This entry to the power builds involves rogues. I have written a guide to the changes to the rogue class here. There is a rogue NPC available in the game, but I would not consider him ‘optimized’ or necessary. This provides an excellent opportunity for those who love to play rogues. I’ll be focusing this time on two archetypes: the Knife Master and the new Rowdy archetype. The former will be utilizing two kukris and taking the Trickster mythic path, the latter will be using a fauchard and going with Azata.
Knife Master Build Progression
The Knife Master will focus on dual wielding kukris for a high number of attacks per round and doing massive criticals on top of high d8 sneak attacks. Send the pets and tanks in first, then you are a flanking dealer of death!
- Human Knife Master rogue, background Pickpocket
- Str 10 Dex 19 Con 14 Int 12 are the important ones. The five remaining points you can put where you like. You may want to bump Str to 12 for help with encumbrance, or Cha for the UMD skill, and nothing is wrong with a 14 Int
- Skills: Trickery, Stealth, UMD, Perception, Mobility, and whatever else you want
- Feats: Martial Weapons Proficiency to get kukris, and Two Weapon Fighting
- Deity is up to you, but needs to include Chaotic Good so we won’t have a problem with Trickster
- Feat: Weakening Wound is tempting, but if you put together the Covenant of the Inheritor item in ch 2 it removes the need for the feat. Instead I like Combat Reflexes
- Feat: Shake it Off. Anyone paying attention to my last builds know that this is a staple of many builds for survival, most of your NPCs should take this at level 3 as well. Finesse training should be kukri.
- +Dex every four levels. Talent: Double Slice–the bonus applies to Dex since you have finesse training
- Feat: Weapon Focus Kukri
- Talent: Combat Trick: Piranha Strike. This is great to use right away unless you are playing on Hard or Unfair. For those difficulties wait until at least level 9, where you’ll get additional buffs and the penalty won’t hurt as much
- Feat: Outflank, which is when most of your party members should take it as well
- Talent: Combat Trick: Improved TWF
- Feat: Seize the Moment, and once again, most party members and pets want this. This maxes out generating AoO’s
- Advanced Talent: Opportunist
- Feat: Improved Critical: Kukri. Finesse Training: Bite if you have a skald as I recommend. Ember can also give a similar bite attack through Beast’s Gift hex. The two stack, BTW
- Talent: Wearying Strike. Stacks every time you hit and has no save
- NOTE: previous to this level you should have taken Perception 1 and Perception 2 from the Trickster path at rank 4. This gives you access to Improved Improved Critical: kukri
- Talent: Dispelling Attack. Devastating given the number of attacks per round you have now
- Feat: Improved Improved Improved Critical: kukri
- Talent: Combat Trick: Greater TWF
- Feat: Improved Improved Improved Critical Improved: kukri
- Talent: Improved Initiative
- Feat: Arcane Strike–at this point you should have access to the wizard spell book to make use of this. Can also pick Metamagic: Completely Normal Spell
- Try another class dip. Vivisectionist alchemist is a popular choice as a +4 Dex mutagen is great, or you could go Demonslayer Ranger. If you stay rogue, maybe get a familiar. Getting a Hare pimps your initiative even higher
Trickster Mythic Progression
- I’ve covered the trickster mythic progression in a previous power build so I’ll keep it basic here. Instrument of Freedom. Ability: Ever Ready, if on unfair consider Last Stand instead
- Feat: Mythic TWF
- Ability: Elemental Barrage. The Shock Flaming Corrosive kukri +3 is insane, and procs this ad infinitum Trick: Knowledge Arcana 1
- Feat: Improved Critical Mythic: kukri. Tricks: Perception 1 and Perception 2
- Ability: Last Stand, or Ever Ready if you haven’t taken it previously. Trick: Athletics 1
- Feat: Piranha Strike Mythic. Trick: Infuse Magic Device, Reuse Magic Device
- Several options here. Unrelenting Strike for even more damage, or Mythic Charge if that’s your bag. Tricks: Knowledge World 1, UMD 3 (which gives you the wizard’s spell book)
- Feat: Mythic Sneak Attacker. Tricks: Trickery 1, Knowledge World 2–it still kills me they allow something this OP
- Ability: Archmage Armor, but it’s really whatever you want. Tricks: Lore Religion 1, Trickery 2 (a beautiful effect for the late game bosses)
- Several options here: Athletics 3 Rank–how’d you like a BAB of 25 if you cast Transformation on yourself? (or Knowledge world 3 Rank if you’d like to respec feats for party characters); Greater Enduring Spells, up to you
Rowdy Build Progression
The Rowdy can be a lot of fun to play as this archetype only exists in Wrath of the Righteous. We take the Azata mythic path for synergy with the Vital Strike series of feats (which you get for free earlier than any other class). Vital Force is also a terrific ability to enhance VS. Fauchard will be the weapon due to its great reach (cleaving from far away and attacking behind tanks) and high crit range. Use glaives in the very early game as there are a lot of good ones. Auto-cast Vital Strike by right-clicking, use Enlarge Person, send your tanks/pets ahead and attack from the rear!
- Human Rowdy rogue, background Pickpocket
- Str 19 Dex 12 Con 14, the rest is up to you. You can pump Dex to 14 (even though you don’t need it) and Wis 12, Int to 12 for more skills
- Skills: Athletics, Mobility, Trickery, Stealth, Perception
- Feats: Power Attack, Cleave (it’s a prereq for cleaving finish, which works with vital strike)
- Deity: Since we are going Azata, anything compatible with that alignment. Desna is perfect, Cayden Cailean might be more thematic
- Talent: Combat Trick: Cleaving Finish
- Feat: Shake It off
- +Str every four levels. Talent: Combat Reflexes
- Feat: Great Cleave
- Talent: Combat Trick: Exotic Weapon Proficiency/Fauchard–time to switch weapons
- Feat: Outflank
- Talent: Improved Cleaving Finish
- Feat: Seize the Moment
- Talent: Opportunist (works with VS)
- Feat: Improved Critical Fauchard
- You’ve got options here. You may continue with the Rowdy but it may be preferable to switch. I will continue by switching classes to the Vivisectionist Alchemist, getting the mutagen (boosts Str and AC) and bonus feats.
- Feat: Improved Initiative. Discovery: Combat Trick: Weapon Focus Fauchard
15. Feat: Dazzling Display. Discovery: Combat Trick: Shatter Defenses, which has perfect synergy with companions casting the Frightful Aspect spell
17. Feat: You can do whatever you like here. You might take Blind Fight and Infusion, though if you make the rogue NPC a vivisectionist he can be making infusions for most of the game
19. We’ve got practically everything, so have fun and go with another class: Demonslayer Ranger for the awesome bonuses against demons.
20. Heck, let’s go back to Vivisectionist, max out sneak attack
Azata Mythic Progression
- Instrument of Freedom, it’s just great. Ability: Always a Chance. This is because we only get a single vital strike, so we don’t want it to auto-miss by rolling a 1
- Feat: Vital Strike Mythic. You had to see that coming
- Ability: Ever Ready
- Feat: Improved Critical Mythic Fauchard. Superpower: Zippy Magic, which lets our VS go to another enemy for more damage
- Ability: Last Stand. It’s a little less vital unless you’re on unfair, as we have reach+enlarge, so you’ve got flexibility here
- Feat: Power Attack Mythic. Superpower: Incredible might
- Ability: Unrelenting Assault
- Feat: Improved Initiative Mythic, or Sneak Attacker mythic if you prefer. Superpower: Life-Bonding Friendship: Precise Strike
- Anything you like. Archmage Armor is solid. Life-Bonding Friendship: Allied Spellcaster or Back to Back
Equipment/Gear
Weapon: Kukris: Shock Flaming Corrosive kukri, Astringent Pacifier (Rowdy: glaives in early game, fauchard will be the Mighty Blow of Good or Finnean)
Head: Headbands of Intelligence for Knife Master (Rowdy: Shy Lily’s Helmet)
Neck: Vellexia’s Magnifying Amulet for both builds
Goggles: Rascal’s Goggles (Rowdy: Goggles of Piercing Gaze)
Armor: None really. Haramaki of Divine Guidance if you feel like it
Chest: Anything you want
Belt: Belts boosting Dex/Con, eventually the Clutch of Corruption, as Ronneck’s boots already give you the dex bonus (Rowdy: boosting Str/Con)
Gloves: Fencer’s Gift or Treacherous Flame (Rowdy: Gloves of Deathdealer)
Boots: Ronneck’s Sacrifice is what will go here
Bracers: Bracers of Heavy Hand (Rowdy: Bracers of Abrupt Onslaught)
Rings: Ring of Imminent Demise, Martyr’s Testament
Cloak: Cloak of Resistance
Consumables: Wand of Heal (infinite uses after Reuse Magic Device), Jharsygax, Signet of House Vespertilio, Greater Quicken MM Rod (use for Trick Fate spell)
I hope everything here makes sense. If not feel free to ask! These are two great builds that are very viable at any difficulty. There are another couple of builds I will be spreading the word about, they are just too good not to share, and I want players to have a variety of builds and mythic path options. Check out my guide to rule changes and power builds here.
Saga of the Jasonite 