This is one of the old character builds that was on Bioware's site, which I've recovered using the web archive. https://web.archive.org (I plan to pretty up this page by cleaning up its formatting but for now, it's here.)
Created by Brian "Flameoftheabyss" Quah
Master Patch,
Devastating RogueI suspect that you would be surprised at what path I have taken since leaving your foster care and my eventual employ with the Gutter Knives. While I value the hard lessons - both intentional and otherwise - that I learned at the hands of your many followers, I have since found another master. I always felt something viperous writhe in my stomach when you began anew your lessons in skulking, thieving, and murder with a new group of captive children. I could not see the twisting of life at your hands in my more tender years, but now, with ample experience and collected wisdom, I do. This new divine master goes by the name Chokra Broodslayer. When I first heard it, the name seemed to ring with meaning.
We were all your 'family,' were we not sir? I have grown very strong in the craft you had a hand in introducing to me. Very strong indeed. I come for you now, Patch. I will slink in the shadows alongside your best assassins and I will shatter your greatest champions face to face. I no longer fear either the dark or the light. I am not a cutpurse anymore dear Patch; I'm something new.
They call me devastation.
Death follows his path wherever he strides. All but the most wary and hardy fall before his might. Cunning and adept at fighting, it is he who uses the kukri with devastating effect, and inflicts tremendous pain unto his unwary victims.
Hail the Devastating Rogue. Unique, powerful, deadly. The rogue who specializes in raw power rather than in dexterity. This build makes an especially deadly warrior, and virtually anyone caught off-guard is almost certainly assured death. With a maximum of 84d6 sneak attack, high melee damage, and very likely devastating critical hits in his first attack maneuver, he is no laughing matter. Woe to the unwary who cross his path.
>> Click here to download the character file.
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Devastating Rogue
Devastating Rogue
Overview
Rogue: 36
Fighter: 4
Race: Elf
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
"Full In-Game Stats"
Starting Stats
Str: 18
Dex: 16
Con: 12
Int: 10
Wis: 8
Cha: 8
Final Stats
Str: 28
Dex: 16
Con: 12
Int: 10
Wis: 8
Cha: 8
Final Skills
Hide: 43 Move Silently: 43 Spot: 43 Listen: 43 Search: 42 Tumble: 40 Use Magic Device: 26 Spellcraft: 20
Equipment
2 Kukri
Robes/Studded Leather
The uniqueness of this build is the fact that he can deal 84d6 sneak attack damage on his first attack phase, consisting of 3 attacks, if hasted. This is because of the 3 phases of combat per round of the NWN game engine, where attacks are divided into 3 parts, such that this character would get 3 attacks in the first phase (1st second), 2 attacks in the second phase (3rd second) and 2 attacks in the final phase (5th second).
Imagine the surprised look on your opponent's face when he sees many floating texts above his character, such as 'Sneak Attack," "Critical Hit," and the dreaded "Devastating Critical." Envision his extreme shock as his character suddenly drops dead!
Magical items and scrolls are great helpers, since he has a modified Use Magic Device check of 25, enabling him to use all magical items worth 100,000gp and below. Scrolls of Haste and Potions of Speed will prove especially invaluable to him, apart from various other scrolls, wands, and class-exclusive magical items, such as Boots of the Sun Soul, Sequencer Robes, and perhaps Monk robes, which should be easily obtainable for an epic character.
This character works well alone, but even better if he is in the company of melee warriors, as he will be able to fully show his destructive capabilities when flanking opponents with his sneak attacks. Also, in attempt to make up for his lack of Will and Fortitude, he has 20 Spellcraft ranks, which means he gets a +4 bonus to all saving throws against spellcasting.
Sure, he does have his shortcomings as well, but nothing that magical equipment can't handle.
Alternatively, this build could be used with scimitars or rapiers instead, and replacing the Exotic Weapon Proficiency with Knockdown. At a slight cost of attack, the Knockdown feat is gained. However, this is not recommended.
Note: There are both 20th and 40th level bic character files, but the 20th level character is not recommended for use as his powers are yet to be developed.
Devastating Rogue Advantages
Devastating Rogue
Decent modified attack, deadly Sneak attacks, high regular melee damage, high critical threat (30% chance, 45% chance if keen), high critical damage, and Devastating Critical potential all in one.
Excellent stealth and detection.
Crippling Strike is easily inflicted
Is a decent fighter
Decent Reflex save
Devastating Rogue Disadvantages
Relatively low hit points (should obtain constitution-improving items such as Boots of Striding)
Relatively low AC for a rogue (should obtain Ring of Protection and Amulet of Natural Armor)
Mediocre Fortitude
Low Will save
Combat Tips
Buff up with Keen Edge Scroll and Potion of Speed (or acquire items which provide Haste, and Magical kukris with the Keen property)
Enter stealth mode
Sneak up on an opponent
Carve him like a Halloween pumpkin
If target miraculously survives, repeat as necessary =)
Character Advancement History
Following is the path of the Devastating Rogue during the first forty levels of his life.
Character Level Class Skill Increases Feat Selection Attribute Increase
1 Rogue 4 Hide, 4 Move Silently, 4 Listen, 4 Spot, 4 Tumble, 4 Search, 4 Use Magical Device, 2 Spellcraft Two Weapon Fighting
2 Fighter Save 2 Ambidexterity
3 Fighter 1 Spellcraft, Save 2 Wep Pro (Exotic) Wep Focus (Kukri)
4 Fighter Save 4 Strength
5 Fighter 1 Spellcraft, Save 4 Weapon Specialisation (Kukri)
6 Rogue 3 Hide, 3 Move Silently, 1 Tumble, 5 Use Magical Device Power Attack
7 Rogue 5 Tumble, 1 Use Magical Device, 1 Spellcraft
8 Rogue 3 Hide, 3 Move Silently, 1 Listen, 1 Use Magical Device Strength
9 Rogue 2 Hide, 2 Move Silently, 3 Listen, 1 Use Magical Device Cleave
10 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 5 Listen, 1 Use Magical Device
11 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 4 Spot, 1 Listen, 1 Use Magical Device
12 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 5 Tumble, 1 Use Magical Device Improved Two Weapon Fighting Strength
13 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 3 Spot, 2 Listen, 1 Use Magical Device
14 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 4 Spot, 1 Listen, 1 Use Magical Device Crippling Strike
15 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 3 Spot, 1 Listen, 1 Search, 1 Use Magical Device Improved Critical (Kukri)
16 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 1 Spot, 1 Listen, 3 Search, 1 Use Magical Device Strength
17 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 5 Tumble, 1 Use Magical Device Improved Evasion
18 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 2 Spot, 2 Listen, 1 Search, 1 Use Magical Device Great Cleave
19 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 1 Spot, 1 Listen, 3 Search, 1 Use Magical Device
20 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 1 Spot, 1 Listen, 3 Search, 1 Use Magical Device Slippery Mind Strength
21 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 1 Spot, 1 Listen, 3 Search, 1 Use Magical Device Overwhelming Critical
22 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 5 Tumble, 1 Use Magical Device
23 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 2 Spot, 2 Listen, 1 Search, 1 Use Magical Device Improved Sneak Attack I
24 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 1 Spot, 1 Listen, 4 Search Improved Sneak Attack II Strength
25 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 1 Spot, 1 Listen, 4 Search
26 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 1 Spot, 1 Listen, 2 Search, 2 Tumble
27 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 1 Spot, 1 Listen, 1 Search, 3 Tumble Improved Sneak Attack III
28 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 1 Spot, 1 Listen, 2 Spellcraft Improved Sneak Attack IV Strength
29 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 1 Spot, 1 Listen, 2 Search, 1 Spellcraft
30 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 1 Spot, 1 Listen, 2 Spellcraft Devastating Critical (Kukri)
31 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 1 Spot, 1 Listen, 1 Search, 2 Spellcraft, 2 Tumble
32 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 1 Spot, 1 Listen, 1 Search, 3 Tumble Improved Sneak Attack V Strength
33 Rogue 4 Spellcraft Improved Sneak Attack VI
34 Rogue 2 Hide, 2 Move Silently, 1 Spot, 1 Listen, 1 Spellcraft
35 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 2 Spot, 2 Listen, 2 Search
36 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 1 Spot, 1 Listen, 2 Search, 2 Tumble Improved Sneak Attack VII, VIII Strength
37 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 1 Spot, 1 Listen, 1 Search, 3 Tumble
38 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 1 Spot, 1 Listen, 2 Spellcraft
39 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 1 Spot, 1 Listen, 2 Spellcraft Improved Sneak Attack IX
40 Rogue 1 Hide, 1 Move Silently, 1 Spot, 1 Listen, 2 Search, 1 Spellcraft Improved Sneak Attack X Strength
Already Reformatted on ECB
All legacy builds (including this one at http://nwnecbguild.forumer.com/topic/515458/Devastating-Rogue-Rogue-36Fi...) were already updated to current build standards of the Epic Character Builders Guild recommendations using Kamiryn's CBC some 3 years ago or so when the Bioware site was torn down. Each includes the associated link to the Wayback archive.
If you feel there is significant merit in copying them all over here, it may be easier to just use the ECB copy which also contains comments about whether the original build is legal any longer or not and other corrections. Some value added would be to grab the images that accompanied the original submission. I had no luck myself in locating those when I compiled the updates, unfortunately. You may be luckier.
The current residence of all 26 of the legacy Bioware builds can be found at: http://nwnecbguild.forumer.com/forums/60574/Bioware-Legacy-Builds/Biowar...
BTW, when you add the tags, be sure to include the class level combo if people want to search for them they won't need to scroll the whole list of builds looking for one in particular. Also, I recommend editing out the statements/links regarding character files (bics) since they never were archived by Wayback.
In all fairness, not everyone is going to automatically know that http://nwnecbguild.forumer.com is where they are supposed to go for the old legacy builds. I don't have an issue with any legacy build I've posted here being reported as inappropriate because they are supposed to be archived somewhere else but at the same time, there needs to be a "Go Here for the old Bioware character build" article because otherwise the same thing will just keep happening when someone searches and finds that the old builds are not here.
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Sachie wrote...
"In all fairness, not everyone is going to automatically know that http://nwnecbguild.forumer.com is where they are supposed to go for the old legacy builds. I don't have an issue with any legacy build I've posted here being reported as inappropriate because they are supposed to be archived somewhere else but at the same time, there needs to be a "Go Here for the old Bioware character build" article because otherwise the same thing will just keep happening when someone searches and finds that the old builds are not here."
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I think you are missing the point of my comments.
In no way did I infer that posting the legacy builds in an alternate location was inappropriate or inefficient. All I furnished was an optional source where the builds have already been "scrubbed" for compatibility with the current version of NWN, determined whether it is feasible as presented and formatted the way most character builders prefer to see them. Some are unusable "as is" (like those built to incorporate Dragon Shape in less than 18 druid levels), some require the PrC pak to use them, skills have been allocated incorrectly in others, various logistical errors. etc.... a form that would probably serve your efforts better than the original archives. Whether you want to avail yourself of that resource or not is solely up to you, obviously.
In even more fairness, a defensive attitude is hardly conducive to the esprit de corps the community tries to encourage. Use all the resources at hand at your own discretion.
I think you're misunderstanding. :) I'm pretty easy-going and will just go with the flow of things for the most part.
If people think builds don't have a place here on this site, I don't have a problem with it. :) But I'm also going to let those people do the work of asking admins to remove the builds and redirecting people elsewhere. Because think about it -- If I didn't know that http://nwnecbguild.forumer.com was some definitive source for character builds, the odds are that more likely that there is someone else who also doesn't know. It is only logical that just asking admins to remove builds will not solve anything as someone else that doesn't know about that forum might come along and repost them. You'd need to take it a step further by creating an article to redirect people to go there for character builds.
But at the same time, I also think we can discuss builds here too! And some people might find that more comfortable, especially if they've already gotten to know people here. For example, here's some of my thoughts on the above build --
1) I would not take any levels period in spellcraft. Sure this build claims that the 20 levels of spellcraft result in a +4 bonus to all saving throws but my personal opinion is that someone's time would be better spent going through Chapter 3 of Hordes of the Underdark and talking to the unfriendly demon that runs the shop inside the Ice Quary as he sells a Scarab of Protection +10 which gives a +10 to all saving throws, then go spend those 20 points on something else.... especially when as an elf, you get a +2 bonus against Mind-Affecting Spells and are outright immune to sleep. At lower levels, you have weaker Scarabs of Protection plus there's Cloaks that boost both saving throws and AC.
Dragon Slippers will protect against two other worst things that can happen to rogues by giving immunity to knockdown and fear plus give +2 dexterity. Beyond that, the other absolute worst thing that can happen to a rogue when it comes to saving throws are Death Magic (Finger of Death, Circle of Death, Power Word Kill, Death Gaze to name a few) that can all be warded against with a Belt of Guiding Light... plus the spell Implosion, which is an instant kill vortex that uses fortitude as it's saving throw. However since Implosion is an Area Effect and after being imploded a few times, you learn to save yourself by running away from this spell when you begin to see it.
2) Taking 43 level of Tumble is a waste. You don't need tumble nearly that high when it comes to tumbling away from attacks of opportunity and if you're going that high for the AC bonus, you're going to stop at 40.
3) Taking 4 Level of Fighter and putting nothing into discipline seems like a bit of a waste. It's a skill that rogues cannot get other than from multiclassing when leveling up another class (such as fighter.) The two main reasons to take some levels in discipline are knockdown and disarm. It doesn't happen often, but there are modules with hostile NPCs that can disarm and it sucks enough when it happens to take some levels in this skill. Knockdown can be protected agains the Dragon Slippers, but not everyone wants to have to get Dragon Slippers.
4) Another issue I personally have with this build is the hudge emphasis on Kukri weapons. There's Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Weapon Focus (Kukri), Weapon Specialization (Kukri), Improved Critical (Kukri), and Devistating Critical (Kukri.) That's five feats all pertaining to Kukri, which are a weapon type that I've never found to be all that common to warrant spending 5 feats on it. Even when I took Exotic Weapon Proficiency, I would continue to find far more daggers, short swords and rapiers than exotic weapons. More often than not, I find myself regretting taking Epic Weapon Proficiency when I do take it.
5) This build also has a charisma of 8 and absolutely no social skills, which means that it is going to fail absolutely all persuade, bluff and intimidate checks. If there was a quest where the King is sending heroes to rescue his daughter, this is the character that would get tossed into the dungeon instead of being sent on a quest because he pulled down his trousers in front of the king then peed on the floor.
I, personally, would like to see all of them posted here (with images ;-).
But you know that... :-P
Do you know if any of those bics were in the Character section of the old Vault?
I don't know but if they don't exist there, then it wouldn't be hard to make new images (which I've done already in some cases.) Since it's desireable for them to be here too, I'll go ahead with my plans of cleaning up the post to make it more presentable.
Personally I found this build interesting because it's a radically different from my own build.... but that's what makes rogues so much fun to play in the first place. :)