Can you tell me if this character is too powerful?

[Majoru Oakheart]

I have a new player joining my group who seems to powergame a little more than the rest of my players. He sent me a pyrokineticist as his character. My game is tonight. I've looked through it myself and it appears to be mostly legal, but I'm certain there must be something I'm missing.

My main points of concern are: Can Weapon Afire be used with the Fire Lash? Can you summon 2 whips at once? Also, doesn't his full attack with his whip add up to +15/+15/+10/+10? It seems 4 touch attacks per round dealing that much fire damage MIGHT be a little bit powerful, but I'll likely see how it works in actual play. Mostly looking for any rules problems or concerns I'm not seeing.

HP: 48+8+7d8+4d10 Current HP:
BAB +10/+5 AC 25
Full Up Sequence - 17/17/12/12 Full Up Dmg - 2d6+1d8+2

Saves

Base Stat Bonuses Other Bonuses Total
Fort +3+3+2+5 +4 +4 Vest +21
Reflex +3+1+0+5 +6 +1 Grace +4 Vest +20
Will +0+1+0+2 +0 +4 Vest +2 Iron Will +9
+1 to saves vs. Powers, Spell, Spell like effects

Attributes

Base Roll Bonuses Totals Temporary Value
Str 15 -2 racial 13
Int 14 14
Wis 10 10
Dex 14 +2 racial, +1L8,+6 Gloves 23
Con 14 +1L4,+1 L12,+2 Amulet 18
Char 12 11
Race: Xeph
Class: Ranger 2 / Swashbuckler 3/ Weapon Master 1/ Pyrokineticist 6 (R1,S1,S2,S3,R2,P1,P2,W1,P3,P4,P5,P6)
Experience Points:

Feats

Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Whip) (1)
Track (Ranger 1)
Weapon Finesse (Swashbuckler 1)
Weapon Focus (Whip, 3)
Oversized Two Weapon Fighting (6)
Improved Two Weapon Fighting (9)
Iron Will (12)

Abilities

Natural Psionic (1 Power Point)
Burst (+30 ft)
Wild Empathy
Favored Enemy (+2, Aberations)
Grace (+1)
Insightful Strike (+2)
Combat Style (Two Weapon Fighting)
Close Quarters Ranged Combat (Whip)
Fire Lash (1d8,ranged touch, 15' reach)
Fire Adaptation (Fire Resistance 10)
Hand Afire(2d6)
Bolt of Fire (6d6)
Weapon Afire (+2d6)
Nimbus
Firewalk

Skills

Concentration 12 +4 16
Craft (Alchemy) 11 +2 13
Knowledge (Psionics) 2 +2 4
Spot 5 +0 5
Listen 5 +0 5
Ride 4 +6 10
Hide 4 +6 10
Move Silently 4 +6 10
Search 4 +2 6
Sense Motive 5 +0 5
Diplomacy 6 +1 +4 synergy 11
Bluff 5 +1 6
Intimidate 14 +1 +2 synergy 17
Craft (Weaponsmithing) 3 +2 5

Languages: Common, Elven, Draconic

Equipment

Magical Stuff gp value
Hewards Handy Haversack 2500
Vest of Resistance +4 16000
Gloves of Dexterity +6 36000
Cognizance Crystal (3 points) 4000
Wand of Cure Light Wounds(50) 750
Mithril Chain Shirt +1 2250
Dastana+3 9175
Smoking Armor Spikes +1 8350
Amulet of Health +2 4000

Mundane Stuff

100' Silk rope Masterwork, Mighty Whip-Dagger +1 Str x2
2 Weeks trail rations Mastework Whip
Masterwork Rapier X2
Masterwork Composite Longbow (+1 Str)
Masterwork Dagger
20 Masterwork Arrows
Quiver
Scroll case
Bedroll
Chalk
3 Belt pouches
Masterwork Light Steel Shield
Parchement
Ink
Quill pens (3)
Crowbar
Grappling hook
Waterskin (filled with water)2X
Bullseye lantern (everburning)
Small steel mirror
Fishhooks
String
3 Outfits of explorers clothes
207 gp
Flint and Steel

edit: for readability

 

[Shin Okada]

I am not truly sure if he can create 2 or more fire whips at once. Also not sure if fire whip is considered to be a weapon for the purpose of weapon a fire. But considering the fact that he is a 12th level character, 4 ranged attacks per turn, each inflicts 13.5 fire damages in average, do not seem too powerful for me.

12 th-level fighter type character with descent build and reasonable amount of magic items will do far more damages per turn against most opponents. And that you are talking is a pyrokineticist, which has one very clear weak point. He is useless against something immune to fire. Even most outsiders have some amount of Fire Resistance. Even Fire Resistance 5 will reduce his damage output by 1/3.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

I am not truly sure if he can create 2 or more fire whips at once. Also not sure if fire whip is considered to be a weapon for the purpose of weapon a fire. But considering the fact that he is a 12th level character, 4 ranged attacks per turn, each inflicts 13.5 fire damages in average, do not seem too powerful for me.

You make some good points, the only reason I was worried is because all 4 attacks are TOUCH attacks, so they can hit almost anything. Plus, I noticed his damage is 1 point too low, he forgot to add his strength modifer.

Still, you make a good point. I don't think it's too bad.

 

[Aaron L]

Fire Lash doesnt get STR bonuses to damage, I would think, since it is fire damage and not weapon damage (throwing the fire harder doesnt make it burn any hotter!). Just like a Flame Blade. And since the only thing it says abuot Fire Lash creation is that you have to keep it in hand or it dissapates, and doesnt say anything about being limited to only having one, I think that having two in hand at the same time is fine.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

Fire Lash doesnt get STR bonuses to damage, I would think, since it is fire damage and not weapon damage (throwing the fire harder doesnt make it burn any hotter!). Just like a Flame Blade.

Well, I gathered it actually created a whip, just made of fire so it added all the same bonuses that a whip would(strength, and in this case intelligence). The book mentions that any feats that affect whips affect it. So, I assume it will be treated exactly as a whip except it is a ranged touch attack and all of its damage is fire.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Just make darn sure you make it clear to him that you reserve the right to revise his character if it doesn't work out as you'd planned. I've known players who tried to "slip" things past me, either by omitting or underplaying information, knowing full well that they were stretching the rules to their limits. They weren't too pleased when I revised/nerfed their characters, but heh, that's what you get when you're not open and upfront about things.

 

[Shin Okada]

Wait a minute. He can't choose "Close Quarters Ranged Combat (Whip) " as an Exotic Weapon Master. Whip is not a ranged weapon anymore in 3.5e. That is a special melee weapon which provokes AoO when attack. It is not an exotic ranged weapon.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

Wait a minute. He can't choose "Close Quarters Ranged Combat (Whip) " as an Exotic Weapon Master. Whip is not a ranged weapon anymore in 3.5e. That is a special melee weapon which provokes AoO when attack. It is not an exotic ranged weapon.

Aha, that was the one ability I wasn't sure what it was, didn't have the Complete Warrior handy. Thanks for the info. I'll have to ask him if he still wants the character given that.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

The thing I would be most concerned about is introducing dastana into my game and allowing them to be enhanced with magic independently of the character's armor. Effectively, that's a boost of +1 to +6 to AC for PC ACs across the board--and at a very low cost. (One might also expect to see armor enhancements applied to dastana if that works so your +5 deathward, etherealness dastana would be stacked on top of +5 heavy fortification mithral chain shirt allowing more non-AC armor enhancements than would otherwise be possible with non-epic items).

 

[Anax]

The instant I looked at that, I said "whoa, whoa, whoa!" Two prestige classes (one of which is for just one level), and a non-core base class, all at once?

This character may not be overpowered, it's kind of hard to tell... But... well, it's kind of hard to tell. They're playing to a real specialty, which could mean it's an on-off kind of thing. What happens if they run into a creature with high fire resistance? What happens if they don't?

Lots and lots of touch attacks is very dangerous--but at least they're not touch sneak attacks. (Yet.)

Does Spell Resistance apply to any of these abilities?

The Pyrokineticist PrC says that you can take any feat for the fire lash that you could ordinarily take with a whip. It's unclear whether this means that WF (Whip) ought to apply to the fire lash.

Lots of weird questions that need to be worked out.


Personally, I would certainly reject the single level of Exotic Weapon Master, (just because we don't approve of single levels of prestige classes in our group.) Overall, I suspect it would be okay (but as I've said, it's hard to be sure.) I do empathize with the pain of someone who wants to use whips, as they're not terribly useful in the core rules.

Oh--and the dastana has got to go.

Aside from the one-level PrC and the dastana, I'd probably let it go and talk to the player if there were any serious problems later. I would also anticipate several sessions of having to come up with rulings about weird combinations of abilities involving this character.