5th lvl Crusader - my post game thoughts

IMO:
* 5th level is clearly the very best level for crusaders vs. standard warrior types. Hugely perhaps.
* Crusaders are very very powerful. Too powerful.

That said, lots of folks can outshine you in the right kind of a fight. The cleric should be pretty effective starting 7th level, especially without needing to waste as much on healing. A rogue/Wiz can suck badly IME. There are some PrCs which make it feel a lot better (dagger spell mage would be the biggy) but everything is going to outshine that PC for a while.
 

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IMHO, the Rogue/Mage should be directed to the PHB-II's Beguiler class. It's got skills, Int-based casting, and it does not suck.

Cheers, -- N
 

Oh, yeah. He shouldn't be able to have Roots of the Mountain yet. So there's a little snafu.....still, Martial Spirit is a good stance for low levels.

The rogue/wizard should at least be hurling a few Scorching Rays each day with Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot and from hiding so as to add Sneak Attack to it, and following up by hiding and Sneak Attacking with Acid Splashes or some of the Lesser Energy Orb spells (granted, in 3.5 they were overpowered, whereas in 3.0 they were more reasonable). But instead I'd bet he's casting Mirror Images, Invisibilities, Magic Missiles, Mage Armors, Cat's Graces, or somesuch.

The cleric could be using Divine Favor, Shield of Faith, Bull's Strength, and whatnot to be fairly decent in melee, and certainly if both you and him were to engage a foe in melee, they're be more worried about you two than the rogue/wizard, who could then flank for Sneak Attacks with a rapier or short sword or something, or perhaps with Shocking Grasps. And the rest of the time the cleric could be using his Hold Persons and Cause Fears and Blesses and whatnot to good effect.


You're definitely at a level, though, where your Crusader is basically at his best, and the other two PCs are practically at their worst, or nearly so. The cleric will start to match you or nearly match you in melee power once he reaches 7th level and thereby gains Divine Power (and is also, at that point, high enough level as a caster to get better bonuses from his Shield of Faith, Divine Favor, Greater Magic Weapon, and Magic Vestment spells). Once he gains Righteous Might at 9th or so he'll be on-par with you or perhaps a little better. Though only for a few battles a day.

The Crusader's healing maneuvers are less powerful past 7th or 8th level, and are relatively weak past 10th or 11th level. At those points the Crusader is still healing only 3d6+10 or 1d6+5 HP once every 3-4 rounds (and maybe 2 or 4 HP per round with Martial Spirit). After a while they get Rallying Strike, which will have them healing more like 3d6+10 or so to every ally nearby, but still only once per 3-4 rounds.

At the same levels, a cleric is healing everyone nearby to similar effect with Mass Cure X Wounds, and the occasional big healing surge of a Heal spell for one ally. But they can do significant healing every round for at least one battle, and at any time it's needed, not just at a random point every 3-4 rounds. The gap grows a bit further in the cleric's favor after 11th or so, until 17th.

Eventually the Crusader will gain Strike of Righteous Vitality and then once again be close to the cleric in healing ability, but still lacking the non-HP-healing stuff that is so important, and will still only be able to do his good healing once per 3-4 rounds (whereas at that point, the cleric can unleash a Heal or Mass Heal or Mass Cure Critical Wounds or-what-have-you every single round if he feels like it).
 

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