High level Melee sneak-attacker.

[docnessuno]

Building a lvl 20 TWF Sneak-attacker for a friend, All sources allowed, aming for a mid/high optimization level. This are the builds i'm toying with:

Rogue 3 / Swashbuckler 4 /Assassin 9 / Unseen seer 1 / Swordsage 3
BAB 14, 12d6 SA, 10th level assassin casting, HipS, nice Int synergy. Would need a RaW way to switch Swordsage bonus from Wis to Int (otherwise requires housruling Kung-fu genius or Carmendine monk working for swordsage).

Rogue 3 / Swashbuckler 4 / Teflammar Shadowlord 4 / Swordsage 8 / ??? 1
BAB 15 and 6d6 SA at lvl 19. As above, with less spellcasting, much less SA, no HiPS but shadowpounce and more manouvers. I'd like to top it off with Unseen seer but with no divination spells on she shadowlord i'm looking for ideas. The build is very feat-hungry.


Rogue 3 / Sorcerer 1 / Swordsage 1 / Daggerspell mage 10 / Unseen seer 4 / Swordsage +1 (2)
BAB 13 and 9d6 SA. Great spellcasting up to 7th level spells, switching Wis to AC with Cha to AC requires no houseruling. Loses mid-level manouvers and Int to DMG, but gains quickened goodies from DSM capstone.

Feats for all the builds:
Twf tree (3 feats)
Shadow hand
A feat to switch Wis to AC to Int (looking for one) or Cha (Ascetic mage)

Feats for build 1:
Somatic weaponry (any idea on how to avoid this tax is welcome)
Darkstalker
Craven
Daring Outlaw
(Open if Human / Strongheart halfling)

Feats for build 2:
Somatic weaponry (see above)
Weapon Finesse
Blind-fight
Dodge
Mobility
Spring attack
Daring Outlaw
[Warning: even with human and 2 flaw those are too many]

Feats for build 3:
Weapon Finesse
Praticed Spellcaster
Craven
(Open)
(Open if Human / Strongheart halfling)

Thats pretty much it. I'm looking for ideas, comments, alternative builds.
PEACH.

[Flickerdart]

What exactly is Swashbuckler doing in the first one? You'd be better off weaseling your way into a dip of Shiba Protector for WIS to attack and damage (Assassins can get familiars, which grant Alertness, so you can get a cute pet instead of having to waste the feat slot). Focusing on Intelligence isn't that useful for an Assassin (since Death Attack is not going to come up that often).

Shadowpouncing doesn't combine terribly well with maneuvers. Sure, you might be able to drop a standard/move/swift shadowpounce, but when every attack you make is only half as good as the previous build's, that's not terribly impressive, and you can only do it once every other round at best.

[Snowbluff]

You know, you could go Str based Twohander rogue instead. Pick up Stagger Strike, Power Attack, or 3 mountains. Weapon Finesse/Shadow Hand is a little feat heavy for you.

[docnessuno]

About swashbucker:
I forgot to iclude Daring outlaw in the swashbucker builds.
Also both builds including it have Int-based casting, and swashbucker adds more Int sinergy with precision damage. 4 SB levels net me 2d6 SA, int to damage and weapon finesse, as well as full BAB and a Fort boost.

About shadowpouncing:
Considering a Dex of 30, Int of 20 and Craven, Build one would deal 1d4+25+[12d6+30 precision], average of 99 while build two would reach 1d4+25+[6d6+10 precision] average of 58. Lower overall output, but hardly half of the previous one, and a substantial difference comes from the Craven feat, whose absence is not 'caused' by swordsage levels. I'm more worried by the leak of wraithstrike access in that build.

[Godskook]

Personally, I'd go:

Rogue 1/Wizard 4/Daggerspell Mage X/Unseen Seer Y

But this or build #3, here's some useful spells:

Hunter's Eye(via Unseen Seer)

This is your bread and butter. The d6/3CL SA means you're actually ahead of the pure rouge after you pick this up.

Steel Dance -and - Dancing Blade -and- Cloud of Knives

At rounds/CL, you can buff these going into a fight and get up to 4 free action attacks per round(some melee, some ranged). Just made of win with all that SA you got built up.

Wraithstrike

Enables you to target touch-AC. Get a wand, cast, and/or persist this(persist at your own peril).

Greater invisibility

Easiest way to enable SA. Have back-ups in case you're fighting prepared enemies.

Heroics

Bonus fighter feat for the cost of a 2nd level spell. Usually a good trade in the late levels. Arguably self-stacks for multiple feats at the same time.

Mirror Move

4 Bonus fighter feats, but with casting restrictions and a small list. Great for picking up pre-reqs to a higher feat you'd want. Can be enabled by casting Heroics on patsies first, which you can do from a eternal wand, since you're not worried about CL for that.

[Keld Denar]

Build 3 its fun, but I'd get more USS and less DSM, if possible. Spells > no spells, especially at high levels. When you can Persist Wraithstrike, Cloud of Knives, and Hunters Eye, you well be a badass before you even swing a sword. Attack under the cover of Greater Blinking while shielding yourself with Greater Mirror Image as you float around with perfect fly thanks to Elemental Body.

Plus, magic gives you more ways to avoid does who are immune to SA. Either you cast a spell like Golemstrike, or you simply avoid the foe with a touch of Battlefield Control.

Edit: drop the Swordsage on the last build and pick up more casting. Shadow Blade adds what, 6-8 damage per hit. The extra SA from Hunters Eye makes up for some of that, and the whole extra level of spells its awesome.

Also, swap Spellthief for Rogue and take Master Spellthief. Your attacks drain spells from foes, which is bonus, and you get to cast in light armor for free for the cost of 8 skill points.

[Endelehia]

Don't worry that much about the lack of wraithstrike,he will have reasonably high intelligence and can probably spare some skill point to max UMD that you get from rogue.Activating a wraithstrike wand is swift action anyway.

[Person_Man]

If it's a high level game, you might want to consider Eldritch Erosion (Comp Scound) or Undo Resistance (Fiendish Codex II). Either will reduce the Spell Resistance of enemies in slightly different ways, which can be huge deal if you're in a party with full casters.

Also, is your goal spells + melee damage, which can be accomplished many different ways? Or is there something specific about Sneak Attack (which is somewhat inefficient) that you want?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Spellthief 1/ Ardent 4/ Psychic Assassin (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040723d) 6/ Slayer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/prestigeClasses/slayer.htm) 9
BAB +16, 4d6 sneak attack with 2 Int damage per hit, 9th level powers at a manifester level of 19, able to freely use wands, staffs, etc. of any Wizard spells from the schools of abjuration, divination, enchantment, illusion, and transmutation. Use Substitute Powers (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a) to make pretty much any power you need available, even those not appearing on any printed mantle lists.

Wear a Monk's Belt for Wis to AC, use Inertial Armor and Persistent (http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/msrd/ArcanaOccupationsandFeats.rtf) (3.0 Psionics Handbook, still valid) buffs like Force Screen, Biofeedback, Mental Barrier, Thicken Skin, etc. Get a Psicrystal and share Vigor with it, put Share Pain on it every day, keep it in a compartment on your person that's out of line of sight/effect to opponents. Put a wand chamber on each of your weapons with Wraithstrike and whatever else (Vine/Grave/Golem Strike depending). Wear a greater Collar of Umbral Metamorphosis and Skin of the Chameleon (MIC, competence), take Darkstalker, and UMD/UPD a Wand of Camouflage (SC, circumstance) and a Dorje of Chameleon (XPH, enhancement).

I'd probably get at least one ambush feat (CS) and/or Staggering Strike (CV), and if you think it needs more sneak attack use an Outsider race and Metamorphosis into a Kelvezu (MM2) for +8d6 SA, +15 natural armor, Str 21, Dex 31, and Con damage poison on every attack. You could even go Half-Fiend 1 (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20031010a) and have it bought off (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducingLevelAdjustments.htm) for 3k xp. Maybe even go Half-Kelvezu (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060630a) gradually via a similar progression, having gained each point of LA before your 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th class levels, buying off each one before gaining the next for 3k, 6k, 9k, and 12k xp, putting the character 30k xp behind but with a +4 LA template completely bought off. Get Item Familiar (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/itemFamiliars.htm) and with the 10% xp bonus you'll only be 11k xp behind at 20th level, and you'll have an item (Greater Collar of Umbral Metamorphosis) that's considered a construct (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/intelligentItems.htm) so it won't be disabled by antimagic or dead magic areas and can't be turned off with dispel or disjunction. Intelligent items get actions in combat and can activate their own items, so give it a special purpose and dedicated power and it can spam a 10d6 Fireball or Lightning Bolt every round independent of the wearer or Dimension Door you around at will.

[Flickerdart]

Using 3.0 Psionics feats for 3.5 Psionics is objectionable, since the entire system was overhauled. Make sure your DM is okay with it first.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Using 3.0 Psionics feats for 3.5 Psionics is objectionable, since the entire system was overhauled. Make sure your DM is okay with it first.

The link I gave is a version that's updated to 3.5 psionics mechanics.

[Lonely Tylenol]

I'll slap half of a well-thought-out build onto half of a poor one:

Human (or other) Rogue 1/Zhentarim Sneak Attack Thug Fighter 9/Whirling Frenzy Lion Totem Barbarian 1/Assassin 9

Use the Rogue to get Able Learner (if you wish), or don't. Grabbing Able Learner helps for easier qualification for Assassin, but isn't strictly necessary (the level of Rogue increased the cap already). In addition, the Rogue level at 1 gives you 32+(4*INT) skill points at level 1, which you will be using to make yourself decent at most things (and building a solid core foundation for Indimidate, Hide and Move Silently, and Use Magic Device, Jump and Tumble if possible), and +1d6 of Sneak Attack, which will make you a little more front-loaded with the Sneak Attack dice (you grab another at level 2 with your first level of Sneak Attack Fighter).

Zhentarim Sneak Attack Thug Fighter 9 gives you +5d6 Sneak Attack, Skill Focus (Intimidate), and Swift Intimidate, which allows you to make Intimidate checks to demoralize as a swift action. This is what we came here for: grab Imperious Command at level 9 (you won't be able to use it as a swift action for a whole level because the Rogue 1 at the beginning displaces it, but that's okay). At level 10, you will be able to make demoralize checks that cause your enemies to cower, followed by full attack actions.

Lion Totem Whirling Frenzy Barbarian just feels like a given for any melee-focused build, as you can now charge and make full attacks (not tremendously effective for you, since you need to be threatening your opponent to make demoralize checks anyway), and get an extra attack while in rage (this is huge for you). The charge can still be put to use with the Never Outnumbered skill trick, or perhaps a spiked chain (you will likely be Large and using a reach weapon, in case I forgot to inform you), as you can reposition yourself to get attacks on different people. It's also useful for getting into position on the first round if you win initiative (which you might decide you want to do), as you get your full round of sneak attacks.

Assassin 9 was just haphazardly slapped on, because it seems like the least intensive way to further Sneak Attack via prestige (Evil and some basic skill requirements), which means less thinking on my end, and has a well-supported spell list (which instantly makes it so much better in my eyes).

This build will end with a BAB of 16 (17 if fractional), +11d6 Sneak Attack, fourth-level Assassin spells, and a built-in method of delivering Sneak Attack to everything that isn't immune to fear effects (which gives you another weakness to target, on top of the usual gambits). Improvements can certainly be made upon it (I really just slapped ten levels of "this gets Sneak Attack" on top of the Zhentarim Sneak Attack Thug Fighter 9/Lion Totem Whirling Frenzy Barbarian 1), but as-is, it's certainly functional.

[Keld Denar]

Needs moar Neraph Charge feat (Planar Handbook).

[Flickerdart]

The link I gave is a version that's updated to 3.5 psionics mechanics.
It's also d20m, not D&D 3.5 material.