Elite/Gestalt character in a solo campaign... balance/fun? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Elite/Gestalt character in a solo campaign... balance/fun?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
psk20
Sep 21, 2011 16:15:36 Hi All,

I've been intending to start up a solo campaign with my wife for some time now, and wanted some input on a house rule I was thinking of adding for this campaign only.

Clearly, the game isn't designed around solo campaigns. A lone PC is at quite a bit of risk of early, sudden death.

I've been thinking of making this campaign revolve around her character's transition from human to shade. She might start out as an arena fighter or something, in a gladiatorial arena. At some point in the story, she'll be put in a desperate situation where her only option for staying alive is to undergo the ritual to transform herself into a shade.

Here's what I was thinking of doing (perhaps some combination but not all of these):

- Give her an extra 2-4 points in her starting array.
- Give her improved defenses, superior will, toughness, durability, and a weapon expertise feat of her choice free right at level 1. Toughness and durability would not actually be the named feat - if she wanted to spend a feat on these to get them again, she'd be welcome to.

- When she undergoes the transition to Shade, I'd allow her to take the Shade race, as well as a few stealth-based features (such as, perhaps, all the ossassin class features) as a boon, overlaying her current race/class. For example, if she went Human Arena Fighter followed by Shade Assassin, she'd be a human, and a shade, and a fighter, and an assassin. She'd be able to pick powers from either class (or shade powers) as she desired. I'd probably also allow her to stack the ability score bonuses.
- I'd probably also give her an extra utility power at or below her current level.

Does this seem over the top?
#2
stargazer_dragon
Sep 21, 2011 20:01:49 I am assuming you concidered adding in a NPC and decided against this.

As such here is anouther option

Have her pick her main class and a secondary class, Design the char for the main class however keaping the secondary class in mind, Then allow her to get the class features of the second class, as well as a at bonus at will, encounter, and daily chosen from the second class. (second class probably being a leader type) then eather scale the fights down a bit OR allow her to take a second set of actions on a seperate initiative, During the second initiative she would use only her second classes powers. In essence playing 1 and a half chars during combat, perhaps grant her a 15 hit point boost at lvl one to help with survivablity.

if needed grant a +2 in the ability score that is needed to make the secondary class more effective.

Makes a prety heroic char but won't utterly break the game.

What I would stay away from is boosting her defence or attack number as this will make her never miss or never get hit and cause issues. a few extra powers and HP is a better rout to go in my opinion
#3
slobo777a
Sep 22, 2011 3:27:04 Seconded stargazer_dragon.

You could take it further.

1) Have your wife generate two characters as fully-fledged PCs - perhaps one is her initial personality, and the second is the shade. I'd advise that both are melee-based.

2) Run the game as if both characters were always standing on the same spot, and describe them as a single character. Have attacks that target the character randomly target one or other of her "personalities" (and thus go for just one of the characters). Up to you how you want to consider area attacks (I'd still go for them only targetting one of the the characters, since she doesn't have the choice t o split them up as a tactic). Obviously effects that move one character then end up moving both, and the same might apply to some conditions (Immobilised).

3) In all other respects these are mechanically two characters.

It may require a little mental effort in "re-fluffing" to ignore whatever the shade character is supposedly equipped with, but it is a surer way to get the homebrew balanced so that combat is fun.

I'd still add a companion side-kick or two, as the game will still likely be very swingy without further stabilising influences.

And finally, have plenty of combats where losing is not death, just a setback or different path.
#4
tallric_kruush
Sep 26, 2011 18:57:23 Another way of doing this would be to allow her to choose a base class, and then add one of the "PC Class Templates" first introduced in the DMG. Most of the secondary class' important features are gained this way, and you could allow her the "best of each class", in terms of deficiencies, HP and the like. This is, in essence, what Stargazer was suggesting.

Also, have you considered the Shade template from the FRCG? You'd be granting the same Shade flavor, but with far superior mechanics. With this template, a secondary class might not even be necessary.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 psk20 Sep 21, 2011 16:15:36	Hi All, I've been intending to start up a solo campaign with my wife for some time now, and wanted some input on a house rule I was thinking of adding for this campaign only. Clearly, the game isn't designed around solo campaigns. A lone PC is at quite a bit of risk of early, sudden death. I've been thinking of making this campaign revolve around her character's transition from human to shade. She might start out as an arena fighter or something, in a gladiatorial arena. At some point in the story, she'll be put in a desperate situation where her only option for staying alive is to undergo the ritual to transform herself into a shade. Here's what I was thinking of doing (perhaps some combination but not all of these): - Give her an extra 2-4 points in her starting array. - Give her improved defenses, superior will, toughness, durability, and a weapon expertise feat of her choice free right at level 1. Toughness and durability would not actually be the named feat - if she wanted to spend a feat on these to get them again, she'd be welcome to. - When she undergoes the transition to Shade, I'd allow her to take the Shade race, as well as a few stealth-based features (such as, perhaps, all the ossassin class features) as a boon, overlaying her current race/class. For example, if she went Human Arena Fighter followed by Shade Assassin, she'd be a human, and a shade, and a fighter, and an assassin. She'd be able to pick powers from either class (or shade powers) as she desired. I'd probably also allow her to stack the ability score bonuses. - I'd probably also give her an extra utility power at or below her current level. Does this seem over the top?
#2 stargazer_dragon Sep 21, 2011 20:01:49	I am assuming you concidered adding in a NPC and decided against this. As such here is anouther option Have her pick her main class and a secondary class, Design the char for the main class however keaping the secondary class in mind, Then allow her to get the class features of the second class, as well as a at bonus at will, encounter, and daily chosen from the second class. (second class probably being a leader type) then eather scale the fights down a bit OR allow her to take a second set of actions on a seperate initiative, During the second initiative she would use only her second classes powers. In essence playing 1 and a half chars during combat, perhaps grant her a 15 hit point boost at lvl one to help with survivablity. if needed grant a +2 in the ability score that is needed to make the secondary class more effective. Makes a prety heroic char but won't utterly break the game. What I would stay away from is boosting her defence or attack number as this will make her never miss or never get hit and cause issues. a few extra powers and HP is a better rout to go in my opinion
#3 slobo777a Sep 22, 2011 3:27:04	Seconded stargazer_dragon. You could take it further. 1) Have your wife generate two characters as fully-fledged PCs - perhaps one is her initial personality, and the second is the shade. I'd advise that both are melee-based. 2) Run the game as if both characters were always standing on the same spot, and describe them as a single character. Have attacks that target the character randomly target one or other of her "personalities" (and thus go for just one of the characters). Up to you how you want to consider area attacks (I'd still go for them only targetting one of the the characters, since she doesn't have the choice t o split them up as a tactic). Obviously effects that move one character then end up moving both, and the same might apply to some conditions (Immobilised). 3) In all other respects these are mechanically two characters. It may require a little mental effort in "re-fluffing" to ignore whatever the shade character is supposedly equipped with, but it is a surer way to get the homebrew balanced so that combat is fun. I'd still add a companion side-kick or two, as the game will still likely be very swingy without further stabilising influences. And finally, have plenty of combats where losing is not death, just a setback or different path.
#4 tallric_kruush Sep 26, 2011 18:57:23	Another way of doing this would be to allow her to choose a base class, and then add one of the "PC Class Templates" first introduced in the DMG. Most of the secondary class' important features are gained this way, and you could allow her the "best of each class", in terms of deficiencies, HP and the like. This is, in essence, what Stargazer was suggesting. Also, have you considered the Shade template from the FRCG? You'd be granting the same Shade flavor, but with far superior mechanics. With this template, a secondary class might not even be necessary.