Shadowlord

[Valen0121]

Hi All,
I'm getting ready to join a new Forgotten Realms campaign and need help in optimizating my build. We will be using core 3.5, all FR Books, and feats from other wotc books per DM approval. I will be playing human. I have 82 points to divide up between the 6 attributes. Any suggestions would be appreciated. This is what i have come up with so far. Debating whether to add shadowdancer and/or assassin to the buil.d

Human

str-11
dex-18
con-14
int-14
wis-14
cha-11

01-Rogue
02-Fighter
03-Fighter
04-Rogue
05-Rogue
06-Ranger
07-Ranger
08-Shadow-walker
09-Telflammar Shadowlord
10-Telflammar Shadowlord
11-Telflammar Shadowlord
12-Telflammar Shadowlord
13-Telflammar Shadowlord
14-Telflammar Shadowlord
15-Rogue
16-Rogue
17-Rogue
18-Rogue
19-Rogue
20-Rogue


Feats
-----
H-Dodge
01-Mobility
03-Weapon Finesse
06-Craven
09-Darkstalker
12-??
15-??
18-??
Ftr-Sprint Attack
Ftr-Blindfight
Rgr-Track, Two Weapon fighting

Thanks
Valen

[X-Codes]

Tome of Battle.

If Assassin's Stance doesn't get you the 2d6 sneak attack according to your DM, then your build is Rogue 3/Swordsage 5/Shadowlord 6.  If it does, then just go straight Swordsage 7 into Shadowlord.  However you finish the build is up to you.

[CantripN]

Strongheart Halfling Swashbuckler 3 / Rogue 4 / Hit-and-Run Fighter 1 / Swordsage 1 / Shadowlord X works, too.

Feats:
1B - Weapon Finesse
1B - Dodge
1 - Mobility
3 - Two Weapon Fighting (get the bracers that make this into ITWF)
6 - Spring Attack
8B - Blind-Fight
9 - Daring Outlaw
12 - Shadow Blade
15 - Darkstalker

Damage is [W]+INT+DEX*2+6d6 SA+STR (if any).

[Cagemarrow]

I've been contemplating making one of these as a backup character in my current game as well, though I was going to use the Warlock 6/Swordsage 2/TSl 4 and then into Jade Phoenix Mage x build myself. For race I was thinking of using the Diopsid from the Dragon Compendium Annual (pg 10) to have a magic blasting shadow wrapped teleporting kung fu beetle man. I was going to run with the idea of him being terrified of the surface world, and the sky in general, and have him hide from it by wearing one of those big Chinese farmer hats so he couldn't see it.

He would be ECL 13 at the moment but may be higher depending on when/if my current character bites it in a way he can't be brought back.

[Rebel7284]

Ardent 8/Swordsage 1/TSL 4/Ardent 2 is a fun 15th level built I made once.

This of course assumes that your DM is ok with Psycoportation = teleportation.  With dominant ideal + twin power + linked power you can make a bunch of attacks.

[symisin]

Tome of Battle.

If Assassin's Stance doesn't get you the 2d6 sneak attack according to your DM, then your build is Rogue 3/Swordsage 5/Shadowlord 6.  If it does, then just go straight Swordsage 7 into Shadowlord.  However you finish the build is up to you.

you should really want the swordsage in there for the teleportation maneuvers- shadow stride, shadow jaunt and shadow blink(if you go that high) because they will all trigger the full attack action and break the action economy. 

so in a turn you can activate shadow jaunt as a standard action and do a full attack then use shadow stride as a move action and do another full attack.  a good way to maximize this is getting the full two weapon fighting tree

[Rebel7284]

Tome of Battle.

If Assassin's Stance doesn't get you the 2d6 sneak attack according to your DM, then your build is Rogue 3/Swordsage 5/Shadowlord 6.  If it does, then just go straight Swordsage 7 into Shadowlord.  However you finish the build is up to you.

you should really want the swordsage in there for the teleportation maneuvers- shadow stride, shadow jaunt and shadow blink(if you go that high) because they will all trigger the full attack action and break the action economy. 

so in a turn you can activate shadow jaunt as a standard action and do a full attack then use shadow stride as a move action and do another full attack.  a good way to maximize this is getting the full two weapon fighting tree

One thing to note is that the Swordsage teleportation maneuvers are technically [EX] abilities, so you can even do them in an antimagic field/dead magic zone. 
While two weapon fighting is nice with a sneak attack character, TSL is already VERY feat starved.  If it's part of your character concept, you can  take the first feat in the chain and then use gloves of the balanced hand to give you improved two weapon fighting.  I would seriously consider just dropping the feat/item tax inherent in TWF and going for a single weapon.

[Cagemarrow]

Here's my current build idea that my GM seems to really love. It's going to be a Drow Hunter joining up with the party after hearing about their exploits thwarting Lolth. They just finished the Expedition to the Demonweb Pits and may soon be starting the City of the Spider Queen. Personality and combat style will be a sort of combination of Spiderman and Nightcrawler. I'm still working out at what levels to buy the various ranks he needs by the required levels. I also want him to have Use Magic Device and Concentration maxed if at all possible.

Telflammar Shadowlord [Unapproachable East]) and Jade Phoenix Mage Prc Prereq needed by 6th and 12th

Chaotic Non-Good, Non-Evil
Hide 10 ranks, Move Silently 10 ranks, K: Local 2 ranks, Concentration 9 Ranks, K: Arcana 2 ranks, K: History 2 ranks, K: R 2 ranks
Blind-fight, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack
Dimension Door as spell or SLA
Sneak attack +2d6
2 Martial Maneuvers, including 1 strike
1 Martial Stance
Ability to cast 2nd Level Arcane Spells

CN Diopsid (LA +1) 12 HD ECL 13

[Valen0121]

Unfortunally my DM is limiting me to core and forgotten realms. He will allow feats from other books after he reviews them.

Thanks
Valen

[X-Codes]

Rogue 3/Ranger 4-6/TSL 4-6/Horizon Walker 6-7

Lean more toward extremes of these values than any middle values.  Ranger 5 is a terrible break point.

[Valen0121]

Here's a revised advancement plan..

01-Rogue
02-Fighter
03-Fighter
04-Ranger
05-Ranger
06-Rogue
07-Rogue
08-Shadowdancer
09-Shadow-Walker
10-Telflammar Shadowlord
11-Telflammar Shadowlord
12-Telflammar Shadowlord
13-Telflammar Shadowlord
14-Telflammar Shadowlord
15-Telflammar Shadowlord
16-Assassin
17-Assassin
18-Assassin
19-Assassin
20-Assassin

Thanks,
Valen

[Valen0121]

Here's another advancement Im looking at doing. Any suggestions to improve it.


01-Skulk (from Races of Destiny)
02-Skulk
03-Skulk
04-Rogue
05-Fighter
06-Fighter
07-Ranger
08-Ranger
09-Rogue
10-Rogue
11-Shadow-Walker
12-Telflammar Shadowlord
13-Telflammar Shadowlord
14-Telflammar Shadowlord
15-Telflammar Shadowlord
16-Telflammar Shadowlord
17-Telflammar Shadowlord
18-Rogue
19-Rogue
20-Rogue


Thanks,
Valen

[PhaedrusXY]

Unfortunally my DM is limiting me to core and forgotten realms. He will allow feats from other books after he reviews them.

I'm sure we can find some good things from the FR books to add into this... Aren't there some really kickass ACFs for monks in some of the FR books? Maybe use a monk entry?

[awaken DM golem]

Ardent 8/Swordsage 1/TSL 4/Ardent 2 is a fun 15th level built I made once.

** This of course assumes that your DM is ok with Psycoportation = teleportation. 

With dominant ideal + twin power + linked power you can make a bunch of attacks.

Dr#349 has a Psiotheurgist feat that links the Psychoportation discipline and the (teleport) subschool only.

Discipline Erudite could easily move a similar-type of spell over to psi, with Chameleon Crafting feat. (also dr349)

[Valen0121]

Unfortunatley are limted to core 3.5, all FR Books, and feats from other wotc books per DM approval. No Tome of battle or any psionics. The DM hates psionics.

Valen

P.S. I looking for any combination using rogue, fighter, ranger, shadow dancer, shadow walker template, shadowlord and assassin, Not nessarily all of the classes or prestige classes. Looking fo rth ebest optimization.

[Shiki]

What's up with the hate towards psionics?

[Ivory Knight]

With your limitations on books, X-Codes is right:
Get to Horizon Walker 6, select Planar Terrain Mastery(Shifting) for dimension door SLA, usable once every 1d4 rounds

LA buyoff allowed?
If not, I'd stay away from Skulk, there are better choices in FR(even if you get rid of the LA, there are those 2, mostly useless, humanoid hitdice...).

[Rebel7284]

Ask your DM if you can waive the [cohort] part of Blink Dog's LA.

[Valen0121]

He said no to the blink dog. 

Valen

[Shiki]

What's up with the hate towards psionics?