Help with a Tricky Backstabbing Bastard

[qazzquimby]

The goal is to make a character that has high sneak attack, or a similar alternative, while focusing on teleports, mobility and confusion.

I've looked at most of the bridges between spell casting and roguishness, but most seem to be considered underpowered, and don't do a great job at either.

Anyone have advice on the build? I'm pretty lost.

One idea, assassin 1, the rest psion telepath. Use invisibility and such to stay out of danger, while helping with powers and death attacks. I'm not knowledgeable in either class though, so I don't know how well that'd work.

[thethird]

Okay, one good thing for good damage is Telflammar shadowlord from unapprochable east.

You will also want some nice teleports. Swordsage gets some and a couple of levels of totemist are good too. You probably want at least 3 levels of rogue for penetrating strike.

So: Totemist 2 / Rogue 3 / Swordsage 2 (to get shadow teleporting maneuvers and assassin's stance) and levels in telflammar shadow lord (at least 4) from there you have 9 free levels which you can fill to taste.

Or you can go... Metus Somnambulus (http://web.archive.org/web/20080404024736/http://forums.gleemax.com/wotc_archive/index.php/t-742643)

[qazzquimby]

I saw a 2 level build for totemist giving I think, 30ft teleports, at will, as a move. It's using blink shirt as a totem bind. Is that what your totemist levels are doing?

[thethird]

Yes, which trigger shadow pounce, for a full attack.

[qazzquimby]

Yeah, I realized. Full attack as a move is pretty scary.
What's so good about penetrating strike? Are there that many monsters immune to sneak attack?

[Vknight]

Is penetrating strike good?

Short Answer, Yes

Long Answer, undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to sneak attacks.

So that is 4 creature types and I bet you'll encounter at least 1 in your campaign. And not being useless is important.

[thethird]

Undead, constructs, oozes, plants, elementals, spellcasters with fortification, anyone who has invested in a fortification armor... (basically yes, penetatring strike is something that you really want).

The scary part though is full attacking after using a teleport as a swift action, then using another as a standard action (+ full attack) and finishing with a teleport as a move action (and another full attack). This is 3 full attacks in a round.

[qazzquimby]

Is there sneak attack bonus on that, assuming you teleport behind or flanking them? And thanks so much for all the help.

[thethird]

The sneak attack applies when people are flat footed, flanked or otherwise they have they DEX denied. So there is no bonus for doing it after a teleport other than the cool factor.

You probably want craven (champions of ruin) for a bonus damage equal to your character level, since it is a fixed bonus it multiplies on crits which is nice.

[qazzquimby]

I think 6th level sword sage is required for Assassin's Stance, since its a 3rd level stance. Is there some kind of specialization that brings it faster?

[BowStreetRunner]

I think 6th level sword sage is required for Assassin's Stance, since its a 3rd level stance. Is there some kind of specialization that brings it faster?

Your non-swordsage levels all count as 1/2 initiator level. Assassin's Stance is a 3rd level stance, which requires an initiator level of 5th. Now some people interpret the rules to state that the first stance taken must be a 1st level stance - if your DM takes this position you would need to take Swordsage 2 to pick up the stance. That would leave you 3 IL short, which would be accomplished with 6 other class levels. So for instance, Rogue 6/Swordsage 2 would qualify for Assassin's stance.

[thethird]

Swordsage is quite explicit:

"Stances known: You begin play with knowledge of one 1st level stance from any discipline open to you."

Island of blades is particularly useful since it eases flanking and thus it eases sneak attacking.