sneak build for a new-ish player

[Prak]

what's a simple to understand, sneak-type build that's good for a new-ish player? My girlfriend used to play but hasn't in a while, and I'd like her to have a good time in an up coming game with a build that allows her to feel she's being useful.

the game info is such: "Starting level is 1st with an ECL of 1, with a 32 point buy system. Any Race Any Alignment."

[Iaimeki]

The obvious is deep halfling rogue. Simple, reasonably effective, with some growth potential in the later phases of the game if that's relevant.

[User3]

Whisper Gnome Rogue is also fine, if she prefers that to a Halfling. You're slightly worse at UMD, but you get a random pile of awesome for no real reason.

[User3]

well, she likes elves, but I might talk her into deep halfling or whisper gnome... deep halfling is in MM, correct? and where is whisper gnome from?

[Fwib]

Races of Stone (excerpt)

[Iaimeki]

Deep halfling is in the MM. Whisper gnomes are from Races of Stone, but I'm pretty sure the race is in the excerpt on WotC's website.

Elves' biggest liability for stealth builds is a lack of darkvision. Everything in D&D has darkvision, so if you're trying to sneak around with a light source, you lose. They also don't have any compelling abilities for stealth like deep halflings and whisper gnomes. A gray elf rogue is decent, but is honestly less suited for sneaking around.

[User3]

exactly how useful is stone cunning in the average game, anyway?

[Username17]

1177011464[/unixtime]]exactly how useful is stone cunning in the average game, anyway?

Stone Cunning gives you a bonus Search Check every time you pass near a trap trigger that happens to be in earth or stone - which is pretty much everything unless you happen to be dealing with the dreaded wooden floors of the Hobgoblin Khanate.

That being said, setting your girlfriend up as a tiefling (assuming you use one of the many +0 LA versions) would also be fine. An Int bonus coupled with darkvision makes them a quite passable Rogue. Sure, the penalty to UMD actually hurts, but if you're starting at first level it doesn't hurt much.

Rogue Levels can seriously be taken one after the other froms 1st to 10th level without ever feeling bad about yourself. If you never intend to get past 4th level, you can quite gainfully play a Scout instead.

Some players don't like being Small, which is fine, as there are some medium races that make decent rogues (Dwarves, Gray Elves, Tieflings).

-Username17

[Prak]

where could I find a published LA 0 tiefling, as I don't think I'll be able to sway the DM with your tome series, or anything else from various boards...

[Cielingcat]

Player's Guide to Faerun has one; it's exactly like the regular Tiefling, only it's a Humanoid (Planetouched) instead of an Outsider.

[Judging__Eagle]

I think that there's a lesser tiefling in an FR book?

[Prak]

ah, ok, thanks, I'll have to see if I can get a hold of it...