Help me with my next level!

[MiME]

Hey guys!

So, after getting back into d&d, me and my old party played a new session and my old character leveled up! Now, that's great, but right now I don't know as much about the game as my friends do, so I don't really know where to take my beloved scoundrel and wanted some tips!

Okay, so here's what we're working with:

Elf, lvl 3 Rogue/lvl 6 sorcerer, C/N


STR: 12
DEX: 20
CON: 12
INT: 16
WIS: 12
CHA: 22

As you can see, my stats are pretty good, and I love my high charisma because I really get a lot of use out of the charisma skills, but I still feel like I'm not getting the most out of them.

As for my feats so far:

Weapon Finesse
Combat Reflexes
Improved Initiative
(pending)

I still have a feat I haven't chosen.

I play him mostly as a swashbuckler/pirate of sorts, lying, seducing and scoundreling my way through adventure.

But anyways, I just leveled up and I don't really know where to take him. Any tips?

[CigarPete]

Hey guys!

So, after getting back into d&d, me and my old party played a new session and my old character leveled up! Now, that's great, but right now I don't know as much about the game as my friends do, so I don't really know where to take my beloved scoundrel and wanted some tips!

Okay, so here's what we're working with:

Elf, lvl 3 Rogue/lvl 6 sorcerer, C/N


STR: 12
DEX: 20
CON: 12
INT: 16
WIS: 12
CHA: 22

As you can see, my stats are pretty good, and I love my high charisma because I really get a lot of use out of the charisma skills, but I still feel like I'm not getting the most out of them.

As for my feats so far:

Weapon Finesse
Combat Reflexes
Improved Initiative
(pending)

I still have a feat I haven't chosen.

I play him mostly as a swashbuckler/pirate of sorts, lying, seducing and scoundreling my way through adventure.

But anyways, I just leveled up and I don't really know where to take him. Any tips?

I'd take a few levels in Abjurant Champion from Complete Mage. Full casting and BAB progression and a few nice additional abilities. As long as you have at least one Abjuration spell on your list, you have already met all the prerequisites.

As far as the feat, I'd decider whether you want him to focus more on casting, fighting or social interactions and choose a feat accordingly.

[prufock]

Arcane Trickster or Unseen Seer would also be decent, since they progress both your spellcasting and sneak attack, and most of the best rogue skills.

[Hendel]

I would second Arcane Trickster since you have the rogue and soercerer thing going.

If you like the charisma side, maybe you look at Spell Focus Enchantment. If you want to get more out of rays and such maybe start to look at Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot to shoot into melee better.

Arcane Strike might be good but I never really used it so I couldn't give a good recomendation on it.

[Callin]

Abjurant Champion for the better BaB better Abjuration spells and good spellcasting. Unseen Seer for advancing rogue skills while advancing spellcasting. I dont personally care for Arcane Trickster because it has a really bad BaB.

[dascarletm]

Hey guys!

So, after getting back into d&d, me and my old party played a new session and my old character leveled up! Now, that's great, but right now I don't know as much about the game as my friends do, so I don't really know where to take my beloved scoundrel and wanted some tips!

Okay, so here's what we're working with:

Elf, lvl 3 Rogue/lvl 6 sorcerer, C/N


STR: 12
DEX: 20
CON: 12
INT: 16
WIS: 12
CHA: 22

As you can see, my stats are pretty good, and I love my high charisma because I really get a lot of use out of the charisma skills, but I still feel like I'm not getting the most out of them.

As for my feats so far:

Weapon Finesse
Combat Reflexes
Improved Initiative
(pending)

I still have a feat I haven't chosen.

I play him mostly as a swashbuckler/pirate of sorts, lying, seducing and scoundreling my way through adventure.

But anyways, I just leveled up and I don't really know where to take him. Any tips?

See if you can trade out your weapon finesse for something else, as your dex is 10 and str is 12. Nevermind, egg on my face.

[Callin]

I see a Dex of 20...

[dascarletm]

woops, misread that hard. nevermind...:smalleek:

[Callin]

With what you got on your plate later on today I can understand misreading something like that.

[herrhauptmann]

Abjurant Champion for the better BaB better Abjuration spells and good spellcasting. Unseen Seer for advancing rogue skills while advancing spellcasting. I dont personally care for Arcane Trickster because it has a really bad BaB.

I'd tell you to take spellsword, aka Abjurant Champ level 0, but you don't actually meet the prereqs. (Heavy armor)

Abjurant champ is a great choice honestly. Quickened and extended abjurations, for free.

Alternately, swiftblade. Which has 3 problems.
Prereqs: Dodge and mobility feats (take alternate dodge feats, they count)
And the part where all of your 3rd level spells for a full level have to be haste. That part really sucks.

[MiME]

Wow guys! Thanks a lot for all the suggestions!

I've still haven't looked closely at all of them, but so far the Abjurant Champion looks really nice, and something I would never have given a second look at if not for your suggestions.
I had considered the Arcane Trickster before my temporary retirement from the game, but now my friends (who play druids and clerics and wizard/warriors) tell me that it's not that good because the spell and BA progression is apparently the same as just doing one level each as I have been doing so far (?).

And yeah I had looked into the Spellsword a bit as well (mostly because of the focusing spells through the weapon thing), but the armor thing screws it for me.

I was mostly wondering if there was some way to abuse my high charisma or maybe my dexterity because, while I love playing my character as a trickster of sorts, the issue I'm having is that I'm not dealing nearly enough damage compared to other party members. But see, I normally wouldn't have all that much trouble with that; I like that my dude doesn't finish every fight in a round by throwing a meteor to the other guy's face, but our usual DM for this table tends to go for the abominations and monsters from your nightmares rather than for the dudes you can trick and catch flat footed.

So yeah, while my partners in crime are summoning fire giants and throwing explosions at the monsters, I'm just swirling my sword around and praying I don't get hit too hard by the horrors with a million eyes that I can't trick with any of my skills.

But anyways, the swiftblade sounds nice too (in name at least) but Herrhauptmann, what do you mean by "all my level 3 spells for a level must be haste"?

Oh, and Hendel, where do I find those feats you were mentioning? Arcane Strike I can't remember having seen before.

[CigarPete]

Wow guys! Thanks a lot for all the suggestions!

I've still haven't looked closely at all of them, but so far the Abjurant Champion looks really nice, and something I would never have given a second look at if not for your suggestions.
I had considered the Arcane Trickster before my temporary retirement from the game, but now my friends (who play druids and clerics and wizard/warriors) tell me that it's not that good because the spell and BA progression is apparently the same as just doing one level each as I have been doing so far (?).

And yeah I had looked into the Spellsword a bit as well (mostly because of the focusing spells through the weapon thing), but the armor thing screws it for me.

I was mostly wondering if there was some way to abuse my high charisma or maybe my dexterity because, while I love playing my character as a trickster of sorts, the issue I'm having is that I'm not dealing nearly enough damage compared to other party members. But see, I normally wouldn't have all that much trouble with that; I like that my dude doesn't finish every fight in a round by throwing a meteor to the other guy's face, but our usual DM for this table tends to go for the abominations and monsters from your nightmares rather than for the dudes you can trick and catch flat footed.

So yeah, while my partners in crime are summoning fire giants and throwing explosions at the monsters, I'm just swirling my sword around and praying I don't get hit too hard by the horrors with a million eyes that I can't trick with any of my skills.

But anyways, the swiftblade sounds nice too (in name at least) but Herrhauptmann, what do you mean by "all my level 3 spells for a level must be haste"?

Oh, and Hendel, where do I find those feats you were mentioning? Arcane Strike I can't remember having seen before.
Arcane Strike is in Complete Warrior. It lets you spend a spell slot for a boost to hit and damage. Well worth it, and gets crazy once you can spend higher level slots.

[Blackhawk748]

I also seconf Abjurant Champion and also recommend looking at Spellwarp Sniper, while having never played one i hear their not bad

[OverdrivePrime]

I'll put in another vote for Abjurant Champion. Arcane Trickster is a trap, unfortunately, particularly with the game it sounds like you're playing in.

You've got a solid skill base, you've got some good utility abilities from rogue, and you've got six levels of casting. You not really focused right now, which is probably why it feels like you're underperforming compared to your peers. Give it a few levels.

In the mean time, you can still leverage the mess out of your charisma and agility by becoming the wealthiest member in the party. Charm your way into favor, steal what you need, smoothly talk your way out of trouble. You're not as good as a bard, but you'll do.

You can eek out a little extra damage by using ranged attack spells. With one more caster level (CL7), your scorching ray spell (you've got scorching ray, right?) can do 6d6 damage to two separate opponents on a surprise round. Not bad.

I'd steer clear of big, messy area of effect spells. You're the precision guy. The combat surgeon who gets in cleanly, removes the offending bit, and gets out without leaving a mess. Your charisma and stealth can get you in to pretty much anywhere. Your magic and (soon to come) combat ability gets the job done, and stealth gets you back out again.

[Callin]

If you get feats to spare there is Martial Study and then the stance one then Shadowblade which will allow you to do dex to damage if in a Shadowhand Stance with a shadowhand weapon(dagger shortsword unarmed strike). I suggest Assassins Stance for an extra 2d6 sneak attack.

Then you could take levels in Jade Pheonix Mage. Its not a bad PrC. This is all in Tome of Battle if allowed. If not disregard. I was looking ahead to past Abjurant Champ for this. Build up to it.

All up to you though.

[MiME]

Thanks a lot guys!

I'm looking into all of your suggestions and so far am leaning heavily towards the abjurer tho I really like the swiftblade too!

But anyways, I think Overdrive nailed it in regards to my combat surgeon aspirations haha.

[KillingAScarab]

Thanks a lot guys!

I'm looking into all of your suggestions and so far am leaning heavily towards the abjurer tho I really like the swiftblade too!

But anyways, I think Overdrive nailed it in regards to my combat surgeon aspirations haha.Swiftblade (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20070327) is built around the assumption that you just use haste so much, so very very much, that you start becoming a haste specialist.

Given that you have been away from the game table for some time (you didn't say how long), that Special prerequisite might mean you would not be able to enter this level, unless you just happened to have never cast any 3rd level spell but haste using your 3rd level spell slots. Alternatively, you have a very detailed character journal, tracking what spells you cast for the duration of each character level and what spell slots you used to cast them.

You could start working toward it after this level-up, and use your 4th level or higher spell slots when you need to cast 3rd level spells which aren't haste. Some people forget about the ability to use higher-level spell slots only to achieve a casting of a lower-level spell. The heighten spell metamagic feat, however, makes that a little more worthwhile, especially if you've traded away your familiar for the Player's Handbook II sorcerer alternate class feature "metamagic specialist."