Is this a gamebreaker?

Scratched_back said:
Perhaps they could do a lot of damage to AC 15 mate, but also bear in mind that I'd have spells like Displacement or at least blur running, for an automatic miss chance, and also mage armour / shield for increased AC. So my AC would more likely be around the 20 mark with a miss chance, which is a different matter. There's also spells that could be cast with a 5ft step back to blind a fighter build, like glitterdust as I've already mentioned. If we're talking about one on one there's a lot of factors to take into account :heh:

Keep in mind this will take you at least two rounds of preparation and most likely at least four.

Displacement: 1 rnd/lvl
Haste: 1 rnd/lvl
Blur: 1 min/lvl
Shield: 1 min/lvl
Mage Armor: 1 hr/lvl

Depending on the situation, you may have enough warning to pre-cast your 1 min/lvl spells. You don't have Extend Spell, but it is reasonable to assume you can keep mage armor up all day.
This is the problem with characters that rely on "buffing up". They can be very effective, once or twice a day, if they have time to prepare.

Do you often have more than one encounter each day? Arcane Strike is great, but between it and the "buffing" spells you describe, I don't see how you have enough spells for more than one encounter. You have 5/4/3/1, right?
 

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Scratched_back said:
Perhaps they could do a lot of damage to AC 15 mate, but also bear in mind that I'd have spells like Displacement or at least blur running, for an automatic miss chance, and also mage armour / shield for increased AC. So my AC would more likely be around the 20 mark with a miss chance, which is a different matter. There's also spells that could be cast with a 5ft step back to blind a fighter build, like glitterdust as I've already mentioned. If we're talking about one on one there's a lot of factors to take into account :heh:
Keep in mind that time is an opportunity cost. In the same round you want to cast Displacement the fighter is going to charge/Power Attack you for damage. In the round that you want to cast Shield the fighter is going to 5'-step full attack you. In the round that you cast Glitterdust the fighter is going to whack you again.

Time is money in D&D. Especially at 9th-level. Assuming you have 3 free rounds to cast buff spells when facing the fighter is a fallacy, in my experience. And as others have pointed out, given 3 free rounds of buffing, the other spellcasters will wipe the floor with your character.

Also, I think you're under a misconception regarding your character's melee power. Put your fighter/mage up against a Grey Slaadi or appropriately-aged black dragon, and he'd be dead in one or two rounds.

This is not to say you don't have a good character, or even that you don't have an overpowered character. Why? Because we don't know how well-built your party members are. In a previous campaign I played a fighter/mage who was more than a match for the party barbarian. Why? Because I'm a better mechanical character builder. The most we can say with the info given is that compared to characters that can be created, your PC isn't overpowered.
 

Krafen said:
This is the problem with characters that rely on "buffing up". They can be very effective, once or twice a day, if they have time to prepare.

Exactly right. Buffing's awesome, if you can plan ahead (i.e., if you have the drop on the opponents, and can take those few rounds to do it). If you're caught by surprise, or have a sudden encounter, you're gonna be too busy attacking to worry about buffing yourself.

Then again...it's probably a function of the particular campaign. I'm sure there are some campaigns in which having those few rounds to buff happens all the time (or nearly so), and other campaigns in which the PCs rarely, if ever, have that chance.
 

kenobi65 said:
Exactly right. Buffing's awesome, if you can plan ahead (i.e., if you have the drop on the opponents, and can take those few rounds to do it). If you're caught by surprise, or have a sudden encounter, you're gonna be too busy attacking to worry about buffing yourself.

Then again...it's probably a function of the particular campaign. I'm sure there are some campaigns in which having those few rounds to buff happens all the time (or nearly so), and other campaigns in which the PCs rarely, if ever, have that chance.


right. cuz who needs to be buffed 24/7. everyone knows sessions will only have X number of combat encounters. ;)
 

I agree with Lord Pendragon.

While you have a robust offense and pretty good hit points...for an elf, I shudder at the thought of this character wading into combat against a CR 9 monster. You will need to burn a lot of your precious spells slots and require multiple rounds of buffing if you want to live two rounds against, say, a Frost Giant.

Cannot really say more without information about your particular campaign.
 

If you're outdamaging the party fighters consistently, then you either have superior stats, superior gear, or a superior build. Your character is competently put together, and strong, but I don't see anything really unusual there.

Straight classed barbarian and fighter builds should be able to compete in the damage department. Paladin builds should have vastly superior defenses. Occult slayer, exotic weapon master, pious templar, and other builds give a variety of advantages. (The exotic weapon master/fighter/barbarian build in particular should win the damage race.)
 

Lord Pendragon said:
The most we can say with the info given is that compared to characters that can be created, your PC isn't overpowered.

I think this sums it up perfectly.

I've seen 9th level smack down characters. Your character is no where near gamebreaking compared to what's possible.
 

I think then, that is my mind set at ease. The entire reason I started this thread was to see if I was over powering myself, now I know obviously that the rest of you don't know the ins and outs of the campaign, or even full details on the rest of my party, but your advice and comments have been valuable all the same.

I appreciate 'power' is something that's purely relative to the rest of the campaign, and although I am still, undoubtably, the most powerful character in my group, you've all shown me that I'm not nearly a 'gamebreaker' like I was worrying.

You beardy number-crunching fellows :D
 

Lord Pendragon said:
Keep in mind that time is an opportunity cost. In the same round you want to cast Displacement the fighter is going to charge/Power Attack you for damage. ..
Excellent. thanks, Lord P. Saved me the trouble of typing it.

The gish PC that started this thread is not uber. Sadly, he's not even close. Don't worry about being over-powered, mate.
 

Scratched_back said:
I appreciate 'power' is something that's purely relative to the rest of the campaign, ..
Absolutely.

In fact, it's best described by the story of the 2 hikers meeting a hungry grizzly bear. After they see the bear, one of the hikers strips off his boots and slips on his running shoes. The second hiker gives the first a puzzled look and tells him he's foolish, 'cause no one can outrun a grizzly bear. The first hiker responds: "I don't have to outrun the bear, mate. I just have to outrun YOU."

:D

I currently DM a group of 6 players. One of them plays a Psion (the most broken base class around!) and is far and away more powerful than the rest of the PCs. Result: By the time I'm able to challenge his PC, all the rest of the party is smeared all over the battle-ground.
 
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