Character Creation for WLD

[Kafkonia]

Other than that, I can't think of anything that could break your game. Warlocks, Soulknives, and Monks will be exceptionally powerful since the WLD doesn't hand out items, and Darkvision becomes HUGE once torches and oil run out.

The warlock in my group's party was extremely useful when she was introduced partway through Region A, but that was partly because of a braincramp on the DM's part (that'd be me.)

You see, because of the prevalence of swarms in the region, they developed a strategy of "Open door, summon swarm, close door." The swarms would fight it out, and then they'd wait out the duration of the spell -- and that's where my braincramp came in, as I forgot the summoned creatures would stick around. A pretty big thing to forget, given that it's only the foundation of the dungeon!

So whatever method you take, be sure to familiarize yourself with how they'll interact with the dungeon beforehand.

 

[Hussar]

I'm still on the fence for Psionics. I have zero experience with it, so, well, I can't really say one way or another.

Monks? Exceptionally powerful? Surely you jest. While monks do ok, they just can't do enough damage to the really big stuff out there. Sure, they can get through some of the DR, but, I've watched the monk in my game compared to the Orc barbarian, and, well, there's just no comparison.

Really, the big thing to worry about is feats and abilities that nerf the specific limitations of the WLD. Vow of Poverty is a perfect example. Since the entire party is effectively under the same limitation, there is no real restriction in the VoP. Actually, to be honest, 99% of the stuff from BOED and BOVD got nerfed in my game simply because the restrictions for that stuff is based so heavily on role playing restrictions which don't exist. Same goes for Oriental Adventures material. OA is balanced for an OA game. That does not mean that it's balanced compared to core DnD.

I would be very careful with campaign specific material. Campaign specific tends to be balanced for that specific campaign setting with rp considerations that don't exist in the WLD. Generic works most of the time.

 

[Faradon]

So a carpenter, a blacksmith, and a baker walk into a dungeon...

Seriously though, thanks guys... usually I stay away from most of the BOED stuff unless there is a really good reason for it. (an "exalted" campaign or something.)

Psionics I'm still mulling over. I already have one player asking to be a kobold psion... (and for the most part I detest "monster race" PCs... but I guess a kobold is ok) and if it were played just like a wizard or sorcerer it wouldn't be too much of a problem... (overcoming the wizard limitation on spell books in the "wizards get hosed" part of the introduction) but with all I've read of the dungeon I don't recall ever seeing any psionic items and such.

So I'm sure it really wasn't designed with psionics in mind... and being only moderately familiar running games with psionc characters (never had a full psion in a game I've run) I'm a bit hesitant.

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So one other question to pose out there... how are the experiences with craft skills?

The thought of the party priest taking a few weeks off to pen some scrolls, brew some potions or whatnot seems like it could be a problem... What's the rest of the party doing during all that time? Due to the way XP is done in this dungeon do you still charge XP to create items if you allow the item creations at all? How are you handling XP?

My first thoughts on XP were to just "level up" the whole party at once when significant accomplishments had been overcome, or milestones in each area reached. With that being the case, if you allow magic item creation in the dungeons (assuming the materials are available) how have you handled it?

Should I just tell players "no item creation feats"?

Due to the way summonings and such work, what about conjuring the materials needed to make magic items?

Do walls of iron stick around forever? can they be used as raw materials to make weapons and armor out of (that would disappear when you leave the dungeon... so would be good 99% of the campaign)

What about Black Tentacles? do they stay forever because they are conjuration? Turning on the caster at the end of the standard duration?

Back to my original thoughts though... magic item crafting skills... are you allowing them in your WLD games? How are you dealing with them?

Thanks again in advance everyone.

 

[Kafkonia]

The thought of the party priest taking a few weeks off to pen some scrolls, brew some potions or whatnot seems like it could be a problem...

Well, at one random encounter per hour, with 24 hours in a day, and 7 days in a week, that's 168 random encounters per week that he'd have to deal with while crafting that scroll. That might put a cramp in his plans.

 

[Hussar]

Well, it's not like he'll be taking weeks off to pen scrolls and the like. Days more likely. And, there are a number of "safe" rooms that, once entered, you don't have to worry about random encounters. Besides, scrolls and potions aren't going to break the game anyway. Let 'em do it. Food might be an issue if you worry about that.

Jim Pinto has emphatically stated that there are no psionics in the WLD. None. No monsters, no items. So, yes, the psion has some advantage over the wizard, but, unless you toss in stuff to help, he's pretty much on his own as far as any boosting items.

Note, the rules for summoning don't apply to creation spells. Wall of stone works as written since it's creation, not summoning. You aren't bringing in a critter, you are just bringing energy. There's no reason it couldn't be summoned from another part of the Dungeon, or the floor or ceiling or whatever. Same with Black Tentacles. Try not to think too hard about it.

IMC, I allow summoning to work as written. I figure it this way. Summoning brings in extra-planar beings of some sort. At some point in time, some of those extraplanar beings must have died in the WLD. Since their spirits cannot escape, they are trapped bodiless in the Dungeon. The summoning spells give them form again for a short duration and then they go back to being dead.

Just makes life so much simpler that way.