General Discussion

[Taskmage]

Re: D&D

I just don't see why you would go to the extra trouble of enhancing your marksmanship instead of focusing on raining fireballs from the sky. The dex bonus dovetails with some spells, I think, but it seems to me that the crossbow is going to become less and less useful as you learn more powerful spells.

[Mezlo]

Re: D&D

It seems like you're trying to turn an apple into an orange.

i'm a wizard, i could do that too, though obviously you'd question my intentions...

---------- Post added at 12:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:32 PM ----------

I just don't see why you would go to the extra trouble of enhancing your marksmanship instead of focusing on raining fireballs from the sky. The dex bonus dovetails with some spells, I think, but it seems to me that the crossbow is going to become less and less useful as you learn more powerful spells.

You hit the nail on the head TM. The crossbow is mainly for lower levels, making me worthwhile in combat. Oh, btw, reference the last fight to prove my point...

[cidbahamut]

Re: D&D

I just don't see why you would go to the extra trouble of enhancing your marksmanship instead of focusing on raining fireballs from the sky.

Naked Action Wizard.

That's why.

[Taskmage]

Re: D&D

I don't know what spells you had prepared for comparison, but I think all our ranged attacking was more or less masturbatory since the ultimate fate of all the guards on the bridge was going to be a 1 SYU* drop anyway.



*1 Standard Yyg Unit = 50 feet

---------- Post added at 02:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:39 PM ----------

When multiclassing, do I add the saving throw bonuses from each class together or compare the two and use whichever is higher? I think I read somewhere that it was the latter but now I can't find it.

Btw, apparently I didn't even have my base saving throw and attack bonus information in my sheet. Does the base +1 attack bonus from warrior apply to melee, combat manuevers and ranged attacks? Also, same multiclassing question for attack bonus: add together or pick highest?

[Yygdrasil]

Re: D&D

You hit the nail on the head TM. The crossbow is mainly for lower levels, making me worthwhile in combat. Oh, btw, reference the last fight to prove my point...

I'm not trying to argue... just... help. So hear me out. You say you're planning to only use a crossbow for lower levels... but yet you've planned out your next 5 levels and their respective feats to go specifically to the crossbow aspect of your character. In doing so, you'll lose out on many of the feats that you'll need to dredge through to make your character into an awesome wizard. Specifically meta-magic feats, silent spell and combat casting.

At level 6 you'll be raining arrows down from the sky, sure... but for mediocre damage compared to say... TM or Murph with their melee combat feats. They'll be specializing while you make yourself into a broad-spectrum.

I don't typically question people's character designs because like you said... imagination is what the game is all about. In your case, I just feel like you're going to plateau at level 6 and struggle to be on par with everyone else.

You picked a wizard. A wizard casts spells. That's what wizards do.

If you picked Ranger and opted to focus all of your feats into meta-magic and spell casting feats, I'd be giving you the same advice.

---------- Post added at 03:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:44 PM ----------

I don't know what spells you had prepared for comparison, but I think all our ranged attacking was more or less masturbatory since the ultimate fate of all the guards on the bridge was going to be a 1 SYU* drop anyway.



*1 Standard Yyg Unit = 50 feet

---------- Post added at 02:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:39 PM ----------

When multiclassing, do I add the saving throw bonuses from each class together or compare the two and use whichever is higher? I think I read somewhere that it was the latter but now I can't find it.

Btw, apparently I didn't even have my base saving throw and attack bonus information in my sheet. Does the base +1 attack bonus from warrior apply to melee, combat manuevers and ranged attacks? Also, same multiclassing question for attack bonus: add together or pick highest?

I'll have to look at the book again, but I'm almost certain that simply take the highest. I'll have to double-check to be sure.

[Firewind]

Re: D&D

When Multiclassing you add the Base Attack Bonus and save bonus to what you already have.

Say you have a 5th Level Wizard that takes a level in Ranger to become a more awesome NAKED ACTION WIZARD.

A 5th Level Wizard gets a BAB of +2, taking a level in Ranger (+1 BAB) would give our NAKED ACTION WIZARD +3 to BAB since we just add the Base Attack Bonus together.

Now for Saving throws we do the same thing.

Our NAKED ACTION WIZARD. would have +1 Fort, +1 Ref and +4 Will as his Save Bonuses. A 1st level Ranger has +2 Fort, +2 Ref and +3 Will. So we add them together so our 6th level NAKED ACTION WIZARD would have +3 Fort, +3 Ref and +4 Will as well as a Base Attack Bonus of +3

[Yygdrasil]

Re: D&D

[/COLOR]When multiclassing.

You pick the highest stat between the 2 jobs. I found it.

Also... in regards to multiclassing. In the PF rules, you can realistically take a new class level every time you level up... until (theoretically) you get to level 20 and have 20 classes each at level 1.

The downside is that you spread yourself too think. Pathfinder pretty much made becoming a Fighter/Wizard impossible.

A level 5 Wizard/5 Fighter wouldn't stand a chance against a level 10 Wizard or a Level 10 Fighter... regardless of feats and skills taken. An even stand off would kill you no matter how you cut it.

Spellcasters seem to pretty much cripple themselves when they multiclass with anything else. On the other hand, melee classes seem to benefit decently from taking one (rarely 2) extra levels in something else melee. For instance... if Fire were to take Ranger to level 1 and make himself a RANGER1/ROGUE1 he'd get all the same level 1 abilities as a Ranger would... and some are pretty damn badass. Favored Enemy, Track, Wild Empathy? Not bad for level 1. He would also get all the same class skills without having to compensate for cross class penalties.

Just something to consider.

[Taskmage]

Re: D&D

Fire says add, Yyg says pick highest. Which is it? Is one 3.5 rule and the other Pathfinder?

[Firewind]

Re: D&D

You can still make a pretty effective Battlemage though:

Eldritch Knight - Pathfinder_OGC

Remember that that PrC will advance your spellcasting class so you don't lose out on any spellcasting capability really and you do gain some melee capability. You won't get a Fighter's Bonus Feats or Talents but it's there. Wizard/Fighter/Eldritch Knight is pretty much a Red Mage.

Sorcerer - Pathfinder_OGC

Sorcs can make good battlemages in Pathfinder due to a decent HD and BAB though at low levels you're going to be pretty damn squishy.

---------- Post added at 09:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:15 PM ----------

Fire says add, Yyg says pick highest. Which is it? Is one 3.5 rule and the other Pathfinder?

Multiclassing

Instead of gaining the abilities granted by the next level in your character's current class, he can instead gain the 1st-level abilities of a new class, adding all of those abilities to his existing ones. This is known as “multiclassing.”

For example, let's say a 5th-level fighter decides to dabble in the arcane arts, and adds one level of wizard when he advances to 6th level. Such a character would have the powers and abilities of both a 5th-level fighter and a 1st-level wizard, but would still be considered a 6th-level character. (His class levels would be 5th and 1st, but his total character level is 6th.) He keeps all of his bonus feats gained from 5 levels of fighter, but can now also cast 1st-level spells and picks an arcane school. He adds all of the hit points, base attack bonuses, and saving throw bonuses from a 1st-level wizard on top of those gained from being a 5th-level fighter.

Note that there are a number of effects and prerequisites that rely on a character's level or Hit Dice. Such effects are always based on the total number of levels or Hit Dice a character possesses, not just those from one class. The exception to this is class abilities, most of which are based on the total number of class levels that a character possesses of that particular class.

[Yygdrasil]

Re: D&D

Fire was correct. I read it wrong from a forum. Add.

[Firewind]

Re: D&D

You take the highest in Star Wars Saga Edition actually but that game is pretty much designed around multiclassing anyway given how much customisation it allows.

[Mezlo]

Re: D&D

I'm not trying to argue... just... help. So hear me out. You say you're planning to only use a crossbow for lower levels... but yet you've planned out your next 5 levels and their respective feats to go specifically to the crossbow aspect of your character. In doing so, you'll lose out on many of the feats that you'll need to dredge through to make your character into an awesome wizard. Specifically meta-magic feats, silent spell and combat casting.

At level 6 you'll be raining arrows down from the sky, sure... but for mediocre damage compared to say... TM or Murph with their melee combat feats. They'll be specializing while you make yourself into a broad-spectrum.

I don't typically question people's character designs because like you said... imagination is what the game is all about. In your case, I just feel like you're going to plateau at level 6 and struggle to be on par with everyone else.

You picked a wizard. A wizard casts spells. That's what wizards do.

If you picked Ranger and opted to focus all of your feats into meta-magic and spell casting feats, I'd be giving you the same advice.

---------- Post added at 03:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:44 PM ----------

I didn't see any magic feats worthwhile at the moment. Silent spell? Really? For when I'm silenced? You just don't get it is all... I won't plateau, I will blossom. I guess you just have to trust me. Again, nothing is set in stone, I'm just putting together interesting setups.

[Firewind]

Re: D&D

Trust me, Metamagic Feats are VERY powerful

[Mezlo]

Re: D&D

I also don't like they take up a spell level of 1 to 2 levels higher. So I can empower a level 3 spell, but it would cost me a level 4 or 5 spell. You know what? I have spells in those categories I'd like to use.

[Firewind]

Re: D&D

There are plenty of spells that are useful at any level due to either additional effects or even things as simple as them always hitting.

Metamagic Feats - Pathfinder_OGC

Pathfinder also adds a massive number of effects. Echoing Spell alone is worth taking. Imagine being able to doublecast a spell like Sleep or Colour Spray. Selective Spell also makes spells like Fireball much less suicidal to use at close range or when allies are near the blast. Dazing and Thundering Spell are also very nice effects to tag on to a spell.