Problems with auras, Bard's songs and other buffs?

Thurbane · Nov 29, 2006

Hi all,

I've been running a pretty much Core Only campaign to this point, but I'm going to open it up soon to include more non-core calsses.

My question is this: has anyone found that the aura abilities of Marshalls and Dragon Shamans to cause balance problems when combined? How about if you throw in a Bard's songs?

Cheers - T

Paradigm · Nov 29, 2006

Thurbane said:
Hi all,

I've been running a pretty much Core Only campaign to this point, but I'm going to open it up soon to include more non-core calsses.

My question is this: has anyone found that the aura abilities of Marshalls and Dragon Shamans to cause balance problems when combined? How about if you throw in a Bard's songs?

Cheers - T

Depends upon what you think is a problem. I am in a game with a Bard, a Marshall, and an archivist. By the second round things are pretty buffed up. The party routinely fights above its CR.

Stalker0 · Nov 29, 2006

Even if its "overpowered" its my kind of overpowered because the team is working together. The fighter feels cool because he's doing a lot of damage, the dragon shaman feels good because he's a part of making that happen, and the fighter has to give the DS the love every so often for his big display. When everyone is getting buffs from everyone else, you get a nice closenit unit.

nittanytbone · Nov 29, 2006

I don't think anyone will ever argue that a bard or Dragon Shaman is overpowered.

An intelligent party can get nice synergy, but a trio of clerics or druids would still be yet more potent and buffable.

tensen · Nov 30, 2006

Thurbane said:
Hi all,

I've been running a pretty much Core Only campaign to this point, but I'm going to open it up soon to include more non-core calsses.

My question is this: has anyone found that the aura abilities of Marshalls and Dragon Shamans to cause balance problems when combined? How about if you throw in a Bard's songs?

Cheers - T

I think in the end it evens things out more. Provides for more teamwork, but in the end you have folks that are technically second in their areas. Marshalls provide much more for the party, but end up with little of the extra fun stuff themselves. Basically balancing out the fact that they are neither a front line fighter, nor high level mage. The buffs at low levels means the overall CR of the party seems higher, but the advantage isn't as significant when you get to the midlevels.

frankthedm · Nov 30, 2006

And when players have Marshalls, so do the foes. That can really boost the horde of CR 1/2 orc warriors. And then the orc drummer and a Dragon shaman make it worse!

interwyrm · Nov 30, 2006

Add in a warchanter, and all those 1/2 CR orcs now have a bab of +15. Que?!?

frankthedm · Nov 30, 2006

interwyrm said:
Add in a warchanter, and all those 1/2 CR orcs now have a bab of +15. Que?!?

That really work that way? Mmmmm... power attack.

satori01 · Nov 30, 2006

In my secondary campaign two of my players are playing a Bard and a Dragon Shaman respectively. It is a very melee orientated party, so at third level I think the party appreciates the +1 to hit +2 damage from the stacking buffs, but it has not seemed overpowered.

At High levels that could very well be at minimum a +5 to hit +10 to damage for everyone, which sounds impressive, but as a Rat Bastard, I would rather see the party have that, then a buffer druid casting Stoneskin on the group.

A Dragon Shaman mixed in with a Frenzied Berserker would be a nasty combo.