Is the Dervish overpowered?

[zoroaster100]

The Dervish is a prestige class from Complete Warrior that, among other things, allows use of a class ability called Dervish Dance (at first 1/day, but up to 5/day at 9th level). While using this ability, the Dervish can take a full attack action with melee attacks and still move up to his speed, as long as he moves at least 5 feet between each attack. The Dervish also gets a +1 to attack and damage with melee weapons while using Dervish Dance, and this goes up all the way to a +5 at 9th level Dervish. At 10th level, the Dervish can once per day use the ability A Thousand Cuts to make doulble the normal number of attacks while performing a full attack. Other class abilities include an AC bonus of +1 to +3, strong Ref and Will saves, fast movement and the ability to take 10 on Tumble checks in combat (so the Dervish can, with a few ranks, ensure he can always tumble to avoid attacks of opportunity while moving between attacks doing the Dervish Dance), a +2 on initiative bonus, and bonus Spring Attack and Cleave (though Cleave only during Dervish Dance), etc. Some drawbacks of the class are that he can only use light or no armor and no shield to get the AC bonus or to do the Dervish Dance, and that, until 9th level Dervish, the Dervish Dance leaves the Dervish fatigued (as with Barbarian Rage) and the Dance only lasts for 1 round for every two ranks of Perform (dance) and can only be used once per encounter.

So is the Dervish overpowered (more powered than a single class Fighter or Barbarian, for instance).

 

[Sammael]

A Scout/Dervish can be downright scary, but his damage output isn't as great as that of a dedicated 2H Power Attack-er. I'd say he's balanced. The main drawback is that he has to use the scimitar, and that it always counts as a light weapon in his hands.

 

[Mav]

Evey class can be deemed overpowered if used properly with the proper set of equipment. We have a rogue in our group that at level 16 has the potential in 1 round (of course if he gets up behind the creature) to do something like 300-400 damage with a full attack. He's using a 2h greatsword so he gets the str bonus x 1.5, his sword is viscious, flaming, ice... so basically 1 of his 3 attacks hits you for:

2d6 weapon damage
2d6 Viscious damage
1d6 Fire damage
1d6 Cold damage
8d6 sneak attack damage
Power attack + Str Bonus x 1.5 for 2hander
total: approx. 95 damage cap per attack

and all of that is without a crit, and with a single strike.. that's more damage than my level 16 sorc can put out with most of her spells. And he gets 2 more attacks to match the one above... watch out when he gets haste =P

My sorcerer however, can hit numberous targets for a decent amount simultaneously. So each class has it's benefit. We also have a dervish in our campaign, and he owned until the rogue showed up and showed him how to do some real damage...

 

[PallidPatience]

I don't really know whether or not he can Tumble, as per RAW, during a 5' step (would that count as "part of normal movement"?), but yeah. Dervishes are pretty powerful. They fill the niche they're designed for.

Edit: What's really scary would be a Rog/Dervish with a Ranger friend who'd given up his animal companion for Distracting Attacker from the PHII. That's a bunch of sneak attacks against everyone on the field who'd been hit by the ranger.

 

[RigaMortus2]

I don't really know whether or not he can Tumble, as per RAW, during a 5' step (would that count as "part of normal movement"?), but yeah. Dervishes are pretty powerful. They fill the niche they're designed for.

I don't think you can either. Nor would you ever need to, since 5-foot steps do not provoke AoOs.

 

[PallidPatience]

I don't think you can either. Nor would you ever need to, since 5-foot steps do not provoke AoOs.

That's right.

Besides that, though, who wants to roll a d20 for every 5' step a dervish could make in a round, in addition to rolling all the attacks?

 

[Mav]

once you get to that point, you wouldn't need to roll anyways.. your tumble check would be so high, you could just take 10's on it and never fail your tumble check..

 

[Vorput]

once you get to that point, you wouldn't need to roll anyways.. your tumble check would be so high, you could just take 10's on it and never fail your tumble check..

Combat counts as a threatening situation though, unless there's a class ability attached to the dervish- you can't take 10s on tumble to avoid AoOs.

Vorp

 

[Moon-Lancer]

read the dervish then. They do get to take 10 and they can tumble every square. They also do not nead to use a scimitar, they can use any slashing weapon. Im soon to play one in a upcomeing campain. im really exited.

a dervish with a glaive and Shorten Grip with karmatic strike is a thing to be feared. it can crank out get 5 attacks a round at level 7. Plus it has reach. add a few levels in monk for evasion... ooo.

 

[Geoff Watson]

A Scout/Dervish can be downright scary, but his damage output isn't as great as that of a dedicated 2H Power Attack-er. I'd say he's balanced. The main drawback is that he has to use the scimitar, and that it always counts as a light weapon in his hands.

Nothing stops the Dervish from using a Greatsword and Power Attack, he gets bonuses with slashing weapons, not just scimitars.

Geoff.