Help choosing a race for a Beguiler/Rogue 3.5e

[EzraCallaghan]

I am going to be playing in a start up game that is based in Waterdeep and the scenario is we are a band of rogues and I will be playing the magic user in the party.

Here are the requirements for the build.


32 Point buy. Start Level 5, no Race with more than +1 Lvl Adjustment, minimum 3 Rogue levels. no Chaotic or Neutral Evil

So I have to have 3 Rogue levels to start then 2 levels of Beguiler (obv) and work up from there.

We can use any D&D 3.5e books to select a race and no restrictions other than the +1 LA and can't be CE or NE.

For example: One of the characters race is Vanaras (Oriental Adventures) and are a ninja/rogue

Any advice on how to maximize potential for a Beguiler with a certain race?

Thanks in advance

[Grams]

Gnome. Whisper Gnome. Any Gnome.

Gnome is pre-req for the oh so delicious shadowcraft mage

[Resident Fool]

Human's always nice. That extra feat and skill point really help out. : )

Or, since beguiler uses INT and if you don't want to be human... Gray elf could work.

But seriously, humans work for pretty much anything.

Edit: Grams makes a very good point via shadowcraft mage. Make yourelf into the killer gnome. : )

[gorfnab]

Beguilers from Shining South make decent Beguilers.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Whisper Gnome (RoS) with the Dark Creature template (ToM), with the +1 LA already bought off (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducingLevelAdjustments.htm) for 3,000 xp. A Dark Creature is native to the plane of shadow, so get the Naturalized Denizen (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/spelltouchedFeats.htm#naturalizedDenizen) feat so Dismissal and Banish and similar won't work on you. Get Item Familiar (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/itemFamiliars.htm) at 3rd and invest every skill point you get from then on into it for the greatest return. An Item Familiar is surprisingly easy to keep safe if you do it right (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=321520#5).

Can you use Spellthief or Psychic Rogue or Sneak Attack (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#fighter) Thug (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#fighterVariantThug) instead of Rogue? Just plain Beguiler levels can do everything a Rogue can do and more, other than dealing physical damage with sneak attacks. It seems a bit arbitrary to require such a high investment in a specific class that can be so easily replaced in both flavor and function by other classes that would be far more fitting to a particular character.

If you have to use Rogue, use the Feat Rogue (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#rogue) variant instead. You'll be better off getting Improved Initiative and Weapon Finesse for free over 2d6 sneak attack, and use a mithral buckler since there's absolutely no drawbacks to using one even nonproficient as an arcane caster. If you can get proficiency with bucklers due to race ([Creature Type] are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#types)) then spend those two Fighter feats on Shield Specialization and Shield Ward in PH2 instead, and be sure to get the Spell Reflection ACF in CM.