3.5 Psionish, Monkish, Rogueish suggestions

[Kintar]

Hello all, I am hoping that you fine folks could help me with a char build suggestion. I am the DM for my group, and for our next session I would like to introduce a new npc. We play 3.5 Eberron, and so far have only used run of the mill chars.

What I am looking to do is, for this next adventure I will need a new npc that may become an enemy or may be an ally. I am looking to start this char at level 8, and I was planning on using the Kalashtar race. I envision this char to be a rogue like psion, however a monk would be nice also. I don't currently own any psion books, and have never played a psionic char, but I can purchase/find the info fine enough if you could provide accurate terminology in your suggestions. If a more detailed description of how the npc would be used for the first mission would be helpful, I could provide it, but in keeping it short, I am looking for:

A good class/multiclass that is excellant in sneaking. Melee combat preferred but psionics added in. I do not want arcane/divine magic. I am not really looking for Psionic direct damage powers, more like Force push, Ability to put a wall up, excellant hit and run tactics,

It will be a good alignment char, tracking the party because the party is unknowingly transporting an evil item from the Cult of the Dragon Below to Morgrave University. The char I am seeking help in creation doesn't know if the party is willingly or unwillingly doing so, but regardless, it's mission is to recover item and destroy it.

Thanks in advance, I appreciate any and all suggestions.

[Optimystik]

1) The base psionic rules (i.e. most of the XPH) are available online via the SRD. There you will find all the races, classes, powers, items and monsters you need to run a psionic game.

2) The Psychic Rogue class is also available online from Wizards, and sounds like what you're looking for. Soulknife, though a bit weak, is another class that you can use to dip your toes into psionics. (To make it more interesting though, use the Hidden Talent ACF so that it has a power or two it can use.)

[Pluto]

I strongly recommend Psychic Rogue.

And the psionic rules are OGL and available on the SRD, so you don't need to purchase anything.

edit:
Or what Optimystik said.

[Lycanthromancer]

You could try a different tack and go with a changeling egoist or telepath psion (add in the thrallherd PrC for some extra creepiness factor, if you want to). Focus on "hiding in plain sight," as it were, using his change self racial ability. Take your first level as the changeling rogue alternative class feature, from Races of Eberron, and take whatever other ACFs you can find (there's a nifty changeling egoist ACF as well). Use social skills and powers to act like you're something else (such as using UMD to use wands to heal the party as a "friendly" cleric).

If you make him a bad guy, and play him right, you could make your players rather paranoid, and all without actually confronting them directly.

[Grynning]

There's also the "Talashtora" feats from Secrets of Sarlona (Eberron splatbook) that lets you progress certain monk features and psionics together. It lets you combo monk with psychic warrior or egoist and get into the Slayer PrC, which is one of the few ways to make a Monk decent. Monk 2/Psychic Warrior 8/Slayer 10 is the simplest build. You can also throw in a Ranger dip to get Track for free, some BAB and skill points.

[Lycanthromancer]

There's also the "Talashtora" feats from Secrets of Sarlona (Eberron splatbook) that lets you progress certain monk features and psionics together. It lets you combo monk with psychic warrior or egoist and get into the Slayer PrC, which is one of the few ways to make a Monk decent. Monk 2/Psychic Warrior 8/Slayer 10 is the simplest build. You can also throw in a Ranger dip to get Track for free, some BAB and skill points.

Either monk2/psywarX or monk2/ardentX (ardents are from Complete Psionic). Otherwise, burn yet another feat for Carmendine Monk (to base your Wis abilities off of Int) and take levels in psion.

[T.G. Oskar]

I'd mingle all three and make it Monk 2/Psychic Rogue 18 with Tashalatora (Psychic Rogue). That way, you get a reasonable amount of Sneak Attack (at least 6d6), reasonable psionic powers (up to level 5th, one less than Psychic Warrior but still reasonable for Metamorphosis through Expanded Knowledge), and Evasion twice, which allows you to replace one of them (get Spell Reflection and things get real messy).

The one big trouble is the lack of UMD (since psionics lack a reasonable ability to become invisible, nor the haste spell) and lower amount of skill points, but that can be fixed. Getting Carmendine Monk (from Champions of Valor, and see if the DM can allow it for a religion such as the Silver Flame or the Path of Light) or Kung Fu Genius (if Dragon magazine is allowed) allows you to go almost full Int.

Then, featwise you could get stuff like Snap Kick, Martial Stance (Child of Shadows or Assassin's Stance) and a reasonable magic item replacement for those abilities you may lack (Dust of Disappearance is a steal for the cost, almost 3,500 gp for a 2-12 round lasting Superior Invisibility per dose), and you'll do fine. Getting extra stuff for your buck is also good: a Scorpion Kama if you wish to do unarmed strike damage on top of good critical hits, actual enhancements AND sneak attack (granted from PsyRogue); Gloves of the Balanced Hand if you want to combine your unarmed strike and your Scorpion Kama (hey, free TWF or ITWF if you already have TWF)...

The first levels, of course, should focus on either Monk (up until 2nd level), then get Psychic Rogue levels until exhaustion. Expanded Knowledge should cover for those powers you lack (hint: Inertial Armor). Recall that, if necessary, you can turn the Psychic Rogue's special abilities into bonus feats, although at least Mind Cripple should be acquired (that'd be right around 13th level, when you get your first psychic rogue special ability). The first few levels should focus on getting a decent Int, focusing as most as you can on getting Int OR Dex for use in anything (so, for example, get Weapon Finesse when capable; the earliest would be with your 3rd level feat, which would cause troubles with Tashalatora) to reduce MAD, and then slowly decide what powers and abilities are more useful to you.

[Kintar]

Thank you all so much for the excellent responses. Your additions to the links were extremely helpful and will allow me to create the perfect npc I am looking to introduce to my campaign, and really add a nice twist for my players to experience. I really like the monk2/Psychic RogueX format and will be creating her shortly.

One other question I have is, I usually create chars using this web based char generator: http://www.pathguy.com/eberron.htm I like it because it allowed me and my players to create Eberron character and use a host of classes very easily. I do not see, however, Psychic Rogue in the program. Is there a different program that you would recomend I use, or am I going to have to break out a blank char sheet, sharpen my pencil(s), and try to create one the old fashioned way?

[Draz74]

or am I going to have to break out a blank char sheet, sharpen my pencil(s), and try to create one the old fashioned way?

Yep.

I don't think any programs will include Psychic Rogue, as it's a web-only release.

[T.G. Oskar]

Thank you all so much for the excellent responses. Your additions to the links were extremely helpful and will allow me to create the perfect npc I am looking to introduce to my campaign, and really add a nice twist for my players to experience. I really like the monk2/Psychic RogueX format and will be creating her shortly.

One other question I have is, I usually create chars using this web based char generator: http://www.pathguy.com/eberron.htm I like it because it allowed me and my players to create Eberron character and use a host of classes very easily. I do not see, however, Psychic Rogue in the program. Is there a different program that you would recomend I use, or am I going to have to break out a blank char sheet, sharpen my pencil(s), and try to create one the old fashioned way?

Pathguy's sheets are nice, but I use them mostly as 1st level build reference. They are nice when you need to make NPCs, but bad for building more complex characters. Myth-Weavers has a nice set of sheets, which you can fill; most of the stuff gets automated (for example, fill the BAB of your character once you've calculated it completely, fill the Strength score, and the skill automatically adds those up on the Melee attack roll section. You'll have to hand-fill some of the options and hand-fix others (such as replacing Strength with Dexterity for Weapon Finesse). The layout of MW is similar to the layout of a typical 3.5 character sheet, so it's not going to be so bad. Of course, it has a bit of a learning curve, but once you're familiar with it, you'll understand it.

You might also want to make the NPC run in the DMG II format if you desire, and then keep the character sheet separately for the changes. That way, you can see things pretty easily once you make the transference, and dispel any metagame knowledge of an NPC becoming a recurring character (barring your players actually looking in here...)

One final tip: you can use Pathguy's page and replace Psychic Rogue with Lurk. Then, with a word processing program (Word, Open Office, Google Docs, ...Wordperfect...), you can "hand-write" the differences. Psychic Rogue and Lurk are different, but I recall most of the stats are roughly similar (same BAB, similar Sneak Attack progression, similar saving throw progression, similar HD).