Comments and questions on 3.5 from a Newbie

[DethStryke]

Based on personal experience, I have to agree about druids. Currently one of the campaigns I'm involved in features a gnome druid who is an awesome <KABOOM> spellcaster as you so appropriately put it. He uses call lightning to very good effect. I'm running a druid/ranger myself; equipped with a longspear she is so impressive in combat that I hardly use her spells.

My wife ran a 3.0 druid with a longspear. Having that reach and combat reflexes can be leveraged to great effect for the dexterity enhanced. 3.5 is suited for this even more, so you must be laying waste to the enemy with that character!

I myself was playing a Fighter/Rogue with a Bastard sword and combat reflexes. We once went back to back and decimated waves of cultists when they rushed us. They were mostly commoners, but even with 8hp, numbers can overwhelm. We weren't so high level that they couldn't have hit us without a 20.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

REQUEST:

I have a request: show me your munchkin 3rd edition characters.

When 3rd edition first came out, I saw a lot of these here on ENWorld, in a lot of threads. But I could not understand what I was reading. I did not understand the terminology.
Now I can. Now it makes sense.

I wish to understand what you did, how you built characters with +50 AC or +50 attacks or +50 skills or 1,000 points per damage per round.

In cases where you have produced very extreme results, could you show the Feat/skill/class/PrC/magical item/incarnum item/psionics/psionic item/other progression you followed to achieve the result?

I'm not looking for characters above 30th level here, because most of the munchkinized characters (as you'all would say) presented back in 2000 and 2001 were below 30th level.
And obviously, considering what I'm seeing on the SRD (I am actually reading it now) it would not be difficult to achieve extreme results with character levels above 30.
You were doing it with character levels 15, 10, 5, 3, and even 1st.

Use any WOTC 3rd edition or 3.5 edition supplement, or d20 supplement you please. Just tell me if you are using a d20 supplement outside of the WOTC 3.5 supplements, and what they are?

Anyone?

 

[sniffles]

I don't think of my characters as particularly munchkin-y, but when I get home I can put my 10th level fighter/Tempest on here. But my most munchkin-y characters are definitely not done with the Rules As Written - I have a GM who loves to hand out extra feats like candy.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

(genuinely curious)

Sniffles, how do you handle Feats in your game, then?
How many do you allow your players to take?

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

(is busy reading the Complete Warrior, Arterial Strike)

(gives Lidda, at 12th level, Quick Draw, Flick of the Wrist, Arterial Strike)

Narrin: Die, assassin!
Narrin: (attacks, misses)

Lidda: Draws her short sword +2 with Quick Draw and Flick of the Wrist, gains an immediate Sneak Attack right in Narrin's face. Rolls: 9 (a hit.) Damage: 1-4 +3, +5d6. 3 (+3), 5, 5, 1, 4, 3. 24 points. Narrin drops from 42 to 18 hit points. Narrin now starts bleeding to death, his throat slashed, at the rate of 1 hit point per round. Narrin doesn't having the Healing skill.

Narrin: URK.

Lidda: Makes her other allowed melee attack (she has 2 for a Full Round Attack)
9. Hits. 5 more points, dropping Narrin to 13 points.

Lidda: Indeed, brigand.

 

[Silveras]

Ah, thanks for the link there.
It seems they've regranted the Druid her original Wildshape ability ala 2nd edition (with a pretty much straightforward conversion to 3rd edition.)

This is where order of publication becomes important. If you are using 3.5 rules, they supercede those in Masters of the Wild. MoW is a 3.0 book.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

(Wield Oversized Weapon, Epic)

I pick up that 30 foot long greatsword - that weighs 150 pounds - yonder, and wield it one-handed. At only a -2 penalty for one size class difference.
And I pick up that Huge Heavy Mace, too, and wield it in my off-hand.

(Huge Greatsword becomes Large Greatsword. Greatsword is Two-Handed, becomes One-Handed, as per Feat.)
(Huge Heavy Mace becomes Large Heavy Mace. Heavy Mace is One-Handed, becomes Light, as per Feat.)

NOW, I start whacking those orcs with my Great Cleave!

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

That's ok, I'm sure they're revert Wildshape again.
If they don't, the Druid has so many Feats to augment Wildshape I can't shake a stick at them all.

 

[Silveras]

(Wield Oversized Weapon, Epic)

I pick up that 30 foot long greatsword - that weighs 150 pounds - yonder, and wield it one-handed. At only a -2 penalty for one size class difference.
And I pick up that Huge Heavy Mace, too, and wield it in my off-hand.

(Huge Greatsword becomes Large Greatsword. Greatsword is Two-Handed, becomes One-Handed, as per Feat.)
(Huge Heavy Mace becomes Large Heavy Mace. Heavy Mace is One-Handed, becomes Light, as per Feat.)

NOW, I start whacking those orcs with my Great Cleave!

IF the character is Large, that is.

Huge Greatsword, Wield Oversize Weapons Feat
Huge, 2 Handed Weapon
Feat changes it to Large, 1 Handed Weapon.
Medium wielder takes -2 penalty and increases the effort 1 category from 1-handed to 2-handed again. (see p.113 of the Players' Handbook)
Large wielder uses it with no penalty.

Huge Heavy Mace, Wield Oversize Weapons Feat
Huge, 1-Handed weapon
Feat changes it to Large, Light weapon
Medium Wielder takes -2 penalty and increases the effort 1 category from light to 1-handed again.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

Ok, fair enough. Still dastardly, though.
Of course, an Enlarge Person would be useful in combination with this feat ...

(Thinks of an ancient Dragon with Enlarge Monster on it, and shudders)