D&D 3.5, Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (Full)

[Ferrix]

Improved Rapid Reload: I'd suggest that heavy crossbows should still provoke attacks of opportunity when reloading. Otherwise, what's the incentive of using anything but a heavy crossbow? (I realize weight is an issue, but not so much as the problem with reloading.)

Anything that takes a free action negates any Attacks of Opportunity that would be provoked from the action, for example quickened spells. The reason is basically to make crossbows on par with bows which don't provoke an attack of opportunity twice, once for loading, once for firing. And heck, that still takes a feat and a PrC special ability to match bows in that respect.

Improved Critical: I think an improved critical range might work better here. Not sure, though.

I was taking this from the masters of the wild PrC, I figure they only have a x2 critical multiplier and improving it is generally more in line with the concept I had (single really powerful shots). Increasing threat range can be done with improved critical feat, keen weapon, etc, etc. and none of them stack.

Crossbow Whip: You should specify that any magical enhancements on the crossbow do not apply when it is used this way.

Yeah, just didn't add that.

Reflexive Shot: Whoa! 30' threat range? And it basically works all the time, since reloading the crossbow is a free action, so you can just reload it after your last attack. I don't know about that. Consider making it limited uses per day or something, but as it is, it's broken.

Actually it says you can only make one a round regardless of how many attacks of opportunity you may get. Perhaps with the stipulation only if you are psionically focused?

Order: This one is a better progression, I think.

1  Improved Rapid Reload, Bolt
2  Crossbow Whip, Improved Critical +1
3  Charged Shot +2d6
4  Close Combat Shot
5  Reflexive Shot
6  Charged Shot +4d6
7  Improved Critical +2
8  Retain Focus
9  Charged Shot +6d6
10 Final Ability

I like it, was trying to find a way to better spread it out, didn't think of this. Generally I like a capstone ability as well but I hadn't figured out how to clear out level 10 to fit it in, this is good here.

 

[silentspace]

As Ferrix pointed out, Faelar is not as optimized as you might think he is. He's 'optimized' for his character concept, but that character concept is not an especially effective one. He's not 'optimized' in the normal sense of the word, to create a super-effective character.

Faelar is a mystical, divining elf wizard. So he gives up a lot of feats to get some neat abilities, but those abilities don't increase his strengths! He gains the ability to cast some clerical divination spells as arcane spells. Big deal. Clerics can already do that without burning a feat, losing familiar progression, etc. Faelar gained uncanny dodge and trap sense. Again, big deal - he only has a +2 Dex mod, and shouldn't be in combat or fooling with traps anyway. He gains the ability to utilize fixed stone circles as portals. Big deal - he can already teleport. See what I mean? I built him because this way because I had a certain image of a mystical nature wizard in mind, not to kick butt.

I know there are some things that throw everyone for a loop - like the 30 stat, or the crafting, but these are things that are not too difficult to do with any wizard. And it would be even better if you just take the craft wondrous feat. Please keep this in mind - he is not optimized!. If I wanted to make a crazy powerful wizard, there are ways to do that pretty easily. Incantatrix as Ferrix pointed out. Even a straight wizard is more powerful than Faelar - just focus on a particular combat technique, with higher caster level, and pick effective feats. For example, maximize spell with shivering touch. That's an automatic kill. In fact, it's overkill. Empowered spell is enough. That's it - one spell, instant dead dragon. Perfectly legal. If you go to the wizard boards there are many more insanely powerful builds like that. You can do it with just one feat, but over there they twink it out to squeeze every last bit of effectiveness possible. And believe it or not, wizards are not one of the stronger classes!

 

[Ferrix]

*chuckles*

Just to note that the higher the level the more power disparity between spellcasting classes and non-spellcasting classes with the full spellcasters having the upper hand.

Any ideas for a capstone ability for my PrC?

 

[Rae ArdGaoth]

Improved Critical: Okay, that's cool.

Reflexive Shot: Yeah, I know, only one shot. But how many AoOs does a character normally get? One, unless you have combat reflexes. So this effectively increases his threat area to 30'. I think it's broken. A smaller threat range would be better, in theory, but it just doesn't fit the concept. Perhaps:

"To use this ability, the psy-arbalester must expend his psionic focus."

This would also disallow the simultataneous usage of Psionic Shot and Reflexive Shot, which I don't think is a terrible thing. If that was the point of this (being able to use Psionic Shot and Reflexive Shot to do a really high damaging AoO) you might make that a PrC ability: "With Empowered Reflexive Shot, the psy-arbalester can use half of his total Psionic Shot damage when making an AoO with Reflexive Shot." Something like that?

Retain Focus: I just read the Expanded Psionics entries on those feats. With this ability, a psy-arbalester with a high Concentration skill could effectively do 1d12+10d6 damage (with a great crossbow, Psionic Shot, and Greater Psionic Shot) 2-3 times per round, with basically no cost. That's like... a fireball. Every round. Ha! I don't think so. Rework it or trash it. I think that the reason a psionic focus is a good idea is because it requires a full-round to charge it up. This basically trashes that whole concept.

I know you probably want to be more unique than this, but the Arcane Archer really has some good ideas. I like the enhancement bonus to all arrows fired from an Arcane Archer's bow. And Death Arrow is a cool final ability. Take a look.

 

[The Gryphon]

deleted

 

[Ferrix]

I'll post more after I get back from capoeira but,...

Improved Rapid Reload would be silly to move it to 6th level considering how it basically just mitigates the massive restrictions heaped upon crossbows for anyone with multiple attacks. Your argument that it takes a little time to master them would make sense if the character was not, let's see already level 6 by the time he picked it up. Seems enough time for me since he has to devote a feat just to be to get entry into the ability (Rapid reload).

Why reduce the damages on Crossbow Whip more, it's already a relatively sub-par weapon (20/x2, 1d4, 1d6, 1d8 or 1d10 dmg). It's the equivalent of a club of the respective size which makes sense.

The reflexive shot doesn't allow him to actually threaten, just take a single attack of opportunity once per round as if he threatened so long as it is provoked. Perhaps have it expend focus, but then I would actually change it to something like this.

Reflexive Shot (Su): A psy-arbalester with a bolt loaded and cocked in his crossbow is an immediate threat. So long as the psy-arbalester has his crossbow cocked and loaded during a round, he may make a single attack as an immediate action by expending his psionic focus.

That way it's no longer required to be a provoked attack of opportunity, it basically allows him to fire a single bolt out of turn by expending his focus. By requiring him to expend focus, I think the character should be able to choose when he can use it.

Charged Shot is based on Psionic Shot and Greater Psionic Shot which are at 2d6 intervals, thus it is not at all related to something like Sneak Attack or even Precision Shot (OotBI) and requires expending psionic focus, if it was something like precision shot or sneak attack that could be done all the time without expending focus, I'd agree with you. It should be fine as is.

Arcane Archer I think is a really poorly designed PrC, it's arrow of death ability is pretty crappy, a DC 20 Fortitude save once per day is basically useless at the levels you'll be using it. The only ability worth it for the class is the imbue arrow ability.

More to come later.

 

[Rae ArdGaoth]

Kaitlin:

• Attack bonus for Dagger (thrown) is 1 point too low, should be +16/+11
• Skills: It took me a minute to figure out how your skills progression went, but I think I have it figured out. And according to my calculations, you have 2.5 more points in your skills than you should. Since you spent 2 levels on Ftr, that's 10 skill points, and 5 have been spent in jump. The other 5 have been distributed about the other skills, but since they're from the Ftr class, they count as cross-class skill points. Simple solution: subtract 2.5 skill points from anywhere but Jump.
• Your gold on hand should be 275.83

 

[The Gryphon]

deleted

 

[Kaitlin]

I fixed my stuff and changed some others. Biography to come soon.

 

[Krug]

Rae: Will get it changed.
Is Psy-Arbalester an official PrC? Just looks overpowered to me...