How would you build Drasek Riven on Arelith

[illcat]

Perhaps a dorky endeavor, but I was wondering how you guys would go about building a character like Riven and even Cale if you're inclined to make something cool and functional for Arelith.

[PinataPlethora]

He's Evil, so there's no way you're getting Lay on Hands, but you could fudge it with RP. Maybe Ranger 9/Fighter 4/Assassin 17, Ranger 9/SD 5/Assassin 16, or Fighter 6/Rogue 5/Assassin 19, but the last one ditches your divine element.

[Opustus]

Since there's no unholiness, a strengthy or dexy version of the Rogue3/PDK10/Assassin17 or Fighter4/PDK10/Assassin16 might do the trick. The PDK could function as the champion of Cyric flavour in absence of the class option.

[illcat]

I'd tend to think he is dex based by the way he is written, I've not messed around very much with PDK, but that's a very interesting way to go with it. I'd have to admit not knowing much about the class except from seeing them around.

[Opustus]

It would look something like this:

Stats
STR13
DEX17 -> gift +2 (19) -> levelups +7 (26)
CON14
INT14
CHA8
WIS8

Other gift into INT, CON, or Saves. I guess most here prefer the constitution +2 gift. The minor gift into MS and Hide skill boost or Spot skill boost, if you decide to go spotty, methinks.

Level spread pre-epic Rogue3/Assassin8/PDK9 into Rogue3/Assassin17/PDK10 with last PDK at late for Discipline dump. Select the PDK vanguard variant. http://wiki.arelith.com/(Purple_Dragon)_Knight

Pre-epic feats in random order (9): Rogue level 2 Finesse, SF: Discipline, WF, Imp crit, KD, IKD, Expertise, Blindfight, Improved expertise

Epic feats in random order (5): EWF, Armorskin, Blinding speed, Epic dodge, ESF: Discipline

Skills: MS, Hide, Discipline, Tumble30, UMD11, rest is optional but you should have plenty! You should be able to max around 8 skills. I don't know how good the PDK fear ability is, if it warrants investing heavily into Intimidate; someone here ought to know.

[illcat]

It would look something like this:

Stats
STR13
DEX17 -> gift +2 (19) -> levelups +7 (26)
CON14
INT14
CHA8
WIS8

Other gift into INT, CON, or Saves. I guess most here prefer the constitution +2 gift. The minor gift into MS and Hide skill boost or Spot skill boost, if you decide to go spotty, methinks.

Level spread pre-epic Rogue3/Assassin8/PDK9 into Rogue3/Assassin17/PDK10 with last PDK at late for Discipline dump. Select the PDK vanguard variant. http://wiki.arelith.com/(Purple_Dragon)_Knight

Pre-epic feats in random order (9): Rogue level 2 Finesse, SF: Discipline, WF, Imp crit, KD, IKD, Expertise, Blindfight, Improved expertise

Epic feats in random order (5): EWF, Armorskin, Blinding speed, Epic dodge, ESF: Discipline

Skills: MS, Hide, Discipline, Tumble30, UMD11, rest is optional but you should have plenty! You should be able to max around 8 skills. I don't know how good the PDK fear ability is, if it warrants investing heavily into Intimidate; someone here ought to know.

Riven uses a pair of sabers as well, so you'd want to slip TWF in there some where and the related feats I'd think, but there doesn't seem to be room. You would probably change it to Rapier/Dagger for usability I guess over rule of cool.

[Opustus]

You could drop the expertise feats and IKD to make room for dualwield, but most here might vehemently oppose to that idea.

I think dualwielding is superduper good on sneaks, so a Fighter10/Rogue3/Ass17 or Fighter8/Rogue3/Ass19 seems the overall better option simply by being more solid. PDK has its own strong points, most notably the insta-flat foot at level 10, but even then I'd be loath not to be dualwielding for maximum burst.

Rogues were recently given a level10 feat to dualwield rapier+dagger with free weapon feats into the dagger, so maybe something like Rogue10/Fighter6/Ass14 or Rogue10/Fighter5/Ass15 would work. Honestly though, dualwielding kukris or shortswords and going more into Assassin and Fighter (see previous paragraph) would be strictly better.

Pinata's suggestions are good, too.

[MoreThanThree]

20/7/3 Half-elf moonblade weapon master

[illcat]

20/7/3 Half-elf moonblade weapon master

That's the face stabber build, doesn't work well for sneaking about and backstabbing, speaking from experience.

[MoreThanThree]

That's the face stabber build, doesn't work well for sneaking about and backstabbing, speaking from experience.

what is Imp Invis wand+2d6 sneak attack?

EDIT:

[One Two Three Five]

This is back from 2000, so not his 'current' pre-god stats- I suspect he'd be something similar to Cale (Shade Rogue/Fighter/Cleric/Divine Agent), near the end of the series.

Personally I'd read him as a stealthy Fighter/Blackguard/Rogue-or-assassin in NWN, or maybe some sort of dex WM setup if you're nasty. A lot of his abilities- the black speech, lay on hands, and teleportation stuff- I think I remember seeing explained away as Chosen Abilities back in the day, but who the heck knows.

For an, I guess lore accurate version you could take enough ranger to get greater transmu focus (teleport at 21), enough SD for HiPs and RP, and fill with assassin levels, but that'd also be, probably, pretty bad.