Drow build?

[Stormageddon]

So my DM is going to be starting a Evil Drow campaign. I've been trying to think of a build: what weapons I should use? what class levels I should take? What feats I should use? ext... ext... I was thinking about doing a rogue/ either fighter or swashbuckler. Eventually taking the Drow PrC Dread Fang. No caster levels please. Any advice?

[Ossian]

Give us some more details on the setting. Is there a lot of hack 'n slash envisaged? Is it an investigative campaign? Los of travel involved? Ok no caster level, but what about the campaign. Low magic? High magic? What about the size/composition of the party?

Rogue / Ranger is nice, at any rate.

O.

[Keld Denar]

Rogue4/Swashbuckler16 is a pretty common 1-20 build. It utilizes the feat Daring Outlaw from Complete Scoundrel which allows you to stack Rogue and Swashbuckler levels to determine Sneak Attack and Grace bonuses. This version nets you 19/20 BAB, which is good for Two Weapon Fighting (TWF).

And while I know drow in literature typically duel wield longswords, that isn't very easy to do with the way 3.5 rules are written. TWF is rather feat intensive, requiring 3 feats just to get started, adding in Oversided Two Weapon Fighting (CWar?) on top of that burns up over half of your feats. You also can't finesse a longsword, IIRC. My personal suggestion would be a pair of short swords or daggers. Your base damage is slightly lower than long swords, but you don't have to invest so much in terms of feats and attack penaties. The bulk of your damage is going to come from Sneak Attack dice and possibly the Craven feat (Champions of Ruin) anyway, so weapon damage isn't a huge factor.

Abilities, you want to prioritize this way Dex > Int > Con > Str = Wis = Cha. Since you derive most of your ability to hit from Dex, its highest. Int gives you skill points and damage, where are useful. Con keeps you from being a little black smeer on the side of a deep cavern somewhere. Str/Wis/Cha are dump stats, and can be pretty low if required.

Try this:
Swash1 Finess (bonus) and Two Weapon Fighting
Rogue1
Rogue2 Craven
Rogue3
Swash2
Swash3 Daring Outlaw
SwashX Improved and Greater Two Weapon Fighting, Staggering Strike, and anything else.

This changes a little if you have access to the book Tome of Battle, Book of 9 Swords, as a 2 level dip in Swordsage is pretty much AMAZING for this style of play. EVERYTHING is better with ToB.