In this blog I will be showing you how to build a rogue from the ground up and not just any rogue but a power player in any party.
First you need to select what race you want to be and what you choose will slightly effect your advantages in lower level game play. Each of the races has advantage to selecting it but these will only carry you so far and when building a character that will be doing a lot of scouting and sneaking behind enemy lines what you do with your feats and rogue talents will affect your survival more than if you have pointy ears or not.
For this example I am going to keep it simple and design a human and here is why.
#1) Human: Bonus feat at 1st level, extra skill points regardless of favored class alternate option, favored class rogue= extra rogue talent every six levels of rogue, and you can put a +2 stat adjustment anywhere you like.
Stat lines vary based on individual campaigns so I will use my campaign default array to build this character.
17,16,15,14,13,12 (this stat line allows players to have a moderate amount of power when building any character)
Str:12 Dex:16/18 (+2 stat increase) Con:14 Int:17 Wis:13 Cha:15
Here is the adjustments to stats per level
4th: +1 Int (18)
8th: +1 Dex (19)
12th: +1 Dex (20)
16th: +1 Cha (16)
20th: +1 Wis (14)
I know that this looks odd but min/maxing one stat line (Dex) is foolish and a well rounded character has a better chance of survival and more tools to rely on than a rogue who only inflates his dex score at every chance.
Now comes the primary abilities of any rogue, his skills. Rogues run on 8+Int mod for every level of rogue they have and being human has increased that by +1 per level. With our current build we have a starter Int of 17: +3. So, you will have 12 skill points to spend every level of rogue you gain. upon reaching 4th level your Int will change to an 18 granting you an additional +4 skill points and changing your total to 13 skill points a level.
For now lets focus on the basics
Acrobatics: very useful in keeping your rogue on top of the situation in combat
Bluff: keep this maxed every level you will be using it a lot in and out of combat.
Climb: Rogues need to have a moderated climbing ability
Craft: (Traps) This skill is way under used but is an extremely useful tool
Disable Device: Primary rogue skill keep it maxed
Escape Artist: doesn't need to be maxed but is very useful against grapples
Perception: well duh a clueless rogue is a useless rogue
Sleight of Hand: Again this is primary
Stealth: keep this maxed this for obvious reasons
Use Magic Device: Keep this maxed to utilize wands/staves/scrolls and other magic items
Place your remaining skill points anywhere else you like, its all fluff after the bases are covered.
My recommendation is drop a point in survival even though you wont receive the class +3 bonus its always a good idea to be able to take care of yourself in the wild.
With skills done its time to look at your feats.
Human Bonus feat: Combat Expertise
1st Level: Improved Feint
3rd Level: Improved Dirty Tricks
5th Level: Skill Focus (Bluff)
7th Level: Agile Maneuvers
9th Level: Greater Feint
11th: Level: Greater Dirty Tricks
13th Level: (Elective)
15th Level: (Elective)
17th Level: (Elective)
19th Level: (Elective)
By 11th Level a primary fighting style is already in place and the remaining feats can be used to either strengthen that style by selecting feats such as (two-weapon fighting) to gain more attacks or theses feats can be used to strengthen weaker points of the rogue such as (Iron Will). From there its all insult to injury.
Now we need to select some rogue talents to better balance our rogue.
2nd level: Finesse Rogue
4th level: Surprise Attack
6th level: Fast Stealth
8th level: Trap Spotter
From here you may select any of these in any given order.
10th level: Crippling Strike
12th level: Opportunist
14th level: Slippery Mind
16th level: Fast Getaway
18th level: Dispelling Attack
20th level: Improved Evasion
Now that you have a good idea as to how your rogue will look at higher level lets jump back to level one and see what we have at our disposal.
Combat:
At level one our base attack is +0, and we only have a strength of 12 (+1) so our ability to hit in melee is very low. So I recommend that you always utilize ranged attacks if possible and if forced into melee use your acrobatics to move through combat and flank with an ally using your sneak attack and the +2 flanking bonus along with improved feint to lower the AC of your enemies. Upon reaching 2nd level the game changes, you will have a base attack of +1 but you will now apply your Dex (+4) to your attack modifier in melee gaining a total of +5 (compare this to the fighter types in your group and you will notice that your only +1 or so behind) Not bad for a skinny Rogue.
Advice: As you level keep in mind your abilities in combat are used to trip up and devastate the enemy, never charge the enemy head on (that's what Fighters, Paladins and Barbarians are for) and only engage an enemy alone if you have to. Always flank, if you can't flank, force the enemy flat footed by using your feint ability and deliver sneak attacks. Keep in mind that if you are not delivering sneak attacks to an enemy that can be sneak attacked then you are doing something wrong and need to re-position your rogue.
Enjoy.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
House rules: The called shot.
In a lot of games I have ran, there is always a circumstance where a player would like to make a called shot at an enemy. Within the pathfinder rpg, and even DnD there are no rules or substantial charts for making a called shot against an enemy and what the results are. So my play group and I have devised a simple system that is both player and DM friendly. (Mind you this rule can have devastating effects on your monsters so use with caution.)
So, for starters you need to establish what it is the player is trying to strike that way you can decide the difficulty of the attack. Called shot should be incremented based on the size of the location being attacked, but before you do so you need to understand the difference in what is or isn't a called shot. To make a called shot first the player needs to specify the location on the enemy he/she wishes to attack. (Declaring you want to attack the left flank of a large creature such as a dragon is not a called shot, that is called an attack.) The area should be a very specific location such as between the ribs directly under the armpit of the enemy/creature, or the eye would be an acceptable declaration.
Now you as the DM need to decide just how difficult that specified location is to hit based on a few simple questions. How large is the area being attacked. To help out here is a simple chart based on size location.
Fine: (this is 6 inches or less) +8 added to the base Armor class to hit the area.
Diminutive: ( 7 inches to 1 ft) +4 added to the base Armor class to hit the area
Tiny: (1ft 1inches to 2-1/2ft) +2 added to the base Armor class to hit the area
Small**: (3ft to 5ft) +1 added to the base Armor class to hit the area
**(These area's should only be incorporated or approved by the DM if the creature is Huge or above)
Now that you have determined the difficulty of striking the area you need to decide if the are any additional factors to add to the difficulty before the attack is made, such as is the targeted area armored? if so the penalties for sundering armor should apply as normal. (an alternate option is to add an additional AC bonus to the targeted area based on what material the armor is made out of.)
Padded: +1/Leather/Hide/Studded: +2/ Metal: +3**
**(Special metals such as Adamantine should still apply their damage reduction rating if the area is struck.)
Now the attack is made against the targeted location. As the DM you need to determine if the called shot will be a fatal blow if the attack is landed. If the attack has the potential to kill the target if successful I have devised a ruling to determine wither or not the target survives the blow. If the attack is successful the target must make a fortitude save DC 10 +damage dealt or die. (as i said earlier this can be used to mow down monsters in single hits and forces the DM to run his villains with care, but remember DM's monsters can aim as well, and not all called shots are fatal.)
Alright, let me toss out an example so that this muddy water can clear up a bit.
"Crow the barbarian has engaged Thwak the Orc warlord in single combat! In the beginnings of the fight Thwak delivered some devastating blows to Crow and the outcome for our hero looks grim. Crow decides that he has to win this fight in one hit or be slain by the monstrous Orc. So Crow declares that he wants to make a called shot using his greatsword and cleave it into the throat of the mighty Orc. Thwak has an initial armor class of 20 but striking him in the throat is far more difficult than just striking him outright and the throat is a Fine Target increasing Thwaks armor class by an additional +8, making his adjusted AC 28, Thankfully for Crow the area is unarmored so no additional adjustments need to be made to strike the area. So Crow makes his attack. Crow is +14 to hit with his enchanted Greatsword and rolls a 16. (14+16 = 30) Crow lands a mighty cleave into the throat of Thwak. (Now obviously a greatsword to the throat has the potential to be fatal so this attack will force a fortitude save.) Crow's damage when wielding his greatsword is 2d6+8, so he rolls damage normally as he would with any attack. Crow deals 14 points of damage to the throat of Thwak and forces a fortitude save difficulty 10+ damage dealt so Thwak then needs to roll his fortitude save and come up with a total of 24 or above to survive the attack. Thwak has a +10 to his fortitude save but only rolls a 4 on his save, failing the check and getting his head removed as Crow shears his head from his shoulders."
This rule may take some time to become familiar with but has the potential to increase the flavor of your combat scenes by forcing your play group to do more than just roll dice and tell you damage. This rule can be utilized by any attack that requires an attack roll, even touch/ranged touch spells!
Enjoy.
So, for starters you need to establish what it is the player is trying to strike that way you can decide the difficulty of the attack. Called shot should be incremented based on the size of the location being attacked, but before you do so you need to understand the difference in what is or isn't a called shot. To make a called shot first the player needs to specify the location on the enemy he/she wishes to attack. (Declaring you want to attack the left flank of a large creature such as a dragon is not a called shot, that is called an attack.) The area should be a very specific location such as between the ribs directly under the armpit of the enemy/creature, or the eye would be an acceptable declaration.
Now you as the DM need to decide just how difficult that specified location is to hit based on a few simple questions. How large is the area being attacked. To help out here is a simple chart based on size location.
Fine: (this is 6 inches or less) +8 added to the base Armor class to hit the area.
Diminutive: ( 7 inches to 1 ft) +4 added to the base Armor class to hit the area
Tiny: (1ft 1inches to 2-1/2ft) +2 added to the base Armor class to hit the area
Small**: (3ft to 5ft) +1 added to the base Armor class to hit the area
**(These area's should only be incorporated or approved by the DM if the creature is Huge or above)
Now that you have determined the difficulty of striking the area you need to decide if the are any additional factors to add to the difficulty before the attack is made, such as is the targeted area armored? if so the penalties for sundering armor should apply as normal. (an alternate option is to add an additional AC bonus to the targeted area based on what material the armor is made out of.)
Padded: +1/Leather/Hide/Studded: +2/ Metal: +3**
**(Special metals such as Adamantine should still apply their damage reduction rating if the area is struck.)
Now the attack is made against the targeted location. As the DM you need to determine if the called shot will be a fatal blow if the attack is landed. If the attack has the potential to kill the target if successful I have devised a ruling to determine wither or not the target survives the blow. If the attack is successful the target must make a fortitude save DC 10 +damage dealt or die. (as i said earlier this can be used to mow down monsters in single hits and forces the DM to run his villains with care, but remember DM's monsters can aim as well, and not all called shots are fatal.)
Alright, let me toss out an example so that this muddy water can clear up a bit.
"Crow the barbarian has engaged Thwak the Orc warlord in single combat! In the beginnings of the fight Thwak delivered some devastating blows to Crow and the outcome for our hero looks grim. Crow decides that he has to win this fight in one hit or be slain by the monstrous Orc. So Crow declares that he wants to make a called shot using his greatsword and cleave it into the throat of the mighty Orc. Thwak has an initial armor class of 20 but striking him in the throat is far more difficult than just striking him outright and the throat is a Fine Target increasing Thwaks armor class by an additional +8, making his adjusted AC 28, Thankfully for Crow the area is unarmored so no additional adjustments need to be made to strike the area. So Crow makes his attack. Crow is +14 to hit with his enchanted Greatsword and rolls a 16. (14+16 = 30) Crow lands a mighty cleave into the throat of Thwak. (Now obviously a greatsword to the throat has the potential to be fatal so this attack will force a fortitude save.) Crow's damage when wielding his greatsword is 2d6+8, so he rolls damage normally as he would with any attack. Crow deals 14 points of damage to the throat of Thwak and forces a fortitude save difficulty 10+ damage dealt so Thwak then needs to roll his fortitude save and come up with a total of 24 or above to survive the attack. Thwak has a +10 to his fortitude save but only rolls a 4 on his save, failing the check and getting his head removed as Crow shears his head from his shoulders."
This rule may take some time to become familiar with but has the potential to increase the flavor of your combat scenes by forcing your play group to do more than just roll dice and tell you damage. This rule can be utilized by any attack that requires an attack roll, even touch/ranged touch spells!
Enjoy.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Dungeon Masters Guide: Starting Fresh
Here is a useful guide to help my fellow DM's in creating new adventure campaigns, or to add new material to existing games that are loosing flavor.
The first thing to remember is to keep this simple, all you need is the facts.
Players Level:
Place:
Problem:
Solution:
Quest Giver:
Enemies:
Reward:
Plot Advancement:
(This is just a very simple layout for the DM to craft an overview for the adventure)
Once you have decided these simple things you can now begin to construct a more in depth adventure, but first I'm going to answer these questions to help give you an idea as to how this will all come together.
Players Level: 1st
Place: Hawkings Rest- small forest village
Problem: Supply wagons not arriving
Solution: Players investigate
Quest Giver: Local priest (Father Goodwell)
Enemies: Kobold Bandits, Wolves
Reward: Return with supplies: 200gp each
Plot Advancement: Players discover a map to the Kobold camp.
Now that we have the basics down, you have to construct a way for your players to meet or if they are an existing group you can simple change the enemies to a higher CR and up the reward for more advanced groups. But for the example lets say you need to get the party started so next you need a reason for your group to all be headed to the same place or already there. This can easily be accomplished without using the age old "So your all in the tavern" bit. Give your players reasons to be headed to the starting location of your game. As an experienced DM I have found that the more interest you as the DM put into your player's characters the harder they want to play them. So take the time to get to know the characters within your campaign. An easy way of doing this is with a history page that each player writes for you to read during down time, maybe even request that they come up with a reason for heading to the start location. Give them a reward for writing these character profiles, not in experience but in a minor magic item such as a +1 weapon or armor. (Now I know some DM's don't like the idea of new characters starting a game with a +1 weapon, but I have never had a +1 item ruin my game.)
Using this method you can then sit down and if you choose to, write up some fluff about the starting location and the inhabitants of the area or simply shoot from the hip and make it up as you go. (If your a new DM its always a good idea to at least have a plan as to what you want the party to do, DMing on the fly can be difficult if your not familiar with the system or struggle to come up with adventure hooks.)
Now you have a level one starter game to get your group together, I will be posting entire campaigns in the future using this method so that people can come and try out some of my best adventures with their players.
The first thing to remember is to keep this simple, all you need is the facts.
Players Level:
Place:
Problem:
Solution:
Quest Giver:
Enemies:
Reward:
Plot Advancement:
(This is just a very simple layout for the DM to craft an overview for the adventure)
Once you have decided these simple things you can now begin to construct a more in depth adventure, but first I'm going to answer these questions to help give you an idea as to how this will all come together.
Players Level: 1st
Place: Hawkings Rest- small forest village
Problem: Supply wagons not arriving
Solution: Players investigate
Quest Giver: Local priest (Father Goodwell)
Enemies: Kobold Bandits, Wolves
Reward: Return with supplies: 200gp each
Plot Advancement: Players discover a map to the Kobold camp.
Now that we have the basics down, you have to construct a way for your players to meet or if they are an existing group you can simple change the enemies to a higher CR and up the reward for more advanced groups. But for the example lets say you need to get the party started so next you need a reason for your group to all be headed to the same place or already there. This can easily be accomplished without using the age old "So your all in the tavern" bit. Give your players reasons to be headed to the starting location of your game. As an experienced DM I have found that the more interest you as the DM put into your player's characters the harder they want to play them. So take the time to get to know the characters within your campaign. An easy way of doing this is with a history page that each player writes for you to read during down time, maybe even request that they come up with a reason for heading to the start location. Give them a reward for writing these character profiles, not in experience but in a minor magic item such as a +1 weapon or armor. (Now I know some DM's don't like the idea of new characters starting a game with a +1 weapon, but I have never had a +1 item ruin my game.)
Using this method you can then sit down and if you choose to, write up some fluff about the starting location and the inhabitants of the area or simply shoot from the hip and make it up as you go. (If your a new DM its always a good idea to at least have a plan as to what you want the party to do, DMing on the fly can be difficult if your not familiar with the system or struggle to come up with adventure hooks.)
Now you have a level one starter game to get your group together, I will be posting entire campaigns in the future using this method so that people can come and try out some of my best adventures with their players.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)