Help me build a shadow-earth dreamer (3.5)

[Smokin Red]

Hey Playground,

I've got some inspiration for a build, and now I simply have to try it out. Unfortunately, I'm not very good at optimizing, and the char should be tier 2-3.
So I turn to you all, for advice. I know you can do it.

The idea:
In a somewhat apocalypzic fantasy setting, this char should be able to travel alone, dodging hostiles (mostly outsiders and/or abberrations I presume) and being essentially a vigilante.

I don't want to play a full caster, rather I'd like spell-like and supernatural abilities.

Some crunch:
He should be lvl 15 and gets some more feats (lvl 1, 3, 5, 7...)
I don't want no flyer, but someone able to travel through the earth. High stealth skills would be great.
Every official book is fine (some homebrew 3rd party may be okay, depends)
Stats are: 16, 16, 14, 14, 12, 12


What I think so far:
Shadow-Template (LoM)-Whispergnome (RoS)(for stealth an abilities)
Spellthief 6 (CAd) - Earth Dreamer 5 (RoS)(for abilities and earth glide)
Feats: earth sense (RoS)(for the earth dreamer), dark stalker (LoM)(for stealth)


So far this would be ECL 13, I thought perhaps dark hunter (CW)(for some more abilities) for the last two levels. But could that even work so far?
I don't know that much about tiers, ideas?

Please, I know you can do it!:smallwink:

[Tvtyrant]

I would suggest Binder, since it can be sneaky, gets supernatural abilities, and has a ton of different abilities. You can also boost its abilities rapidly through improved binding chain, so you could go Binder15/whatever and still get the full Binder set of abilities.

A different route would be Psychic Rogue, which is like a Rogue that gets psychic progression.

[Smokin Red]

thanks for responding, which book is binder from? and can I get something like earthglide with it?

[Keld Denar]

Honestly, you aren't getting THAT much out of that many levels of Spellthief, and progressing Spellthief's limited casting via Earth Dreamer is kinda a waste.

Consider this:

Spellthief1/Wizard4/UnseenSeer2/EarthDreamer5/X1

Where X is either more Unseen Seer or possibly Arcane Trickster.

Take Master Spellthief (CScoundrel) at some point to stack your Wizard levels together with your Spellthief levels. You won't really be able to use what you steal, but you will be able to drain high level slots from enemy casters.

[Smokin Red]

Okay, I understand, that spellthief is 'meh', but how do I handle the stealthy thing, as a wizard?
Unseen Seer, I have thought about too.

[Keld Denar]

"Stealthy" things are mostly skill based. As an int based caster, you should have a fair number of skill points. Unfortunately, you DO run into issues with the fact that you are a gnome and not a human, in that you are unable to take the Able Learner feat (Races of Destiny). That would make it tough to keep up with skills.

That said, you can fake it with spells. Invisibility gives a +20 to hide, for when you REALLY have to make it. There are a few spells and items that can render you completely silent as well. Also, Unseen Seer gives you access to divinations from other lists, so you could poach Divine Insight from the Cleric list (CDivine, Clr2) to make other skill checks you don't have quite max skill points in.

So yea, your skills will suffer slightly, but its not something you can't make up with the extra spells you get.