Advice for me & post your own characters!

[Eladrinblade]

Main stipulation: This is CORE ONLY. PHB, MM, DMG, that's it.

If you want. I like seeing other people's ideal characters. This is mine.

CG Male Human Rogue 3/Ranger 2/Transmuter 5/Arcane Trickster 10
156hp
Init +13
AC 35 (42 w/shield & reduce & dodge)
Bab +11
Class Features: Sneak Attack +7d6, Trapfinding, Evasion, Trap Sense +1, Favored Enemy () +2, Wild Empathy +0, Combat Style (TWF), Bat Familiar,
Ranged Legerdemain 3/day, Impromptu Sneak Attack 2/day
4/6/6/5/5/5/4/2/1 (before specialist bonus)
F+9, R+18, W+13 (@20th before items)
F+20, R+28, W+23 (after items)
Str 12, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 8 (@20th, before items)
Str 12, Dex 24, Con 20, Int 22, Wis 16, Cha 8 (after items)
Feats: Improved Initiative, PBS, Weapon Finesse, Track, Two-Weapon Fighting, Scribe Scroll, Dodge, ITWF, Quicken Spell, Mobility, Shot on the Run, Craft Staff

Skills: Balance 16, Climb 10, Disable Device 30, Escape Artist 16, Hide 30, Jump 10, Listen 18, Move Silently 34, Open Lock 30, Search 30, Spot 32, Tumble 30
Survival 13/20, Arcana 15, Concentration 20, Decipher Script 15, Spellcraft 13, Dungeoneering 9, Geography 9, Nature 11, Planar 9

Items: Circlet of Intelligence +6, Periapt of Wisdom +6, Cloak of Resistance +5, Tunic of Health +6, Robe of Eyes, Monk's Belt, Bracers of Armor +8, Gloves of
Dexterity +6, Ring of Freedom of Movement, Ring of Protection +5, Elven Boots of the Winterlands, Pale Green Prism Ioun Stone, Dusty Rose Prism Ioun Stone,
Luckstone, Boccob's Blessed Book, Lens of Detection, Manual of Bodily Health +1, Mages Haversack, Carpet of Flying (1),
Staves/Wands/Scrolls/Potions/Darkwood Longbow/x2 Tomahawks (493k so far)

Spellbook: Custom Spell: Eldritch Orb, Sor/Wiz 1, as produce flame except 1d4 untyped (+1/2 CL, max +5), light as candle, only ignites easy stuff, works underwater (assuming DM approval; the DMG allows for custom spells)

1: Shield, Grease, Silent Image, Disguise Self, Eldritch Orb, Expeditious Retreat, Jump, Feather Fall, Reduce Person
2: Mirror Image, Knock, Spider Climb, Glitterdust
3: Arcane Sight, Protection from Energy, Fly, Haste, Displacement
4: Greater Invisibility, Dimension Door, Polymorph, Stone Shape
5: Break Enchantment, Wall of Force, Telekinesis
6: True Seeing, Greater Dispel Magic, Disintegrate, Stone to Flesh
7: Greater Teleport, Plane Shift, Ethereal Jaunt, Statue
8: Mind Blank, Iron Body


I can't decide between undead and fiends for favored enemy. I hate them equally and it's very useful against both.

I want a scarab of protection in there somewhere, but I have no room at the moment.

I'd like access to faerie fire, but true seeing will do (pretty expensive though).

I'm aware the character isn't optimized; that's okay. Rogue 3/wiz 5/trickster 12 would have been better, though the book doesn't explicitly say you can go past 10 in trickster. I know shot on the run and prereqs aren't great; that's fine too. There's gotta be a good use for it (besides 1/round sniping), and it fits my nimble skirmisher concept.

With my low bab, it's probably not a great idea to invest heavily in weapons, but I was thinking of getting x2 throwing axes of subtlety and a longbow with the wounding enhancement, but I can't make up my mind. Main weapon will be the eldritch orb spell, via staff, but it has to surpass SR, so I can't always depend on it.

I will have staves, just not sure exactly what yet.

Other advice? I don't want to make big changes.

What's your favorite core build?

[mabriss lethe]

I'm rather fond of MonkX/Sorc1/Dragon DiscipleX builds in core. Of course, there are several different break points for it, depending on what you want. In core, I'm fond of Monk 9/sorc1/DD10 and Monk 11/Sorc1/DD2/ShadowdancerX. Neither are exceptionally high op, but they are effective ninja brand blenders.

[Eladrinblade]

Do the claw/bite stack with monk unarmed damage? I wouldn't think so...

[mabriss lethe]

They don't gain the unarmed damage boost, but they don't really need it. What it amounts to is you get your flurry and then you track two claws and a bite at -5 (-2 with multiattack) Mix in some sort of bonus damage and it gets really ugly. You have a lot of attacks and a good number of them are very likely to hit. With even 1/1 power attack and enlarge person, they can deal some nasty damage. (of course, if you complete DD, then enlarge person no longer works, because your type changes to Dragon)

[Eladrinblade]

How do you know that you can make claw/claw/bite in addition to your regular flurry attacks?

And what kind of bonus damage?

[mabriss lethe]

Unless otherwise stated, you can combine manufactured and natural attacks. (An example would be the psychic warrior power Claws of the Beast, which specifically replaces your attack routine.) When you do combine them, they all count as secondary attacks. (resolved at your BAB-5 or -2 with the multiattack feat) In this case it's just like how you can combine a flurry with TWF, except this is actually a good idea, unlike Flurry+TWF.

Edit to add: Bonus Damage:
-You have a couple of core only options:
-Power attack: You only get the 1/1 conversion (-1 attack +1 damage), and you won't have full BAB, but your extra attacks and their higher attack bonus make up for it, since you'll be adjusting your PA to the same point a full BAB class would. (Less overall bonus damage per strike, but more strikes and greater likelihood that more of them will hit.)

-Sneak attack: there's room in at least one of the builds to take Shadowdancer 1/Rogue5, which will net you Hide in Plain Sight and 3d6 sneak attack, which you can use with your flurry and natural attacks quite well.

-Amulet of mighty fists: while normally too expensive, on an UAS+NA build, it's quite nice, since the one item can grant up to +5 hit and damage on all of your attacks. Being able to enchant it with weapon special properties would be nice, but that would have to be ruled by your DM. (otherwise you have to go out of core to Savage Species for a Necklace of natural weapons)

-Monk's belt: Will increase your monk unarmed attack dice by 5 levels.

-The lowly (not spiked) Gauntlet: Will require DM adjudication. Monks aren't proficient, but your level of sorcerer fixes that. It's technically not on the list of weapons you can flurry with, but in the description, it specifically states that it merely modifies your unarmed strike, which you can flurry with. If your DM says it's kosher, you can stack damaging special properties on your gauntlets to get the most out of your attack string.

[Vizzerdrix]

Ick. Cleric 20. Grab a large masterwork morningstar as soon as I can, and call it a day. Domains changed to whatever matches with the flavor of the cleric. Feats are too few and far between (not to mention poor selection) that I don't worry about them too much. Usually Improved Initiative and Brew Potion get in there someplace, along with at least one other crafting feat to help adjust the lack of balance.