Hand of the Winged Masters thoughts?

[Amoren]

So, in my search for a potential build around a dagger-wielding kobold assassiny rogue, I started searching through the three dragon books I have (races of the dragon, draconomicon, and Dragon Magic) and came across this nice little gem from Dragon Magic. It has a prerequisite of the Dragontouched feat (only stickler requiring Cha 11, but maybe my DM will allow a kobold to qualify for feats and what not as if it was dragontouched, especially a dragonwrought kobold), a motly assortment of class skills you probably would have gotten anyway with the exception of knowledge: arcane at four ranks, BAB +4, and SA/Sudden Strike/Skirmish at 2d6.

For this, you get a six skill point per level prestige class which has a nice skill list including your trap skills and practically every other rogue skill minus use magic device (odd since it gets knowledge: arcana as a class skill, oh well), d8 hit die, 3/4th BAB advance, and good reflex and will advancement. It only has 3d6 sneak attack throughout ten levels, but it gains the dragon senses and dragonfire strike as bonus feats. As for unique class features, it gives you improved dragonfire strike which causes your dragonfire strike to deal +1 damage for each sneak attack die you have (so if you have 8d6 sneak attack, plus 1d6 from dragonfire strike, the +9 will easily make up for the slower advancement). It also doubles the duration of beneficial arcane spells cast on you, and at tenth level, gives you a special ability similar to Darkstalker (except requiring you to take a -10 to your hide/move silently check to hide from scent, tremorsense, blindsense, and blindsight.

So yeah, what are everyones opinions on this class? It seems like a pretty great prestige class option for a rogue if they can manage to wrangle the knowledge arcana and spare feat, but at least the feat is pretty decent and opens up a lot of options.

[Kuulvheysoon]

In all honesty, it's not that great of a prestige class.

Over staying rogue, it offers the following:
1 more hit point/level (average)
+4 to Will
Double duration on friendly buffs (arcane only)
Bonus [draconic] feats
Improved Dragonfire Strike


Note that the improvement to DFS is actually inferior to Craven as it only applies to dice that you convert to energy damage, not every die.

Now, if you had stayed rogue, you would have...
+2d6 SA
3 rogue special abilities (anything from Improved Evasion to Slippery Mind)
+10 to UMD checks (via ranks)
2 more skill points per level
Open feat slot (instead of Dragontouched)


Personally, I know which I'd prefer.

If you want an assassin-y type character, have you considered Swordsage (ToB)? If you take focus on Shadow Hand, you can get nearly the same kind of benefits, along with a far greater versatility.

[Amoren]

Except the potential sneak attack damage with HotWM is superior. Just assuming 5d6 sneak attack from your other ten levels, you'd have 8d6 sneak attack total. Dragonfire strike adds in another 1d6 damage, bringing it up to 9d6, and then improved dragonfire strike adds a +9 to that. It also scales with deadly precision weapons, giving you another +1 damage for every 1d6 you get. Even without those or other +SA items, the extra damage from IDFS is worth about 2.5 sneak attack die, and should stack with craven (there's nothing about the class that prevents you from taking it, after all).

The lower skill points and lack of rogue special abilities is a heftier cost however, and if you truly want to milk dragonfire strike you probably want to pick up dragon heritage to make your SA damage sonic or acid instead of fire. Still, you do have the option to not use it if the target is immune to fire.

[Kuulvheysoon]

Except the potential sneak attack damage with HotWM is superior. Just assuming 5d6 sneak attack from your other ten levels, you'd have 8d6 sneak attack total. Dragonfire strike adds in another 1d6 damage, bringing it up to 9d6, and then improved dragonfire strike adds a +9 to that. It also scales with deadly precision weapons, giving you another +1 damage for every 1d6 you get. Even without those or other +SA items, the extra damage from IDFS is worth about 2.5 sneak attack die, and should stack with craven (there's nothing about the class that prevents you from taking it, after all).

The lower skill points and lack of rogue special abilities is a heftier cost however, and if you truly want to milk dragonfire strike you probably want to pick up dragon heritage to make your SA damage sonic or acid instead of fire. Still, you do have the option to not use it if the target is immune to fire.

But if you're not using it, you're losing out on all of the benefits of DFS, which seems to be one of your main reasons for taking this PrC.

But my point is that you could take Craven instead of Dragontouched, and still come out on top, for relative SA damage.

Grabbing a Draconic Heritage redeems DFS, but that's another feat to grab out of your few feats. Although it does stack nicely with your Draconic Sense bonus feat.

[Amoren]

I suppose it ultimately comes down to if you prefer the skill points, rogue special abilities, use magic device, and free feat slots, or potentially higher damage, better spot/listen/search, hit points, will, and minor unique abilities. Still, I'm rather surprised to see such a solid prestige class like this. Shame other rogue prestige classes can't have many of those benefits.

[Kuulvheysoon]

There's more than a few excellent prestige classes hiding away in obscure or relatively obscure sourcebooks.

Personally, I quite like the Pactbound Adept, even though you lose 2 caster levels, for example, and the Wyrm Wizard is one of the few ways to add any spell to your list (yes, it even calls out heal spells).

[Amoren]

I was referring to rogue-centered prestige classes in particular. xD Although the Telflammar Shadowlord is still one of my favorite prestige classes, even if it is 3.0, have a butt load of feat tax, and doesn't get sneak attack.

[Kuulvheysoon]

Rogue-wise, I'll admit that I'm a fan of the Scorpion Heritor (Full SA, full skills, and some unique abilities) from Sandstorm, the Umbral Disciple from Magic of Incarnum, and the Hordestealer from Draconomicon (although it doesn't advance SA, where else can you make your pockets bags of holding?)