Jacob Marley
Adventurer
... but EN World is most popular home for 3.5 enthusiasts I know of...
GitP also has a fairly large 3.5 base...
There is also The Gaming Den... if you can handle the language they use when addressing each other.
... but EN World is most popular home for 3.5 enthusiasts I know of...
GitP also has a fairly large 3.5 base...
Based on this, I chose Cleric. I played a long, long campaign (over 2,000 hours of play time) of 3.5, but it was core-only (with about 7-8 custom prestige classes). Based on my personal experience during all of my 3.5 games (including the long one), I think there was pretty much never a time when people wouldn't want a cleric there to contribute. Certain other classes come close, but that's what I experienced. As always, play what you likeWhat do I mean by most powerful?
-I want your most objective measurement of the ability of a class to contribute to the successful resolution of any given encounter throughout the level range of 1-20 based on actual play experience. Thus, if you feel class "X" is the most effective in the most types of encounters over the life of a 20th-level character, you choose class "X" for the poll.
Other than your 3rd paragraph, I largely agree with you. I think the PF druid is a little closer to a balanced baseline, due to its inability to dump physical stats if it wants to wildshape effectively.Definitely druid. Animal companion, skills, polymorph, decent BAB, HD, and saves. The spells are a bit weaker than the other full casters, but spells are a bonus, really. The skills and animal companion are significantly better that turning and domain powers. And while druids can't do the things wizards can, their bounty of nonmagical abilities makes them more durable and versatile.
I've played and DMed quite a few druids over the years and it's one of my preferred classes.
That being said, I would not call the druid overpowered, and I've never experienced the CoDzilla phenomenon. It takes an enormous amount of skill and effort and DM largess in order to fully leverage its mechanical benefits, and there are significant conditional limitations on where and when druids are most effective. Most of the druids I've seen have been most effective at supporting other party members. They also make excellent NPCs.
To me, the druid is pretty close to the benchmark for what a good 3.5 class looks like: few dead levels and flavorful, but versatile, but specific abilities. Other classes fall short in having too many dead levels or not enough game-changing higher level abilities. In designing or revising classes or approving player requests, I generally have the druid in mind as one benchmark for power.
Like flipping through the PHB until you come across Natural Spell?It takes an enormous amount of skill and effort
Like flipping through the PHB until you come across Natural Spell?![]()
That is a significant change, yes.Other than your 3rd paragraph, I largely agree with you. I think the PF druid is a little closer to a balanced baseline, due to its inability to dump physical stats if it wants to wildshape effectively.
That may be. I think maybe if you agree with the 4th paragraph, you're not too far off from the 3rd, though. If anything, I think it's better to look at fighters and ask what reason you have to advance them in their original class, or to look at rogues and ask why they're so SA-dependent, etc. etc. Druids play well at all levels. Other classes, progressively less so.I won't touch your 3rd paragraph other than to state I disagree, and I expect you to get longer rebuttals shortly.![]()