Cleric based arcane trickster help.

[Brekum]

I was wondering if anyone would be interested in helping me build a cleric based arcane trickster. I am about to play what could be my last 3.5 game and I have always wanted to build a sneak attacking cleric. I know it is by no means optimized, but I am trying to get as close to being viable as possible. Any help would be wonderful. So far, the best I have found is going Cleric 1/rogue 1/spellthief 1/wizard 1/Arcane Trickster using eldritch curruption to qualify for 3rd level arcane spells. This leaves me with an abysmal BAB without divine power up and I still find myself behind 3 levels on cleric casting. Any help would be much appreciated. Help me play the character I always wanted to without being completely outshined by the rest of the party. We are starting at lvl 10.

[Doc_Maynot]

Cleric X/Arcane Trickster 10
Using Magical Training to gain mage hand and qualify for
Alternative Source Spell to cast arcane spells as a cleric
Take Martial Study and Martial Stance to gain Assasin's Stance for the SA

[Jeff the Green]

Or Cleric 5/PrC 5/Arcane Trickster 10, using Southern Magician and Assassin's Stance to qualify.

[Doc_Maynot]

They would still need Mage Hand somehow.

[Brekum]

Cleric X/Arcane Trickster 10
Using Magical Training to gain mage hand and qualify for
Alternative Source Spell to cast arcane spells as a cleric
Take Martial Study and Martial Stance to gain Assasin's Stance for the SA

That sounds like the best way. I am not to familiar with tome of battle thought, so... does that build put me entering arcane trickster at 11? And is there a way to perhaps enter it earlier and still have DMM:Persist by lvl 10. The game is starting at lvl 10. I was thinking I could take a level of sellsword at 9, but does that work?

[Rebel7284]

Cleric 8/Swordsage 1 has intitiator level of 5 and can thus take a 3rd level stance. RAW, the book says, however, that the first stance is first level. Some people think this is simply an oversight of the authors as all other maneuvers can start higher. Regardless, as you typically get a feat at 9, you can take Martial Stance as a feat. You can, of course, go cleric 6/Swordsage 2 and get Wis to AC in light armor, but that hurts your caster level more.

[gorfnab]

Have you considered using Rich Burlew's (The Giant himself) Divine Trickster Prestige Class (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?172910-Articles-Previously-Appearing-on-GiantITP-com) (scroll down a bit to find it)?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

The feat Spell Hand in CA gives you Mage Hand 1/day. A Whisper Gnome (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20040807a&page=3) gets Mage Hand as a racial spell-like ability.

A single level of Nar Demonbinder in UE allows you to cast 4th and 5th level arcane spells from a very limited list. You could go (Cloistered) Cleric 7/ Nar Demonbinder 1, then get Rogue 1/ Spellthief 1 or dip two levels of Swordsage for Assassin's Stance. That would allow you to take your 11th-20th levels in Arcane Trickster, for 17/20 Cleric casting and 7d6 sneak attack.

A single level of any spontaneous arcane class with Versatile Spellcaster and Sanctum Spell can spend two 1st level spell slots to cast a 2nd level spell that counts as a 3rd level arcane spell. I'd go with Dread Necromancer for Rebuke Undead, get the Rebuke Dragons ACF in Dragon Magic for Cleric which specifically can still be used to power divine feats, and have double the turn/rebuke pool to power DMM: Persistent and/or devotion feats. Something like Cloistered Cleric 3/ Dread Necromancer 1/ Spellthief 1/ Unseen Seer 1/ Arcane Trickster 10/ (Divine Oracle) 4 would get 17/20 Cleric spellcasting and 7d6 sneak attack.

Spells you cast via Anyspell and Greater Anyspell from the Spell domain are cast as arcane spells, "When you cast the arcane spell, it works just as though cast by a wizard of your cleric level except that your Wisdom score sets the save DC (if applicable)." You would need to use shenanigans (Improved Sigil: Krau or Sanctum Spell) to use Anyspell to help qualify for Arcane Trickster, and you need to be 11th level to use Greater Anyspell. If you're willing to use shenanigans, Rogue 1/ (Cloistered) Cleric 3/ Paragnostic Apostle 2/ Spellthief 1/ Arcane Trickster 10/ [Spellcasting PrCs] 3 gets 18/20 Cleric spellcasting and 7d6 sneak attack.

There's always the good ol' Rogue 4/ [Spellcasting Class] 1/ Assassin 5/ Arcane Trickster 10, for 10d6 sneak attack and 11th level [Spellcasting Class] spellcasting. Usually Wizard is used to reduce MAD, but Warlock works with the above Mage Hand acquisition if you want to focus on ranged touch attacks. (Cloistered) Cleric would work with that, but regardless of what spellcasting class you use it's more a skills/sneak attack build than a spellcasting build.

[Zombulian]

There's always Cloistered Cleric X/Rogue 3/Arcane Trickster 10. Using the same tricks as the other build mentioned except using the Sacred Outlaw feat to stack your cleric levels with Rogue levels for Sneak Attack.

[Doc_Maynot]

There's always Cloistered Cleric X/Rogue 3/Arcane Trickster 10. Using the same tricks as the other build mentioned except using the Sacred Outlaw feat to stack your cleric levels with Rogue levels for Sneak Attack.

That would be a lot better. I sometimes forget Assassin's stance is a 3rd level stance.

[Brekum]

There's always Cloistered Cleric X/Rogue 3/Arcane Trickster 10. Using the same tricks as the other build mentioned except using the Sacred Outlaw feat to stack your cleric levels with Rogue levels for Sneak Attack.

Unfortunately, dragon magazine feats are not allowed. I have also been told that we cannot use any 3rd party material. DM says If it is in the books and isn't a leadership feat, it is OK by him. Lots of good suggestions here. I am tempted to go Cleric 6/Swordsage 2/Trickster 2 for my lvl 10 build with extend spell, persistant spell, DMM:persist, Southern Magician, and unless I can find a better way, spell hand for mage hand. This gives me 3d6 sneak attack and only put me 2 level behind on spellcasting. All while allowing me to be an arcane trickster with DMM at lvl 10. Still open for suggestions thought. Always looking for new ways to build.