An interesting campaign world [Archive] - Wizards Community

An interesting campaign world [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Khadgar
05-14-07, 09:29 PM My friends and have been playing the same campaign for sometime, and the campaign started at level 20 and continues going. Currently, we are 43 and should reach level 44 next game. :eek:

The campaign takes place on a campaign world designed to make Jupiter look small and Sigil look like a planar pitstop on the way to this place. The four group members who designed the campaign setting created a world where whats epic in some other campaign I've played in is down right pedestrian. The Lady of Pain would probably be a pauper in this setting to hear some of the people who designed the setting talk. :banghead:

My chief complaint is that the setting, Nexus as my friends decided to name it, seems to negate one of the chief benefits of being an epic character. While it isn't necessary for dm characters to bow before the party and worship us, many of the nonplayer characters seem designed to drive home the fact the party counts for medium size fish and HUGE pond. :twitch:

Now don't misunderstand me. The campaign has featured many of the other hallmarks of an epic campaign. SOme fairly wild stuff has gone down during the campaign, and some of the sessions have been among the most fun adventures I've ever played in. :cool:

Another factor has limited my enjoyment of the campaign. While just about everyone in the campaign has switched character at some point, noone has switched characters more than me. Some of my characters include:

An epic rogue with epic magical shurikens

An epic skarn monk with one incarnum soulmeld and the skarn monk racial substitution levels.

A shifter ranger who relies on his teeth and claws in combat.

A human factotum/wardblade

An soulknife/soulbow (current character)

Add on top of this the number of character builds I've considered going with, and the switch of characters isn't just ruining my fun, its been a drag for the DM who has to adapt to a new character from me every few weeks. :bigeyes:

The problem is I loath my current character. The character has a crappy, thrown together back story. Its difficult to know how to roleplay him, and he ussually can't do much of anything during any combat except get in one or two mediocre hits. Some crappy roleplaying on my part has put the character at dangerous odds with the party tank/damage dealer. :rant:

The party needs a decent character to fill the rogue slot, and the one I'm currently playing doesn't work. Not quite sure what sort of rogue I want to make, but it needs to be one with decent stats and a good back story. ;)

What's my point? :confused:

I'm not sure I really have one at the moment. This probably should be more than one post, but there you go.
fnord
05-14-07, 09:59 PM Well, the "odds" with the party tank could naturally lead to your current character's death, which would give you a good excuse to replace him.

You say your party needs a good player in the rogue slot. In my experience, most everything is immune to SA at epic levels, so what is needed? A stealthy scout type, a general skillmonkey, or a trapfinder?

For the last, you could make an artificer (they get trapfinding), and simply play like a caster; artificers have a lot of options as both buffers and blasters.

For the first, you should still be a rogue type, and focus on using your stealth in combat, too, with Hide in Plain Sight and Spring Attack. Still you might have trouble influencing combat; scouts tend to thrive out of combat.

For a skillmonkey, at epic you could probably do fairly well with that while also being a caster, either a wizard (for high int) or a Sublime Chord. A single level of Factotem together with Able Learner should let you do quite well for skills. You could also do an incarnum thing.
Tequila_Sunrise
05-14-07, 10:43 PM The problem is I loath my current character. The character has a crappy, thrown together back story. Its difficult to know how to roleplay him, and he ussually can't do much of anything during any combat except get in one or two mediocre hits. Some crappy roleplaying on my part has put the character at dangerous odds with the party tank/damage dealer. :rant:

While I sympathize with your first complaint, your second complaint sounds like a result of your own attitude. A thrown-together back story? Every character I've ever played has had that and been great to roleplay; try not putting so much energy into details. You can't do much during combat? Build a better character, even if you have to ask other players for advice on effective builds.

Over all, it sounds like you're just unhappy with the campaign (or with the game itself), and are simply railroading yourself into failure.

TS
haelduksf
05-15-07, 12:56 AM An epic scout with a couple of ranger levels and the Swift Hunter feat (CS) can skirmish with almost anything. They get most rogue skills, and their background and alignment are pretty flexible...
Krispieman
05-15-07, 07:20 AM Perhaps you could take a look at PHB2 and the rules therein concerning "adjusting" your character. They effectively allow you to keep the same character (name, BG, w/e) but change all the rest (classes, feats, race).

As far as a "thrown-together" backstory, none of my characters ever have much background. It's something I develop as I play. So while I may start out with a few ideas of how my character will be, I'm never sure what he'll actually become.

Hope it helps, some.

K-man :cool:
Khadgar
05-15-07, 08:03 AM Your comments are helpful, and there is a way around the immunity to the sneak attacks for some types of creatures. After some reading, the Magic Item Compendium features some items that allow critical hits and sneak attacks on undead and constructs, and the campaign already has a homebrew item that allows for sneak attacks on oozes and abberations.

I'm toying with the idea of a couple character builds I think might be fun to play, though I'll be adding haelduksf's idea about an epic scout with a few ranger levels and the swift tracker feat to the that list of ideas.
Yodasatomicweed
05-15-07, 10:39 AM Possibly a Rogue 20/Void Incarnate 10/Perfect Wight 10? I'm not sure if you can meet all the pre-reqs to get that, but it should greatly aid in your trapfinding abilities, as well as from escaping damage should you fail. Pick up a magic item that grants GolemStrike, Gravestrike, and Vinestrike. Heck, throw on the one that makes your attacks count as Touch Attacks. Wraithstrike, I think. Get a ring of Improved Invisibility, and you should be somewhat effective, whether you go down the ranged or TWF route. Maybe pick up an epic rod of negation for that annoying Heavy Fort armor. With that equipment, and your stuff for oozes and abberations, you should be able to sneak attack most anything, and you will almost always be striking your opponents flatfooted, thanks to being invisible. Due to how your DM interprets Mind Blank (from Void Incarnate), your enemies may not be able to see you, even with True Seeing or similar abilities. Now, I don't have a backstory for this guy, but it should be somewhat decent for use in and out of combat.
Khadgar
05-15-07, 02:41 PM Its okay that you don't know have a backstory though up for the character, but do you know which book has the Void Incarnate presitge class?
Yodasatomicweed
05-15-07, 04:52 PM He's in one of the Epic Insights columns, the link to it is here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ei/20030810a). Download the PDF, and check out his stuff.

EDIT: Looking at the pre-reqs, I'd say you can probably start taking levels in it at level 22, if you plan your character correctly.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Khadgar 05-14-07, 09:29 PM	My friends and have been playing the same campaign for sometime, and the campaign started at level 20 and continues going. Currently, we are 43 and should reach level 44 next game. :eek: The campaign takes place on a campaign world designed to make Jupiter look small and Sigil look like a planar pitstop on the way to this place. The four group members who designed the campaign setting created a world where whats epic in some other campaign I've played in is down right pedestrian. The Lady of Pain would probably be a pauper in this setting to hear some of the people who designed the setting talk. :banghead: My chief complaint is that the setting, Nexus as my friends decided to name it, seems to negate one of the chief benefits of being an epic character. While it isn't necessary for dm characters to bow before the party and worship us, many of the nonplayer characters seem designed to drive home the fact the party counts for medium size fish and HUGE pond. :twitch: Now don't misunderstand me. The campaign has featured many of the other hallmarks of an epic campaign. SOme fairly wild stuff has gone down during the campaign, and some of the sessions have been among the most fun adventures I've ever played in. :cool: Another factor has limited my enjoyment of the campaign. While just about everyone in the campaign has switched character at some point, noone has switched characters more than me. Some of my characters include: An epic rogue with epic magical shurikens An epic skarn monk with one incarnum soulmeld and the skarn monk racial substitution levels. A shifter ranger who relies on his teeth and claws in combat. A human factotum/wardblade An soulknife/soulbow (current character) Add on top of this the number of character builds I've considered going with, and the switch of characters isn't just ruining my fun, its been a drag for the DM who has to adapt to a new character from me every few weeks. :bigeyes: The problem is I loath my current character. The character has a crappy, thrown together back story. Its difficult to know how to roleplay him, and he ussually can't do much of anything during any combat except get in one or two mediocre hits. Some crappy roleplaying on my part has put the character at dangerous odds with the party tank/damage dealer. :rant: The party needs a decent character to fill the rogue slot, and the one I'm currently playing doesn't work. Not quite sure what sort of rogue I want to make, but it needs to be one with decent stats and a good back story. ;) What's my point? :confused: I'm not sure I really have one at the moment. This probably should be more than one post, but there you go.
fnord 05-14-07, 09:59 PM	Well, the "odds" with the party tank could naturally lead to your current character's death, which would give you a good excuse to replace him. You say your party needs a good player in the rogue slot. In my experience, most everything is immune to SA at epic levels, so what is needed? A stealthy scout type, a general skillmonkey, or a trapfinder? For the last, you could make an artificer (they get trapfinding), and simply play like a caster; artificers have a lot of options as both buffers and blasters. For the first, you should still be a rogue type, and focus on using your stealth in combat, too, with Hide in Plain Sight and Spring Attack. Still you might have trouble influencing combat; scouts tend to thrive out of combat. For a skillmonkey, at epic you could probably do fairly well with that while also being a caster, either a wizard (for high int) or a Sublime Chord. A single level of Factotem together with Able Learner should let you do quite well for skills. You could also do an incarnum thing.
Tequila_Sunrise 05-14-07, 10:43 PM	The problem is I loath my current character. The character has a crappy, thrown together back story. Its difficult to know how to roleplay him, and he ussually can't do much of anything during any combat except get in one or two mediocre hits. Some crappy roleplaying on my part has put the character at dangerous odds with the party tank/damage dealer. :rant: While I sympathize with your first complaint, your second complaint sounds like a result of your own attitude. A thrown-together back story? Every character I've ever played has had that and been great to roleplay; try not putting so much energy into details. You can't do much during combat? Build a better character, even if you have to ask other players for advice on effective builds. Over all, it sounds like you're just unhappy with the campaign (or with the game itself), and are simply railroading yourself into failure. TS
haelduksf 05-15-07, 12:56 AM	An epic scout with a couple of ranger levels and the Swift Hunter feat (CS) can skirmish with almost anything. They get most rogue skills, and their background and alignment are pretty flexible...
Krispieman 05-15-07, 07:20 AM	Perhaps you could take a look at PHB2 and the rules therein concerning "adjusting" your character. They effectively allow you to keep the same character (name, BG, w/e) but change all the rest (classes, feats, race). As far as a "thrown-together" backstory, none of my characters ever have much background. It's something I develop as I play. So while I may start out with a few ideas of how my character will be, I'm never sure what he'll actually become. Hope it helps, some. K-man :cool:
Khadgar 05-15-07, 08:03 AM	Your comments are helpful, and there is a way around the immunity to the sneak attacks for some types of creatures. After some reading, the Magic Item Compendium features some items that allow critical hits and sneak attacks on undead and constructs, and the campaign already has a homebrew item that allows for sneak attacks on oozes and abberations. I'm toying with the idea of a couple character builds I think might be fun to play, though I'll be adding haelduksf's idea about an epic scout with a few ranger levels and the swift tracker feat to the that list of ideas.
Yodasatomicweed 05-15-07, 10:39 AM	Possibly a Rogue 20/Void Incarnate 10/Perfect Wight 10? I'm not sure if you can meet all the pre-reqs to get that, but it should greatly aid in your trapfinding abilities, as well as from escaping damage should you fail. Pick up a magic item that grants GolemStrike, Gravestrike, and Vinestrike. Heck, throw on the one that makes your attacks count as Touch Attacks. Wraithstrike, I think. Get a ring of Improved Invisibility, and you should be somewhat effective, whether you go down the ranged or TWF route. Maybe pick up an epic rod of negation for that annoying Heavy Fort armor. With that equipment, and your stuff for oozes and abberations, you should be able to sneak attack most anything, and you will almost always be striking your opponents flatfooted, thanks to being invisible. Due to how your DM interprets Mind Blank (from Void Incarnate), your enemies may not be able to see you, even with True Seeing or similar abilities. Now, I don't have a backstory for this guy, but it should be somewhat decent for use in and out of combat.
Khadgar 05-15-07, 02:41 PM	Its okay that you don't know have a backstory though up for the character, but do you know which book has the Void Incarnate presitge class?
Yodasatomicweed 05-15-07, 04:52 PM	He's in one of the Epic Insights columns, the link to it is here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ei/20030810a). Download the PDF, and check out his stuff. EDIT: Looking at the pre-reqs, I'd say you can probably start taking levels in it at level 22, if you plan your character correctly.