Improved Feint. Single best feat for the combat-centric rogue. Requires Combat Expertise.
Perform a Feint action as a move action, not a full round. This allows you to make a Bluff check against your opponent's Sense Motive to make the feint. This makes them lose their Dodge/Dex bonus to AC, which openes them up to ye olde sneake attacke.
Rogue: Look, a hippo!
Fighter: Where?
Rogue: Take an extra 3d6, bitch!

Well said!

Rogue.

yeah sorry for the typo I was in a bit of a hurry

Rogue 5:

From Rogue:
Sneak attack 2d6
Evasion
Uncanny Dodge

Feats (5 - Human, Levels 1, 3)
(h) Combat Reflexes
(1) Improved Fient
(3) Two Weapon Fighting (more attacks)
or (3) Weapon Focus(chosen)
or a bunch of other things.

Maxed Tumble (+4 dex, +8 skill)
Maxed Bluff (+3 Cha, +8 skill)
High Hide and Move Silently.

Some minor magic item that boosts Bluff (a +5 skill item may be appropriate at this level -- I don't recall -- Call it a mask of lies or something).

Masterwork weapon (or two, if TWF -- make sure one is light)
Masterwork (or better, Mithril) Chain Shirt.
A few potions of Invisiblity.
Crossbow

and the key:
a bunch of level 2 or 3 assistants with a die or two of sneak attack. Since they're all low level, and only get one attack and aren't severely penalized by moving around. Have the henchlings move so that they can maintain flanking.


The design is to snipe from ambush. sneak off. Use invis potions to maintain secrecy. Relocate and repeat. When down to 2 potions, use one to sneak into combat, and hit hard. stand a few rounds, using the minions to maintain flanking. If you get in trouble, quaff the last potion and run.

Improved Sneak Attack [Epic] Prerequisite: Sneak attack +8d6. Benefit: Add +1d6
to your sneak attack damage. Special: This feat may be taken multiple times.

there's another improved sneak attack.
aaah..found it

from AEG Feats:
Improved Sneak Attack
Prereqs: base attack +2, ability to sneak attack.
Benefit: Your bonus damage for sneak attack raies by one die type. If your sneak attack damage is d4s, it is now d6s, d6s to d8s, and so on.

Two Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse (short sword), Combat Expertise.

Two masterwork shortswords, with a good chance of finding tons of magical short swords in your adventuring. Consider studded leather for your armor - MW, and thus all magical studded leather, won't have a check penalty to all your Rogue skills.

If you're an elf, you'll gain the added advantage of being proficient with a whole host of other weapons, some of which are rather common. The best of these is the longbow. Humans get the added feat though, which is always nice.

Either way, a Rogue is the most underestimated damage dealing machine in the game. Once you're level 9, and have Improved Two Weapon Fighting, you'll have 4 attacks a round, each doing 6d6 (assuming you have a competent party who will provide you flanking opportunities) plus strength/magic/flaming bonuses on each.

One last bit...pick your battles. You won't do well charging some guy in +5 full plate of ignore all damage from PCs, but if you can target low to mid AC opponents regularly, you'll more than pull your weight in combat, in addition to your other responsibilities. You may also want to consider ignoring Assassin. I find pure Rogues make better hitmen than Assassins. And don't be afraid to run away. Put some ranks in tumble and it's synergy skills, and be prepared to make a tumble check and run away. This can get you out of a lot of sticky situations, especially because you'll be in light armor, and a lot of the big mean hurty guys will most likely be in medium/heavy.

Weapon Finesse is not weapon-specific in 3.5e.

As a general rule of thumb.. everything you fight in D&D will be evil of some type. Go ahead and get yourself a "Holy" enchantment on your daggers :p



~Ray

Scratch that idea, Holy Weapons will drop a negative level on any evil character trying to wield them.

And he's got a fine chance of running into Good or Neutral enemies as an evil character.

Two Weapon Fighting is a useful way to exponentially increase the Sneak Attack damage you'll do.

Improved Initiative is a must for all rogues.

Quick Draw is very useful, particularly if you're using Two Weapon Fighting. It is also a prerequisite for Flick of the Wrist, which lets you catch an opponent flat-footed when you quick draw, once per combat. However, I suspect that Improved Feint is more useful ... but don't bother with Improved Feint AND Two Weapon Fighting. You only get one attack when you Improved Feint, so why bother taking the other Feat? Are you about using allies to flank the bad guys and cut them to ribbons, or are you about sneaking in and eliminating the enemy solo?

im not sure off the top of my head the gp cost but a dagger of deadly percision will bulk you up a bit,,,a

rouges have other kick ass skills then snerak attack high charisma ,intimadate ,diplomacy and bluff can be really usefull its nice to be able to feint,bully your way into or out of a situation,and when in desparate need play possum

Are you guys kidding? Short swords? Switch that to rapiers, for sure. Why in the hell would you ever want to deal d6 damage on an attack with a 10% chance of a critical hit when you can deal d6 damage on an attack with a 15% chance?

Come to that, either slap some keen on the sucker or get yourself a scabbard of keen edges. Granted the sneak attack damage won't double, but still- I'd much rather have a three in ten chance of scoring a critical than a one in ten.

Because a short sword is considered a light weapon for two-handed fighting, whereas a rapier is not.

So a rapier and a short sword would work, but if you use two short swords a single Weapon Focus would be twice as helpful. Not to mention two slashing weapons is cooler than a piercing and a slashing weapon.