I am a GM of 10 years and numerous systems. A while ago my group ask me if I would run a Pathfinder campaign and I said I would look into it. I read the rules and said no, the game isn't balanced and you have already proven I can't trust you guys to not to have a campaign degenerate into interpersonal conflict when a game isn't balanced.
Well I did a different campaign instead, the plot lasted for 5 months and ended over the holidays. They bugged me to start a new campaign and ask to play pathfinder again and I caved.
The players made the following party and all are now level 5:
Gnome Oracle (Heavens)
Human Wizard (Necromancer)
Human Cavalier
Half Elf Rogue
Human Ranger(Guide)
The Gnome Oracle and Human Wizard are the problem. Not just in combat but I will start with that.
Firstly the Gnome Oracle has Charisma 22, Awesome Display, Eschew Materials and Improved Initiative. The majority of encounters effectively end when he casts his DC 18 -6 effective HD on the targets Colour Spray. Sure its not technically over, there are usually a few enemies not caught in its radius if the encounter is outdoors but this takes the sense of urgency out of any fight. Before you even start on the subject of using enemies that are blind or immune to mind-affecting, I already am and there are only so many of those that can be shoe horned into an adventure they don't thematic belong in. Its at the point other players have commented on only being their to knife the throats the a unconscious seizureing enemies so the Gnome doesn't need to get his hands dirty.
Secondly the Human Wizard, generally anticipates what he needs prepared in terms of utility spells but more on out of combat later. He is currently in command of several Undead that made up the "immune to mind-affect" enemies the party has fought. Diamond Spray, Scorching Ray and Ray of Exhaust are the only combat spells he ever bothers with. Rarely has more than 2 Prepared because of how effective they are. There has been 3 instances of encounters ending on turn 2 because helpless creatures with Dex 0 can't pass Reflex Saves worth a damn due to a Colour Spray + Diamond Spray combo.
Out of combat the Gnome Oracle dominates social encounters given their maxed out diplomacy modifier. Both the Oracle and Wizard also dominate in the problem solving department between their spells and tbh being smarter than the other three players IRL. The Gnome Oracle is also the best roleplayer and knows all of the best questions to ask of npcs, the Rogue really feel useless sharing it. The rogue is still getting the opportunity to RP but it feels redundant.
The other players are asking me to do something about them being useless in combat but for the life of me I can't think of anything I have already done. Every solution to the Oracle and Wizard either makes them totally useless and/or hampers the entire party (anti-magic fields turn off the other players equipment as much as the casters spells). Having more outdoor encounters than we already have to kept AoE from beign as strong will just make people b@!@@ about the Cavalier being give to much of an advantage. Taking away the Wizard's ability to have undead minions both invalidates his character concept and taking away colour spray goes against the intended design of the Oracle class (given Awesome Display was intentionally meant to go with this spell).
Seriously how do you people play this game with players of differing skill levels? If I just arbitrarily come down on these players I am just being a s%!+ty GM to them as much as letting it go unhindered is beign a s&+&ty GM to the others.
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