneuvers, which is not very relevant in this build.

Both Telflammar Shadowlord and Crinti Shadow Marauder can be difficult to qualify for, particularly since the OP specified 1) Orc and 2) Eberron. Telflammer Shadowlord requires the character to be from the Thesk region, and Crinti Shadow Marauder has to be half-drow or have the sanction of the Dambrath nobility. You'll need to talk to the DM about refluffing or handwaving the requirements.

Other than Blade of Orien, there's also the Sun School tactical feat (Complete Warrior) that gives you a single free attack after any dimension door/teleport effect. I believe it can be combined with the Telflammar/Crinti Shadow Pounce. Requires Flurry of Blows, but a two-level dip into monk with the Cobra Strike variant fighting style (UA) gets you Dodge and Mobility as bonus feats, which segues nicely into Shadowdancer or Telflammar Shadowlord. You can also swap evasion for the Invisible Fist ACF (Exemplars of Evil) for 1 round of invisibility every 3 rounds. Add a little Psychic Warrior or Ardent for Dimension Hop as a swift action.

[Greenish]

I think the Mark of Passage is human-only (half-orc maybe?)No dice with half-orc. Mark of Finding is the only dragonmark a half-orc can have (and the only mark that can manifest on more than one race, barring the extinct Mark of Shadows Death).

[Cieyrin]

No dice with half-orc. Mark of Finding is the only dragonmark a half-orc can have (and the only mark that can manifest on more than one race, barring the extinct Mark of Shadows).

Y'mean Mark of Death. Mark of Shadows is alive and embroiled in a war between the two elven spy houses.

[Greenish]

Y'mean Mark of Death. Mark of Shadows is alive and embroiled in a war between the two elven spy houses.Right. I don't know where the Shadow came. :smallredface:

[Tzevash]

@DARRIN: Can't use some of these manuals, so the best I was able to set up was this build I'm going to post below :(

I've tried to make some adjustements, and now I have a

War 2/Ranger 2/Scout 3/Dervish 1

With ITWF, Spring Attack, Swift Hunter, Mobility, Dodge, Weapon Focus (scimitar), Expertise [Scout bonus feat].

Next level, Improved Skirmish.

Maybe, in the future, I'll put a Shadowdancer flavour-level.

Does it sucks? It seems ok to me.

[Darrin]

War 2/Ranger 2/Scout 3/Dervish 1

With ITWF, Spring Attack, Swift Hunter, Mobility, Dodge, Weapon Focus (scimitar), Expertise [Scout bonus feat].
Next level, Improved Skirmish.


What's "War 2"? Is that Warblade (Tome of Battle) or the Warrior class from the DMG? If it's Warblade, take it later so your IL is higher and you get more maneuvers to choose from.

I'm confused about some of your feats... Scout doesn't get a bonus feat until Scout 4, which you haven't taken yet. Also, if you're going to take at least 3 levels of Dervish, you get Spring Attack for free, so I don't see why you'd want to take that earlier (and it's also a complete waste of a feat for a TWF fighter). If you're only going to take 5 levels of Ranger/Scout, then I'm not sure Swift Hunter is worth it for +1d6 skirmish damage.

Can you list the books/sources you have available?

[Greenish]

Take at least a level of scout first, for skill points. What's "war" in this context, NPC Warrior or Generic Warrior?

[Cog]

Add a little Psychic Warrior or Ardent for Dimension Hop as a swift action.
I like Psychic Rogue (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040723b) or Psychic Assassin (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040723d) for this. Assassin can be put on top of Ardent to get Dimension Hop without costing a feat, but Rogue keeps your ML a little higher. Either gets you the skills, sneak attack, and Shadow Jump (as a move action when expending focus!) you need for Shadowlord. Assassin can get it a little earlier, but Rogue opens up the Ascetic Rogue feat for a Tashalatora-lite build that opens Sun School too.

Shadowlord is a little harder to get than Crinti Shadow Marauder, but the benefits are a little better, and is generally worth it, I think.

[Tzevash]

Sorry, I meant FIGHTER, not WARRIOR. é_è
And I messed up with the bonus feat cause I've read a bad table. Sorry.