Do you power game from 1st level?

[Shard O'Glase]

I have a plan and I stick to it, at least as much as I can outside considerations can effect the plan. I don't consider it powergaming just character design.

Thing is I feel way to constrained by the d20 mechaincs I have an image of what I want to pull off and I need certain feats to do it. For example let say I wanted to make a rogue who was based around being an investigator,(apparently thanks to eberon I now need a feat to use the search skill to find clues apparently baker doesn't have the feat because he didn't see the clue that this was a dumb idea that limited search instead of expanding it) there are feats I'll need to successfully make that character design which means since I only get 7 feats over 20 levels I don't have the feats to play it organically or whatever you want to call it to make the character I was trying to play. Sure I'm in most ways I'm less in a stright jacket for character design than I was in 1e or 2e but I'm still in a straight jacket.

 

[Kanegrundar]

I tend to have a plan for my character from the 1st level. I may shoot for a specific PrC or just simply have a lan to maximize my potential in the areas that I *think* the campaign is heading in.

Kane

 

[Thanee]

I wouldn't call myself a Powergamer, as I build my characters based on background concept (I generally start with a background idea, a lose framework of a background story, then build the character stats with that in mind and then fill in the details of the background story), but I do keep an eye on the usefulness of any choices made. I rarely choose feats, which are not beneficial, just because they would fit the character, there are usually other ways (like skills) to cover that, so I also do not purely choose from a roleplaying position. The character background needs to be reflected in the character stats as a whole, but not in every detail. For example, a character that is - according to the background - good at hiding and sneaking doesn't necessarily need the Stealthy feat to reflect this, a good number of ranks in the appropriate skills will do.

Of course, some planning ahead is almost required with d20 D&D, mostly because of feat chains and PrC requirements, or spells for the spontaneous casters.

The most planning I have done so far with my current character, a sorceress, where I have a plan all the way through 20th level for which spells and feats I want to pick at what level to have a decent coverage, but I often change details to reflect the game situation, so that's not really a powergaming approach either, altho it's probably similar in a way. It's mostly to keep an overview of what will be available when so I don't make any stupid choices, which I would regret later.

I never play really optimized characters. There is always room for improvement from a powergaming point of view.

For example, I would never build a character with a plethora of classes just to circumvent certain requirements, or build a character with an utterly maxed out Diplomacy score, as I find such characters completely artificial and stupid.

Of course, when creating higher level characters it gets naturally closer to that, as they did not evolve like those which are played from 1st (or 2nd in my case, as we usually start at 2nd) level onwards. But it's not really powergaming then either, but rather a direct result from the lack of background material, as a background story can hardly make up for missing the whole time needed to play from 1st to 12th level, for example.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I suppose I'd call myself an "organic powergamer." My character development looks something like this:

1. I come up with an archetype/concept I want to play. Be it a noble paladin, an honorable but bloodthirsty death cleric, or a stoic fighter/mage with a tragic past.

2. I write up a 20 level progression for the character, based on that archetype. This usually doesn't include skills, but does include clases, feats, and ability points. I try to make the progression as strong as possible, while holding true to the concept and not being cheesy (I don't like to choose a lot of classes or prestige classes. Usually a combined total of 3 is my limit.)

3. As I reach each new level, I consider my progression, and I consider what's been happening in the game. If it would be more useful to deviate from my progression, I do so. If nothing really springs up, I keep to the progression.

Now, #3 doesn't mean that just because my guy was fried by a fireball he suddenly has to take Lightning Reflexes. I find such "character driven" choices are often underjustified. An electrical engineering student doesn't start taking classes in plumbing if his drain stops up one night.

Only if the campaign takes a sharp and significant turn will I consider adjusting to fit the new campaign environment. For instance, in a previous campaign I had a PC fighter/rogue who was focused on TWF and sneak attack to deal damage in combat. But after several combats, it became clear that the campaign was going to be undead focused (didn't know that when the game started.) So after several weeks of this, with no end in sight, my PC started actively trying to find ways to better deal with the undead, since her sneak attacks were failing. My plans included a massive boost to UMD, plus possibly picking up Weapon Focus: Light Mace, and dual-wielding light maces of disruption, rather than the shortswords she was already specialized in.

So basically, my PCs have a path of study planned out. They have a goal profession they shoot for. And they stick to that, unless the campaign changes dramatically enough to prompt the PC to actively decide to switch focus.

 

[Aaron L]

I start with a general outline of what I want, based upon the characters background, history, and training, and then see where it goes in play. If events and character development dictate I will alter the plan, but generally I say with what I have layed out.

 

[Stormborn]

I don't know if I would call it powergaming, but for the first time i have started a campaign with a plan to take a prestige class. My character is a Paladin of an order whose homeland was destroyed by a black dragon some 200 years ago. His father has just been killed by a band of black kobolds lead by a half-dragon, making him one of the last of the order. Since the campaign will focus around the swamp the dragon has created and the strange magics that have resulted i am planning on taking the DragonSlyaer prestige class from dragonomicon and took the requsite feats at first level to get that out of the way. So in some ways I have planned out his progress, but its more from character concept than powergaming.