Hello, my name is Sockpuppet.

I've nearly completed my training in Stormreach and have received quite a few queries about the things I've learned along the way and the various items that I am using. I've come here to share what I've learned for those that might be interested in following a similar path.

I've also come here to dispel some disturbing rumors I've been hearing about the rogues of Stormreach.

Let's start with those nasty rumors.

Some believe that rogues are not a dps class. As you'll see below, my training allows me to out-dps all of those barbarians and kensai fighters.

"Ah," some will say, "that may be true, but you will get the attention of the enemies and you will be a glass cannon and will die very quickly."

Again not true. I've learned to deliver massive damage to our enemies while not attracting their attention. However, even if they do direct their animosity my way, I'm more than happy to take them on and am anything but a glass cannon.

Some will say, "but surely you've sacrificed the ability to do the rogue-like things we all love--you can't stealth, you can't handle traps or open locked doors."

Yet again not true. I am nearly as stealthy as they come and can handle any trap or lock in the game. I've also mastered the language of arcane and healing magic and freely use scrolls.

"Bah!" you say, "this cannot be true."

It is true. I've enjoyed my training immensely and encourage others to follow my path.

Before I tell my story, I would like to thank my guildmates in Inferus Sus and many other heroes of Stormreach who have been so very charitable with their time, knowledge, and gear.

In choosing my career path, I decided to be a pure level 20 rogue, with full training in the assassin arts. I really wanted to pack a hard punch and felt that this would be a great way to do so. While my historic philosophical tendencies have a hint of chaos and goodness to them, I've become a proponent of true balance and am true neutral in alignment.

While many of my halfling brethren spent their early years focusing on their agility and intelligence, I opted to focus mostly on my strength and durability. I anticipated that, through magic, I would gain more than sufficient abilities in the ways of the agile and brainy--a belief that has proven true.

Before I began my training, I started with:

STR 16
DEX 15
CON 16
INT 9
WIS 8
CHA 8

At each stage of my training, I maximized my strength.

Today, through training and magic, my self-buffed, sustainable combat stats are as follows:

STR 46 (I've beaten many a half-orc fighter in arm-wrestling even though 1/4 their size)
DEX 25
CON 43
INT 15 (through exchange of magic items I can improve this to 26 when needed)
WIS 19
CHA 19

The strength comes from my initial 16 +5 from training (21) +3 from a magic tome (24) +9 from a magic ring (33) +3 from special epic gear (36) +2 from my guild ship trainer (38) +2 from rage magic (40) +4 from long lasting magical potions (44) +2-4 from magic boots (46/48).

My constitution allows me to be over 600 hps during heavy combat (667 when I am very angry). You won't ever see me below 500. With my improved evasion skills, this makes me very difficult to kill.

The gear I have acquired provides me with a lot of survivability and melee capability.

In sum, without gear exchanges, it provides:

+12 STR
+13 CON
+7 CHA
+6 DEX
+6 WIS

30 point perma resists in fire, cold, acid, and electricity

disintegration guard
corrosive salt guard
poison guard
earthgrab guard

+6 seeker
+5 resists
greater false life
extra damage over time
+5 sneak attack damage
-20% hate
true seeing
ghost touch

poison immunity
heavy fortification
disease immunity
+2 luck
toughness

The specific items are:

head: epic Helm of Frost with poison immunity
neck: triple earth shroud crafted necklace with +45 hps
trinket: bloodstone
cloak: epic Envenomed Cloak with heavy fort
belt: Colethenis's belt (ravager set)
ring 1: Ravager ring with +2 exceptional STR
ring 2: Oremi ring with +2 exceptional CON
gloves: epic Charged Gauntles with disease immunity
boots: epic Boots of Corrosion with +6 dex and luck (with swap to Madstone boots for clicky and procs)
bracers: epic Scorched Bracers with toughness
goggles: tharnes googles
armor: DT armor with GFL, corrosive salt guard, and Tharnes

I use a range of swap out items to enhance my skills in various areas where needed (titan gloves and +6 shroud crafted cha-skill triple air necklace for UMD; epic CC trinket for +20 search and spot; +15 disable gloves; smoke cloak for +6 dex skills and displacement clicky).

My primary weapons are LitII kopeshes. With these I do massive damage (factoring in base damage, average of about 90 sneak attack per hit, power attack, crits, ravager set damage, 600+ damage lighting procs, 100 damage charged gauntlets on 20s, bard songs) and I swing very fast.

I have minII and radiance weapons when needed and a variety of specialty weapons for special occasions (epic CC weapons for +15 sneak/hide and +15 intim, epic timeblade for feather fall, freedom of movement, and greater paralysis).

Rogue skills (self-buffed with gear swaps as needed):

UMD: 46
Search: 60 (66 with an int-skill item)
Hide: 73
Move Silently: 71
Open Lock: 57
Jump: 62
Balance: 51
Disable device: 55 (61 with an int-skill item)

Feats: toughness, two weapon-fighting, improved two-weapon fighting, greater two-weapon fighting, power attack, kopesh, improved crit slash (plus rogue feats: improved evasion, crippling strike, opportunist, slippery mind)

Enhancements: full halfling cunning and guile; full sneak attack damage boosts; assassin III and prereqs; full toughness; full haste boost; three tiers of hate reduction; one tier of skill boost; extra skill clicky.

Many of the enemies of Stormreach have learned to fear the little blue ball of death. I hope to see you out there in the battle zone. Right now I'm deciding whether to kill these oblivious epic minotaurs or whether to continue sneaking by and steal their loot from under their noses. Perhaps I'll flip a coin.