D&D 5E (2014) Just read Vengeance of the Iron Dwarf...

[Mephista]

They are all supposed to be around 10-15 level. I haven't seen them use any "epic level" powers.

Last book had quivering palm, for instance. That's a level 17 or 18 ability, I forget which. So, yeah. Epic level stuff.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

Last book had quivering palm, for instance. That's a level 17 or 18 ability, I forget which. So, yeah. Epic level stuff.

17 and 18 isn't epic level. The only time epic level has been used as a term is when something is post level 20.

I'm not sure who had that power either. None of the heroes of the hall are monks. If you mean some of their enemies are very high level or that they have some very high level friends, I won't disagree. Besides. As I said they are almost all between 10 and possibly up to 17th level. I'd guess that 14 or 15 is their average level. Which means fighting opponents that are level 17 or 18 isn't really out of the question.

They ARE very powerful. But they've definitely gotten more powerful over the years.

 

[Mephista]

There's been vague references to her being able to channel the power of her god but it's awfully vague if she's a cleric at all.

She's cast Create Undead as a level 3 cleric spell in the Companion books. Healing spells, the Summon Mount spell... and that's just off the top of my head.

That's why she wanted the robe of the archmage. It was just gnome sized.

WHY was it put on as a blouse? How difficult was it to make it something actually practical other than "Hey, lets put her in something girlish?" Nothing more than tired justification for the same old tropes. If we had a male character getting that same robe, would it have been turned into a shirt, or something else? My money is on the "something else."

The new Cattiebrie is nothing more than a walking cliche about women in fantasy at this point. And THAT is my issue. She's just so cookie cutter, I can't stand her.

 

[Mephista]

17 and 18 isn't epic level. The only time epic level has been used as a term is when something is post level 20.

In 5e, levels 17+ are called epic. Just like levels 1-3 (or 4, I forget) are called apprentice levels. Its in the book.

I'm not sure who had that power either. None of the heroes of the hall are monks. If you mean some of their enemies are very high level or that they have some very high level friends, I won't disagree.

*raises eyebrow* The character in question is one of the new Companions (yes, they did expand), and had a larger page count than the barbarian and some rather significant plot points. Kind of a notable character.

 

[The Human Target]

I was a true fan of his books when I was younger, but haven't reread the early ones in a long time.

I stopped reading sometime during the orc war stuff.

Salvatore has been pretty open about only continuing to wrote these books due to their popularity and boy does it show.

I tried to read Gauntlgrym out of nostalgia for the series and it was pure unreadable garbage. Like the person who wrote it was a first time writer for whom English was a new second language.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

She's cast Create Undead as a level 3 cleric spell in the Companion books. Healing spells, the Summon Mount spell... and that's just off the top of my head.

Yes. As I said, I was referring to the pre death version. Post death she is around 6 wizard/6 cleric since she has cast 3rd level spells as both a cleric and wizard. But she's almost always identified as a wizard that also gets powers from her goddess since she spends all her time actually studying magic and just gets her cleric powers by playing for a short while a day. She doesn't seem to like armor, possibly because she is still stuck in older edition rules and can't cast her wizard spells in armor.

WHY was it put on as a blouse? How difficult was it to make it something actually practical other than "Hey, lets put her in something girlish?" Nothing more than tired justification for the same old tropes. If we had a male character getting that same robe, would it have been turned into a shirt, or something else? My money is on the "something else."

I don't know. It's a small dress. I think the only thing it can be worn as is a shirt/blouse of some kind. I think anyone else would have turned it into a shirt since that's the only legitimate way to wear a small dress.

 

[pukunui]

In 5e, levels 17+ are called epic. Just like levels 1-3 (or 4, I forget) are called apprentice levels. Its in the book.

The tiers don't really have official titles. In the PHB, it says that PCs of levels 1-4 are "effectively apprentice adventurers", while those of levels 17-20 have become "heroic (or villainous) archetypes in their own right". The DMG is a little more formal, classifying the tiers thusly:

Levels 1-4: Local Heroes
Levels 5-10: Heroes of the Realm
Levels 11-16: Masters of the Realm
Levels 17-20: Masters of the World


Note also that the "Epic Boons" presented at the end of the Treasure section of the DMG are only available to 20th level characters.

 

[Alzrius]

Actually, as a female gamer, I feel kinda disgusted over some of what goes into those stories now. "I find a robe of the Archmage! But its small, so its now a blouse for me to wear, since I'm a girl!" Wait, what? Cattibrie is an effin' cleric**. Put her in some armor.

I agree with the others who've pointed out that Cattie-Brie is more of a wizard (or fighter/wizard) at this point than anything else at this point (though I'm getting that from second-hand resources, since I haven't kept up with the books). Her connection to her deity is there (e.g. some special powers), but doesn't seem to be actual clerical class abilities per se (at least to me)...but even if it was, she's still a wizard, so wearing armor would be detrimental. Given that a robe of the archmage is flat-out better than armor anyway, I'm not sure I understand the nature of what you're saying here.

 

[Gnashtooth]

Catti-Brie is just a terrible, flat character overall, I'm surprised it's just a lack of armor that bothers you. I can think of at least ten other bit-players in these novels with more development than her. She's never had any goals or agendas. What an uncompelling character.

 

[jayoungr]

Book series don't have to end with the protagonist's death. "Ending the series" does not have to be synonymous with "killing Drizz't" (or whoever). Just sayin'.