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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 6030307" data-attributes="member: 6696971">@<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/members/jamesoncourage.html" target="_blank">JamesonCourage</a>Awhile ago I did a post whereby I broke down each pillar (Combat, Exploration, Social) into its sub-pillar elements. I then graded the Generalist Wizard's, the Bard's and the Rogue's output (and outlined their corresponding acumen/deployable resources) in each sub-pillar and then aggregated those sub-pillar grades into an overall pillar grade. I then attempted to draw conclusions based on that analysis.  I think if I were to take that exact schematic and throw together this "Sage" character that JC is describing it would likely turn out to be an A + in Exploration and also a high grade on the Social pillar (due to the overlap of assymetrical Sage/Divination abilities with standard investigatory/interaction means for conflict resolution, or circumvention, of challenges within the Social pillarl). However, given JC's depiction, this build would (either willfully through intentionally "nerfing one's self" or through some sort of specialization "Min-Maxing" at the expense of a broad range, including combat, of proficiency) struggle mightly to add to (and not be a weak link in the chain) physical challenges/combat.  I'm curious. I'm going to devise two scenarios here. Do you think you could comment on how you see the table/game dynamics of each of these playing out (with respect to each character's contribution/relevance and what kind of dynamic that would engender for a gaming group)? Let's say you play once a week for both of these for 5 hours at a time. That is 20 hours in a month. Each of these campaign arcs span 4 sessions/20 hours. Characters (all 7th level): Standard Fighter (Farmhand turned soldier turned adventure. Lived standard fair martial existence and possesses the generic martial acumen/proficiencies that come with it.) Standard Rogue (Street urchin turned criminal turned bounty hunter. All the tools of the trade and contacts that come with it.) Standard Generalist Wizard (Standard Tower Wizard. Scribe and Lore generalist with standard spread/payload of evocation, divination, enchantment, transmutation spells.) ** Your Sage ** Standard Priest but more like a Bard in build without the Arcane spellcasting and singing (Noble birth. Father is a retired Paladin. Born with a rare bone disease such that he is considerably fragile. Raised within the church's construct and had all of the eductation that money could buy. Learned under the best and brightest scholars and had access to the deepest libraries and the most vast tomes. However, for whatever reason, the Divine never blessed him - Cannot cast spells but has enormous lore capibilities and social network skills/background).  Arc 1: Generic murder mystery in a large city replete with devil worship among the nobility, a paid off city watch, co-conspirators within the government, human sacrifice, missing virgins, secret signs marking doors, infiltration of a masquerade ball, culminating in a great ritual at the end whereby a powerful devil summoned. Arc 2:  Nobleman turned adventurer (the modern variety...not the D&D variety...basically Richard Branson) hires the PCs to escort him on a journey to climb the highest mountain in all the world. Naturally, (because hey, this is D&D) the harrowing journey is treacherous beyond words, fraught with all manner of environmental, conditioning and terrain difficulties, horrific creatures (maybe a flight of wyverns, a tribe of frost giants/orcs, ice trolls, goblins, etc) and the remote peak of the mountain contains the haunted ruins of an elven civilization lost to the world some 10,000 years...that venerates the wicked Fey Prince of the Winter Court.  These are two extremely dispirate scenarios (with accordingly dispirate challenges). With regards to niches and meaningful contribution towards a successful outcome, how do you see each of these characters fitting into these two campaign arcs? I have an opinion on this but hearing yours would be much more illuminating toward the the angle that the thread has taken. Think you could give it a shot? Maybe put a grade by each character for each arc (and expound on the reasoning for that grade)?</blockquote>

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