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Nicolai Withander
Master of Realmslore
Denmark
1093 Posts |
 Posted - 10 Mar 2009 : 12:49:59
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Just onother question dealing with the build of an epic character.
The prestige class from Quintessential Wizard called "Word Bearer"
Has anyone used this class in any campaing and to what effect? Was it to powerful or not?
thanks
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Nerfed2Hell
Senior Scribe
USA
387 Posts |
Posted - 10 Mar 2009 : 20:52:57
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I haven't used it, but I have used other prestige classes from the Quintessential series... they can be overpowered, and the abilities of this particular class seem a bit powerful. If everyone (including NPCs) has access/is using classes of the same power level, I'd say its not to big of a problem...
...still, the description of the Word Bearer prestige class sounds like the concept fits with the Truenamer class and magic system found in the Tome of Magic sourcebook. Of course, I've heard people call that underpowered, so make of it what you will. |
Some people are like a slinky... not good for much, but when you push them down the stairs, it makes you smile. |
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ranger_of_the_unicorn_run
Learned Scribe
USA
292 Posts |
Posted - 10 Mar 2009 : 22:26:58
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| I haven't used the Quintessential Wizard, but I agree with Nerfed. I have the Quintessential Druid, and many of the prestige classes are too powerful. They have reworked and republished some of them, but not all of them. I would suggest using your DM judgement to tone down some of the abilities of the PrCs in the Mongoose books. |
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Nicolai Withander
Master of Realmslore
Denmark
1093 Posts |
Posted - 10 Mar 2009 : 22:58:11
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Well to me theres only one realy powerful ability....
At third lvl you get the power to make any creature not immune to crit fall to the ground helpless wretching in pain... unable to even take mantal actions... for 1d4 rounds. That will take out even the biggest dragons or any living mage!
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Edited by - Nicolai Withander on 10 Mar 2009 23:00:55 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36782 Posts |
Posted - 11 Mar 2009 : 00:53:00
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quote:
Originally posted by Nicolai Withander
Well to me theres only one realy powerful ability....
At third lvl you get the power to make any creature not immune to crit fall to the ground helpless wretching in pain... unable to even take mantal actions... for 1d4 rounds. That will take out even the biggest dragons or any living mage!
If there are no caveats or easy saves for this ability, then it is one of the most broken things I have ever seen, for any game system. |
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Nerfed2Hell
Senior Scribe
USA
387 Posts |
Posted - 11 Mar 2009 : 01:31:41
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Its a 5 level prestige class... (abbreviated description follows)
Hit Dice: d4
PREREQUISITES
Feats: Quicken Spell
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 13 ranks
Special: Ability to cast power word, blind, power word, kill, or power word, stun
Special: Spend 2 months studying an ancient libram (specific)
Skill Points: 2 + Int modifier
CLASS FEATURES
Words of Power: The save DC to resist a word's effects equals 20 + Int modifier.
Word of Power, Sleep: forces a single foe within 60 feet to collapse to the ground, deeply asleep (only affects creatures vulnerable to sleep spell) for 1d4 hours unless the target makes a will save. Usable 3/day.
Word of Power, Terror: Causes crippling fear in a single target, paralyzing him for 2d4 rounds unless he makes a Will save. A successful save still leaves the target shaken for 2d4 rounds. Usable 3/day.
Word of Power, Pain: Target falls to the ground in agony, suffering 3d6 damage and rendered helpless for 1d4 rounds with no save allowed. Usable 3/day.
Word of Power, Destroy: A single creature's body bursts into flame, causing 3d6 points of damage per round and -2 penalty to all checks, saves, and attacks for 2d4 rounds. A creature reduced to -10 hit points disintegrates into dust. Damage cannot be restored by regeneration or fast healing abilities (though cure spells work normally). Usable 2/day.
Word of Power, Annihilate: A cone area of effect that has multiple effects. All spells and spell-like abilities are affected as if by greater dispelling cast at the Wordbearer's character level. All creatures must make a Fort. save or suffer "2d4 points of permanent ability damage to each ability score," and 10d6 damage. A successful save negates ability damage and halves hit point damage. The cone area of effect ignores all cover, cleaving through stone, metal, and other obstacles until it reaches the edge of its area of effect. Usable 1/week.
==============================
Yeah, the no save word of pain ability is pretty powerful... the last one is pretty rough, too. Sleep and Terror aren't such a big deal, and Destroy looks like it can be handled (as far as not being too powerful).
I wouldn't allow this prestige class in my game... not without serious modification. BUT, that is just because I find several of the Quintessential series' prestige classes overpowered as I mentioned before, and those don't fit well with the official stuff that I do allow. Still, that's my game. If you allow this kind of power all around, I wouldn't see a problem in allowing a player to use it. What's good for the NPC goose is good for the PC gander, after all. |
Some people are like a slinky... not good for much, but when you push them down the stairs, it makes you smile. |
Edited by - Nerfed2Hell on 11 Mar 2009 01:33:29 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36782 Posts |
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Sian
Senior Scribe
Denmark
596 Posts |
Posted - 11 Mar 2009 : 06:38:24
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| random word + coup de grace = free win |
what happened to the queen? she's much more hysterical than usual
She's a women, it happens once a month |
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Nicolai Withander
Master of Realmslore
Denmark
1093 Posts |
Posted - 11 Mar 2009 : 08:20:31
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| Well it kind of is... and even thou i like power campaigns... this might even be too powerful for my char... still even thor you can only use you powers a special number of times per day! |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36782 Posts |
Posted - 11 Mar 2009 : 14:09:34
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quote:
Originally posted by Nicolai Withander
Well it kind of is... and even thou i like power campaigns... this might even be too powerful for my char... still even thor you can only use you powers a special number of times per day!
When you can, as you said earlier, knock a dragon out of the skies without it having a saving throw, you don't need to use that power more than once in a day! |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 11 Mar 2009 : 15:50:22
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I take the Mongoose books (which are designed for power-gamers) and use it for ideas, usually for NPCs. I wouldn't use anything as-is, not even for an NPC, but I have taken a few character concepts from there and re-worked them.
As idea-books for a DM, they are fine, but I'd never let a player use any of that stuff.
That PrC right there could take down Pun-Pun! |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 11 Mar 2009 17:37:38 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36782 Posts |
Posted - 11 Mar 2009 : 16:22:46
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
I take the Mongoose books (which are designed for power-gamers) and use it for ideas, usually for NPCs. I wouldn't use anything as-is, not even for an NPC, but I have taken a few character concepts fom there and re-worked them.
As idea-books for a DM, they are fine, but I'd never let a player use any of that stuff.
That PrC right there could take down Pun-Pun!
I might use that PrC for a BBEG, but he would be the main villain of the campaign. It'd prolly be explained that he was partially divine or something, in order to be so powerful...
Pun-Pun? I have to wonder if that was inspired by Bun-Bun of Sluggy Freelance... |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Nicolai Withander
Master of Realmslore
Denmark
1093 Posts |
Posted - 11 Mar 2009 : 17:04:41
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one thing thou... the words of power dont work on things that immune to crit... That does rule out the use on constructs, undead and oozes!
But stil it is very powerful esspecially when it counts as a free action to use the words... |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 11 Mar 2009 : 17:39:35
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| I'd have to give all those words of power some sort of HP damage to the user to balance them out, and even then it would be for a BBEG, as Wooly has said. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Nerfed2Hell
Senior Scribe
USA
387 Posts |
Posted - 11 Mar 2009 : 20:26:46
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Nicolai Withander
Well it kind of is... and even thou i like power campaigns... this might even be too powerful for my char... still even thor you can only use you powers a special number of times per day!
When you can, as you said earlier, knock a dragon out of the skies without it having a saving throw, you don't need to use that power more than once in a day!
Maybe not... but you'd still get to use that particular power 3 times a day.  |
Some people are like a slinky... not good for much, but when you push them down the stairs, it makes you smile. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36782 Posts |
Posted - 11 Mar 2009 : 21:08:42
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
I'd have to give all those words of power some sort of HP damage to the user to balance them out, and even then it would be for a BBEG, as Wooly has said.
That sounds reasonable... And it could possibly take more hit points for critters with more hit dice.
I've always liked the idea of using hit points to pay for some abilities... I played (quite briefly, unfortunately) a 2E wu jen using rules from a Dragon article. That version of the wu jen had a very limited spell list (mostly limited to one element) and had restrictions to observe (like never eating meat or getting a haircut; you could pick and choose which ones you wanted to use), but could cast spells with almost no limitations -- as long as he could spend 1 hit point per spell level, he could cast any of the spells he knew. As I recall, this version of the wu jen had a bit more martial ability, and was the only non-Warrior class to get the better hit point bonus for high Constitution scores. |
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Word Bearer
