NWN2 Rogue Builds

[agentorange]

So I'm going to finally play through NWN2 during thanksgiving break, and I want to make a rogue as I usually do in RPGs. I was looking at the prestige classes and I'll be going for a Shadow Dancer.

Current Build.
Tiefling.
Str: 14
Dex: 20
Con: 12
Int: 10
Wis: 8
Cha: 12

I realize it was probably a mistake to put 14 into Strength, but I wasn't sure how useful any of the other stats are; like how many conversation deviations are there that require high Charisma and Wisdom? Int could also be useful since it gives you more skills, but again, how useful. Anyone who played through the game as a rogue that can give advice?

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Your build is good. I would take those 4 points off CHA and put them into INT though, that means +2 SP per level. Which means you can afford to max bluff or diplomacy. The game does have hard to make checks, use The Masters Amulett and Finchs Finest Head to increase your social skills if required. (checks are based on skill mostly not CHA or WIS)
1 level of Swashbuckler for weapon finesse might make sense or even 3 (to get the INT onto damage feat, Insightful Strike), you can wear an INT circlet +8 after all. Otherwise always max DEX. Get the TWF feats and craft two rapiers, holy, acid, shocking, add the +x through the Greater Magic Weapon spell, that's some massive TWF carnage eventually. Don't get Blind Fight because you will get an item that grants this feat. Don't forget to pickup the rogue feat that's the prereq for epic precision, crippling strike or however it was called. If swashbuckler levels - might want to go for Combat Insight as well it stacks with the swashbuckler INT->dmg skill.
Max dodge and UMD.

 

[Commissar Draco]

Rogue is support class in both DnD and all NWNs, as Captain said pick Cleric or Paladin instead cause both NWN2 vanilla campaign and MOTB have plenty of fight against undead... Play some user created Mods like Dance with Rogues if you want to use the Rogue skills... Intelligence is too low Rouge needs plenty of skill points:

STR 10
DEX 18
CON 12
INT 14
WIS 12
CHA 10

pick feats Captain Shrek had chosen. Good build is Rogue/Fighter/Shadow Dancer. NWN campaigns are 80% fighting so you don't want to gimp yourself.

 

[Commissar Draco]

pick Cleric or Paladin fighting.

Yes! Clerics (especially Doomguides) kick undead ass to the nether regions in the game avoiding a lot of butthurt.

Doomguides were added in SOZ, Had to Larp through MOTB as Kelemvor Paladin instead.

 

[Telengard]

In these D&D games, Rogues are the odd man out - with no special means of finishing any facet of the game, and usually having whatever special content planned for them trimmed or cut (true once again here). But a shadowdancer and a rogue->swashbuckler are the only classes I've done NW2 with. Other than a chain of bad randoms, there's nothing that really stops you in the OC. MOTB can be a real bitch though for a rogue, if you didn't plan right.

The bonus point from 20 DEX over an 18 can be effective in a long fight, but the cost/benefit ratio is low in a game with so much stat-boosting equipment. Your survivability percentage as a rogue is greatly improved by spreading those extra purchase points around. Whether Strength of 14 is a good idea or not depends on where you're going with your character. If you're planning on playing as an assassin/stalker, there's a lot of enemies with hp bloat, and some extra damage can make the difference on whether you take the target down before having to retreat.

If you're playing as an item-junkie, the game is even easier as a rogue, since you can acquire a whole bunch of high-boosting consumables. Mix that with boosting spells and you can do some crazy stuff - yes, even on those who resist backstab.

There are a goodly number of conversation checks (some of them high difficulty), but the game is completable without making a single one. They just do the usual - let you control the events better by giving you more/better options, and also eke out better rewards. Avoiding fights, being able to choose good options when the game splits and you choose the evil path, etc. If you don't care about that stuff, WIS is better than CHR and INT, as there are a number of necessary spell resist checks, and there are WIS conversation options too. (Without the need to raise the many conversation skills, the bonus skill points from high INT become unnecessary; you have plenty of skills points for rogue skills.)

If you're going into standing melee a lot, planning on repeated flanking and backstabs, then a DEX of 17 is plenty, plus ignoring conversations attributes, and using the extra points on a higher CON is warranted as otherwise a bad critical from the enemy when you're out there as a rogue can sometimes end the fight in one blow. Also, in this case, keep your high STR.

And shadowdancers make great assassin/stalkers, if that's your thing.

 

[agentorange]

Hm. I was pretty dead-set on being a Rogue. Can't I just get other party members handle the undead problems? I don't necessarily mind being support in those cases, I'm not looking to powergame.

But if it's that much of a problem, is the Pale Master a viable prestige class, and if so what class should I start out as?

Edit: Telengard makes it sound doable, so I think I'll stick with the Shadowdancer. I'll take some points out of STR and put it into INT and WIS, and go with Short Swords.

 

[Roguey]

Hm. I was pretty dead-set on being a Rogue. Can't I just get other party members handle the undead problems? I don't necessarily mind being support in those cases, I'm not looking to powergame.

Yeah but there's a solo section at the start of Act 3 where you fight nothing but undead by yourself. Be prepared for that. Aside from that there shouldn't be any problems. I completed MotB with a rogue/fighter/shadowdancer without any kind of frustration. There's a convenient rapier in the first area.

 

[Captain Shrek]

Hm. I was pretty dead-set on being a Rogue. Can't I just get other party members handle the undead problems? I don't necessarily mind being support in those cases, I'm not looking to powergame.

But if it's that much of a problem, is the Pale Master a viable prestige class, and if so what class should I start out as?

Edit: Telengard makes it sound doable, so I think I'll stick with the Shadowdancer. I'll take some points out of STR and put it into INT and WIS, and go with Short Swords.

Everything is "doable" in NWN2. I can make a build that is Bard/Wiz/Cleric and still "beat" the game. The combat is shit. The problem is convenience. If you want to play a rogue you can. If you don't want unnecessary hassle don't. The design of encounters in the game is SO shit that many people simply choose to powerbuild it to avoid fighting "tactically": .

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

The Blind fight Item (i do remember it but don't remember if it was a glove or an amulet) is a waste since since it is for MOnks (gives a specialization for Unarmed). That space can be used for other item to get a stat/defense/attack bonus instead.

The blind fight item (ilrahs rip) is for everyone.

Also, what hard checks are you talking about?

The trial for instance where you have to make checks well >20.

Alternatively, if there are hard checks it is best NOT to make CHR to 8 as you suggest. That would defeat the purpose.

Duh! 8 CHA means -1 on social skills, which can be easily offset with the rather substantial increase in skillpoints from INT.

It is not sensible to wear CHR items if you are not a bard/paladin/spellcaster with CHR as primary/secondary stat, unless they come with other benefits.

And? Did I suggest to wear CHA increasing items?

Also these items are situational. Put them on when you need them etc.

Never suggested otherwise. Let's see:
use The Masters Amulett and Finchs Finest Head to increase your social skills if required.
Understood?

TWF: Rapiers are Medium Finesse weapons. Meaning -4 (?) on both hands. Short swords are low crit chance (which is useless anyway in the OC) but comparitively better damage than Kukri or daggers.

Technically it's true that you'd need a light weapon for the offhand. Practically, I never needed it, except perhaps in the beginning of the game. Why? because 1) enemies are not really hard to hit (i.e. they don't have super high AC), 2) This character will have pretty good AB starting with 20 DEX, plus things like Heroism which has a long duration makes it all the easier. You can also benefit on both hands from a single weapon focus feat. Long story slightly shorter, you won't have difficulties to hit things. However, if you're concerned about that, use 2 shortswords instead.

Carnage: With rogues and OC the only carnage that is going to happen is with Orcs and Thieves guild/watchmen. Everyone else will shrug off your attacks with their Crit immunity + DR. What you need is pure unmodified damage power from STR. if you want melee damage output in OC take another build.

There are undead, yes, but it's not like you won't do damage with two enchanted weapons. 1d6 from the weapon, 2d6 from holy, 1d6 from acid, 1d6 from shocking, +5 from greater Magic Weapon. On both hands. It's not enough? Give the paladin the craft wand feat and craft wands of bless weapon and holy sword.

Insightful strike: Is useless in OC. Did you read the description?

It's useless against crit-immunes. You don't exclusively fight crit-immunes.

Epic Precision: You can't get that in OC. MoTB fuck yeah!

Combat Insight is also an epic feat. And? It doesn't hurt to keep things in mind and pick up the prereqs during the OC.

Also, the question was not "who does the most melee damage", it was whether his idea for an rogue build was ok and in my opinion it's fine with the obvoius improvement of putting the points from CHA into INT. That build would be completely viable even as a pure rogue.

 

[Crichton]

As others have pointed out, pure rogues have a tough time in the NWN2 OC, sneak attack won't harm all the undead and constructs and the traps are a joke. If you like playing a rogue for role-playing reasons or because you don't want to have to bring Neeshka along to play locksmith, there are plenty of options for a multiclass rogue.

Here's a simple case:

Human
Neutral, worships Mask, Background: Wild Child

STR 14
DEX 14
CON 12
INT 14
WIS 16 (+5)
CHA 8

Rogue 1/Shadowdancer 1/Cleric 18

Take one level of rogue, seven levels of cleric (Darkness and Knowledge domains), one level of shadowdancer and then finish up with eleven levels of cleric

Maxed Skills: Concentration, Diplomacy, Hide, Move Silently, Tumble

Other skills: Spot, Listen, Use Magic Device, Bluff, Search, Slight of Hand.

Feats: Able Learner, Spellcasting Prodigy, Dodge, Mobility, Knockdown, Improved Knockdown, Extend Spell, Zen Archery.

Class Features: Sneak Attack (+1d6), Hide in Plain Sight.

The Knowledge Domain gives you Identify and Knock to make up for the absence of Lore and Open Lock while the Darkness Domain gives you Blight Fight and a few useful spells.

This character has maxed stealth skills and HiPS, can identify magic items and open locks, fights pretty well with Divine Power, Improved Knockdown and Blight Fight and can act as a pretty passable archer with Zen Archery and a crafted shortbow. Diplomacy will get you through most of the worthwhile dialog checks in the OC. Having nearly full cleric spellcasting will also make the character a lot more interesting to play.

 

[Captain Shrek]

Also non-rogues without Neeshka can use chime of opening to break non-magical locks. Traps are still an issue but only on the first half of the game and even there not so much.

NWN2 does an amazing job of making fun things feel like work .

 

[Varn]

The combat is so easy in all the NWN2 games that the concept of "builds" is redundant. Roll a straight thief using a cursed dagger and you will still steamroll everything. It's actually very unsatisfying to put effort and time into planning a build only to realize it makes no difference whatsoever.

 

[agentorange]

As others have pointed out, pure rogues have a tough time in the NWN2 OC, sneak attack won't harm all the undead and constructs and the traps are a joke. If you like playing a rogue for role-playing reasons or because you don't want to have to bring Neeshka along to play locksmith, there are plenty of options for a multiclass rogue.

Here's a simple case:

Human
Neutral, worships Mask, Background: Wild Child

STR 14
DEX 14
CON 12
INT 14
WIS 16 (+5)
CHA 8

Rogue 1/Shadowdancer 1/Cleric 18

Take one level of rogue, seven levels of cleric (Darkness and Knowledge domains), one level of shadowdancer and then finish up with eleven levels of cleric

Maxed Skills: Concentration, Diplomacy, Hide, Move Silently, Tumble

Other skills: Spot, Listen, Use Magic Device, Bluff, Search, Slight of Hand.

Feats: Able Learner, Spellcasting Prodigy, Dodge, Mobility, Knockdown, Improved Knockdown, Extend Spell, Zen Archery.

Class Features: Sneak Attack (+1d6), Hide in Plain Sight.

The Knowledge Domain gives you Identify and Knock to make up for the absence of Lore and Open Lock while the Darkness Domain gives you Blight Fight and a few useful spells.

This character has maxed stealth skills and HiPS, can identify magic items and open locks, fights pretty well with Divine Power, Improved Knockdown and Blight Fight and can act as a pretty passable archer with Zen Archery and a crafted shortbow. Diplomacy will get you through most of the worthwhile dialog checks in the OC. Having nearly full cleric spellcasting will also make the character a lot more interesting to play.

That seems like a pretty interesting build. Funny enough I played a Faith/Dex build in Dark Souls, so the idea of Cleric Rogue isn't that outlandish to me. I'm not too up and up on my D&D rules, but would I be able to get the max level Cleric spells with this build?

 

[HotSnack]

The combat is so easy in all the NWN2 games that the concept of "builds" is redundant. Roll a straight thief using a cursed dagger and you will still steamroll everything. It's actually very unsatisfying to put effort and time into planning a build only to realize it makes no difference whatsoever.

SoZ on hardest difficulty can be quite challenging in parts, even with an "optimal" team. Beating the final boss with a lvl 16 party was one of the most memorable battles I've ever encountered.

 

[Crichton]

That seems like a pretty interesting build. Funny enough I played a Faith/Dex build in Dark Souls, so the idea of Cleric Rogue isn't that outlandish to me. I'm not too up and up on my D&D rules, but would I be able to get the max level Cleric spells with this build?

Yes, one only needs to be a level 17 cleric to get 9th level spells. I suppose that it's also worth noting that if you really like the idea of being a tiefling, that would also work for a multi-class rogue since the tiefling's "favored class" is rogue.

 

[Snufkin]

I strongly suggest you this build:

http://nwn2db.com/build/?32688

You wont regret it.

 

[J1M]

I strongly suggest you this build:

http://nwn2db.com/build/?32688

You wont regret it.

Haha, I was just about to post that a good rogue in NWN is a bard.

 

[Jaesun]

http://nwn2db.com/build/?644

THIS is the best build in NWN2 just FYI (Not a rogue build though).

 

[Stonewolf]

I'll hijack this dead thread a bit, here we go.

So I ran out of RPGs to play in my current possession, only this crap left. I'm going to start with NWN 1 + expansions + patches + community patch. I want to play a rogue since fighters are boring.

This guide I found recommends going full batshit on charisma and persuade, like 16 char and constant persuade pumping. No other guide or thread I found anywhere even considered more than 8 char. The linked guide is rather ancient (2002) but I kinda like the idea of a silver tongued cutthroat. The question is: how much will it matter in NWN? Does high charisma really affect anything?

How good is this as starting build? Human STR 12 DEX 16 CON 12 INT 14 WIS 8 CHA 14
Should I try to swap it a bit with less INT CHA and 18 DEX?

Which skills to focus on and should bother dualing this into fighter for a couple of levels before getting shadowdancer?

Oh and pls dont recommend elfs or monks, gayness overload.

 

[Corporate_Jew_Master]

I am playing NWN2 OC right now with a battle cleric of tempus/fighter multiclass for the hell of it. Working surprisingly well, which says much about the difficulty of 'nights 2.

Since you will be fighting a ton and wanna go pure rogue, go for either assassin or shortbow rogue and use Khelgar as a meatshield. Turning Neeshka into the later and it seems to be working well. And you'll have that annoying sorcerer bitch in your party as well that has every evocation spell that matters, so things will work out well.

I'll hijack this dead thread a bit, here we go.

So I ran out of RPGs to play in my current possession, only this crap left. I'm going to start with NWN 1 + expansions + patches + community patch. I want to play a rogue since fighters are boring.

This guide I found recommends going full batshit on charisma and persuade, like 16 char and constant persuade pumping. No other guide or thread I found anywhere even considered more than 8 char. The linked guide is rather ancient (2002) but I kinda like the idea of a silver tongued cutthroat. The question is: how much will it matter in NWN? Does high charisma really affect anything?

If I remember right there are a lot of persuade checks in the OC, but not so many in the expansions, at least the 2nd one. So charisma might be important somewhat. Multiclassing rogue/fighter isn't that hard, although I'd recommend leaving CHA, CON and INT at 12 and buffing up DEX and STR as much as you can. Feats are pretty straightforward, since you'll be getting dodge for free thus unlock mobility and the other fighter feats early on, letting you use light armor with some good AC bonuses. Then just focus on whichever weapon you want and pour stat points into what you feel is lacking.

Just my two cents. I'm not very experienced in playing rogue and other classes that skulk in the shadows like cowards, so I'd wait for a few more replies before deciding.

 

[Aeschylus]

Ok, this is from somewhat distant memory, so I might say something completely wrong, but... Human Rogue/Fighter/Shadowdancer/Weaponmaster is maybe one of the strongest builds in the game when fighting things not immune to sneak attack/crits. Human is probably best for it, as they won't take an XP penalty and the extra feat is useful, but Tiefling might be ok. CHA is not really important, just don't have a big penalty and your persuade skill will be good enough. STR, also just don't have a penalty -- most of your damage comes from sneak attack/crits. WIS is unimportant. CON is also fairly unimportant and you'll basically never get hit by the end. You need INT at 13, I think. Put whatever's left in DEX.

Take your first level in Rogue, the next 2 in Fighter for the extra feats you'll need for Weapon Master. Then Rogue until you can take Shadowdancer. You really only need 1 level of it, as Hide in Plain Sight completely breaks the game. Then take Rogue until you can get Weapon Master (probably around lvl 12), and get 7 levels of that, then continue with Rogue. Weapon of Choice is up to you, but I prefer Rapiers or Short Swords. Long Swords might also work, forget if you can backstab with them. Once you get all the improved crit feats you'll crit 50% of the time and have a doubled modifier, and also sneak attack.