HIGH-Magic Campaign

No, really... HIGH magic... beware....

This is an idea I came up with while thumbing through my copy of the Expanded Psionics Handbook. Yeah, psionics will be involved here so if you just can't stand 'em you won't get much from this post.

So I came upon the Cerebremancer PrC and thought "this looks familiar." Sure enough, it's exactly like the Mystic Theurge PrC except it involves an arcane spellcasting class and a psionic class instead of a divine spellcasting class. Well that's cool, I wonder if there's a divine/psionic PrC? Sadly, I was unable to find one. But, it's a pretty simple and straightforward PrC idea so I made one:

Enlightened Minds

Requirements:

Skills: Knowledge (psionics) 6 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 6 ranks.

Spells: Able to cast 2nd-level divine spells.

Psionics: Able to manifest 2nd-level powers.

Class Skills:

Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Psicraft (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features:

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Enlightened minds gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Spells per Day/Powers Known:

When a new enlightened mind level is gained, the character gains new spells per day and spells known as if he had also attained a level in any one divine spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He gains additional power points per day and access to new powers as if he had also gained a level in any one manifesting class he belonged to previously. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of either class would have gained (bonus metapsionic or item creation feats, psicrystal special abilities, and so on). This essentially means that he adds the level of enlightened mind to the level of whatever other divine spellcasting class and manifesting class the character has, then determines spells per day, caster level, power points per day, powers known, spells known, and manifester level accordingly.

For example, a 3rd-level cleric/3rd-level psion who takes a level in enlightened mind has the same access to spells as a 4th-level cleric and the same number of power points as a 4th-level psion. But he continues to turn undead as a 3rd-level cleric, and his psicrystal (if he has one) won’t gain any new abilities.

If a character had more than one divine spellcasting class or more than one manifesting class before he became a enlightened mind, he must decide to which class he adds each level of enlightened mind for purpose of determining spells per day, spells known, caster level, power points per day, powers known, and manifester level.

Got all that? Ok good. Now we have three PrCs that are slight variations on each other. But what good is making a new class if you're not going to use it? So I came up with a neat campaign idea, but sadly lack the players or a proper DM (I wouldn't do it justice) to pull it off. So I'll post it here and hopefully someone will like it enough to give it a try. If you do, let me know how it turns out. I'll even post some of your exploits up here if you want. Ok, down to business. First, there are two groups of three:

Group A:
Cleric/Wizard/Mystic Theurge
Wizard/Psion/Cerebremancer
Cleric/Psion/Enlightened Mind

Group B:
Favored Soul/Sorcerer/Mystic Theurge
Sorcerer/Wilder/Cerebremancer
Favored Soul/Wilder/Enlightened Mind

If you're like me, you're squealing with anticipation right now. What can I say? I like balance (in the cosmic sense).

The actual nature of the campaign can take on many forms. I suggest three OR six players.

With 3 players either:
Choose either group and the group left over is NPCed and becomes a rival group.

Choose either group and forget the other.

OR

Players play both groups in parallel (either competing or cooperating).

With 6 players either:
Play both groups as one large group.

OR

Play both groups in parallel (either competing or cooperating).

The only part of the character development that the players don't have control over is class progression. The characters alternate their base classes and take the requirements for their PrCs as soon as possible (yeah I know that controls some skill choices as well). As soon as they meet the requirements for their PrC they must take at least 1 level in it. They cannot gain more than 5 levels in either of their base classes and cannot take levels in any other class. This makes everyone end up as "Base class A" 5/"Base class B" 5/PrC 10. All other development choices can be made by the player (familiars, psicrystals, deities, domains, spell/power lists, etc.).

I know this isn't a campaign for everyone, but if you know people who would like to give it a shot then go for it. I know I'd love to play it. Along those lines, I do game over the internet on FantasyGrounds, so if you want to try to get it started on there I'd be up for it.

That's all for today.

Tags: high magic, campaign, mystic theurge, cerebremancer, enlightened mind, prestige class, cleric, wizard, psion, favored soul, sorcerer, wilder, Dungeons and Dragons, D&D, D20

Gestalt Characters

My younger brother just got me Unearthed Arcana for my birthday (thanks for that one bud!). There are a few interesting little variants in this book that I wouldn't mind trying out or implementing as a permanent house rule (*cough*fractional multiclassing*cough*), but there was one in particular that sparked my interest. I bet you'll never guess what that is. What? It's the title of the post? Dammit!

So what's a gestalt character? If you haven't looked through Unearthed Arcana I suggest taking the time to skim through this section of the book. Basically, it allows a character to level in two classes simultaneously.

I can see everyone's heads buzzing now. Let me explain exactly what I meant by that, and why I'm so eager to start a gestalt campaign. In a traditional game, you can dual or multiclass, sure, but you essentially give up higher abilities in order to be more diverse. For instance, if you alternated cleric and wizard classes all the way up to level 20, you would have the spell-casting power of a 10th level cleric and a 10th level wizard. Not very much punch on either end (only 5th level spells available), but you have access to the best offensive and defensive spells in those levels. This can be ameliorated somewhat by prestige classes (like the mystic theurge) that let you focus in an aspect from two classes while neglecting the rest (no increase in undead turning for your cleric part, and no more bonus feats for your wizard part), but with a cleric 5/wizard 5/mystic theurge 10, you now have the spell-casting abilities of a 15th level cleric and 15th level wizard (and up to 8th level spells). Nice bonus.

Now let's talk about gestalt characters. Using the gestalt rules in Unearthed Arcana, you can gain levels as a cleric/wizard. So at level 1, you are a cleric/wizard 1. What this means is that you get a d8 hit die, good fort and will saves, average BAB, the ability to turn or rebuke undead (as your alignment or deity choice requires), spells per day as a level 1 cleric, access to two domains, weapon and armor proficiencies as a cleric, the ability to spontaneously cast cure spells from your divine spells per day, and anything else a cleric gets at level 1. Then, you add all the things wizards get: a familiar, the scribe scroll feat, arcane spells per day, you can specialize if you wish, and so forth. Anything that both classes have (BAB, saves, skill points) don't stack, but you do take the better of the two. Arcane spell failure still applies when wearing armor or carrying a shield, etc. So, using this rule, you can have a level 20 cleric/wizard who not only has the spell casting power of a level 20 cleric and a level 20 wizard, but the ability to turn undead as a level 20 cleric, all the bonus feats of a level 20 wizard, a BAB of +15, fort and will saves of +12, a reflex save of +6, and so on. Yes, this does create overpowered characters, which is why every PC in the campaign needs to be gestalt if you want to use it (if not, the one character who is gestalt is going to far outshine the other characters). So all you need to do is make sure everyone is gestalt and then up the CRs you throw at them.

Unearthed Arcana offers some suggestions for appropriate CRs and even useful combinations of classes. A druid/ranger for instance, has the animal companion of a druid, all good saves, the best BAB, wild shape (for melee), the ranger's combat style (for ranged), two sources of spells per day (druid for healing, combat control, damage, or anything else; and ranger for buffing or just extra healing or summoning). Rock on! That's a character who could solo his way through the temple of elemental evil blindfolded (especially once wild shaped into something with blindsight).

So, that's my rant on gestalt characters. I'll put up more about them once I actually get the chance to see them in action. I'll let you know how it goes (thinking of going favored soul/sorcerer, magic... everywhere... at all times....).

Tags: gestalt, unearthed arcana, Dungeons and Dragons, D&D, D20

Fractastic!

What?

Ok, if you've been paying attention to the WotC articles on their site, this post isn't going to be anything new for you, but I like it anyway. Why? Because it uses math to solve problems! Weeee!

The problem: Multiclassing and what it does (or can do) to save bonuses and base attack bonuses (BAB). For instance, let's say you start off as a first level rogue. Your BAB is +0, your fortitude save is +0, your reflex save is +2, and your will save is +0. As a second level rogue you would have BAB +1, fort +0, ref +3, will +0; but instead, let's assume you picked up a level of wizard for those cool sneak attacking spells. In this case, using the rules as written (RAW), you would have BAB +0, fort +0, ref +2, will +2. What just happened? You end up with 1 less BAB and 1 more save bonus than usual. This example also works when compared to 2 levels in wizard (BAB +1, fort +0, ref +0, will +3).

Now, you might not see this as such a big deal, and really it isn't. After all, it's a 1 point penalty and a 1 point bonus either way. Personally, I find BAB to be more valuable than any one save, but I'm willing to consider otherwise. This situation also occurs when taking prestige classes (PrCs).

The solution: So how do we fix this? With math! Ok I'll stop, but this does require some ability to work fractions. In the PHB pg. 22, it lists the two progressions of saves and three progressions of BAB. "Good" saves increase at a rate of 1 point/2 levels (with a bonus of 2 at 1st level) and "Poor" saves increase at 1 point/3 levels. So you can conceptualize this as gaining 1/2 a save bonus every level (round down) for good saves and 1/3 a save bonus every level (round down) for poor saves. Then you just add the inherent +2 bonus to good saves for the first level. Try it, it works! The same can be applied to BAB with good BAB increasing at 1 point/level (not complicated), average BAB increases at 2/3 points every level (round down), and poor BAB increases at 1/3 points every level (round down).

Let's apply this to our rogue/wizard example. This would make a first level rogue have BAB +2/3 (rounded down to +0 as normal), fort +1/3 (rounded down to +0 as normal), ref +2 2/3 (rounded down to +2 as normal), and will +1/3 (are you rounding yet? +0 as normal). When you take a level in wizard you are then left with BAB +1 (+2/3 rogue, +1/3 wizard), fort +2/3 (round down to +0 as normal), ref +3 (rogue +2/3, wizard +1/3, +2 for first level), and will +1 (+1/3 rogue, +2/3 wizard, we drop the +2 for first level here because we're making that only applicable to first character level just like starting money and equipment and max hit die). So how does that compare with a level 2 rogue or level 2 wizard? Same BAB for all, same fort for all, same ref as the rogue but 3 points higher than wizard, 1 point higher will than rogue but 2 points lower than wizard. I think this makes for a better and more logical balance between the classes. The rogue is obviously a little more accentuated thanks to the +2 save bonus at first level, but this is reasonable considering it is the way you started your career.

This method is even more helpful with later levels as you continue to pursue two classes or even add a PrC like arcane trickster for example (take the +2 save bonus at first level out of that too). Monks who take PrCs will be especially happy for this as they are combat-oriented but only get the average BAB progression. They're really not going to want to take a monk-based PrC that also has average BAB because, by using the RAW, they'd lose even more BAB. So try it out. I promise it is not as difficult as it may seem, just count up all the fractions and round down to the nearest whole number. You have 10 minutes... begin.

Tags: math, base attack bonus, BAB, multiclassing, save bonus, prestige class, Dungeons and Dragons, D&D, D20