Overpowered?

[Mirror]

Ok, its me again!
Anywho, our NEW DM wanted a new campaign, where we are lvl 2, and he wants it to be based on war, battle etc, and to that end is reading up on Heroes of Battle. To go with this, our classes are restricted to being more or less martial/battle inclined. While the other classes WILL be represented via npcs, us PCs will be limited. I asked the DM if I could play an Air Genasi (level adjusted version cause I love the breathless ability, even though overall its a bit weak for a +1 lvl adjustment. Hell, the Drow blows it out the water in practically every regard and is only a lvl more), which he agreed to, and a Factotum, which, initially, he agreed to. First day of the campaign, I'm told my Factotum is broke, due to the wording on its inspiration ability, I was essentially having a +5 competence bonus to anything not directly in battle. And since he had all class skills, I decided to pick up Iajutsu Focus and Autohypnosis. In short, I had my char prepared for anything, and because it was, it beat up a lvl 8 Swordsage, even though us players all knew he was upping the NPC's hit die every time I hit it.

So I come to you all, in hopes of helping me pick another class so we can pretend Day 1 never happened. I prefer NOT to touch the tome of battle, due to the party already having a Swordsage, but other then that, have at thee.

 

[cjosephs1s]

Something about your character just doesn't seem to add up on how a level 2pc killed a CR 8 NPC. I think there's more to the story here. HP alone you'd have less than 15 which is easily a single hit from a level 8 swordsage. But anywho.

Martial characters. Usually go with fghter for all the bonus feats but other options include Paladin, Barbarian, Ranger, Hexblade, Samurai and Swashbuckler. These are your primary martial/fighter classes.

Druid is also feasable due to wild shape or you can always pick a race from savage species such as Ghaele, Trumpet Archon, Fire Giant, Troll, or Treant (yes the treant is easily a fighter class due to massive gains in Str and Con as well as reach, NA and immunities. Combined with its 12 level progression you still have 8 levels you can fill out with another class). Other races and templates are easily workable depending on how you want to work it or what your DM will allow.

 

[Mirror]

Something about your character just doesn't seem to add up on how a level 2pc killed a CR 8 NPC. I think there's more to the story here. HP alone you'd have less than 15 which is easily a single hit from a level 8 swordsage. But anywho.

Martial characters. Usually go with fghter for all the bonus feats but other options include Paladin, Barbarian, Ranger, Hexblade, Samurai and Swashbuckler. These are your primary martial/fighter classes.

Druid is also feasable due to wild shape or you can always pick a race from savage species such as Ghaele, Trumpet Archon, Fire Giant, Troll, or Treant (yes the treant is easily a fighter class due to massive gains in Str and Con as well as reach, NA and immunities. Combined with its 12 level progression you still have 8 levels you can fill out with another class). Other races and templates are easily workable depending on how you want to work it or what your DM will allow.

CR8 as in the swordsage had the HP of it.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

He knows Factotum can only add his level (ie, +1 for you, you do NOT add Int on the skill checks) to skill checks once per day for each skill, right? You can't just add to everything you want nonstop outside of combat.

What is the rest of the party, other than swordsage? Any role that needs filling? Also, not clear on where he draws the line at for "martial." So, for lack of more knowledge, I'm going to suggest a Dungeoncrasher Zhentarim Fighter. You intimidate people and smash them into walls for massive damage.

 

[Mirror]

He knows Factotum can only add his level (ie, +1 for you, you do NOT add Int on the skill checks) to skill checks once per day for each skill, right? You can't just add to everything you want nonstop outside of combat.

What is the rest of the party, other than swordsage? Any role that needs filling? Also, not clear on where he draws the line at for "martial." So, for lack of more knowledge, I'm going to suggest a Dungeoncrasher Zhentarim Fighter. You intimidate people and smash them into walls for massive damage.

Rest of the party is Swordsage, Ninja, Ranger, and was my Factotum. He DID allow the Warmage, since its battle oriented, but for the most part, magic is something he doesn't want players to have complete control over. Clerics are pretty much the "wear robes and bless you", not the "swing a mace and beat you". By extension, druids are non existant in this campaign, as in, I am not allowed to play one. If I run a melee spellcaster it must be gimped. I was banned from playing Wizards, Sorcs, Druids, All psionics, every base or prestige class that requires me to be either chaotic or evil, and virtually every base class that has a full spell progression. And since I'm the Faerun version Air Genasi, cha classes aren't optimal picks, so Paladin, Marshal, Bards and the like is weeded out due to class choice. AND, I'm a level behind everyone, since I haven't found any other "official" Air Genasi traits.


Another way to put it, come to think of it, is, anything that is Tier 1 to Tier 3 I am banned from running.

 

[emoplato]

As StreamoftheSky said Factotums only can do that with skill checks once a day. You do, as a Factotum, have the ability to basically enhance every aspect about your self with intelligence and pretty much any skill you wish. It really depends one how far are you going with levels in this campaign. While the Factotum is a fairly well-rounded, easy to optimize, and mobile class it really isn't as overpowered as you would think. You could say it is a front heavy character getting the majority of the base abilities rather quickly while later on you are just fitting in the last little pieces of your Jack of all trades idea while the rest of the party are shining on with their specialties. If you really want to trade just tell us what you would like to do and how far the adventure will take you.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

If Warmage is allowed, then is Duskblade allowed?

 

[Mirror]

As StreamoftheSky said Factotums only can do that with skill checks once a day. You do, as a Factotum, have the ability to basically enhance every aspect about your self with intelligence and pretty much any skill you wish. It really depends one how far are you going with levels in this campaign. While the Factotum is a fairly well-rounded, easy to optimize, and mobile class it really isn't as overpowered as you would think. You could say it is a front heavy character getting the majority of the base abilities rather quickly while later on you are just fitting in the last little pieces of your Jack of all trades idea while the rest of the party are shining on with their specialties. If you really want to trade just tell us what you would like to do and how far the adventure will take you.

The DM thinks its broke, and since he thinks it is, then it is, regardless of actual facts. What I want to do with the char is play on the Air Genasi tendencies. IE, a hippy of battle.

If Warmage is allowed, then is Duskblade allowed?

Duskblade is an idea.

 

[emoplato]

So a non-combatant combatant or an environmentalist?

 

[gwyllgi]

Give up genasi, go human, Use a composite Greatbow, play as one of the many classes with massive sneak attack bonuses.

after doing so you should drop most things better than anyone else and not break any magic rules. but at that point the bow is a game breaker, just as it was in medieval europe and asia.