Is the Dervish overpowered?

[Kai']

Dervish - Delusions

Please keep in mind about the Dervish... (Disclaimer: this is a view on cw text, not exact text verbatum.)

The get 1 to 5 dances per day depending on their level BUT in order to dance they must be able to make a full attack action and must 'continuously' dance ... thus meaning they must consume their full movement each round. If their dance or movement is interrupted or prematurely ended then their dance ends right there. At that moment they are fatigued and go to a -2 str plus other penalties for the remainder of each encounter that this occurs.

They only get to dance one time per encounter, so no restart of the dance in that same encounter either.

 

[TheEvil]

He also has like 19 points in tumble, so if he is tumbling, he gets +3 to AC (+1 for every 5 points in Tumble)

Is this a houserule in your game?

 

[TheEvil]

Another thing to bear in mind about the dervish is that if the terrain slows you down, your dance loses a lot of it's power. In one combat in snow, the dervish didn't dance because the half movement would have reduced the number of attacks, and the tumbling penalty mean taking ten wouldn't autosucced. Took a lot of the wind out of her sails.

Granted, this doesn't help as much verses the scout, but that involves trading HP, BAB and Feats for mobility. And the scout fast move doesn't stack with the dervish bonus. It is a nice combo, but there are definate trade-offs.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

Isn't there a feat in PHBII that lets you treat Unarmed Strikes as Slashing?

-Hyp.

I looked and didn’t see one but I have been known to be wrong a lot (mostly with spelling though ). Basically Shorten Grip is from dragon compendium, and takes care not being able to attack adjacent foes. At a -2 penalty… but that’s a -2 penalty that I would gladly take.

 

[Sammael]

Is this a houserule in your game?

IIRC, that rule (+1 AC per 5 ranks of Tumble) was for some reason included in Neverwinter Nights (the computer game), and many people mistakenly think that it's an actual D&D rule.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

lol. i did alot of that with temple of elemental evil. I forget what it was now, but that game messed me up a few times on the rules

 

[brendan candries]

Please keep in mind about the Dervish... (Disclaimer: this is a view on cw text, not exact text verbatum.)

If their dance or movement is interrupted or prematurely ended then their dance ends right there.

Actually that's not in the text. I must admit the text as a whole is badly written and open for different interpretations.

IOC we make a distinction between the state "dervish dance" and the actual combat dance.

The state "dervish dance" is treated much in the same way as rage. It has a limited timer (half ranks in dance skill), once per encouter, fatigued for remainder of encounter. Can't do stuff that needs concentration or that requires you to remain still. Light armor only, no shield.

While under the effect of the "dervish dance" you can do a combat dance. You can only attack with one or more slashing weapons that also gain a bonus. You combine a full attack with a move action. As such you can and must move 5 feet between each attack. We consider situations like being prone or grappling as conditions that don't allow the combat dance even for a single attack (so no slashing bonus).

So we don't rule the dervish dance to end when you get disarmed of your only slashing weapon, when you get knocked prone and not even when you are grappled. You can opt not to combat dance while in a dervish dance and attack with slashing weapons (without the bonus) or with non-slashing weapons (e.g. throw javelins), full attack without moving (unless 5-foot step). you can even draw and drink potions (we don't see the need to remain still here).

 

[Malum]

How does a Rogue gain prof. with a two handed sword? And how does he use it to sneak attack? Its not one of the Rogue's listed weapons nor does it fit the "Im gonna sneak behind him with my small stealthy weapon" Just seems odd to have such a large lumbering weapon used for a sneak attack, please explain?

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...

 

[Moon-Lancer]

well if you can take a feat to get prof, whats stopping you. If you can tell me wear it says with what weapons you can sneak attack, i will ... well i will quite suprized to say th eleast.

 

[Question]

The ability is tied to 1/ 2 ranks in tumble, fighter types wont have many ranks in tumble, unless they are human and take that feat that makes one skill a class skill.