rogue/thief build

[leegi0n]

Playgrounders,

What build advice can you give for a CORE ONLY game wherein I want to play a rogue/thief who is a mute? I would like for him to be a thrower (daggers, knives, hand axes, etc.), but also proficient at close range with the same weapons. I'm considering playing a halfling for the dex bonuses. I intend on putting a lot of ranks into disguise as well. What are some feats, items, other build ideas you all have for something like this. Mind you, he can't talk. Again, CORE ONLY and we will be starting at level 5.

Thanks in advance ~

[Flickerdart]

Are you willing to multiclass around? Because you're going to want some bonus feats (ranged fighting is feat-intensive, and if you want to fight in melee as well, even worse), so Ranger or Fighter dips would be handy.

You'll want the following feats: Rapid Shot, Two-Weapon Fighting (and follow-up feats when you can get them), and Weapon Finesse. Since you can't really get all of that by level 5 (especially considering prerequisites), you will have to choose what you want to be good at now and what your character will grow into later.

[leegi0n]

Are you willing to multiclass around?

Yes, absolutely. I had considered ranger. I really want to focus on disguise too. Are there feats for that in core, or do I just need to dump ranks into CHA for that?

[supervillan]

The only feats I can think of in Core that boost Disguise are SKill Focus (+3) and Deceitful (+2 disguise and forgery). Neither is strong, and you probably can't afford them if you want all the combat feats.

Best way to boost disguise skill significantly is disguise self spell for +10 and then the polymorph spell tree. You can dip sorcerer and get disguise self, which is only a level 1 spell. But your character is mute, so that's not really going to work. (There's Silent Spell of course, but a mute spellcaster is a non-starter I think).

If you can pick your own magic items, Hat of Disguise is extremely cheap at 1800gp (well within your WBL at level 5) and gives disguise self at will.

[leegi0n]

If you can pick your own magic items, Hat of Disguise is extremely cheap at 1800gp (well within your WBL at level 5) and gives disguise self at will.

Hat of Disguise is a good idea. Would disguise self work in a wand or ring?

[supervillan]

Disguise self on a wand is all fine.

For rings, there is the Ring of Chameleon Power. It's pretty cool, but much more expensive than the hat at 12,700gp. It gives +10 to hide, plus disguise self at will.

[captain fubar]

slight of hand may be oposed by spot but if you dont mind being seen you can still steal everything within reach as a free action once you can reliably hit 40 on a slight of hand check.

forgery can only be oposed by better forgery, so if you sign letter of marque from the recently departed noble you can go around declairing war and only the theifs guild is likely to know whats going on.

in core rouges tend to cling alot tighter to their triditional roll as skill monkeys but they can still do alot with this.

[Splendor]

I've seen core mean different things. Does your meaning include the complete books & races books, but not location specific books (Ebberon, Realms, etc)?

Rogue 1/1) Two Weapon Fighting
- Can fight with two weapons, use daggers so you can throw them, always flank for sneak attack and +2 to hit (which negs 2wpfight).
Fighter 1/2) Wp Finesse
- Can now use DEX to hit
Fighter 2/2) Weapon Focus Dagger
- +1 to hit with daggers in melee or range
Character 3/3) Darkstalker (or point blank shot)
- Hide from anything
Rouge 2/4
Rouge 3/5 - See about taking alternative class feature from dungeonscape called Penetrating Strike
Rouge 4/6) Point Blank Shot (additional +1 to hit & Damage when thrown).
- If you couldn't take darkstalker take farshot now, it will open up the Invisible Blade prestige class.
- Or Improves Initiative for Nightsong Enforcer

[Chronos]

I've never seen Core used to include the Completes, and doing so rather strips the word of its meaning. At most, it's occasionally used to mean everything on the SRD, but usually, it means only Core (i.e., PHB, DMG, MM1).

Halfling is almost certainly your best race choice. In addition to the dex bonus, you've also got small size, rogue as favored class, and a bonus with thrown weapons. The only other race to consider is goblin: You tack on a charisma penalty, but that probably isn't important to you if you're going to be mute, and you lose the bonus on thrown weapons, but you gain darkvision and an additional bonus to stealth skills. The major disadvantage, though, is that most things you meet will want to kill you on sight.