Shadow Dancer - Hide in Plain Sight feature

[ScottG]

Like others at first I thought I wasn't getting the feature (hide in plain sight) because it wasn't offered as "wheel" selection.

Now obviously I'm finding it working, but getting it to work for you can be a bit tricky so I'd thought I'd share my experiences here.

First off as others have mentioned, hide in plain sight is simply an addition to your hide function. All you need to do to hide again is simply remove yourself from combat and press your hide function, (f1 or your hide button in the quickslot).

Now hiding during combat is easier said than done. The basic technique is: after making your attack while hidden, click on any floor surface to move to that destination and thus no longer be engaged in combat. (Usually moving away from opponent(s).) Then of course imeadiatly click on hide and then click on the opponent again to attack, (obviously trying for another sneak attack).

The problem is that when you click on the floor to move to a new location your making yourself susceptible to an attack of oppurtunity and possibly a sneak attack, (if your opponent has that ability). Most have suggested that to overcome this problem you should make your attacks ranged. Of course with a ranged attack you are out of distance for a melee attack of opportunity, (though you could still have a problem with ranged attackers).

But what if you want this cool feature for melee while limiting attacks of oppurtunity? Can you effectivly limit attacks of opputunity, sneak attacks, etc.? Well as it turns out to even have the opportunity to select the Shadow Dancer class you must have the feats Dodge and Mobility - both of which reduce this chance. To eliminate it all together you can select Spring Attack feat. Alternativly to "effectivly" eliminate it you can utilize a high Tumble skill (10+). Chances are (if you went the Rogue to Shadow Dancer route) you already have selected 10 points in Tumble.

Note: for multiple attackers during melee the feat Cleave works VERY well with Sneak Attacks simply because you will often kill the first target of your Sneak Attack with that one attack AND then you will still be "hidden" for your additional Cleave attack allowing another (near simultanious) Sneak Attack. (Great Cleave simply amplifies this effect.) If your facing a tough opponent AND at least one other "easy" (low hit point) opponent then you should first attack the weaker opponent so that you can kill with that first strike and have the next one "transfer" to the tougher opponent. Its still advantageous to have Cleave and Greater Cleave when you have the "hide in plain sight" feature because your getting EXTRA attacks with them.

[ 09-08-2003, 11:03 PM: Message edited by: ScottG ]

[SpiritWarrior]

My second and problably most-loved character is a Shadowdancer [img]smile.gif[/img] .

It is true to activate your "Hide in plain sight" ability you need to clear all actions firstly. This is my trick, stumbled upon in a desperate need for easier use in PVP: While in combat press the "S" key to back away (or whatever your custom key is to walk backward). This way you will not turn your back on a foe as a char will do if the mouse-pointer is used and you will not provoke an attack of opportunity and/or a sneak attack since you are watching your foe. You need to do this for a few steps as backing away 1 or 2 steps is considered 'manuevering' and will not cause combat to cease. Back away about 4 steps and then hit F1 or click your "Stealth" Icon. There you have it, the Shadowdancer blink!

[StigTC]

The third option is just to disengage combat by selecting the attack option again from the radial menu, or quick button it like I've done, that way you doesn't move at all, you just stop fighting.

[SpiritWarrior]

I used this for a period but It's buggy and either does not always work or sometimes takes an extra round to break the current action as this in itself is looked upon as an action. They may have fixed this in the latest patch though, I've since gotten used to my own method.

[shadowolf03]

Also the Hide in Plain sight ability still has a chance of failing thus the enemy may still continue to chase you around... and it seems no matter how many times you try to hide after that, the same enemy always seems to see you, even if you've drunk an invisiblility potion!

[ScottG]

AHHH!

Additional Finesses for the hide skill, GRACI!

shadowolf03 - I have had that happen on several occasions. The real beauty of it is though that your effective AC is much higher because your still hiding (not unlike improved invisibility), but far more importantly you can still make your Sneak Attacks.

Its funny, I've been gearing up all this time with my Rogue for a character that would be primarily attacking with crossbows and now, (because of the previous info), I'll be focusing on melee attacks with Scythes. (Grim Reaper thing for my evil character......)

[SpiritWarrior]

If your Hide skill is in the 60's you will always succeed in blinking out.

On Shadow's point this is true, and it seems that there is only one spot check made on the first attempt at hiding, if that check succeeds then your opponent will always be able to spot you in that battle. However, if you run out of the foes perception range (much like you need to do when entering regular Stealth Mode) the spot check will then be re-rolled as the NPC needs to again try to see you.

[Louis de Lioncourt]

I have a rogue and want to make it a shadow dancer, how many levels should a I put in a shadow dancer character? Because hide is important for sneak attacks but the sneak attacks itself are more important for me [img]smile.gif[/img] .

[SpiritWarrior]

Take 1 level as Shadowdancer and 19 in Rogue then (maybe even 1 in Assasin?). This makes the perfect stealth fighter. The rest of the SD levels carry things you will most likely already have or won't find much use, taking the first level will give you 'Hide in Plain Sight'.

[Louis de Lioncourt]

I think I'll put rogue 17 shadowdancer 1 and assassin 2.