Somebodies got PHB3!

[Dire Bare]

It still qualifies as power creep, because it's a way to get more powers. It doesn't matter if the additional powers you get actually make you more powerful.

It's power creep in the same way that backgrounds represented power creep when they were first introduced.

Sooooo . . . they don't make your character more powerful, but they are "power creep" . . . . still trying to figure that one out . . .

I think I'll wait until I actually read the content, and maybe even use the content in game before I make any claims of "broken" or "power creep". But I'm funny that way.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Hmm, still can't beat PHB2. They were right when they said PHB2 was the most significant expansion. Wonder will they say the same thing in PHB3 intro?

Maybe they'll say "PHB3 is a book with some really great stuff that you want, but then we bundled it with crazy crap that you don't want, making the entire book a bit of a bust"?

As for skill powers: like someone said, some classes have less-than-stellar utility powers. Presumably this, like every other power in the game, was originally balanced: if rangers get crappy utilities, that's supposed to make up for something. So if you let rangers swap those utilities out for something better, you end up with unbalanced power creep.

Maybe that's not the case, and classes were never ever balanced with their utilities in mind, but it doesn't really seem that way to me.

 

[Rechan]

Maybe they'll say "PHB3 is a book with some really great stuff that you want, but then we bundled it with crazy crap that you don't want, making the entire book a bit of a bust"?

Well, no. PHBII was pretty focused on the PHBII classes.

PHB3 is marketed as "options for everyone", i.e. not just the classes/races in the book. Hence the hybrid classes, skill powers, superior implements, and general feats. Which is why they cut it down to 6 classes (from 8).

Honestly, the only stuff in PHB3 I am interested in the least is the typical D&D fare: Gith and Minotaur. And the hybrid classes, because I believe they're crippled.

 

[Destil]

As for skill powers: like someone said, some classes have less-than-stellar utility powers. Presumably this, like every other power in the game, was originally balanced: if rangers get crappy utilities, that's supposed to make up for something. So if you let rangers swap those utilities out for something better, you end up with unbalanced power creep.

Maybe that's not the case, and classes were never ever balanced with their utilities in mind, but it doesn't really seem that way to me.

Eh, most skill powers we've seen are on par with ranger utilities (i.e. most are pretty bad power-wise, though they tend to be interesting and flavorful)...

 

[Cyronax]

Hybrid classes really aren't - there are one or two overpowered combinations (namely, any builds focusing on minor action attacks to use both hybrid halves special abilities at once)... but those are rare, and not really any worse than other optimization you can do elsewhere.

Skill powers, honestly, you are probably right. Giving everyone extra utilities for feats is a bit much. But the skill powers in general didn't seem too powerful, so I don't think this is going to break the game. In all honesty, I see this more as opening up some more non-combat focused characters - spending all their feats on new skills, extra skill powers, and maybe rituals or martial practices, and you've got an interesting bag of tricks...

What are the one or two overpowered combinations in your opinion? I ask only because I have gone out of my way to avoid unpublished preview content like hybrid classes. When DM (which is normally) I tend to allow 98% of all WotC published content ... but only after I've digested the books contents or its been put into CB and/or gone through some 'peer review.'

As to skill powers, I think its power creep. BUT its not the really atrocious power creep that cropped up in 3.5 (yet), because all characters seem to be able to get skill powers if they want. Its not just limited to some shiny new class that breaks all paradigms ... such as the Tome of Battle in 3.5.

C.I.D.

 

[Rechan]

What are the one or two overpowered combinations in your opinion? I ask only because I have gone out of my way to avoid unpublished preview content like hybrid classes. When DM (which is normally) I tend to allow 98% of all WotC published content ... but only after I've digested the books contents or its been put into CB and/or gone through some 'peer review.'

Typically it's a Striker/Striker combo chosen with the right feats, equipment, powers, and so on. Basically: CharOps food. They found one or two that can combine inch out a .5% more damage here or there above the rest.

But again, you can do that with any class; a friend of mine figured out how, with a straight sorcerer, to get a +44 to any damage roll at level 30.

 

[Nymrohd]

As said, it is mostly combos that use minor action powers to front load damage (very high damage per turn) or plays on OP staples that use hybrids to get the combo out (feycharger variables). I've never been worried tbh since my players would never pick these tricks, they are usually cheese and make little character sense, or they depend on items they'll never see anyway.

 

[ppaladin123]

Typically it's a Striker/Striker combo chosen with the right feats, equipment, powers, and so on. Basically: CharOps food. They found one or two that can combine inch out a .5% more damage here or there above the rest.

But again, you can do that with any class; a friend of mine figured out how, with a straight sorcerer, to get a +44 to any damage roll at level 30.

With the addition of the paragon feat that lets warlord get another use of inspiring word and the cleric feat that gives them martial weapon and light shield proficiency, a hybrid warlord/cleric becomes very versatile and gives up very little.

Swordmages give up so little for hybridization that it usually makes sense to cross them with warlocks or artificers.

Other than that, I agree; hybrids are pretty much crippled.

 

[N0Man]

It still qualifies as power creep, because it's a way to get more powers. It doesn't matter if the additional powers you get actually make you more powerful.

It's power creep in the same way that backgrounds represented power creep when they were first introduced.

You keep using that term... I do not think it means what you think it means.

Edit: If anything, what you are describing would be better referred to as "option creep", which is not a bad thing.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Some skill powers seem to be very niche specific, though it's more choices for things to pick, and some of them are at-will utilities, which were my favourite as far as utility powers go. I can definitely see Rogues getting a bunch of the Acrobatic Skill Powers, and they would certainly suit the Monk as well.