I can't come up with any brillant ideas and builds like all my DnD playing friends do on a daily basis, I only get mediocre dice roll results except for a few times when I get a crit or something similar, I end up feeling like I'm wasting a spot at the game table, really.
Anyways, what I'm getting at is that I'm currently toying with the idea of not playing DnD, at least for the campaign I'm currently involved in and start fresh with a new campaign.
How do I stop sucking at DnD?
truth is your D&D friends are really meta-gaming, they are min/maxing and optimizing their abilities exclusively to be rediculously more powerful, a cheap form of cheating, it's like bringing a gun to a knife fight.
What you should do toss some dash and daring do into the fray, take more risks, if you can't think of something briliant then think of something crazy. Get some help from your friends at what to do with your characters and then roll with it.
The only way you can get good at something is to keep doing it and learning, expereince wins in the long run, play something fun, not powerful, and learn from it. Experiment even (lotsa fun even if you fail badly, hehe) And take the riskiest, most implausable methods whenever available. No guts, no glory.
Let the DM know that you feel like this blah, no name, do nothing character, with crappy dice rolls.
PS. Post your character here, perhaps?
Good luck.
I can't come up with any brillant ideas and builds like all my DnD playing friends do on a daily basis, I only get mediocre dice roll results except for a few times when I get a crit or something similar, I end up feeling like I'm wasting a spot at the game table, really.
You're not.
We had a PC with a character playing in 2nd that had the best stat rolls ever. He was serving the primary god of the campaign and was on an ego trip. He fell from grace and betrayed us all. And for a full year he was a thorn in our side, not accomplishing anything but mucking in our business and occasionally ambushing us.
Narcissism is the only way to lose DnD.
she's a psion shaper 6/pyrokinetic 10/thrallherd 6. I decided to go all out with pyro despite the fact that it's slightly more melee oriented because we're playing an evil campaign and i figured what can be more evil than a narcistic snob that torches down buildings because she thinks it's pretty? That and she gets d8s for 10 levels...
Yes, this build is screwed up on many levels, I'll be the first one to say, but I was going for flavor more than uber-optimization... I think things are looking up though, seeing as my psionic powers and catching up with my mega fire ones, but I screwed up on many occasions now that nobody seems to be taking my character seriously (and this sadly includes the other players as well), so I can act as chronically pyromaniacal as I want, I just end up looking even more stupid...
I wish I could just start all over right about now, I seriously screwed up with this psion
truth is your D&D friends are really meta-gaming, they are min/maxing and optimizing their abilities exclusively to be rediculously more powerful, a cheap form of cheating, it's like bringing a gun to a knife fight.
There's a difference between metagaming and optimizing. Metagaming is cheating (bringing a gun to a knife-fight). Optimizing is just making the most of limited resources (bringing a gun instead of a knife to a fight that doesn't have agreed-upon weapons).
I wish I could just start all over right about now, I seriously screwed up with this psion
I'm afraid you're right. You're bringing level 6 powers to an Epic table, and slinging unlimited fire attacks in an environment where pretty much everyone is immune to fire.
Wha'ts your Thrall? You might be best off using your Shaper for battlefield control and then having the Thrall focus on damage or whatever (even if you have to dismiss your current Thrall and attract a new one).
I'm afraid you're right. You're bringing level 6 powers to an Epic table, and slinging unlimited fire attacks in an environment where pretty much everyone is immune to fire.
Wha'ts your Thrall? You might be best off using your Shaper for battlefield control and then having the Thrall focus on damage or whatever (even if you have to dismiss your current Thrall and attract a new one).
My Thrall's a psychic warrior, I didn't really get to try him out in battle yet since the last sessions were more political debating than battling... would getting the Practiced manifester feat help out with my non-fire powers by letting me pump more power points into them than what I normally could?
My Thrall's a psychic warrior, I didn't really get to try him out in battle yet since the last sessions were more political debating than battling... would getting the Practiced manifester feat help out with my non-fire powers by letting me pump more power points into them than what I normally could?
With those Thrallherd levels, you ought to be able to bring some diplomatic Skills to the table.
A Psychic Warrior should be pretty effective, if he's close to your level.
Pumping more PP into a power might be a partial solution, but it doesn't quite let you compete with Epic effects; you'd still only be able to put 15 PP into a power (roughly equivalent to a level 8 spell). Plus, you'd burn through your limited reserve even faster...
As a DM, I usually look at the capabilities of my players' characters and try to create encounters that allow those capabilities to shine. If you as a player want to play a Knight of Chalice PrC, then I'll be sending Demons after you. If you as a player want to play a straight fighter all the way to 20lvl, I'm not going to punish you by sending a lot of Spell users with mind-affecting magic against you.
Point being, your DM bears some responsibility in delivering encounters that tap into the character you want to play.
My Thrall's a psychic warrior, I didn't really get to try him out in battle yet since the last sessions were more political debating than battling... would getting the Practiced manifester feat help out with my non-fire powers by letting me pump more power points into them than what I normally could?
Yes.
Oh, my character? Right, we got into epic levels a while back, so it's going to look ridiculous...
she's a psion shaper 6/pyrokinetic 10/thrallherd 6. I decided to go all out with pyro despite the fact that it's slightly more melee oriented because we're playing an evil campaign and i figured what can be more evil than a narcistic snob that torches down buildings because she thinks it's pretty? That and she gets d8s for 10 levels...
Yes, this build is screwed up on many levels, I'll be the first one to say, but I was going for flavor more than uber-optimization... I think things are looking up though, seeing as my psionic powers and catching up with my mega fire ones, but I screwed up on many occasions now that nobody seems to be taking my character seriously (and this sadly includes the other players as well), so I can act as chronically pyromaniacal as I want, I just end up looking even more stupid...
I wish I could just start all over right about now, I seriously screwed up with this psion
Hang on, you are steadily gaining in power, and everybody thinks you are rubbish? Stay under the radar. Be quiet. Don't try to shine, in fact, underpower yourself and your powers ... until you really have to unload it. Then when it is really needed, show the rest of the party and the enemy that you are NOT to be trifled with.
Then sit back quietly and smile at their stunned faces.
Oh, my character? Right, we got into epic levels a while back, so it's going to look ridiculous...
she's a psion shaper 6/pyrokinetic 10/thrallherd 6. I decided to go all out with pyro despite the fact that it's slightly more melee oriented because we're playing an evil campaign and i figured what can be more evil than a narcistic snob that torches down buildings because she thinks it's pretty? That and she gets d8s for 10 levels...
Yes, this build is screwed up on many levels, I'll be the first one to say, but I was going for flavor more than uber-optimization... I think things are looking up though, seeing as my psionic powers and catching up with my mega fire ones, but I screwed up on many occasions now that nobody seems to be taking my character seriously (and this sadly includes the other players as well), so I can act as chronically pyromaniacal as I want, I just end up looking even more stupid...
I wish I could just start all over right about now, I seriously screwed up with this psion
Retire this character and make another.
If the other players do not respect this character, then it should be a relief for everyone.
Also since you're a thrallherd things could get interesting. You could grant fire sub-type to your critters, extend your fire powers to them (a herd of firelash wielding minions). Since its evil, you could even deal fire damage to your thralls in exchange for more powerpoints. They don't mind either. This is an approximation of how I'd suggest it.
(Keep in mind that in most other situations, this class is likely overpowered. Its been tailored to your PC to make up for any kind of shortcomings you may feel. Remember, you've lost 10 levels of manifester, this tries to help make up for it.)
Blackfire Mistress(Master)
Blackfire mistresses are wicked creatures that dominate others to power their ever consuming dark inferno. These creatures are subjugated such that they willing allow, even encourage, this brutal relationship. Any creature that falls under her sway, for no matter how short a time, is in jeapordy of being consumed by her wicked blazing touch.
Prereqs:
Any Evil
Fire Lash and Conflaguration class feature
Thrallherd class feature
Concentration: 24 ranks
Knowledge: Psionics 24 ranks
Skills: Autohypnosis, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (any), Jump, Psicraft, Sense Motive
2+Int Mod/level
need to swim? /whale. or whatever. in combat i was a war troll. woots. sometimes it don't matter how good you are someone is just better. in DND im not the best by a long shot. o well
Okay, I'll admit it: I'm not all that great of a DnD player. I mean, sure, I understand the rules and how most of everything in the game works, I just can'T seem to do all that much when it comes to sitting down and playing a character.
I can't come up with any brillant ideas and builds like all my DnD playing friends do on a daily basis, I only get mediocre dice roll results except for a few times when I get a crit or something similar, I end up feeling like I'm wasting a spot at the game table, really.
Anyways, what I'm getting at is that I'm currently toying with the idea of not playing DnD, at least for the campaign I'm currently involved in and start fresh with a new campaign.
How do I stop sucking at DnD?
First a player never wastes a spot at the table unless he disrupts play at the table, you sound like you do not cheat, and stay within the rules that is an awesome start.
second get help on your characters from the character optimization boards on this site, take the information that sounds good to you and listen to everyone that posts, they will offer ideas on any facet of game play relevant to your character.
third learn how to play your character in combat, for example(as rogue learn to tumble in and out of combat and make sure you attack from a space that leaves you flanking with other group members and flank often with the melee characters but if you control the wizard stay back out of the melee and use your spells to help your friends walls to slow enemy advance, aoe spells only when your friends are not in the area, and debuffs on the enemies (ray of enfeeble on enemy meleers and touch of idiocy on enemy spellcasters )
Oh, my character? Right, we got into epic levels a while back, so it's going to look ridiculous...
she's a psion shaper 6/pyrokinetic 10/thrallherd 6. I decided to go all out with pyro despite the fact that it's slightly more melee oriented because we're playing an evil campaign and i figured what can be more evil than a narcistic snob that torches down buildings because she thinks it's pretty? That and she gets d8s for 10 levels...
Yes, this build is screwed up on many levels, I'll be the first one to say, but I was going for flavor more than uber-optimization... I think things are looking up though, seeing as my psionic powers and catching up with my mega fire ones, but I screwed up on many occasions now that nobody seems to be taking my character seriously (and this sadly includes the other players as well), so I can act as chronically pyromaniacal as I want, I just end up looking even more stupid...
I wish I could just start all over right about now, I seriously screwed up with this psion
Go to your dm and ask if you can make another character more beneficial to the party, since this was your first character. If he is any type of decent person he should allow this (almost everyone messes uup there first character) When you create your new character concentrate on only one form of combat(magic,psion,or melee but not all). Combat is the one area of the game you will 99% of the time be better off if you specialize in one broad form of combat.
I helped a friend make her character. You should have seen the dirty look I got from the DM when she destroyed some of his mobs the way I normally would have with my characters.
Needless to say, I was threatened with bodily harm, DMG up the rear, and Enfeeblement if I ever helped her make a character again.
Net result....I helped someone else in the group make a character...just for spite =)
It takes a lot of reading and practice in order to use the rules to your advantage. Just keep at it. Ask for advice, but don't let people create your character for you. You can't learn anything by letting someone else do all the work.
I helped a friend make her character. You should have seen the dirty look I got from the DM when she destroyed some of his mobs the way I normally would have with my characters.
Needless to say, I was threatened with bodily harm, DMG up the rear, and Enfeeblement if I ever helped her make a character again.
Net result....I helped someone else in the group make a character...just for spite =)
How do I stop sucking at DnD?
Talk more, roll less.