FR: Players Guide to Faerun is out what do you think?

[Nightfall]

If Orcus had been an Intermediate god, there was no way Kiaransalee, that uppity little demipower, would ever have managed to kill him in the first place.

As it is, if WotC were willing to give Orcus his due, things would be getting interesting, since Lolth's Silence has caused Kiaransalee to experience an influx of worship that's since bumped her up to a Lesser deity (which is Orcus's divine level..presuming he has one).

And you just know there would be a reckoning; Kiaransalee calls her realm in the Demonweb Thanatos, having named it after the place she took from Orcus.

Al, I meant after his death. I figured he managed to reconsidate much quicker since he's got pull with more than just drow. Besides he should take over Velshroon's portfolio as well. Necromancy and undead are his forte, not some panty waist Red Wizard. My idea of a Reckoning would be Kiaranselee being completely obliterated and Orcus coming on the rise as the baddest CE power next to Cyric.

 

[Nightfall]

3. Monk PrCs. I haven't seen a whole lot of 3.5 Monk PrCs. I haven't got the SL book on Monks/Paladins and while the Beyond Martial Arts book (print version 3.5) does have some interesting aspects, I'm always interested in more vareity in my monks.

Regarding that book Joe, PG to Monks has some very decent Pr-classes but I think you'll enjoy the Paragon and Martial Arts feats more to make your monks have more variety. As it stands Exemplar Pr-class is good since they get LOTS of Martial arts and Paragon feats.

 

[drnuncheon]

'Delaying the chain' isn't a cost because (a) it doesn't for some characters (HUMAN FIGHTERS ARE THE NEW ELVES!!!!, to be ludicrous about it), and (b) not every feat forms a chain.

You don't think delaying the level you get something at is a cost? So, there's no cost in taking 3 levels of fighter then going to wizard? After all, you're still getting 9th level spells, you're just delaying them for a bit.

The guy who takes the regional feat is going to watch his buddies get the cool top-of-the-chain feats 2-3 levels earlier than he does. That is a very real cost, albeit one that you only see if you play the character up from level 1, and therefore one that tends to get ignored in discussions where 20th level characters pop fully formed out of thin air.

J

 

[Numion]

At any rate, don't beat your head against the wall on this arguement. It has been established that the regional feats provide quantifiably superior benefits to standards feats at no cost, and the only real rebuttal that can be provided is "I think it's OK". If they're simply going to insist it's not a big deal, so be it. I've said my piece.

I'm a big proponent of balance, and generally agree that no mechanic benefit should be balanced with an RP one. now, having said that, some thing Mike Mearls said quite eloquently came in to mind:

"A good designer makes balanced mechanics. A great designer knows when to ignore balance for greater playability".

Or something like that. He said it better. Now, I haven't seen the book in question, but I'd still give it a chance, and instead of complaining for the sake of principle about the more powerful feats, I'd see if the mechanic adds to the game. Is the game overally better with the slightly more powerful regional feats? I don't know, but it just might be.

But ah well, catering to powermunchkins isn't that a big deal, right?

I detest balancing reasonable posts with inane parting shots

 

[Alzrius]

Al, I meant after his death. I figured he managed to reconsidate much quicker since he's got pull with more than just drow.

I've actually got an adventure(s) in mind that would try and solve this discrepancy between Orcus as "just" an Abyssal Lord and Orcus as a god once and for all, but since I'm such a stickler for what's official and what's not, it'd take an okay from Dungeon to actually get me to write it. Between the fact that Dungeon now wants shorter adventures (and this would be rather long), and the rumor that Erik Mona (who is known to be beloved of Greyhawk) doesn't like the Forgotten Realms very much, it seems unlikely I'll be writing this anytime soon.

Besides he should take over Velshroon's portfolio as well. Necromancy and undead are his forte, not some panty waist Red Wizard.

Except Velsharoon has Mystra and the Gods of Magic backing him, and, less reliably, Talos and the Gods of Fury.

On an aside, did you notice that, comparing Powers & Pantheons to On Hallowed Ground, Velsharoon and Mellifleur apparently share a planar realm on Gehenna? Interesting.

Anyway, I think Orcus works best without an overwhelming amount of power. You gotta stay in the trenches to not lose touch. That's what got him killed in the first place.

 

[Numion]

Well, I look at it this way. I"m a first level wizard from place who wants to wield a longsword. I can take one of two feats, one of which is Martial Weapon Proficiency, and one of which is the regional feat that gives me all Martial Weapons.......hmmmmmm..............

I get your point, but since you're concerned about balance, consider this: balance-wise, what would be the significant difference between those two choices? My guess is nil.

It just won't matter if your wizard uses only the longsword, or if he's able to swing greatsword too .. it just isn't going to matter.

I get the theory though. There isn't a reason to take the normal WP: long sword if you can take the other - but it doesn't really matter this or that way in-game, and balance-wise.

 

[reiella]

I get your point, but since you're concerned about balance, consider this: balance-wise, what would be the significant difference between those two choices? My guess is nil.

It just won't matter if your wizard uses only the longsword, or if he's able to swing greatsword too .. it just isn't going to matter.

I get the theory though. There isn't a reason to take the normal WP: long sword if you can take the other - but it doesn't really matter this or that way in-game, and balance-wise.

Honestly, as said before, the Martial Weapon Prof feat isn't even the worst of it. But for an example. So you can use a martial bludgeoning weapon against those with DR/bludgeon, and a slashing weapon against those with DR/slashing.

Consider Bullheaded, get +2 to all Will Saves, and can no longer become shaken. That has a significant impact...

Or Fleet of Foot contrasted against Dash. (10ft v 5 ft).

And a number of others which are effectively, Other Feats +1.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

The key to those feats is that you can only have ONE...and that you HAVE to take it at 1st level...AND you have to qualify for that Region. You can't just look at the benefits.

...besides, this is the Realms, I thought we were used to power there by now?

 

[Nightfall]

Can we get back to my problem now?

Al,

First I look forward to any suggestions or comments you might have about fixing this. But while I do agree he got a little greedy, that's just part of his nature. Thus getting more power while still staying involved is how he'll manage to mantain his power base and keep it from just being stifled.

 

[Celtavian]

Not a very good book IMO...

This is one of the poorest Forgotten Realms books I've seen to date. The book is rife with Prc's and Feats that aren't balanced compared to other Prc's and Feats in the same book.

For example, The Eye of Horus Re is about 10 times better than the Morninglord of Lathander even though they are similar types of deities. The Hammer of Moradin is about ten times better than the Justicar of Tyr. The Blooded and Mercantile background have almost become no brainers if you are able to take them as regional feats. There is a feat called Fearless that makes you immune to fear simulating class abilities.

I don't quite get what he designers were going for with this one. Now I'm going to have a bunch of undead hunters wanting to be Eyes of Horus Re since this Prc is about as insanely overpowered as they come. The class gets to use Greater Turning a number of times per day equal to 3 plus their charisma modifier in addition to their regular turning attempts. That is just stupid, imbalanced design.

For a book that took so long to come out, they could have done a better job. This is not a very good book. Mostly full of updates of old classes for 3.5 and a few new Prc's, some of which are overpowered.

The one thing I do like though is the Deity domains. Gives a little flavor back to FR priests.