Re: Advice for Creating D&D 3.5 Characters
 

To be honest, the best Rogue race is the one that you want to play the most. Yeah, I know, that's the GURPS answer, but considering it's coming from a guy who doesn't play GURPS (yet), it should hopefully help you understand that you can play what you want to play. Why not a Dwarf Rogue? Could be somebody cast out of his clan for being the antithesis of what a Dwarf should be.

--Mike L.

Re: Advice for Creating D&D 3.5 Characters
 

You want "An explorer/treasure hunter skilled at finding traps, detecting ambushes, and sneaking about unseen/unheard in dungeons" but make no mention of information gathering, diplomacy or bluffing. As you don't care about CHA-based skills, you can afford to dump it. There is virtually no other consequence for poor CHA if class features don't depend on them. Poor STR hurts melee attack bonus, melee damage and carrying capacity but Weapon finesse covers the first and Sneak Attack makes the second less important. You can live with a poorer carrying capacity, especially if you buy a Heward's Handy Haversack later.

In other words, Whisper Gnome. You can even acquire the feat to stuff enemy spellcasters with Silencing Strike. At mid-levels and higher, primary spellcasters become deadly. If the Cleric can't shut him down with a Silence spell, it'll be up to you to shut him down 10 seconds ago. Make STR your lowest stat. You're gonna suck at melee unless you're Sneak Attacking but Rogues shouldn't be in melee unless they're delivering a Sneak Attack anyway. Make sure the Ranger and the Cleric can handle front-line duty.

As for Prestige classes, you must plan for them from the beginning, not later. For Dungeon Delver, the abilities are a pass and not worth giving up Rogue advancement. The entrance requirements may be unobtainable in your campaign anyway. Thief-Acrobat is too situation specific to be worth it.

DIPs meaning dipping a level into another class. That can work well with Rogue, especially as Whisper Gnomes don't suffer multi-class penalties with Rogue.

Re: Advice for Creating D&D 3.5 Characters
 

Remember, you can feint to get a sneak attack if you aren't flanking. Feinting is done using Bluff, which is a CHA based skill.

Go for the Whisper Gnome...but I'd advise against have a very crappy CHA score.

Will your game involve talking at all? Because you may want Gather Info, Sense Motive, Bluff in that case. If it is only hack and slash with no talking, you may still want Bluff for the Feint.

Re: Advice for Creating D&D 3.5 Characters
 

A number of you brought up a good question:
What is the DM's style?
Lots of hack and slash;
Lots of Gather Info, Sense Motive, Bluff;
Lots of traps/no traps;
etc.

From what he has said, he DMs open sandbox and adaptive.

So I take that to mean if I go looking for traps to disarm, some will start to appear that will need to be disarmed; if I go social interactive, opportunities to benefit from doing so successfully will arise; if I focus on sneak attacking, opportunities to do so will appear.

That said, I'm going to send an e-mail to him and or some of his long time players and confirm my interpretation.

Re: Advice for Creating D&D 3.5 Characters
 

One thing to consider is that Rogues _with groups_ seldom get much benefit out of Hide and Move Silently. It does you little good to have +10s when you're standing next to that Cleric with -5s in those Skills.

You might also be underestimating the importance of the movement hit. Even if the group as a whole is ls slowed to 20' movement base you want as much higher than that as you can get personally for combat maneuvering. A Rogue who can not get into (or out of) the right position in combat is screwed.

You may be planning to punt the whole combat thing. Maybe you can get away with that and maybe not After the Ranger the Cleric might be the #2 melee guy but it might be you and the Small-sized races give up a lot of combat potential.

Until you can get Weapon Finesse (3rd level minimum) the ST minus on the Halfling and gnome is making you -1 to hit and to damage on every melee attack you make. The -1 to damage will remain and you take another effective -1 to damage for using smaller sized weapons. The weapon size thing will affect ranged combat too. -2 damage to every attack you ever make is a lot.

...or it will be until you get enough levels to do lots of Sneak attack damage but the movement hit will be making it harder for you to get into flanking positions.

In summary: Small-sized rogues are for a non-combat focus only. I'm not sure your group will be big enough to afford that.

Re: Advice for Creating D&D 3.5 Characters
 

Boots of Striding and Springing. They bring your movement back up to 30' -- I recommend them.

My halfling rogue/master thrower was a combat monster. No one is super hardcore at level 1. But halfling rogues (or gnome rogues, I'm sure) can certainly be exceedingly dangerous in combat. With throwing feats, you can get the sneak attack at range with helps to mitigate movement issues. With improved feint and lots of bluff you can sneak attack without always flanking...which is not always possible for every combat round.

If you want to be super overpowered, when you are higher level, commission a ring of Improved Blinking. That makes all your multiple attacks sneak attacks and gives you no drawback. It's awesome (but pricey...and the GM may say no to that).

But as a rouge be prepared to deal with lots of things immune to sneak attack. Then you'll just suck.

Other things to think about. If you go for throwing...get 4-5 magic daggers (or whatnot) with returning. Then you can throw your magic daggers then get them back...then throw them again. Also pick up some ghost bane daggers. My dagger rouge had daggers for all occasions as time went on. Cold Iron? Check. Silver? Check? Good aligned? Check. Made of cheese? Check. Well, maybe not the cheese part.

Re: Advice for Creating D&D 3.5 Characters
 

I do too. My elven rogue used them to extend his movement from 30' to 40'. He was looking for some way to get some more too. A rogue can't have too much movement.

Re: Advice for Creating D&D 3.5 Characters
 

Sooooo true!

Do the movement enhancing effects stack? I mean, could a person dual class monk/rogue and get crazy, off the hook movement?

And then spring attack?

Re: Advice for Creating D&D 3.5 Characters
 

Enhancement bonuses never stack.

Re: Advice for Creating D&D 3.5 Characters
 

http://www.crystalkeep.com/d20/rules...ndex-Races.pdf
For races

I find air goblins to be a laugh if you want a unique character. One of the best played characters I've ever seen was a Goblin Paladin of the (Human) God of Peace.
Still their Stats arn't to be sniffed at for a rouge.
+4 dex
-2 str
-2 con
Small Size
• 30’ Movement
• Darkvision 60’
• +4 Racial bonus on Move Silently checks.
• +4 Racial bonus on Ride checks.
• +1 Racial bonus on attacks vs. creatures with the
(earth) subtype.
• –2 penalty on all saving throws vs. the spell, spelllike
abilities, & supernatural abilities that have the
(earth) subtype or are generated by creatures with
the (earth) subtype.
• Breathless – does not need to breath, so is immune to
drowning, suffocation, & attacks that require
inhalation.

Doppleganagers are brutal if you don't mind the + 4 level Adjustment, they tend towards the Chaotic and evil ways although I have seen someone play one as Chaotic good.
+2 Str
+2 Dex
+2 Con
+2 Int
+4 Wis
+2 Cha
Medium Size
• 30’ Movement
• Darkvision 60’
• +4 Natural Armor bonus to AC
• +4 Racial bonus on Bluff & Disguise checks.
• Level Adjustment +4
• 4HD Monstrous Humanoid, which grants skill points,
Feats, BAB, & Base Save Bonuses.
• +10 bonus to Disguise checks if using its
shapechanging ability.
• +4 Circumstance bonus on Bluff & Disguise checks if
it is reading its opponent’s mind.
• Special Attacks – Detect Thoughts
• Special Quality – Change Shape, Immunity to Sleep
& Charm effects

If you're going for a very actve combat rouge then Poison Dusk Lizardfolk can be very fun due to the Poison use abilities, natural armour and natural sneaky ability.
+2 Dex
+2 Con
–2 Cha
Small Size
30’ Movement
+3 Natural Armor bonus to AC
Low-light vision
Can Hold Breath for 4 x Constitution
Poison Use – never accidentally poisons itself
Level Adjustment +1
Natural Weapons – 2 claws (1d3) & 1 bite (1d3).
+4 Racial bonus on Balance, Jump, Swim checks
Weapon Familiarity – Bolos & Nets are treated as Martial weapons (instead of Exotic).
As long as most of the skin is exposed, a Poison Dusk Lizardfolk receives a +5 Racial bonus on Hide.

If you want to be a very brutal character and don't mind a + 5 level modifier with then a 6HD levels in Giant then the Troll is always good although they tend more towards fighters.
+12 Str
+4 Dex
+12 Con
–4 Int
–2 Wis
–4 Cha
Large Size
30’ Movement
Low-light Vision
Darkvision 60’
+5 Natural Armor bonus to AC
Level Adjustment +5
6HD Giant, which grants skill points, Feats, BAB, &
Base Save Bonuses.
Natural Weapons – 2 claws (1d6) & 1 bite (1d6).
Special Attacks – Rend
Special Qualities – Regeneration 5, Scent

Good luck