Rogue special abilities

[mo]

I'm wondering what people's thoughts are on the rogue special abilities. (Crippling Strike, Defensive Roll, Improved Evasion,Opportunist, Skill Mastery, Slippery Mind, or just take a Feat.)
What is the most useful (poll attached)? Any comments on which ones come into play the most often and which you have had most fun with would be great.

 

[Anax]

I chose Skill Mastery, but to be honest: ALL of them are useful, unless you know that your character never uses tactics that will benefit from the ability.

The reason I chose Skill Mastery is that there are number of powerful ways this can benefit your character. If you like mobility, getting Skill Mastery on Tumble is a great way to guarantee gorgeous heroic tumbling--my level 10 character (who is, sadly, not a pure Rogue) would *love* to be able to take 10 on Tumble checks and get a guaranteed 30 every time. (Don't need 30, you say? You do if you want to be able to use accelerated tumbling all the time, or be absolutely sure that when you use spring attack to sneak attack the big important enemy in the back nobody will hit you, even though he has a lot of henchman around--at +2 DC for each one you pass while tumbling, you can pass 7 folks before you need to start rolling.)

Other skills can also be very very handy--disarming traps on the run, etc. Heck, Use Magic Device is another really great one.

But again, all of the others can be useful, if you have a good way to use them. Then again, so can feats--but I wouldn't waste a rogue ability on a feat unless I had a *really really* good reason.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Other skills can also be very very handy--disarming traps on the run, etc. Heck, Use Magic Device is another really great one.

You can't take 10 on a Use Magic Device check. Says so right in the skill description.

Other than that, I agree with you that all of the rogue abilities are useful. Skill Mastery, Opportunist, etc. etc. Rogue is one of the most fun classes to take to 20, because the abilities get really juicy post 10, plus you get the fun of picking which ones you receive.

As for me, Improved Evasion is the first among equals here. Lots of spellcasters and critters with spell-like abilities at high levels, and the rogue's d6 isn't going to withstand too many hits. Yes, one can bank on Evasion being sufficient, but I like the certainty of Improved Evasion. Even if you roll badly, or the spellcaster has a very high caster level, or the cleric used a Candle of Invocation that morning, you're taking 1/2 damage at most, hopefully none.

After that, I tend to start eyeing Skill Mastery or Opportunist. I like the idea of Defensive Roll, but post-10 I usually have already worked hard to keep my rogue from taking many melee hits (either through Invisibility items, or Spring Attack, etc. etc.) So it won't come up much.

 

[Li Shenron]

It's a hard choice, for good

I'd probably prefer either Improved Evasion or Slippery Mind for defense, but really all of them are good.

 

[Henrix]

Definitely a hard choice.
But, with few exceptions, it seems to me that rogues are often caught by failed will saves, so slippery mind is good.

 

[cloaker]

Really depends on the character build and on the type of campaign setting.

A more combat oriented Rogue should take Opportunist.
A more scouting rogue should think about Skill Mastery or Improved Evasion.
A heavy magic campaign or a mage killer rogue (high will save) should take Slippery mind or Improved Evasion.

The must have for all rogues should be Improved Evasion in some point of thier levels, and Slippery Mind, Skill Mastery and Opportunist are the next best options and I would take one of them first depending on character style and campaign setting.

 

[Thanee]

I actually find Improved Evasion to be among the least useful, as Rogues tend to have such high Reflex saves, that they usually make them, anyways.

Skill Mastery is good, Opportunist for a fighting-heavy Rogue, Slippery Mind is always good to have with a weak Will save. Those are the ones I'd probably consider.

Voted Skill Mastery, by the way, as it best supports the Rogue's main schtick (skill use ).

Bye
Thanee

 

[Aust Diamondew]

I love oppurtunist cause my rogue PCs/NPCs gnerally go into melee with there allies and extra attacks (paticuarly if you can get it to be a sneak attack) are always good.

Slippery mind is good, paticuarly if you have low will saves.
I'm usually willin to not take improved evasion and just hope that I pass my reflex saves

 

[Three_Haligonians]

Skills!

I chose Skill Mastery for many of the same reasons already mentioned. I would have orignally picked Improved Evasion hands down, but now there are a number of PrC's that grant evasion with the condition that if the character already -has- evasion, it gets upgraded to Improved and I, personally, like to take rogue skills that give my character an ability that can't be picked up elsewhere.

J from Three Haligonians

 

[Corlon]

hmmm, I voted improved evasion, because it really seems to be the safest way (granted you'll pass most of them, but you hit that crazy specialized wizard or role that 1 and you're toast...usually literally).

Then I'd probably get opportunist or skill mastery, both very useful.

Slippery mind is probably the last one I'd get...for some reason I haven't run into that many enchantment spells in any of my campaigns.

Crippling strike just kind of sucks, and defensive role or an extra feat are okay, but compared to the others I don't think hold much weight.