| abstract
| - This build aims to combine the spellcasting power of a full wizard (with one arcane prestige class), and the stealth provided by Hide in Plain Sight (HiPS). The combinations lends this build an edge that most other Wizards can only dream of. With HiPS you can dissappear instantly in the middle of a fight, only to reappear some distance away, to unleash a barrage of spells. And you can do this repeatedly (or at least, as long as you have spells to throw out in a barrage anyway). How it Works: 2 Bard provides the skill access to qualify for Shadowdancer, as well as a small Inspire Competence bonus. It also lets you cast Joyful noise 1/day, which can help protect against silence. Shadowdancer provides you with Uncanny Dodge, Evasion, Dark vision and of course, HiPS. Your wizardly Int gives you the skill points to max out Hide and Move. When this build was posted for review, some suggested that Rogue 2 should be used rather than Bard 2, because Rogue's get Trap finding and slightly better skill access. However this build does not have the spare skill points to max out Search and Disable along with all the other skills required. Furthermore, the splash in Shadowdancer helps add Spot and other useful skills to your class skill list, reducing the usefulness of Rogue. Finally, Rogue level 2 nets you evasion, which the Shadowdancer level 2 already grants you and is therefore redundant. Whereas Bard level 2 grants you inspire competence which helps boost all your skills (especially Move and Hide) by 2. Bard also gives you shield proficiency, which helps boos AC if there are mithril shields around. There are 2 arcane prestige classes that are compatible with this build. And either one may be picked depending on your tastes. For the beginner, I would recommend a Generalist Wizard, going with Guerilla Arcane Scholar. Going with Guerilla Red Wizard, means that you have to choose a Specialization for your Wizard, which is a tough decision. And you need to have a very good idea on what you are doing, and what you gain and lose in the process.
* Level 30 Wizard with either ASoCK or RWoT.
* Fully viable from start to finish, with no multiclass penalty. Spare Skill points may be put into convo skills, making this Campaign playable.
* Appear! Meteor Swarm! Hide in Plain Sight! Move Away... Reappear! Another Meteor Swarm! etc etc
* Also great in parties as well, in case the fighter lets any Monsters through and you get surrounded. The normal "escape hatch" that most Wizards use in this case is Ethereal Jaunt, but there are various advantages that HiPS has over Ethereal Jaunt
* HiPS is instant, whereas Ethereal Jaunt has a 3 second casting time, during which enemy monsters are still hammering you to pieces
* HiPS cannot be interrupted, whereas if you are hit while casting Ethereal Jaunt, you must make a Conc save or lose the spell.
* HiPS can be used repeatedly (with a 6 second cool down), whereas you have limited castings of Ethereal Jaunt.
* However, HiPS can be countered by high Spot or Listen, whereas there is no counter for Ethereal Jaunt.
* Your low Dex means that your HiPS won't be very effective until relatively late (late compared to a high Dex Rogue)
* Hide and Move and HiPS can be countered by either high Spot or Listen. Most enemy Monsters will have very low of both, but a PvP dedicated build will most like have maxed out one or the other.
* There is very little real synergy between Wizard and HiPS. You don't have the melee to capitalize on catching your opponents flat-footed. HiPS on a Wizard is nothing more than a defensive mechanism, albeit a very powerful one.
* Poor Saving throws, especially Fortitude. Your mediocre Reflex saving throws aren't the best to make use of Evasion.
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![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)