Hot answers tagged character-advancement
12
There is absolutely no reason to take exactly 3 levels of Fighter.
Strictly Superior Alternatives
Assuming you go by non-fractional saves/BAB – which I refuse to do personally, but it is the base rule – the level gives you ~5.5 HP, +1 BAB, +1 Ref, +1 Will, and 2+Int skill points.
Taking Barbarian 1 at that point instead would get you ~6.5 HP, ...
8
The idea of handing out additional stunts (or aspects - to be honest, I prefer new aspects as it creates a closer tie to the narrative of the game) is the most common within Fate systems (it's the primary mechanic in Starblazer in my mind). That said, one of the game's designers, Byron Kerr, has actually opined on this topic:
Create characters as ...
7
If you prefer to stick by the rules, then all of a sudden the afflicted PC get several Hit Dice and increase in level adjustment (as per template). Recalculate his ECL and - guess what - award xp based on his new ECL.
Furthermore, not only their xp gains are affected. He will obtain next level upon earning an xp total sufficient for being level ECL+1, which ...
7
I've seen things like this done in most of the D&D games that I've played, actually. However, I've rarely seen it as any kind of hard-and-fast ruleset. There's a few systems that I've seen that are conducive to this:
The d20 Modern Mutations System. This system lets you mutate your character using mutation points. 5 mutation points is worth roughly ...
6
Yes. Look at the Minmax Boards handbook index. This is where all the wizards threads migraded (after a stop over at brilliantgameologists.)
Now, this index holds all of the handbooks developed for 3.5. I've found that a handbook is an excellent resource that reduces the number of choices I have to make during character creation, as the traps are neatly ...
5
Sure you can, as long as you meet the prestige class’s prerequisites. The Commoner class does not have any special rules about its advancement, it’s just a particularly weak base class.
It’s actually the easiest way to enter the Survivor prestige class (Savage Species), which requires that one’s highest base save bonus be lower than ...
3
The two are totally separated. You spend your advancement points on common skills. You spend experience on combat skills and Valor/Wisdom levels. And they reinforce thusly what you've been doing with your time.
SPENDING EXPERIENCE POINTS
Heroes may spend their accumulated Experience points
to gain a new rank in either Wisdom or Valour, and to
...
3
The character now counts as his new level (original level + RHD of the template + LA of the template) for the purposes of determining how much XP he gets from encounters and how much XP he needs to reach the next level.
Unfortunately, this is an enormous pain and is, in almost all cases, a very significant loss of power compared to other people of the same ...
3
Here is a novel approach that I have been playtesting for a while for a game I'm developing, based on Diaspora. The initial results seem to be good. It may work for you, and if you try it, let me know how it turned out for you.
Ghosts of the past
Every character has a secondary sheet where they record every skill, aspect and stunt they ever had, even if ...
2
Is there a precedent? Yes, of course. A recorded precedent? Well, that's more difficult. Anyway, 3 propositions that in my opinion apply to what you want to do:
1 - Just give them spell-like abilities. You choose one, roughly of the maximum spell-level than a caster of their level would be able to cast (e.g. 3rd lvl for lvl 5 characters), and based on one ...
1
OK, so here’s the text in question:
Spell Rage (Ex)
A rage mage can cast spells while in a rage, as long as the spell’s casting time is no more than 1 full round. When she casts a spell of the abjuration, conjuration, evocation, necromancy, or transmutation school while in a rage, the rage mage uses her character level as her caster level. ...
1
One of my characters (a 3.0 Psychic Warrior going for Pyrokineticist) has been caught by a were-rat in the past, so I've had to deal with the issue.
They have effectively had 2 free class levels (as afflicted lycanthropes). So, if they were level 5 when afflicted, they won't level up again until they have enough XP for level 8.
I can't find a citation for ...
1
There are probably many lists of what one particular person or group considers to be optimized builds. DandDwiki’s got an entire category full of them. The problem is that people can have wildly different ideas of what “optimization” means, and plenty of people writing these lists know nothing about optimization (like most of the people on ...
1
The only reason I could see someone saying not to stop at level 3 is because you don't get the bonus feat since it's an odd level. Otherwise, it's the level your Ref and Will saves first get bumped, you always get extra BAB and HD, and the universal level 3 feat. The only level I ever thought was unfortunate for a fighter was level 5. No saves change, no ...
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