Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Pax" data-source="post: 435895" data-attributes="member: 6875">Oh, I don't dispute that most of my Duellist's AC is situational at all, I dispute that it is "extremely" situational.  No moreso than other "non-innate" armor bonusses.Oh, since the Duellist will always want to use at least one point's worth of Expertise (because that +1AC / -1 to hit triggers another +10AC ... 11AC bonus for a 1-point to hit penalty), it's one of the less situational issues for that character.The entire concept of the character was, to "whore for armor class" (pardon the expression).  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  I thought it up for a one-shot "against the Tarrasque (and friends)" outting.50/50, assuming 8 hours of sleep.  Which means, in an encoutner while the adventurers are encamped, there is a 50/50 chance the wizard or sorceror hasn't recovered the spell, and, the duration wore out.  Thus, it's not an absolutely guaranteed benefit.There are degrees of situational, after all.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Persistent Spell Metamagicks; Shield was -made- for it (and a potion of Persistent Shield would cost between 4500gp and 5000gp <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> ).  Drinking a potion of Shield, is no rougher than the Wizard casting the spell, in terms of time used.OK, I missed that bit (their grammar DOES need work! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> ).  And ... it doesn't agree with the "Fighting defensively" entry (PHB page 124), which does not specify you must be in melee to do so.  So, use that instead of Expertise, against ranged attacks (the Duellist class ability is basedon fighting in a defensive manner, noton use only of the Expertise feat).Exactly, I dispute none of the above.I defy anyone to point me at how a spellcaster can be aught else but "a creature".  Since, therefor, targeting the caster is in fact targetting "a creature", Shield IMO passes this test, taking the rules as directly written.And official as some may want to hold it ... until it's in the errata, and they change/clarify the wording of the Brew Potion feat ... Sage Advice is IMO merely a suggested set of house rules.I disagree.  What if I have a wizard make a potion of Shield, and then, that same wizard drinks it?  THEN, the wizard is in fact capable of casting the spell on the imbiber of the potion.There are a lot of things that are not explicitly listed in the DMG.  For example: there's no explicit lisitng of a Fireball scroll; yet noone disputes they can be made.If one wishes to be that exacting, then, TWO potions (one for north, one for south). *shrug*  I interpret things differently; while D&D does not include facings for issues of AC and the like, there is no reason not to refer to facings when describing effects or events.See reference to Potion of Persistent Shield, above.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Actually, notice I also revised the shield to +1, Medium Fortification, Speed.  I think that may only be a +9 shield (Medium Fort is +3, right?), but that at least wrings more benefits form the buckler.  Or else just go "+1 of Speed".Not so.  The dagger is the defender; the main weapon (a rapier, in keepig with the style and abilities of the class) will benefit from it's own magic (Elemental Aura, Keen, Sure Striking, Wounding, Dispelling, +1; total of a +10 weapon; buld it of, say, Darksteel (+1500gp and counts as masterwork); net price is 201,520gp; it does 1d6(base), +1(electric, stacks withother electric damage bonusses), +1d6(any one element type, chosen per-round); not a shabby weapon); it will also benefit form Weapon Finesse, and Weapon Focus (and of course, Weapon Specialisation).At top penalty, which is -8 (-5 Expertise, -1 Buckler-and-off-weapon, -2 TWF/Ambidex and light weapons), the Duellist will still have an attack of +23/+18/+13/+8.  Not astounding, but quite useful nonetheless.That's your personal choice, and you're welcome to it; I also like to track "theoretical maximum without outside aid" ("outside" aid being that sourced from beyond that character, and his/her equipment list).</blockquote>

Verification