Gestalt in GMing


Advice


I am a novice in being a game master and I am going to allow gestalt characters to be used.
I honestly don't know how I should handle their boosted stats using the regular bestiaries for monsters. I thought of making my own but is there an easier way to provide great challenge?
I don't think higher CR mobs would be the solution either since some of their natural abilities would wipe the party if used.
Penny for a thought?


Have you looked at the mythic rules?


I advice you against allowing gestalt in your 1st run as a GM.

Gestalt is a significant power- & utility-boost for the PCs. You needto factor that in as a DM, and that takes experience how to do it, without stuff becomeing too easy or having to fudge rolls constantly to prevent TPKs.

Keep it simpler for your 1st time. In the next campaign when you have a feeling for how certain effects will work you can give Gestalt a try.


On average, Gestalt increases the party's average CR by 1, so challenges should be that much tougher as well. This is an appropriate increase.

That, and you should firmly discourage the players from "power" combinations that deliberately break the system. If there's a combination of abilities that would let a character be stronger than they could normally be for a given level, then be willing to say "no", or perhaps offer an alternative that works for their idea. Gestalt works best when it's used to expand a character's options, not supercharge them so they can do one thing better than the system allows for.

Contributor

Saeko Mickelini wrote:

I am a novice in being a game master and I am going to allow gestalt characters to be used.

I honestly don't know how I should handle their boosted stats using the regular bestiaries for monsters. I thought of making my own but is there an easier way to provide great challenge?
I don't think higher CR mobs would be the solution either since some of their natural abilities would wipe the party if used.
Penny for a thought?

The gestalt rules don't modify whether their stats are boosted--you can have gestalt characters with only a 15-point buy if you'd like.

If you're asking how to handle the fact that their abilities are more powerful (best base save of each class, for example), the answer is to run them 1 or 2 levels lower than the adventure you have planned. If you're running an adventure for 5th level characters that takes players up to 8th level, start them at 4th level and take them up to 6th or 7th.

The problem with allowing gestalt when you're a new GM is that you might not have as good a sense of player difficulty vs. monster difficulty and know how much is the right amount to keep them "behind."

But 1-2 levels has seemed about right for me in both gestalt campaigns I've run (both were adventure paths, from start to end). Gestalt doesn't allow characters to get more actions out of a round, or use spells or abilities above their level. Gestalt generally makes PCs that can last longer in an adventuring day. Monsters hurt them just a bit less, they make their saves a bit more often, and they have a broader pool of powers to use. So you don't need to hold them back too much.

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