Ask a Simple Question: Viking Berserker Edition

[Agita]

Are there even any medium sized giants? I wouldnt have thought so....

You could always take Ogre, and just never go past lvl 4 for the savage progression. They count as giant. Same goes for any savage progression really.

Unless you plan on never going past level 4 period, that's not an option, as the monster classes in Savage Species have to be taken in their entirety before moving on to other classes, unlike the web template classes.

House rule it. I allow it, as do my other DMs. It's because technically you're a baby or teenage version, and the levels could be argued that you're aging quicker.

That's all nice and well, but it's just that - a house rule, not an official one. Thus, there is no guarantee that other DMs will allow it. And I wouldn't exactly consider your DMs to be good hallmarks for deciding what houserules should or should not be implemented (although this one is actually reasonable).

[ksbsnowowl]

Forest trolls are also medium giants.  But that's all beside the point.

How does one turn any and every giant into a monstrous humanoid?  Is there a template to do that?

[Havok4]

Forest trolls are also medium giants.  But that's all beside the point.

How does one turn any and every giant into a monstrous humanoid?  Is there a template to do that?

Doesn't the compression idea work?

[kevin_video]

Are there even any medium sized giants? I wouldnt have thought so....

You could always take Ogre, and just never go past lvl 4 for the savage progression. They count as giant. Same goes for any savage progression really.

Unless you plan on never going past level 4 period, that's not an option, as the monster classes in Savage Species have to be taken in their entirety before moving on to other classes, unlike the web template classes.

House rule it. I allow it, as do my other DMs. It's because technically you're a baby or teenage version, and the levels could be argued that you're aging quicker.

That's all nice and well, but it's just that - a house rule, not an official one. Thus, there is no guarantee that other DMs will allow it. And I wouldn't exactly consider your DMs to be good hallmarks for deciding what houserules should or should not be implemented (although this one is actually reasonable).

Actually it's my house rule that I brought up to them, and they accepted it.

The reason is this. The way it's explained the dragon books (draconomicon, dragon magazines, etc) is you can either increase their levels by age, or you can increase them by levels. There is no rule stating that you can't have both. We implemented it for one player's red dragon. They're medium sized at birth, despite being a wyrmling. Now say you adventure in your typical year long adventure, including all the time you retrain, rest, etc. How levels have you gone up in those 365 days? Ten? Maybe, 11 levels? Could have even gone as much as 16 if didn't take all that much time resting because it was unnecessary, but still had constant fights. Could be you have a few heal bots in the party. But for argument's sake, let's go 11 levels. In one year. What did you go up as? Red dragon? It's quite possible because all those levels are still under the wyrmling category. So you're now say 1 year and 6 months old. What happens at level 12? Are you going to progress higher as the red dragon? You could, but you're not even 2 years old yet. So how do you progress as a very young dragon? That's what I brought up to the DMs, and why we allow anyone to multi-class. As it states in each of the books, there are alternate ways of aging the dragon. So why not have it both ways? It kind of contradicts itself. It states that a monster character can NOT multiclass into a standard class until it completes its 20 level progression. However, "if the DM wishes to maintain the age categories and the time a monster needs to attain them", you can still play them otherwise.

Call it manipulating what's written if you will, but I call that a loop hole that's available for exploitation. The same goes for half dragons. If you don't want the level adjustment, just only allow half of the progression, and then go back and forth as you choose.

Adding to that...

# Characters are not required to complete all the levels of a given template class in uninterrupted succession. For example, a character who takes a level of wereboar could then take a level of fighter and a level of rogue (or any other combination of other class levels) before taking another level of wereboar. A character must still take the first level of wereboar before taking the second, just as with a normal class.

[Vinom]

Are there even any medium sized giants? I wouldnt have thought so....

You could always take Ogre, and just never go past lvl 4 for the savage progression. They count as giant. Same goes for any savage progression really.

Unless you plan on never going past level 4 period, that's not an option, as the monster classes in Savage Species have to be taken in their entirety before moving on to other classes, unlike the web template classes.

House rule it. I allow it, as do my other DMs. It's because technically you're a baby or teenage version, and the levels could be argued that you're aging quicker.

That's all nice and well, but it's just that - a house rule, not an official one. Thus, there is no guarantee that other DMs will allow it. And I wouldn't exactly consider your DMs to be good hallmarks for deciding what houserules should or should not be implemented (although this one is actually reasonable).

Actually it's my house rule that I brought up to them, and they accepted it.

The reason is this. The way it's explained the dragon books (draconomicon, dragon magazines, etc) is you can either increase their levels by age, or you can increase them by levels. There is no rule stating that you can't have both. We implemented it for one player's red dragon. They're medium sized at birth, despite being a wyrmling. Now say you adventure in your typical year long adventure, including all the time you retrain, rest, etc. How levels have you gone up in those 365 days? Ten? Maybe, 11 levels? Could have even gone as much as 16 if didn't take all that much time resting because it was unnecessary, but still had constant fights. Could be you have a few heal bots in the party. But for argument's sake, let's go 11 levels. In one year. What did you go up as? Red dragon? It's quite possible because all those levels are still under the wyrmling category. So you're now say 1 year and 6 months old. What happens at level 12? Are you going to progress higher as the red dragon? You could, but you're not even 2 years old yet. So how do you progress as a very young dragon? That's what I brought up to the DMs, and why we allow anyone to multi-class. As it states in each of the books, there are alternate ways of aging the dragon. So why not have it both ways? It kind of contradicts itself. It states that a monster character can NOT multiclass into a standard class until it completes its 20 level progression. However, "if the DM wishes to maintain the age categories and the time a monster needs to attain them", you can still play them otherwise.

Call it manipulating what's written if you will, but I call that a loop hole that's available for exploitation. The same goes for half dragons. If you don't want the level adjustment, just only allow half of the progression, and then go back and forth as you choose.

Adding to that...

# Characters are not required to complete all the levels of a given template class in uninterrupted succession. For example, a character who takes a level of wereboar could then take a level of fighter and a level of rogue (or any other combination of other class levels) before taking another level of wereboar. A character must still take the first level of wereboar before taking the second, just as with a normal class.

The problem with that is it's rather exploitable... i take a single level in Phaerimm and the rest in sorcerer and by party level 10, I'm tossing 9th level spells around.

[kevin_video]

The problem with that is it's rather exploitable... i take a single level in Phaerimm and the rest in sorcerer and by party level 10, I'm tossing 9th level spells around.

Fixed. I think you accidentally put yourself in a quote.

Everything's exploitable in D&D. I mean, come on. Just look at what this site teaches you. Pun-Pun? Really? That's less exploitable than a Phaerimm 1/Sorcerer 9? In the end, it's up to the DM. I've met DMs who allow everything because they honestly don't care how powerful you are, they just care about the story itself. I've met ones that nerf the bejeezus out of every book conceived (especially ToB). I've met DMs that don't allow anything outside of the core books (which sucks if you're a ranger that likes casting). And then you've got mine.

You either trust the player, or you don't. And if you don't, then common courtesy should dictate the two standing to the side and discussing the character's development, and what the player wants to get out of it.

[Anklebite]

And then you've got mine.

yeah, your DM luck is something special. very, very, "special".

You either trust the player, or you don't. And if you don't, then common courtesy should dictate the two standing to the side and discussing the character's development, and what the player wants to get out of it.

it's true that the gentleman's agreement is the only way to go. core only games make me want to play wizards and druids.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

That's for the web ones only.  The same page makes a distinction between savage species' "monster classes" and "savage progressions".

[kevin_video]

yeah, your DM luck is something special. very, very, "special".

it's true that the gentleman's agreement is the only way to go. core only games make me want to play wizards and druids.

Speaking of my DMs, I've got something to add to what you said about wizards and druids, and wanting to play them. As well as clerics. Wildshape is forbidden for druids (only allowed to take Nature's Aspect), and the spells polymorph (and related), greater teleportation, antimagic field, disjunction, identify (because you look at everything through fire), planar travel spells in general (unless you have a tuning fork), and raise dead (and related spells) are banned from play.

That's for the web ones only.  The same page makes a distinction between savage species' "monster classes" and "savage progressions".

True, but my quote also included the dragon magazine quote in the dragon progression section. Namely the "if the DM wishes to maintain the age categories and the time a monster needs to attain them" part.

[Anklebite]

Speaking of my DMs, I've got something to add to what you said about wizards and druids, and wanting to play them. As well as clerics. Wildshape is forbidden for druids (only allowed to take Nature's Aspect), and the spells polymorph (and related), greater teleportation, antimagic field, disjunction, identify (because you look at everything through fire), planar travel spells in general (unless you have a tuning fork), and raise dead (and related spells) are banned from play.

did they ban fun too? it sounds like it.


go wreck the local economy with wall of iron and fabricate.  ....actually, make that an invisible spell wall of iron.

identify (because you look at everything through fire)

....could you please explain this one?

[kevin_video]

did they ban fun too? it sounds like it.

go wreck the local economy with wall of iron and fabricate.  ....actually, make that an invisible spell wall of iron.

....could you please explain this one?

Sometimes I wonder.

He'd probably be fine with that as it would be chaotic, and mess things up. We've already physically changed the world, and added a few craters at least.

He calls it the Lord of the Rings rule. Every item has an engraving on it, that when held up to fire (or placed in the fire for a couple of seconds) tells you exactly what it is.

[Anklebite]

did they ban fun too? it sounds like it.

go wreck the local economy with wall of iron and fabricate.  ....actually, make that an invisible spell wall of iron.

....could you please explain this one?

Sometimes I wonder.

He'd probably be fine with that as it would be chaotic, and mess things up. We've already physically changed the world, and added a few craters at least.

He calls it the Lord of the Rings rule. Every item has an engraving on it, that when held up to fire (or placed in the fire for a couple of seconds) tells you exactly what it is.

you need to adopt my strategy. it goes as follows: two 3-foot long sticks, one named the bane of morons and the other named the bane of idiots. together, they beat the stupid out of people.

[kevin_video]

did they ban fun too? it sounds like it.

go wreck the local economy with wall of iron and fabricate.  ....actually, make that an invisible spell wall of iron.

....could you please explain this one?

Sometimes I wonder.

He'd probably be fine with that as it would be chaotic, and mess things up. We've already physically changed the world, and added a few craters at least.

He calls it the Lord of the Rings rule. Every item has an engraving on it, that when held up to fire (or placed in the fire for a couple of seconds) tells you exactly what it is.

you need to adopt my strategy. it goes as follows: two 3-foot long sticks, one named the bane of morons and the other named the bane of idiots. together, they beat the stupid out of people.

Why? I like that rule. You never have to cast identify again, and you'll never have to pay someone to do it either.

[Littha]

what will you do with scrolls?

[Anklebite]

what will you do with scrolls?

[Surreal]

Are there even any medium sized giants? I wouldnt have thought so....

Half-Giant and Eneko (Secrets of Sarlona)

Q 70 Are there any flaws known that make your gender questionable? Ie a manly looking woman, or an effeminate man?

A 70: Willing Deformity: Obese

[snakeman830]

did they ban fun too? it sounds like it.

go wreck the local economy with wall of iron and fabricate.  ....actually, make that an invisible spell wall of iron.

....could you please explain this one?

Sometimes I wonder.

He'd probably be fine with that as it would be chaotic, and mess things up. We've already physically changed the world, and added a few craters at least.

He calls it the Lord of the Rings rule. Every item has an engraving on it, that when held up to fire (or placed in the fire for a couple of seconds) tells you exactly what it is.

you need to adopt my strategy. it goes as follows: two 3-foot long sticks, one named the bane of morons and the other named the bane of idiots. together, they beat the stupid out of people.

Why? I like that rule. You never have to cast identify again, and you'll never have to pay someone to do it either.

Should Fireball be moved to Divination school?  It's like Mass Identify!

[kevin_video]

did they ban fun too? it sounds like it.

go wreck the local economy with wall of iron and fabricate.  ....actually, make that an invisible spell wall of iron.

....could you please explain this one?

Sometimes I wonder.

He'd probably be fine with that as it would be chaotic, and mess things up. We've already physically changed the world, and added a few craters at least.

He calls it the Lord of the Rings rule. Every item has an engraving on it, that when held up to fire (or placed in the fire for a couple of seconds) tells you exactly what it is.

you need to adopt my strategy. it goes as follows: two 3-foot long sticks, one named the bane of morons and the other named the bane of idiots. together, they beat the stupid out of people.

Why? I like that rule. You never have to cast identify again, and you'll never have to pay someone to do it either.

Should Fireball be moved to Divination school?  It's like Mass Identify!

That depends. Is Gandolf really a lvl 3 wizard who can only cast Light and Gust of Wind?

[Agita]

did they ban fun too? it sounds like it.

go wreck the local economy with wall of iron and fabricate.  ....actually, make that an invisible spell wall of iron.

....could you please explain this one?

Sometimes I wonder.

He'd probably be fine with that as it would be chaotic, and mess things up. We've already physically changed the world, and added a few craters at least.

He calls it the Lord of the Rings rule. Every item has an engraving on it, that when held up to fire (or placed in the fire for a couple of seconds) tells you exactly what it is.

you need to adopt my strategy. it goes as follows: two 3-foot long sticks, one named the bane of morons and the other named the bane of idiots. together, they beat the stupid out of people.

Why? I like that rule. You never have to cast identify again, and you'll never have to pay someone to do it either.

Should Fireball be moved to Divination school?  It's like Mass Identify!

That depends. Is Gandolf really a lvl 3 wizard who can only cast Light and Gust of Wind?

Yes. DMPC favoritism does the rest.

(P.S. Read DM of the Rings. I think you might appreciate it all the more considering your luck with DMs.)

[genuine]

Q71Are there any two-handed weapons with a crit range 18-20 with a higher base damage than a falchion? If so, where? (Exotic weapons are fine).