The Lovable Scoundrel

By Ralsu

The Lovable Scoundrel is a bard 7/rogue 5 build designed to take full advantage of the rogue's knack to removing traps while using the bard's songs and spells to enhance combat effectiveness. The Scoundrel does the most damage by joining fights after they've begun, landing Sneak Attacks and darting along to another foe.

The first couple of levels come as rogue so that the Scoundrel will get many skills and Evasion. The middle levels focus on bard so that the Scoundrel can learn useful spells. The finals levels of rogue add another 1d6 to Sneak Attack, which the Scoundrel can use fairly effectively because of the Weapon Finesse Feat and plenty of good buffs.

Low Charisma means that the Lovable Scoundrel is poor at crowd control. Thus, songs and spells that focus on charming enemies are a low priority. In the end, the Scoundrel provides a party with the utility of a rogue, a dash of damage, and some very useful buffs.

Character Snapshot

Race: Human

Starting Abilities:
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 10
Intelligence: 16 (+1 at Levels 4, 8, and 12 = 19)
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 10

Notes: The Scoundrel will benefit from wearing one item that adds +2 to DEX and another item that adds +3 to INT. INT is the focused stats so that Disable Device never fails. DEX is the next most important so that the Scoundrel can land blows in combat and Open Locks. CHA items are unnecessary, as the Scoundrel will either learn Eagle's Splendor or carry wands for the spell.

Hit Points: 92 at Level 12

Saves (Enhancements and Feats included):
Fortitude: 4
Reflex: 13
Will: 7

Class/Racial Features:

• Bardic Music: At Level 1, a bard gains the ability to use songs to soothe the wild beast (Fascinate) or motivate her party to greater deeds in combat (Inspire Courage; +1 vs. charm and fear effects and +1 on attack and weapon damage; this benefit increases to +2 at Level 8). At Level 3, she can sing to provide a party member with greater success in using skills (Inspire Competence; +2 to all skill checks). At Level 6, she can even use song to turn a foe into an ally (Suggestion). At Level 9, the bard can Inspire Greatness (+2 attack bonus, +1 Fortitude save bonus, and temporary hit points) with her song. The bard's ability to sing is based on her Perform skill and, if planned incorrectly, she could find herself unable to sing that new song.
• Bonus Feat at Level 1: Humans are quick studies. This manifests in the form of an extra Feat at character creation.
• Disable Device: Once she finds a trap, the rogue is the only class that can use Disable Device to attempt to disarm the trap.
• Evasion: At Level 2, a successful Reflex save to avoid damage results no damage instead of half damage.
• Extra Skill Points: To represent the quickness with which humans learn, all humans get 4 extra Skill points at Level 1 and 1 extra Skill point each additional level.
• Sneak Attack (3d6): A rogue who flanks a target can deal additional 1d6 damage in the form of a Sneak Attack. Of course, this may cause the enemy to turn its attention on the rogue. The damage from Sneak Attack increases by 1d6 for each odd-numbered level of rogue.
• Trap-finding: Rogues are the best class at finding even the most difficult traps.
• Uncanny Dodge: In DDO, this is an active Feat that grants a temporary bonus to AC and Reflex saves that becomes available at Level 4.
• Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Proficient with all simple weapons, plus the long sword, rapier, short bow, hand crossbow, sap, and short sword. They can wear light armor with no fear of arcane spell failure and can use any shield other than a tower shield.

Feats (in the order selected):
Dodge
Skill Focus: Disable Device
Weapon Finesse
Extend Spell
Mobility
Luck of Heroes

Notes: Dodge and Mobility greatly add to the Scoundrel's survival chances while Weapon Finesse ensures that the Scoundrel can land hits. These three Feats are crucial to the build. Skill Focus is added insurance to see to it that the Scoundrel can always succeed at Disabe Device. Extend Spell makes Rage and Good Hope last longer, saving on the Scoundrel's modest spell point pool. It could be exchanged for a combat Feat if desired. Luck of Heroes boosts all saving throws by +1 and combines with Good Hope to give the Scoundrel some good protection from those annoying enchantments that incapacitate players, but other Feats will fit here, too. Use your discretion.

Skills: The most important Skills are Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock, and Use Magic Device. These should be maximized at every chance. The Scoundrel will get ample Skill points for other useful Skills. Balance and Tumble are good selections. Haggle saves money on wands of Cure spells. Perform need not be above a 3, the minimum rank fro a bard to use Inspire Courage. Train in others as you see fit. My Scoundrel ended with the skills noted below (Ability modifiers, Feats, and Enhancements included):

Balance 23
Bluff 20
Concentration 18
Diplomacy 10
Disable Device 32
Haggle 20
Heal 5
Hide 28
Intimidate 5
Jump 18
Listen 5
Move Silently 28
Open Lock 28
Perform 8
Repair 9
Search 14
Spot 5
Swim 5
Tumble 13
Use Magic Device 20

Combat:
BAB 8
Bardic Music and Weapon Finesse will have the Scoundrel hitting enough to contribute to damage, but this build is not a killing machine. Even with a good selection of items and wands to buff with, the Scoundrel will be a little bit squishy. Combat should involve stealth and liberal use of Tumble. Let the fighters hit things first so the Scoundrel can Sneak Attack them.

Enhancements:
Human Versatility V (+5 to all Skill checks)
Rogue's Action Boost II (temporary boosts to attack, armor class, or rogue skills)
Skill Ingenuity III (+5 to Disable Device and Open Lock)
Skill Stealth III (+5 to Hide and Move Silently)

Spells (in the order selcted):
Level 1 Bard Spells: Remove Fear, Cure Light Wounds, Otto's Ressitible Dance, Expeditious Retreat
Level 2 Bard Spells: Invisibility, Rage, Soundburst, Glitterdust OR Eagle's Splendor
Level 3 Bard Spells: Cure Serious Wounds, Good Hope

Notes: The Scoundrel has little business dabbling with crowd control with that low Charisma score. Still, Otto's might still remove a minotaur from a battle for a few seconds it the Scoundrel buffs with Eagle's Splendor first. The low spell points should be just enough to keep up some useful buffs (Expeditious Retreat, Rage, Good Hope). Once Remove Fear has ceased to be useful, it can be exchanged--but there isn't a whole lot that will be more useful.

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Detailed Progression by Level

-Level 1:

• Class trained: rogue
• Skills: max Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock and UMD; others as points allow
• Feats: Dodge, Skill Focus: Disable Device

-Level 2:

• Class trained: rogue
• Skills: max Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock and UMD; others as points allow

-Level 3:

• Class trained: bard
  
• Skills: max Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock and UMD; others as points allow
• Feat: Weapon Finesse
• Spell: Remove Fear

-Level 4:

• Class trained: bard
• Skills: max Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock and UMD; others as points allow
• Ability: Intelligence +1
• Spell: Cure Light Wounds

-Level 5:

• Class trained: bard
  
• Skills: max Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock and UMD; others as points allow
• Spell: Otto's Resistible Dance
  

-Level 6:

• Class trained: bard
• Skills: max Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock and UMD; others as points allow
• Spells: Invisibility, Rage

-Level 7:

• Class trained: rogue
• Skills: max Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock and UMD; others as points allow

-Level 8:

• Class trained: bard
• Skills: max Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock and UMD; others as points allow
• Ability: Intelligence +1
• Spells: Expeditious Retreat, Soundburst

-Level 9:

• Class trained: bard
• Skills: max Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock and UMD; others as points allow
• Feat: Mobility

-Level 10:

• Class trained: bard
• Skills: max max Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock and UMD; others as points allow
• Spells: Glitterdust OR Eagle's Splendor, Cure Serious Wounds, Good Hope
  

-Level 11:

• Class trained: rogue
• Skills: max Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock and UMD; others as points allow

-Level 12:

• Class trained: rogue
• Skills: max Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock and UMD; others as points allow
• Feat: Luck of Heroes OR Melee Feat (Spring Attack suggested)
  
• Ability: Intelligence +1

Tactics: Use Bardic Music to add to BAB, especially when the party is melee-heavy or fighting a hard-to-hit boss. Your bard spells allow for some healing, but take advantage of your Use Magic Device Skill and use wands for top-off healing.

You'll want togive your party buffs as much as possible; it's what makes the Scoundrel "lovable." Combined with the Extend Spell Metamagic Feat, Remove Fear will be very handy until Level 4 or 5. Expeditious Retreat, Rage, and Good Hope will be your staples in the higher levels.

With a very low CHA, you may find crowd control spells spotty. Eagle's Splendor from the 2nd level spell set can give you a +4 CHA boost to get those tougher mobs with Otto's. Use Soundburst to dirupt enemy casters or buy yourself some time when swarmed.

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