Weapons and character build questions for OC

[Legacy_tobtor]

               I have some questions regarding weapons and character build in the OC chapter 2.

Weapons first:
I am playing a dual wielding rogue (human). I have not gone for optimising at any point just build a character i liked and that worked well enough to do the OC. I am using the in the chapter 1 crafted rapier (I have weapon focus rapier) as my primary weapon with its change to daze, but I am unsure what off-hand weapon i should use. At the moment I have 4 possiple candidates (i have the weapon finess feat):

1: Feyduster (shortsword): dam: 1d6. crit 19-20/x2. Piercing. Small. Ench. +1. on hit daze-DC 14 75%/1 round
Gives the same bonus as my main weapon (daze) and is also pircing does that matter? is there a lot of critures immunity/resistance to piercing but not to slashing?

2: Blacksoul sickle. 1d6. cri x2. Slashing. Small. Ench. +1. vampiric regeneration +2
Different bonus ability: vam. reg, is that usefull or... does it have a lower crit value?

3: Tagget's Talon (dagger): 1d4. crit 19-20/x2. Piercing. Tiny. Ench +1. Keen.
First what does Keen do? It has a lower damage dice.

4: Cutting Star (kukri): 1d4. crit 18-20/x2. Slashing. Tiny. Ench +2. Bonus damage 1d6 (fire). Blindness-DC 14 25%/3rounds.
I need to use a feat next time to be able to use exotic weapons, but is it worth it? Even with the 1d4 instead of 1d6 the bonus 1d6 fire damage seems to be good. I guess it also depends on how much better wepons are out there in the OC (so that i dont spend a feat on a weapon i am only using 1-2 lvls).

Is there any wepons I should keep a look out for?

Build question (more general):
Since my primary save is reflexes is there any point in trying to get a few bonuses in the other types (will and fortitude) for instance through feats (like strong will) or equipment (or an odd lvl in another class)? Or will the DC be so high at 9-10th lvl that the difference between 2 and 4 or 3 and 5 will not matter much anyway? So that a better strategy is to find equipment with outright immunities?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               Ideally, kukri is the best offhand weapon with it's extended crit range.  That's IF you can scrounge up Exotic Prof to use it.

However, to assure you will hit enough, the associated WF is fairly important.  Most of your damage will be coming from sneaks (I assume that, not knowing if you are planning a purie or not) except against undead, constructs and dragons, naturally. Finessing/DWing multiple WF (and Imp Crit feats)  w/o fighter or CoT levels is a tough goal within 18 levels.

Though the rapier is handy, I would still recommend going with only dual kukris.  I usually depend on bows or xbows to penetrate elevated DR (like with Belial) and rely on the blade(s) to do the major damage on non-DR enemies.  The OnHit props are effective until Ch 3 & 4 when the foes' saves are too high to be of much use.

Otherwise, w/o Exotic Prof elected, I suggest sticking to dual shortswords.  You can make an improved version of the Feyduster in Ch 3, but IMO, can buy even better ones than that.  Dual daggers are good, too. +3 weapons should be available eventually in shops and drops.  Trying to focus in more than a single weapon type with a pure rogue is virtually impossible without multiclassing.  Basic Tenet:  You can't crit unless you hit!  '> 

Keen doubles the crit range (eg, x20 becomes x19-20, x18-20 becomes x15-20, etc.).  Any weapon can exhibit the keen property but only slashing weapons can be keened with the arcane Keen Edge spell.  Imp Critical will further extend the range (a keened kukri w/Imp Crit will have a x12-20 crit range, almost 50% of hits will crit)

Use scrolls and potions of Endurance & Owl's Wisdom to increase your Fort/Will saves and/or use jewelry (+5 Fort rings are common in the OC).

Another possibility might be to sneak 2 CoT levels in somewhere for the +saves & shield prof. that you could use in a pinch with your melee weapon. Or 2 Ftr (but less help w/saves).  If you go with 4 FTR levels, you could get WS for the extra damage.  That means a lot in a DEX build (I am assuming this is a DEX build judging by the finesse focus).  DEXpeckers have a tough time causing damage but can stand in there well with the AC boost as long as not caught flat-footed.

[Note: With high UMD, you'll be able to use those sweet monk robes & boots.  I also recommend seriously developing your trap slkills which can make rogue one of the easiest/strongest classes to complete the OC with.]

edit: Vampiric Regen on NWN wiki - VR is related to the amount of damage inflicted per hit.  So a +2 VR enhancement can heal at most 2 HP per hit if your toon is injured at least that much.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par HipMaestro, 10 janvier 2013 - 04:10 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_tobtor]

               Thank you for the tips. Very usefull.

Yes its a dex build. I am developing my set trap skills, but have not yet quite figured out how to use them best. Should I sneak ahead of my henceman and set them? I there any guides to optimal use of traps? I have sevral times been discovered while setting them, even whith high hide and sneak skills.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par tobtor, 11 janvier 2013 - 08:00 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               To help decide how to best allocate trap skill points, I have documented a trap skill primer here.

The highest DC non-epic trap (epic traps are not used in the OC) is 45 gas.  The next highest is 35. fire/elec, etc.  Gas saves are all Fort vs. poison, rather low DCs for such expensive and tough-to-set traps.  Therefore, I would aim at the 35 DC and ignore gas altogether.  That means you would need no more than 35 - 20(Take20) - Dex & item enhancements. So, if your toon has, say, 20 DEX all that is needed in the Set Trap skill is 10 points (35-20 -5 = 10).  If you have the synergy from Disable Trap, you only need 8 points to set all but gas strong/deadly.  For setting those, you'll need no more than 18 ranks.  The Set Trap skill will not elevate the trap "trigger" DC but only the Disable DC for other PCs.  For that reason, if you have spare points, it is better to allocate to Disable Trap (for trap recovery) and Search (for quicker trap detection).  If you are borderline near the Set DC, drink a Cat's Grace potion.

The trap setting action will ALWAYS break all types of hiding, invisibility or sanctuary.  Disable Trap actions (disarm/recovery/flag/assess) will not. 

The best strategy I've used to control trap setting when you are unable to perform it out of LOS (line-of-sight) is to elect the Skill Mastery feat so that the Take20 can be applied during combat (in MOST cases, this feat is not needed, however) set the movement-control types like tangle, acid blob, sonic & frost LAST, closest to perception range. Start setting the field well out of LOS and gradually step closer to perception range.  Set a field of diverse saves (reflex/will/fort) unless you are well aware of the enemy's save weakness.  NEVER use stealth while setting traps.  It's just too slow movement.  Once you feel you are very close to perception range, drink an invis potion, step forward to set the last one and then immediately begin to displace back towards your "safe" zone or henchie.  It takes practice learning perception ranges but you will eventually.  You'll need to use scrolls of sanctuary setting traps around hostile dragons (True Seers).but the same strategy works. As a diagram example setting 7 overlapping (stacked) traps:

enemies - - perception range - -> | 7-tangle | 6-frost | 5-negative | 4-holy | 3-holy | 2-holy | 1-electrical - - - -  henchie

Whenever possible, use your traps to thin/kill advanced mobs and keep your henchie well-behind the trap field using the Stand Ground radial command.  Depending on the trap type and game setting, your henchie can be hurt by your own AoE traps.  Once the enemy has passed through the trap field, then engage range or melee attacks with your henchie (you can also kite them through any untriggered traps if you are hasted).  Enemies will seldom inflict any serious damage on your party using this method.  Note that holy traps will always inflict damage (no save) but work best vs. undead.

Rogues are a blast to play because they are so flexible, even involved in some serious spell casting via scrolls like Horrid Wilting.  Enjoy your learning experience in the OC!
               
               

               

                     Modifié par HipMaestro, 11 janvier 2013 - 06:31 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_tobtor]

               Thank you. Very usefull, both the link and the suggestions here.
Especially since I have the set trap skill at rank 8 at present, so I will stop investing in it from now on.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_tobtor]

               A short question. You mention the monk robes/boots and i wanted to know wich ones i should go for (what kind of bonus)? Any recomondations?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               

tobtor wrote...
A short question. You mention the monk robes/boots and i wanted to know wich ones i should go for (what kind of bonus)? Any recomondations?

The first that comes to mind are the Robes of the Dark Moon (IIRC) for permahaste in Ch 2. These are the same robes used by Grimgnaw and allows the user to combine Dragon Slippers later on when available, possibly the best footware in the campaign. The Old Order DR robes are also very nice.  In Ch 1, combining the DR robes with Shing Hand boots works well.  If AC becomes a serious issue you can stick with the traditional Shining Hand robes series.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par HipMaestro, 20 janvier 2013 - 02:52 .