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Lenny is probably a poor example, as he would arguably have a low Wisdom as well, and certainly not have a Wisdom in the exceptional range. Low Int + High Wis to me implies a very solid grasp of 'common sense'. You don't understand why things work, but you do understand what works. Academic...

:confused: I play a rather rp-oriented campaign, but I've yet to see a single party of mine where not one of the PCs has Diplomacy at a respectable level. As for not nerfing it, I would say that it is quite the contrary. Due to fixed DCs, by the mid- to high- levels, Diplomacy unqualified...

That's the problem though. 150 roleplaying xp=saving the entire party from death through clever RP. 150 combat xp=killing one orc. I tend to give out 50rpxp/level/session. This is a lot, but then, I like fast advancement. I had had one idea of halving combat xp to more or less keep overall...

Fair enough then. Still powerful though. If the aforesaid wizard is fighting his equivalent opposite, he could leech 10 points of Int, which does stack with everything, which is still very powerful. Probably balanced at 8th/9th at the least.

Brains over Brawn Surprisingly, I don't have too much of a problem with Brains over Brawn. Whilst it is difficult to specifically balance against anything else, I'd say that it is probably roughly equivalent to Feeblemind. Peg it at 5th, and it shouldn't be horrifically unbalanced. Thought...

Diplomacy in Combat Technically, Diplomacy could work in combat, if and only if the combatants are willing to listen (and even then, probably at a circumstance penalty). Most combats, you simply charge (sneak attack/hurl fireball) upon seeing the enemies. There is rarely much time to trade...

Ball Lightning is a touch weak for 8th level. After all, Chain Lightning has very similar damage (20d6 vs. one target; 10d6 vs. secondary targets) and is much more flexible (you can fry your enemies but not your friends). Either lower the level or possibly up the damage (bear in mind that...

I don't see any inherent problem with a LN character using sleep poison. Assuming it is legal, then the only objection can be those of 'honour' and of 'morality'. The 'honour' objection is only a problem if the character subscribes to this notion of honour within his personal morality code...

In the case of large numbers vs. high level PCs, be sure to use the large numbers. Unlike computer games and Hollywood movies, the numerous orcish warriors are not going to wait around for the PCs to burst into their quarters and kill them one by one. They are going to go for an all-out mass...

Charisma is a peculiar ability score, and is almost certainly the odd one out. Why? Because every other stat increases in value by what the player does with it, but Charisma increases in value by what the DM (and other players) does with it. With some notable exceptions (sorcerors, turning...

You'd want to take a few levels of this if you are either a straight martial class (read fighter) and it also comes useful for rogues. Indeed, I would argue that this is *most* useful to combat rogues. For the combat rogue (as distinct from the general rogue), they are up to their eyeballs in...

I should have clarified. The theory I postulated is that ENWorlders have a greater propensity to roleplay than average casual gamers (i.e. relative terms) and not necessarily in absolute terms. The other problem is: what defines a 'balance'? If the intention is really to market products...

There is a major problem with using ENWorld as a survey sample for writing adventures, assuming that these are adventures are for mass publication. ENWorlders are not typical of the average gaming community. They tend to be more 'hardcore' than most of the average gamers, and, from what I...

I know it's not core rules, but T&B states categorically that Silent and Still Spells can be identified using Spellcraft: Tome and Blood, p.19: . It does allow a modifier to the Spellcraft DC (+4 for a Still and Silent Spell) but it is unequivocal. It also balances Still and Silent somewhat...

In my campaigns, they will allowed either the Elven Weapon Proficiencies or one extra feat (i.e. as per humans). The PCs, when choosing, have usually plumped for the latter; and NPCs will almost invariably go for the latter. Incidentally, I gave the bard six + Int skill points, but that's a...

That's only half the fun: variable DCs, with spin and the possibility of rerolls means that the DCs can be nigh impossible to meet (the fatespinner I mentioned had DCs of 50+ on a lucky roll), and then you can force the reroll... One fatespinner with Chained Disintegrate, Wail of the Banshee or...

The BBEG is my last campaign was a transmuter/fatespinner. She was seriously powerful. The way I portrayed her was very arrogant but very powerful. Between her magic and her fatespinning powers, she was conceived that she 'deserved' to rule the world, and that her preservation and power was...

If the setting is quasi-historical Byzantium, the centre of power stems from the Emperor principally (who would be regarded as virtually God), with two major routes for advancement: the military or the bureaucracy. The former, which I assume that the PCs belong to (in at least a semi-real...

Fair enough. To each his own, I guess. If I ever play in your campaign, remind me to be an orcish barbarian :D

Disintegrate is emphatically *not* just a 'save-or-die'. To think of it as 'just another save-or-die' misses its most important secondary function: it disintegrates things. Now, not only does that mean that you can get through the Walls of Force that those pesky drow keep erecting (and which a...