Question of Balance [Archive] - Wizards Community

Question of Balance [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Phelot_Plaguecrafter
03-06-08, 11:46 PM On page 85 of Eberron Campaign Setting is the Weretouched Master.

It's capstone ability at level 5, 'Alternate Form' essentially makes the Shifter into a more lycanthrope character. Gives them a powerful hybrid form, basically.
Here's the thing, though. You choose an animal at the beginning to derive your stats from and at this end stage, you get ability points based on the animal you've chosen. But here's the real problem as I see it:
If you chose Bear, at this point you get +16 Str, +2 Dex, and +8 Con, whereas if you chose, say, Wolf, you get +2 Str, +4 Dex, and +4 Con.

This is fairly par for the course, two or three of the animals give you incredible stats, but the others give you a plus to only two stats or simply bad stats. I mean, none of it is even CLOSE to a +16, that's for damn sure.

So, I'm asking the Class forums to maybe show me some errata I missed or some CustServ question I never saw or something that explains how choosing anything but the bear is still balanced.

Thanks.
Carpe Diem
03-08-08, 10:24 PM No such luck I'm afraid, and I hate the notion of Werebears and whatever. If you are interested in playing that class, you could ask to play a Dire Werewolf (from the Monster Manual), which gets you closer to balanced. But I often feel that class is one of the most underthought classes, because nobody is going to choose anything other than Werebear RAW unless they have an RP reason to do so.

Also, that makes this class much better than the Frenzied Berserker IMHO. You miss out on the cleave stuff and the power attacking stuff, but there is enough out there to compensate for that.
Suspect_Unusual
03-09-08, 01:52 AM Doesn't the errata specifically change the stat bonuses to be a balance of +6 over 2 stats?

Edit: Yup, just as i thought, though the bear gets shafted.

Also: Link: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/errata
Carpe Diem
03-09-08, 07:58 PM Doesn't the errata specifically change the stat bonuses to be a balance of +6 over 2 stats?

Edit: Yup, just as i thought, though the bear gets shafted.

Also: Link: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/errata

Wow. Sweet, thanks.
Phelot_Plaguecrafter
03-09-08, 09:38 PM Fantastic. That's what I was looking for. Thanks.
Suspect_Unusual
03-10-08, 06:07 PM Glad to help. =]
Cartigan
03-11-08, 01:07 PM Doesn't the errata specifically change the stat bonuses to be a balance of +6 over 2 stats?

Edit: Yup, just as i thought, though the bear gets shafted.

Also: Link: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/errata

Yeah the Bear totally gets shafted, so does the Tiger. They were overpowered, but they got pwned, especially the Bear. You might as well just make up your own final table between the book and the errata.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Phelot_Plaguecrafter 03-06-08, 11:46 PM	On page 85 of Eberron Campaign Setting is the Weretouched Master. It's capstone ability at level 5, 'Alternate Form' essentially makes the Shifter into a more lycanthrope character. Gives them a powerful hybrid form, basically. Here's the thing, though. You choose an animal at the beginning to derive your stats from and at this end stage, you get ability points based on the animal you've chosen. But here's the real problem as I see it: If you chose Bear, at this point you get +16 Str, +2 Dex, and +8 Con, whereas if you chose, say, Wolf, you get +2 Str, +4 Dex, and +4 Con. This is fairly par for the course, two or three of the animals give you incredible stats, but the others give you a plus to only two stats or simply bad stats. I mean, none of it is even CLOSE to a +16, that's for damn sure. So, I'm asking the Class forums to maybe show me some errata I missed or some CustServ question I never saw or something that explains how choosing anything but the bear is still balanced. Thanks.
Carpe Diem 03-08-08, 10:24 PM	No such luck I'm afraid, and I hate the notion of Werebears and whatever. If you are interested in playing that class, you could ask to play a Dire Werewolf (from the Monster Manual), which gets you closer to balanced. But I often feel that class is one of the most underthought classes, because nobody is going to choose anything other than Werebear RAW unless they have an RP reason to do so. Also, that makes this class much better than the Frenzied Berserker IMHO. You miss out on the cleave stuff and the power attacking stuff, but there is enough out there to compensate for that.
Suspect_Unusual 03-09-08, 01:52 AM	Doesn't the errata specifically change the stat bonuses to be a balance of +6 over 2 stats? Edit: Yup, just as i thought, though the bear gets shafted. Also: Link: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/errata
Carpe Diem 03-09-08, 07:58 PM	Doesn't the errata specifically change the stat bonuses to be a balance of +6 over 2 stats? Edit: Yup, just as i thought, though the bear gets shafted. Also: Link: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/errata Wow. Sweet, thanks.
Phelot_Plaguecrafter 03-09-08, 09:38 PM	Fantastic. That's what I was looking for. Thanks.
Suspect_Unusual 03-10-08, 06:07 PM	Glad to help. =]
Cartigan 03-11-08, 01:07 PM	Doesn't the errata specifically change the stat bonuses to be a balance of +6 over 2 stats? Edit: Yup, just as i thought, though the bear gets shafted. Also: Link: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/errata Yeah the Bear totally gets shafted, so does the Tiger. They were overpowered, but they got pwned, especially the Bear. You might as well just make up your own final table between the book and the errata.