Rogue Grenades: A Level 24 Feedback

[Disciprine Come From Within]

My Rogue character that I used to test a few mechanics just hit 24 a few days ago and so I've had to the time to test the last of the grenades and get my feelings about their use in line. To start this off, I like the concept of the change. It lets rogues carry all sorts of fun items to toss in to set up the field. But some of these grenades just don't end up being worth the round to use. To make it easy to read, I'll tack the grenades I think have a use and the grenades that are not worth the time to collect and use. This will include the default NWN grenades as well since they take advantage of this system too.

Grenades worth using:

Dust of Silence: It's a buff grenade that gives +10 Move Silently to a group for turns/rogue level. It's awesome.

Choking Powder: My god, these things are amazing. Best of the best for default NWN grenades for set up. The duration is a bit too short but it's easy to use with close range bow or clarity potion and rush in and mop up.

Tanglefoot Bag: Not as useful as choking powder but it's great for single target foes that you need to take down with sneak attacks fast. Makes me wish there was a mass version to use.

Fire Bomb/Acid Bomb: If you can get your hands on these, the damage is great for what you want to accomplish.

Alchemist Fire/Acid Flask: The damage isn't amazing but when you need elemental damage in a pinch, it's worth using. Wish the application effect got stronger with rogue levels in the case of alchemist fire.

Exploding Holy Flask: The grenade that makes undead a joke. 1-2 grenades in an area can render most undead groups into easy pickings.

Disjunction Shard: The Construct version with an added spell breach effect. Won't be used as often but are just as good. If the grenade also worked on summons, it might have more use but it's still worth having some just for golems.

Paralytic Caltrops: Not as good as Choking Powder, which is ironic because it takes level 24 to get, there are some advantages to using it to control an area for combat. Barely makes it on the list worth using.


Grenades that are not worth your time:

Caltrops: Damage soak is too small, damage is too small, and thus it is usually a waste of time. It either needs to do something else on top of it or boost the damage and damage threshold.

Thunderstone: The fact it only applies deaf which only works on arcane casters makes this grenade difficult to use

Holy Water: Even before you get the Exploding Holy Flasks, these just aren't worth using. Not sure how to fix them

Smoke Screen: I tried so hard to make these worth my time. The duration is too short for hide/ms to be worth anything which just leaves it with a conceal boost. A very short conceal boost. Should just drop darkness at rogue level/round instead IMO

Mirror Dust: I've seen this complaint elsewhere. Since it effects the rogue and allies as well as enemies, what is the point? The duration is also pathetically short. IMO the easy fix would be to make some sort of Mirror Image/Shades effect to allow easy distractions for sneak attacks.

Beholder Dust: Same problem as Smoke Screen and Mirror Dust, this one does have a really neat ability, but the duration is too short and not reliable enough to throw down even on NPC mages. Even combined with a Thunderstone.

Flashbang: The -2 to saves is a nice trick but the stun is worthless. The duration of the save reduction is way too short and the fact it can effect the rogue and allies as well makes it not worth using.

It's a bit sad that half of the new rogue grenades just don't cut it for action economy and I have a few ideas on how to make the lesser ones worth the time and a few ideas to make the ones that barely make the cut hold a little more viability in the long run. I'm not sure how much of it I should share, but I thought it was worth putting out what grenades work and what grenades don't.