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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Kelleris" data-source="post: 3646095" data-attributes="member: 19130">Actually I only use that many splat sources because it's basically impossible to build the kind of character I wanted just out of the core rulebook - a bard quasi-primary spellcaster focusing on sonic effects and metamagic.  I could do it in the core, but the character would be pretty weak, as compared to a genericized cleric or sorcerer, so it's really just about keeping up with the other, IMO more boring, options.  It's not like I'm going for a really broken character by starting off with a Bard, after all.The reasons I have a shot at this aren't primarily the use of non-core stuff.  They'rea) the fact that NPCs are notoriously over-CRed, especially at higher levels,b) the fact that I got lucky on my original saves, either of which could have instantly taken me out of the fight had I not made them,c) that I was able to plan ahead for this fight, since I made a very high Knowledge (arcana) roll to ID the archmage in question and we knew from prior information gathering what room the guy was likely to be in and with what allies, so I could prep a plan beforehand (setting up my familiar with just the right imbue familiar with spell ability spells, setting up my spell matrices early on, buffing with greater heroism, arcane sight, and the like, and being conservative with my spell use in the main dungeon since I knew I'd have to deal with this guy), andd) that I'm good at screwing with arcane casters, as a strength of the character - an 18th level fighter-, cleric-, or rogue-type would eat my lunch unless I got very lucky (and I know this from painful experience).Given those advantages, a core-only character would have a shot too, as long as he was built with one of the strengths of the basic character types.  A bard primary spellcaster is just such a weird character that I need to cast a wider net just to keep up.  So yeah, I'm more powerful than an identically-concepted character just from core - but more powerful than a well-done, core-only cleric, druid, or theme-less wizard?  I doubt it.</blockquote>

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