Jeb McDonald
Sergeant
403 Posts
    
Central New Jersey
 | | 08/08/2005 1:23 AM |
| | recovered topic 7078 | |
The man who thinks he can, and the man who thinks he can't are both right. Which one are you? | |
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Jeb McDonald
Sergeant
403 Posts
Central New Jersey
| | 08/08/2005 1:23 AM |
| Liked the musing, Merric! Do your other players find the Centaur character unbalanced or did you make the character weaker than a typical Centaur? Upon levelling, she can put a level into Centaur or into a class?
My sense is, for most monstrous characters, they lose out in the long run unless the monster is fighter-type based. Thus, a Troll- fighter is a good combination, but a Troll-Wizard is too weak of a wizard--comparatively.
Of course, if any player is having fun--even if the character is relatively weak, who cares? The idea is to have fun! | |
The man who thinks he can, and the man who thinks he can't are both right. Which one are you? | |
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kestrel.ca
Underboss
1684 Posts
| | 08/08/2005 1:48 AM |
| Good musing, but not as much point to it as is usual in your other musings.
I've always enjoyed playing monster races, (including a centaur at one time) and have generally found that so long as I follow the guidelines/rules in Savage Species and Level Adjustments, it remains reasonably balanced.
quote:
Upon levelling, she can put a level into Centaur or into a class?
One of the guidelines suggests that upon starting a monster class, a PC must finish that monster class before embarking on character levels. Ie, they have to grow up before they can start a career. | |
Completed Trades/Transactions: 94 || Bad Trades: 3 (Chaotic Good x2, MackeyV) | |
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Thoth, Gatherer of Knowledge
MerricB
Underboss
2353 Posts
Australia
| | 08/08/2005 2:01 AM |
| As this is a RPGA game, I have to use the standard rules. That's not a problem, btw. As I recall, Sarah intends to eventually continue levelling in Ranger or Fighter, so the centaur is a good match.
I quite agree that is rarely a good idea to play a monstrous spellcaster, but that's pretty much the same as playing a half-orc wizard - the race isn't intended for that.
The centaur seems very playable as a race.
Cheers!
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Merric Blackman
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devasque
Sergeant
874 Posts
| | 08/08/2005 2:40 PM |
| I would say it all depends on the creature type and the flavor of your game. One of the DMs I respect a lot fired up a higher level adventure when Savage Species came out so we all could test the waters and see what worked and what didn't.
The Aranea (sp?) did an ok job continuing on with Sorcerer levels. Pixie was another that did ok with wizard or sorcerer levels.
One of our beater characters was a Feral Ogre Barbarian which as a melee fighter was just completely brutal. Compared to a normal human fighter they didn't have as many feats or tricks but on sheer damage it was shocking.
Type of campaign setting plays a big factor in selecting/allowing monster classes as well. Centaur might work well as long as your game keeps to the wilds. In a town or city it would be like a fish out of water. Same could be said for any particular race. | |
You see! There ARE others out there just like me. What? Why are laughing? | |
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Scarecrow
Sergeant
788 Posts
| | 08/08/2005 3:28 PM |
| | Monstrous characters have always intrigued me. Thanks for the good read again Merric. Although this one ended just a little too soon for me [:)] | |
I need a newcastle... | |
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Mama Cass
Warrior
286 Posts
| | 08/08/2005 6:47 PM |
| Just started a new Monster Campaign. Character creation was ECL 9 had to have +3 Level Adjustment minimum. I told the players that they had to be outcasts from thier original group and they are assembled by a greater being that they have been indentured to. Each PC bears a brand that causes them to act honorably to all others that have the brand. Now they can play Evil, without party disruption.
PC's:
Fiendish Drow Cleric 5
Rakshasha 9 (monster levels)
Hamatula 9 (monster levels)
Fiendish Feral Half Ogre Paladin of Tyranny 5
Succubus 9 (monster levels)
The Hamatula and the Succubus gave up Summoning and I reduced the ECL by 1.
I thought that they might be weaker than a group of 9th level PCs and am running them through a Dungeon Module designed for 7th level characters. They are walking right through it. I am going to beef it up some more... | |
CHAMPION OF THE REDSPAWN ARCANISS
One day I will have to explain to my kids why they have to pay for their own college, but when they realize that I have a full set of Harbinger it should make sense to them... | |
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Thoth, Gatherer of Knowledge
MerricB
Underboss
2353 Posts
Australia
| | 08/09/2005 9:11 AM |
| Sounds fun. [:)]
Cheers! | |
Merric Blackman
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Richard II
Commander
3663 Posts
| | 08/09/2005 4:48 PM |
| I'm not a big fan of monstrous races. I recently joined a campaign, and we've got got a tiefling wizard (not bad), a warforged fighter (eh, starting to get a little far afield for my liking), a half fiend human (but he's not evil, he's CN), and some sort of youngish boy that can go invisible at will and fly. Oh, and there's my human sorcerer and his half orc cohort.
I was reasonably certain it was going to be this way, and I figured it would bug me a bit, but not as much as it actually is. It's just too much like a circus freakshow imo. | |
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Thoth, Gatherer of Knowledge
MerricB
Underboss
2353 Posts
Australia
| | 08/09/2005 7:20 PM |
| Yes, I'm also of the opinion that most of the time I want traditional D&D (tolkienesque) races in my games.
This is at least partly because we're all familiar with them and it doesn't jar us that much.
However, it's a group dynamic sort of thing.
Cheers! | |
Merric Blackman
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Fry
Underboss
1724 Posts
| | 08/09/2005 11:10 PM |
| | I haven't played with monster characters, but I don't think I could handle a game where all or even most of the PCs were nonstandard races. One or two at most. | |
"Why am I all sticky and naked? Did I miss something fun?"
-Vindicated champion of Tordek, Dwarf Champion | |
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Hero of Skirmish
doubtofbuddha
Commander
3371 Posts
| | 08/10/2005 10:29 AM |
| | I am the oppossite. I prefer ALL human games. We don't need no stinkin' dwarves. | |
I am not gone. | |
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orcdoubleax
Sergeant
694 Posts
| | 08/10/2005 10:34 AM |
| I really like monster races, but I don't like a freak show party either. In a standard party one monstours race works well. It becomes a plot driving device.
The other option is a party that is allmost all monstours, but makes sense together. For example a party of orcs and half-orge. You just have to change the certain aspects of your games. They would not be going to human settlements, but they could go to orcish ones. Not that I would allow them to be evil (been there done that.)
A party made up of random races is a recipe for chaos. | |
Yes I am Gelatinous.
www.gelatinousdudes.com
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Captain Harlock
Sergeant
450 Posts
| | 08/10/2005 12:35 PM |
| For something like this, I would love to play something like the old Flying Buffalo derative of Tunnels and Trolls game called Monsters Monsters. Everyone played monsters, and you got experience points for destroying towns, eating peasents...things like that.
A good game for a break from your regular campaign
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Dan Cooper
For there is surely nothing so beautiful than the sight of a lone man facing single-handedly half a ton of angry pot roast.
You will all go directly to your respective vahallas, Go directly, do not pass go do not collect two hundred dollars
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