[3.5] Melee/Trapfinder/Skillmonkey

[sdhartm]

Hi guys. Fairly new to the game, (third adventure).....in the last adventures, I played the tank and wizard respectively. This time, I'm doing something new. I would like to play a skill monkey like a rogue with trapfinding, but I want to retain a decent effectiveness in combat.

Trapfinder is crucial, and I would love to play a Drow. DM is allowing anything that is in a book..no homebrew. 32 point first level build.

Thanks

[Shining Wrath]

Scouts can find 'em but not disarm them, and can be lethal with bows.
Ranger / Scout with one level of rogue so you can disarm traps.

[thethird]

Play a lesser drow, they are ok, you can find them in player's guide to faerun pg. 191. Equipment wise, don't leave home without sundark goggles races of the dragon pg. 123. Finally class wise I would recommend playing a factotum, they are really good at whatever they try to do.

[Psyren]

Low-power option - Rogue/Swashbuckler with Daring Outlaw

Mid-power option - Psychic Rogue with Improved Feint, Surprising Riposte and Hustle

Higher-power option - Iaijutsu Factotum with Gnome Quickrazor and Font of Inspiration

[Zombimode]

May I point you to the Factotum base class? Dungeonscape p. 14

Has Trapfinding, 6 skillpoints, ALL the class skills (no really, all), getting Int to Str and Dex checks, Int to damage, saves, attacks, arcane spells, healing, turn undead... the list goes on and on. Usefull from level 1 to 20, without the need to multi- or PRCs, and generally fun to play at all levels. Highly recommended.

Want to focus on melee? Grab a Guisarme and Improved Trip.

Edit: apparently, I was Factotum'ed

[DEMON]

Scouts can find 'em but not disarm them, and can be lethal with bows.
Ranger / Scout with one level of rogue so you can disarm traps.

Scout can disarm traps just fine, it was errata'd. Though the errata also kind of screwed him over as far as skirmish and mounted combat goes...

[Psyren]

Scout can disarm traps just fine, it was errata'd. Though the errata also kind of screwed him over as far as skirmish and mounted combat goes...

Anklets of Translocation, Travel Devotion etc. get you around that.

[sdhartm]

What race would be optimal for the Factotum..? I really like the idea of playing a drow. Something else that I would like to do is be a spellcaster with the ability to take care of traps...can I do this with any spells, or maybe have the ability to summon a creature that has the ability to charge or set off a trap..?

[Psyren]

Whisper Gnome works well for stats + quickrazor.

[Gildedragon]

As a spellcaster you can do whatever your pretty little mind can imagine.
Got traps? Summon badgers to set them off, use knock to open doors, passwall, stone to mud, shatter, fabricate (stonebreaker acid)... list goes on

As for the race for a factotum. Drow is nice IF you can buy it off quickly. Lesser drow is a mechanical trap for them. But elfness isn't too bad, con penalty hurts though.
There's tips down there on some factotum-ness
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[DEMON]

Anklets of Translocation, Travel Devotion etc. get you around that.

But it still doesn't help you if you want to be a mounted scout for some reason.


What race would be optimal for the Factotum..? I really like the idea of playing a drow. Something else that I would like to do is be a spellcaster with the ability to take care of traps...can I do this with any spells, or maybe have the ability to summon a creature that has the ability to charge or set off a trap..?

Beguiler is a spellcaster with trapfinding, focused on Illusions and Enchantments... mostly... INT based and 6+INT skill points. Not a melee oriented class, though.

[sdhartm]

Hahaha so my DM just outlawed the Factotum...I have the Complete series, all core books...no raw rules he says.

[Gildedragon]

So good combat trapfindey type:

Human
1) Rogue - Craven, Two weapon fighting
2) Fighter - Sneak Attack Fighter
3) Swordsage (Shadow Hand) - Shadow Blade (get island of blades for easy flanking)

you keep disable device, search, open lock, tumble, and UMD maxed if possible.

[Seharvepernfan]

EDIT: I seem to have forgotten about your "love to play a drow" part...but consider the following anyway.

Dwarf Rogue 1/Barbarian 1/Rogue X

Put good scores in physical stats, take improved toughness, wear a chain shirt and eventually mithril breastplate, use a darkwood/mithril shield + waraxe at low levels but use a greataxe (or waraxe with both hands) at mid-levels on up. Grab Improved Initiative, then Power Attack.

You'll have average speed (30ft.), you'll be plenty tough for a skillmonkey, you'll have pretty decent melee capability (assuming a flanking buddy), and you'll have your skill points.

Here's a build:
Dwarf Rogue 1
HP 10
+2 init
Spd 20ft.
18 AC
Shortspear +2 1d6+2 20ft.
Spiked Gauntlet +2 1d4+2
F+3 (+5), R+2 (+4), W+0 (+2)
Str 15, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 10
Improved Toughness
Disable Device +8, Open Lock +8, Search +6 (+8 if stone), 5 others
Chain Shirt, Darkwood Shield, x5 shortspears, spiked gauntlet, MW Thieves Tools

Dwarf Rogue 1/Barbarian 1
HP 20
+2 init
Spd 30ft.
18 AC
MW Waraxe +4 1d10+2
Shortspear +3 1d6+2 20ft.
Spiked Gauntlet +3 1d4+2
F+5 (+7), R+2 (+4), W+0 (+2)
Str 15, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 10
Improved Toughness
Disable Device +8, Open Lock +8, Search +6 (+8 if stone), 5 others
Chain Shirt, Darkwood Shield, MW Waraxe, x5 shortspears, spiked gauntlet, MW Thieves Tools


At first level, carry a shortspear and wear a spiked gauntlet. You'll be just as good with a thrown weapon as in melee, and a shortspear is both, but you have a spiked gauntlet in case you get in melee after throwing the spear.

At second level, you are more melee worthy and can maneuver better, plus you get to upgrade to a waraxe.

Aim to get a mithril breastplate and a belt of str +2 as quickly as possible. The belt, along with a str upgrade at 4th, will give you 18 Str (22 when raging), a nice round number for two-handing.

Decent Str + Flat-footed enemies + Flanking + Racial bonus vs. goblins/orcs + party buffs (bardic music, bless, enlarge person, etc.) = Good enough at attacking and allows power attacks.

[DEMON]

Low-power option - Rogue/Swashbuckler with Daring Outlaw

Then I would suggest this. Core + Complete Warrior + Complete Scoundrel
There are also some nice ACFs for Swashbucklers available in CM, DotU and PHB2.