Speak to the players of the mages. Be as vague as possible but ask them if they'd mind being 'inconvenienced' for a while. They might embrace the challenge. As mentioned above, provide consumable magic items: scrolls, wands, potions. Alternatively, give them a single scroll of Knock. They need this to get out of the prison, and now gives the other characters very good reason to keep them alive.
Personally, I'd start looking small, rather than big. Create various 1 use/day items for each of the party: Dimension Door
Basically, give each of your team a 'survival kit'; some effects are for themselves (True Strike), other effects are for others in the group (Lib Command). This frees your action up to do other things. Once you've given them what they want, give them what you want. For example, if you cast a lot of Reflex-targetting spells, hand out 1/day Unprepared Combatant items.
Magic Item Compendium is good for this stuff. EDIT: I also think this route would create a better game for all. Rather than having NPC's (constructs) do all the fighting for you, it'd mean the martials remain relevant, plus give them things to do other than 'hit stuff', plus, it'd give the DM something to think about. An extra body on the battlefield just means he throws more enemies at you. If everyone is capable of Dim.Door or other small tricks, he's kept guessing.
(I know you said you're all new but I'm going to suggest it anyway...) You could try the Gestalt rules. It gives the characters a slight increase in power and a massive increase in flexibility. I'd recommend sticking to a max. of one spellcasting class per character. In your situation, have the fighter add cleric and the cleric add rogue. This gives combat endurance (armour, buffs and healing) and non-combat flexibility (skills and spells). However, this way might mean that the cleric/rogue is doing a lot of the non-combat stuff so just give them both rogue to keep things simple. Note: this to be done once you're using the full rules.
I've always found Survival useful: tracking, cross-country movement, weather-forecasting/protection, finding food and water. As with most skills, magic does all that and better but I prefer mundane approaches to things, even when I play casters. Plus, I can do all of that without expending resources.
You're a new DM; are they also new players? Regardless, I suggest allowing them to either reroll the low stats or simply raise them to something closer to the norm (for eg. 9). I'm all for having the world react to people as it should do, but you're making more work for yourself - and them - if you do.
Why does this forum go into apoplexy whenever anything other than ONE MILLION point-buy is mentioned? The DM's a troll!!! Martials are useless!!! Aliens are taking over the world!!! ---------------------------------------------- OP: what are you trying to achieve with this (and the other thread you mention)?
Will your DM allow third-party stuff? If so, look at Adamant Ents Priest. I ran one from level 1 to 14. 6SP/lev as standard+human+FCB+2(Int) gave her 10 SP/level. Traits and a feat gave her an extra 4 class skills. There were various changes of party personnel over those levels and my character found herself fulfilling - and performing well at - a variety of roles. Perhaps not as well as dedicated classes but they don't have 9th-level spells, domain powers, channel energy and bardic knowledge. Choose domains to complement the intended role and it'd make a very good bard/cleric: Trickery has been mentioned. The Trade subdomain of Travel gives a bonus to social skills. Luck gives rerolls. Law makes skill-checks more reliable.
I had something to say, but then I looked up Fansy The Famous Bard, as mentioned by Closet, and forgot what. :)
Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18 Str: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6 <-for when we open the south doors. For the record, I'm quite happy for players to read what's behind the Detect Undead spoilers. Jevault keeps up a running commentary as to what he can sense. It saves the others having to wait for me to write it into a post. Perhaps the DM can write it as Jevault would say it. :) "Undead presence is stronger here. A Haunt of some kind lies behind the doors to the south." Incidentally, who has a light source? EDIT: These are stiff doors! :(
|