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Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 197672" data-attributes="member: 143">monboesen: thanks for taking the time to reply, and let me see if I can respond to some of your comments.  First off, your comment about the power levels of multi-classing magic-users (both arcane and divine) is quite true.  I've always been of the sort who doesn't mind sacrificing game power for RP effectiveness, and the way the character conceptions for Cal and Delem came together their class splits just seemed to work within the construction of the story.  As a bit of background, I can tell you that I was pretty much committed to sticking to wizard levels for Cal all the way up (I had a high-level FRCS prestige class in mind for him) and ignoring the bard side of his character (despite several reader commentaries that they thought his character would be more likely to add bard levels).  As the story continued, however, I realized that Cal's progression as a wizard was changing the character in ways that went against my original character concept.  That's why I included the scene where in his journal he comments on his decision not to go for 3rd level spells for the moment, even though he knows that this might cost him and his companions later.As for the charisma issue: you have a point here as well, and here the clash of game mechanics and plot has been a problem.  I've been guilty of "stat dumping" in this stat in 2e, and I really like stories (like Rel's) where character charisma scores really affect the game.  That said, I'd always seen Delem as a character with great potential that he needs to grow into.  I think his character has grown a lot more forceful since the initial chapters, especially when he calls upon the innate power of his magic.  Perhaps it would have made more sense to make him a wizard, but the sorcerer class just seemed to fit so well with the background I'd created.  And it's funny that so many readers like Benzan so much, and think he's charming!  I think he's really kind of a jerk (especially toward Delem), but maybe he's won me over too and I'm subconsciously sneaking more flattering portrayals of him into my writing.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />  Re Dana: I just plain forgot you could WFinesse unarmed.  And as for her monk levels, in addition to the RP element, it really toughened her up in terms of evasion and saving throws.  I think the main reason I gave her two levels is that I don't like powergamers who take just one level of a class for the game advantages <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />.  I guess I'm guilty of that in Benzan's case, but he is going to level up in wizard eventually (I see his progression as a largely balanced on in the long run).  Any other readers want to weigh in on these issues?Thanks again for reading.  LB</blockquote>

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