Ranger assistance

[Marius]

I actually feel the same way when it comes to multiclassing - there has to be sufficent roleplaying to warrant it. No adding a level of wizard without it making sense.

That said, if a player roleplayed it appropriately, I would allow them to add any class, including barbarian. They would have to roleplayed it well over the past level though.

IceBear

Well, I guess that's my point. What would be sufficient for you, in a DM capacity, to explain getting a level of Barbarian? Sorcerer is somewhat the same, though easier in my mind to explain, though all of their abilities come from within, rather than through just experiencing them.

 

[IceBear]

I'm pretty lenient if it's something that a player wants (and I can tell that power gaming isn't what he's into).

For a barbarian, he could simply role-play losing his cool and flying into a rage a few times during the past level, either in combat or out of combat. He would have had to put himself at risk because of this (ie, down to a few hitpoints, but rather than retreating or using a healing item he keeps attacking in fury). There could be a nearby tribe of barbarians that he befriends, etc.

In all honesty, my players know that I don't allow multiclassing without it making some roleplay sense, so if they plan on multiclassing they often put it into their character backgrounds. For example, the fighter/sorcerer in my current game started as a fighter. In his character background, however, he described his mother as being a "witch" and how at puberty he was driven out of town when he caused a few fires just by looking at something, etc. Then during his first level, we roleplayed out some scenes where he manifested a few minor magical effects in time of stress, and then he found a sorcerer who mentored him on what was happening, and tada, he became a sorcerer.

IceBear

 

[kigmatzomat]

Well, I guess that's my point. What would be sufficient for you, in a DM capacity, to explain getting a level of Barbarian?

There was a game I was in that the GM was leveling us every 48 hours game time. (No, I'm not kidding, nor was I happy with it.) Trapped deep in an UnderDark-esque setting with no way out, it was constant violence. We were just barely able to heal up every "night" and most of that was due to my wearing a ring a regeneration so that I could absorb terrifying amounts of punishment each "day"

My character, a pure fighter, "held" a level. By which, I mean that I had the XP to go up a level but had not decided what it was. Since it was not a feat level, I had decided that if we got cornered like rats I was going to "go postal" and choose barbarian right then and there.

Barbarian requires, basically, going somewhat primal and shutting down about 50% of the frontal lobe. You push yourself so hard that you are stronger and faster, ignoring pain, and become so single minded that mind-effecting events have a reduced affect on you. On the downside, you forget to dodge, cannot perform anything requiring focused concentration and you are dead tired at the end.

Any non-lawful character can do it because they can let themselves act without hesitation or consideration of a personal rule or guideline.

I personally have more of a problem with sorceror/wizard combos than barbarian/(anything legal) combos.

-James McP

 

[IceBear]

Exactly, with enough creativeness, a PC can make anything seem reasonable (to those of you that think I'm too harsh). There has yet been a mutliclass desire that I've turned down, but I wouldn't let someone just take a level of ranger to get two weapon fighting without putting some effort into it.

IceBear

 

[Plane Sailing]

After all, the descriptive text for the Ranger says "The forests are home to fierce and cunning creatures, ... But more cunning and powerful than these monsters is the ranger, a skilled hunter and stalker. He knows the woods as if they were his home (as indeed they are) and he knows his prey in deadly detail".

Now apart from the fact that they might be the most cunning and powerful creatures if you forget about druids, barbarians and rogues in the woods , does every ranger live in woods? Are there not mountain rangers, marsh rangers, plains rangers? Do they have any woodland-specific skills?

In other words, many of the classes (perhaps all of them?) don't match up to the flavour text used to introduce them. After all, the sorcerer certainly doesn't!

Cheers

 

[Marius]

After all, the descriptive text for the Ranger says "The forests are home to fierce and cunning creatures, ... But more cunning and powerful than these monsters is the ranger, a skilled hunter and stalker. He knows the woods as if they were his home (as indeed they are) and he knows his prey in deadly detail".

Now apart from the fact that they might be the most cunning and powerful creatures if you forget about druids, barbarians and rogues in the woods , does every ranger live in woods? Are there not mountain rangers, marsh rangers, plains rangers? Do they have any woodland-specific skills?

In other words, many of the classes (perhaps all of them?) don't match up to the flavour text used to introduce them. After all, the sorcerer certainly doesn't!

Cheers

Again, I'm not about to argue that people shouldn't multi like this, or that new types of characters can be synthesized or inferred, just that I can't imagine anything that I could do at this point as a 4th level ranger/fighter to explain how I suddenly became uncivilized. I agree that the classes can be altered, and inferences can be made to justify special types of rangers, its just picking up that class later in life that smacks of metagaming to me.

 

[IceBear]

Again, I'm not about to argue that people shouldn't multi like this, or that new types of characters can be synthesized or inferred, just that I can't imagine anything that I could do at this point as a 4th level ranger/fighter to explain how I suddenly became became uncivilized. I agree that the classes can be altered, and inferences can be made to justify special types of rangers, its just picking up that class later in life that smacks of metagaming to me.

And that's what matters - at least to me. If you can't think of a way to justify taking a level of barbarian, then don't. If you really want to, talk to your DM and see if you can come up with a way that you could justify it. Hell, he might even come up with a solo adventure where you get lost in the wilderness for a year or so

IceBear

 

[Marius]

And that's what matters - at least to me. If you can't think of a way to justify taking a level of barbarian, then don't. If you really want to, talk to your DM and see if you can come up with a way that you could justify it. Hell, he might even come up with a solo adventure where you get lost in the wilderness for a year or so

IceBear

That, and getting hit on the head, are probably the only two viable scenarios I can think of. I'm starting to think like my DM, because I know she would insist that my ranger skills get rustier if Im stuck in the woods, or some other such penalties.

Don't get me started on what getting hit on the head would mean to my ability scores.

 

[IceBear]

That, and getting hit on the head, are probably the only two viable scenarios I can think of. I'm starting to think like my DM, because I know she would insist that my ranger skills get rustier if Im stuck in the woods, or some other such penalties.

Don't get me started on what getting hit on the head would mean to my ability scores.

Well, if anything, being stuck in the woods should improve your ranger skills

I admire your desire to roleplay your character as opposed to just powergame your character. However, by the rules you can add any class you want, so IF you want to add a class you should work with your DM to add it (you could still befriend a tribe of barbarians and live among them ).

IceBear

 

[Marius]

Well, if anything, being stuck in the woods should improve your ranger skills

I admire your desire to roleplay your character as opposed to just powergame your character. However, by the rules you can add any class you want, so IF you want to add a class you should work with your DM to add it (you could still befriend a tribe of barbarians and live among them ).

IceBear

Yeah, I wasnt really paying alot of attention when I wrote that bit about the woods, and rusty ranger skills, I guess 8)

The main reason that I brought it up was not because Im completely against min/maxing, because clearly I was asking for skills that will make him faster, stronger, etc, I just don't like that one of the main answers people have been giving me, here and otherwise, is to take a level in barbarian, just like that. I think there's a world of difference in taking a feat to improve performance, and taking a class level just to improve performance. If I wanted to play a barbarian/ranger, then yes, I think it could be explained, no matter how many logical contortions were neccessary, but there's a big difference between taking that class because you want to play it, and using it just to supplement your abilities in your chosen class. That's what I mean when I say metagaming, but I might be using the term loosely.