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Messages - Endarire

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1521
Sure, given the resources, a properly built tier 1 character can do anything.

The DMs I've played under haven't come close to letting me use my tricks.  Every time I've been a Wizard PC capable of casting animate dead, I've either been told, "It's too evil," or "<Plot Device> prevents you from animating that."

One DM I've Wizarded under effectively banned remote info gathering Divinations without telling me.  One, thankfully, let me use contact other plane to determine how much time the party had before the Big Bad took over.  (I found it a bit odd that this GM allowed me to use the spell, but didn't realize it was in core.  Oh well.)

I've never used wish or the like as a PC, but one of my GMs was telling us out of character how he planned to screw our wishes if we ever got there.  We didn't.

Just about the most awesome I got to feel as a tier 1 PCwhen I wasn't GMing was advising the party's Wizard (who wasn't me - I was a Cleric) to cast black tentacles in the tight corridor, getting about 10 foes.  Then the GM pulls a "No!" moment and decides some of the grappling victims suddenly have contingent antimagic fields.  As mooks.  At level 7.

For every dream of being uber with tier 1 characters, vindictive or restrictive GMs have been my greatest bane, not letting me get very creative with my game-granted abilities.

One of my most memorable moments was playing Red Hand of Doom.  I was a Conjurer/Incantatrix/Hathran.  My Hood cohort was one-shotting or one-rounding everything she hit, until she found a red dragon.  Then she two rounded the dragon.  Alone.  And her multiclassed built put her at a solid tier 3!

What are your experiences?  As GM, where do you draw the line?

1522
General D&D Discussion / Re: Are poor classes the cause of a glut of PrCs?
« on: December 11, 2011, 01:39:54 AM »
Master Specialist (Complete Mage) says in the Expanded Spellbook entry that these spells are in addition to the spells a Wizard learns for PrC levels.

1523
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Dragon shaman tank
« on: December 10, 2011, 10:09:59 PM »
From what I understand, Mukitada means the "Dragonborn of Bahamut" template.  Races of the Dragon 8.

1524
Min/Max 3.x / Re: A tank... but without heavy armour
« on: December 10, 2011, 03:10:58 AM »
Tanking in 3.5 is a dubious proposition.  At low levels, even a character specced to take a hit is likely to die or drop in 2 hits.   (My poor, poor, Warforged Crusader1 encountered this!)

If all you have is core and you want to 'tank,' consider a Horizon Tripper.

I prefer my very acrobatic and athletic, kill-it-all-in-one-round-or-less-or-I'm-paying-for-pizza Hood.

1525
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Dragon shaman tank
« on: December 10, 2011, 03:03:46 AM »
I continue to promote Hood, because if you deal so much damage in 1 hit/round that no enemy remains, you've done one job as a tank:  Not letting your allies get hurt.

1526
(And I don't mean, "Doesn't want to or can't use spells/powers/etc.")

Magic does everything.  So does psionics.  Stances, maneuvers, and extraordinary abilities have their place, and people repeatedly want to make characters that rely on, say, killing people well in direct combat, or that sneak well, or steal well, or are more relatable to real life characters.

Mechanically, however, what do people especially want from these classes, roles, and archetypes?

Standard Disclaimer: Wanting or liking non-casters/non-manifesters is OK and doesn't make you a bad person.

1527
General D&D Discussion / Re: How Were Max Spell Levels Arrived At?
« on: December 10, 2011, 02:54:45 AM »
Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal had level 10s.

Epic spells are technically level 10.

As for why?  "9" is the largest number that's a single character.  That may be why.  (Just like the 8-bit fascination of having 8 worlds, 8 bosses, etc. with a possible secret ninth world.)

1528
General D&D Discussion / Re: Are poor classes the cause of a glut of PrCs?
« on: December 10, 2011, 02:32:50 AM »
THe problem with casting++ classes is that if they don't progress casting, their class features are either not worth it (and you should avoid the class) or so uber as to be better than casting.

The closest I've come to encountering casting classes that lost caster levels and were worth it were gish PrCs.  Even then, losing but a single caster level for the first half of Jade Phoenix Mage made me regret it.

1529
General D&D Discussion / What do y'all mean by "nice things?"
« on: December 10, 2011, 01:12:36 AM »
Tier 1 classes get "nice things."  Non-casters typically don't.

What do y'all mean?

1530
D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder / Still not getting these stat/skill assignments.
« on: December 08, 2011, 06:53:22 PM »
Search (INT): I don't know why this skill exists.  Spot and Listen seem to cover perception, and WIS is the skill for perception.

Use Magic/Psionic Device (CHA): If INT is the skill for reason, why is CHA the key stat for these skills?  Do I "charm" my wand to fire on my command?  It seems more logical that I reason my way into firing my wand.

Use Ropse (DEX): Aside from perhaps rope lovers and people playing mundane-only campaigns, I don't see why this skill exists.  Rope is common, but I can't seriously see people investing points into it.  (I'm aware of the Order of the Stick comics involving Use Rope.)

1531
General D&D Discussion / Re: Are poor classes the cause of a glut of PrCs?
« on: December 07, 2011, 12:02:12 AM »
I don't see the appeal of 'blank' base classes.  Sure, every Cleric gets Turn/Rebuke Undead, spells, and some proficiencies (which vary if you're Cloistered).  Was PHB Cleric A meant to be that different from PHB Cleric B?  If so, how?

1532
Gaming Advice / Re: Human Wizard Native Outsider before 8th level?
« on: December 06, 2011, 11:58:27 PM »
What about being a Native Outsider via the Otherworldly Feat in Player's Guide to Faerun?

1533
General D&D Discussion / Are poor classes the cause of a glut of PrCs?
« on: December 06, 2011, 05:34:26 PM »
Sure, Prestige Classes introduced in 3.0 were called "optional."  They seemed to be a way to specialize your character by replacing levels of Basic Class X with levels of Seemingly Spiffier Prestige Class Y.

And had these PrCs mostly been Tier +0 and few in number, I would be more likely to agree.

I understand WotC is a business out to make a profit.  They also didn't understand the scope of their own game.  And, PrCs provide obvious specialization without remaking the base classes.

Still, profit motives aside, the glut of PrCs seem to stem from base classes with pretty boring mechanics and levels where the "class features" entry is empty.  In all of 3.5, consider how many PrCs there are intended for Druids.  Consider how many of them are worth using.  Now, consider how many PrCs were meant for Wizards and how many of them we keep hearing about.

I posit then that the designers started waking up to their design flaws.  Being an Illusionist was meant to mean you were a Wizard specialized in Illusion.  In core, there were no great distinctions between being an Illusionist and being a Transmuter.  (Extra spell slots and the forced acquisition of your free Wizard spells by level were the only notable differences.)  However, a Transmuter/War Weaver feels a lot different than an Illusionist/Shadowcraft Mage.  It isn't just "I focus on casting different spells!"  It's "I have synergizing class features that greatly distinguish you from me!"

Tome of Battle base classes were a great step forward in this direction.  Gish classes aside, if given the choice, I'm more likely to take a martial adept base class than a ToB PrC.  Why?  The maneuvers and stances can greatly distinguish Warblade A from Warblade B, and both Warblades have some spiffy class features.  (Not enough for me, but at least a good start.)

So, whatchya think on this situation?

1534
I do plan to include instructions for character creation, but it won't be by the standard methods.  I also don't use experience points.  Forsee legal knots?

1535
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Optimized Babysitter
« on: December 05, 2011, 09:27:59 PM »
Y'all are level 13ish.

This isn't the same game you were playing at level 6 and below.

What opposition do you expect the GM will use?  It should be your right to say, "black tentacles/Quickened stinking cloud, I choose you!"

Why are you sticking around, again?

1536
Why 'Meta?'
As spoken by the first Meta the group is expected to encounter in the sample scenario.

“Our bodies are machines, yet we have minds like our maker.  [Our creator] said we are more than either, making us ‘Meta.’"

Legalities
That's what an IP (intellectual property) lawyer is for.  I still wish to avoid legal trouble.

Here are some sample replacements.

SWORDSAGE >> Monk OR Ninja

I hoped to keep all the martial disciplines since the names seem OK.  All reference something that has come before.

Desert Wind >> Wind-Swept Inferno
Devoted Spirit >> Replenishing Ward
Diamond Mind >> Precious Clarity.  Hoping to keep "Diamond Mind" considering Google.
Iron Heart >> War Heart
Setting Sun >> Counterweight
Shadow Hand >> Shadow Stalker
Stone Dragon >> Mountain Hammer
Tiger Claw >> Natural Ferocity
White Raven >> Unified Flock

1537
Gaming Advice / Re: Attacks of opportunity and spells with long cast times
« on: December 05, 2011, 08:49:49 PM »
Let's assume I have no special feats.  I'm just a guy with a guisarme (who can seemingly one- or two-hand this weapon as a free action).  Since the spell is a full-round action, and doesn't take the entire round, I interpret this as "AoO are OK!"

1538
Gaming Advice / Re: Attacks of opportunity and spells with long cast times
« on: December 05, 2011, 05:18:37 AM »
Yet a 1 round action casting time is a full-round action and the spell effect comes into effect at the start of my next turn.

1540
Gaming Advice / Attacks of opportunity and spells with long cast times
« on: December 04, 2011, 11:06:06 PM »
Let's assume I'm a Crusader1/WizardX casting summon monster, a spell with a 1 round cast time.  I'm also wielding a polearm.  (Natch.)

Someone provokes an AoO immediately after my turn.  If I take the AoO, do I disrupt my casting?

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