Is the Spell Addict from "Plot & Poison" too powerful?

[drnuncheon]

So in the course of the whole PrC it boils down to that you get three caster levels for that bunch of stuff..

Well...if you're going to count the entire class, for 5 hp, 2 will save, 5 skill ranks, loss of familiar advancement (woo) and 2 feats. Possibly also reflex, fort saves, and a BAB, depending on when you take it.

Note that the extra spell levels are basically all you get.

One of the 'special abilities' is a penalty, and two more give you the opportunity to throw around other scarce resources (hp and spell slots) to avoid that penalty - I can't count that as a net positive. The class is a one-trick pony, and one that partially cripples that single trick besides.

Maybe I don't see it as being as bad because I don't let my players go free-for-all with the skill-boosting items. If the wizard wants to dump a high stat into his con, great! Unless he's an incredible roller or it's a disgustingly high points game, that's a high stat that he won't have in his Int (meaning fewer spells) or Dex (meaning those extra hp will vanish a lot more quickly when the arrows fly).

Like I said, though, I'll let you all know once I've actually used one. If I wind up with a TPK, it's too powerful.

J

 

[Victim]

So in the course of the whole PrC it boils down to that you get three caster levels for that bunch of stuff.. but then again great many people see nothing wrong with the archmages Spell Power +6 ability, so no point arguing, eh?

Of course, the skill focus requirement overlaps with the Archmage requirement too, so Spell Addict would be great class for someone heading into Archmage.

And you won't see me defending +6 Spell Power.

 

[Nightfall]

One idea, give it a Base Fortitude Save of +7. This negates some of the brokeness without requiring a Con Score. Plus add Endurance, Toughness and Great Fortitude to the feat requirements.

Anyone think that would make the class better?

 

[Crothian]

One idea, give it a Base Fortitude Save of +7. This negates some of the brokeness without requiring a Con Score. Plus add Endurance, Toughness and Great Fortitude to the feat requirements.

Anyone think that would make the class better?

I think that would be too many feats to add to this. I do think Endurance would make perfect sense and would bring greater us to this under appriciated feat.

 

[Nightfall]

I think that would be too many feats to add to this. I do think Endurance would make perfect sense and would bring greater us to this under appriciated feat.

K well then drop the other feats and we're in business! Do you think the Base Fortitude Requirement works too or that's too much?

 

[Crothian]

K well then drop the other feats and we're in business! Do you think the Base Fortitude Requirement works too or that's too much?

Since it seems to be aimed at Wizards and Wizards havea base save of +6 at 20th level, it might be a little on the high side.

 

[Numion]

Well...if you're going to count the entire class, for 5 hp, 2 will save, 5 skill ranks, loss of familiar advancement (woo) and 2 feats. Possibly also reflex, fort saves, and a BAB, depending on when you take it.

..snip...

Note that the extra spell levels are basically all you get.
Like I said, though, I'll let you all know once I've actually used one. If I wind up with a TPK, it's too powerful.

Ok, let's suppose it's balanced. All is fine then, huh?

IMHO no. The class breaks the almost sacred D&D relation of 'characters of certain level can do certain things'. Since this character can do stuff normal characters of 3 levels can do, it's more problematic than a pure balance analysis would suggest (woohoo, sounds like science! )). If you want a character with N level casting ability, why not make a N level character? It just bugs me that people always want 1.X levels of stuff per level instead of the traditional 1.0.

In reality this means that the said character has access to spells one or two levels higher than normal spellcasters of similar level. If using pre-made modules the negative implications are clear, but I can't think of anything good resulting from this even if the DM did tailor all his adventures to suit the spell addict.

If you think about it, the three additional levels of spellcasting are equal to Spell Power +3, on steroids. Because it is the spell power, plus all the slots you get. And if we remember that according to WotC one slot is equal to a feat.. and the extra slot feat gives you one slot of level max-1, whereas this gives a slot of max+1 level + bunch of other stuff.

Ok, now I've made my mind: it's not balanced.

EDIT: whoopsie, it isn't Spell Power - like. Or it is, without the DC boost, which is kind of a pointless. My bad

 

[Numion]

N.B. That I have long had issues with the archmage's spellpower as well. So no inconsistancy on my part, at least.

My remark wasn't aimed at anyone in particular. It just seems that any rule or addition, no matter how broken it is, has it's defenders at the rules forum. If no one else, at least the player who wants it for his character...

 

[Iron_Chef]

OT, but I thought Plot & Poison overall was the BEST drow resource ever written, easily blowing away its excellent competitors: Ed Greenwood's Drow of the Underdark, Menzobaranzen (sp?) box set and Complete Book of the Drow from Goodman Games. Plot & Poison, to me, is simply one of the most fabulous RPG supplements ever, and even if a few things here and there don't add up for everyone (like the Spell Addict), overall, it's the best value I've seen. Should have been a hardcover for a few more bucks IMO, but damn, this book really blew my mind and my DM's as well. We love it to death and are eagerly hoping for another Matt Sernett masterpiece... You've really made a big splash with your first book, Matt! Kudos; you're a genius!

 

[Crothian]

THe more I think on it, the more I'd want to see it in play. I really like that an attempt at this type of class was designed, I really like it when what we expect and are used to in a prestige class are changed. Sure, it might in the end fail but I think the game is better for the attempt so that maybe someone can improve upon it and make it work even better in the future