Player's build is to strong?

[DonTadow]

It is possible to powergame and still have a deep an enriching charactrer backgroud. I just don['t think this is one of those times. ONe time I created a backup character that was (if m memory serves me correctly) rogue 3/ fighter 5/ duelist 3/ gladiator 1/ weapon master 3 with a bunch of feats that dealt with the spiked chain and a high bluff for the improved feint. In the end the character was awesome able to clear out whole rooms, but he was shy and a mama's boy and would only go into these fighting fits when someone talked about his mama.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

My guess is this character would be a disaster to play.

Normally when you come up with an insane build you grok the character and you have a shtick you're going to whip out. This looks like a player that will have no clue what his PC will do, and under play it, and wind up hating it.

It's the very worst kind of min/maxing... the kind that sacrifices the RP for the power and fails to deliver the power.

Oh, yeah. If you don't really know what you're doing, you shouldn't use it.

I've used several characters my DM made (cohort, and my character in an Aberrant game), and I just couldn't make it work nearly as well as he did, because we have differing character build philosophies and play styles.

Suggest he plan out his 3rd level PC all the way to 5th level and wing it from there.

I dunno about you, but to me, Character Planning = Good.

I like to plan out my characters up to high levels, so I know where I'm going. I also use a spreadsheet, so I can make sure I don't lose skill points and have all my bonuses add up.

*However*, the key is to be flexible. Maybe the build you were going for doesn't make as much sense later on, or there's something new that comes out that he'll want to try that'll accomplish the same general idea, but more easily.

I'd sit down with him, have him explain the concept, and then try and work with him to see if you can come up with something that he'll understand and you'll be cool with.

Brad

 

[The Souljourner]

One thing he's probably trying to do is use Ur priest such that all the rest of his PrCs grant him +1 divine and arcane levels, and that does not work. Ur priest does not give spellcasting ability, his druid and bard levels do that, so all other PrCs must improve those levels, not Ur Priest levels.

Also, please make sure to look carefully at the prerequisites.... so many prestige classes must have quite diverse prerequisites, it's entirely possible that it's impossible for him to take all those classes.

Recommend that he just take levels of Mystic Theurge if he wants both arcane and divine spells. It's very well balanced (maybe even a little underpowered).

I actually think bard/druid is a pretty cool combination... suggest he create a custom PrC for the combination (with your guidance for balance, of course). Call it a Treesinger, give it some of the abilities of both classes and some custom ones... could be cool, I think.

But yeah, I'd never allow the original character in one of my games, and I'm pretty lenient with PrCs. Two PrCs is really about my limit.

-The Souljourner

 

[DonTadow]

IN hindsight, I could see where having a written detailed character leveling concept woudl be important, . I always tell my players to havea concept in mind, but on paper, at least you can start making the role playing steps towards that character well ahead of time.

( I dont think that guy had that kind of thinking in mind though)

 

[Mokona]

One of the prestige class requirements of Ur-Priest (a very powerful prestige class that I actually like) is the following:

The character must have no ability to cast divine spells.

This means no druids (unless they give up spells) and no access to Lyricist via Druid Spellcasting.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

I get nervous when I see more than one prestige class in a character. More than two PrCs is almost always a sign of unreasonably artificial character building schemes.

Class are the building blocks of characters. They are paths along life. Taking a new class both represents and requires dedication and inspiration to shift in a different direction.

Jumping around into 7 or 8 classes declares a lack of dedication. That character has no core. It is just a bunch of numbers thrown together.

 

[Crothian]

I get nervous when I see more than one prestige class in a character. More than two PrCs is almost always a sign of unreasonably artificial character building schemes.

Not always. It depends on the player and how they are. I've seen players that have taken many classes but in the logical course of the game and not preplanned like this. AS long as they are not abusing the system, ity should not matter how many classes they have.

 

[Saeviomagy]

This is a build from the character optimization boards on wizard's of the coast's website.

I agree. D.O. has Prescient Sense while F.L. needs the Evasion abilities on its prerequisites. May possess similar effects but definitely not the same. You can use the D.O.'s Prescient Sence even on heavy armor BTW unlike the Ranger/Rogue/Monk Evasion version.

OTOH, I believe that prescient sense specifically says in it's text "this form of evasion...". Additionally I understand that the concept of virtual abilities presented in one of the expansion books (ie - if you have something which is functionally identical to a certain ability, you are treated as though you have that ability) covers it.

I'm pretty sure if you find the build on the WOTC character optimisation boards, someone will have already hashed this whole thing out and justified it - they may even have a background for it.

One of the prestige class requirements of Ur-Priest (a very powerful prestige class that I actually like) is the following:

The character must have no ability to cast divine spells.

This means no druids (unless they give up spells) and no access to Lyricist via Druid Spellcasting.

The prereq is simply the ability to cast 1st level divine spells, which is gained via ur-priest. The druid level is only there to get druidic as a known language.

Also - ur priest has it's own spellcasting progression - namely it gets 9th level spells in 10 levels of a class.

DarkJester I'd suggest you ask your player how he came up with this (I expect the answer will be that he found it on the web). Also ask him if he's considered how it will play at low levels, and what unusual roleplaying events it will require. Also ask him if he realistically expects those things to happen.

Finally - consider if you want ur-priest in your game. Most people will agree that it's one of the few PrC's that has no reason to exist and is utterly broken, to the extent that if something is a divine spellcaster build, it almost always includes ur-priest. It's supposed to represent a priest who steals power from the gods. Personally I think the cleric class does that just fine...

 

[Hypersmurf]

Class are the building blocks of characters. They are paths along life. Taking a new class both represents and requires dedication and inspiration to shift in a different direction.

I don't agree with that at all.

You don't get your Fighter Class Membership Card, serial number 353-8821, when you 'take a level in fighter'. It's a metagame concept.

I can be an assassin, with no levels in Assassin. I can be a rogue, with no levels in Rogue.

I don't think there needs to be a 'justification' for taking your next level in ranger instead of sorcerer, or whatever.

-Hyp.

 

[Mistwell]

This is a build from the character optimization boards on wizard's of the coast's website.

Yup, it is. In fact, it is widely considered one of the top 10 most abusive builds anyone has come up with so far. You come out with something like +16 BAB and 9th level arcane/divine spells.

Usually you see it like this:

Druid 1/Bard 4/Divine Oracle 2/Spellsword 1/ Ur-Priest 2/ Sublime Chord 1/Foluchorian Lyricist 8/Bladesinger 1

Or:

Druid 1/Bard 4/Divine Oracle 2/Spellsword 1/ Ur-Priest 2/ Sublime Chord 2/Foluchorian Lyricist 8