Desthro's page

Wow, I don't pay attention to this thread for a weekend and I've got nearly a dozen comments waiting for me! I'll try to touch on everybody's points:

Desthro:
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I will agree with the spells known, I mean, if you want them to have a broader spell base, it is more than reasonable. Savvy Preparation OTOH just feels like a shoddy compromise. I get that it is because they need a little push somewhere, but that push really could be put somewhere else to make them feel a little more streamlined.

As far as hide in plain sight goes, the way you describe it seems completely reasonable, (and it may in fact be reasonable...) Though, since it is a (Su), using it takes a standard action unless otherwise stated and it is suppressed by anti-magic fields. Though I am sure after this comment you will adjust the wording of the ability accordingly or make it (Ex). Also, by the time it is achieved, they are already level 17. As an example, they get greater invisibility as a 4th level spell. At level 8, they are very capable of doing what you want HiPS to do (for three fights nonetheless!!!). At level 13, they get the ability to swift feint, which is a good counter-measure to the truesight rolling around that level, and then at level 17 they get an ability that pretty much makes swift feint worthless (playing the ability as intended here) except in niche circumstances involving blindsight, (no need to feint if you are stealthed when you gib them LoL.) Also, If there was a way to quicken their level 1 goodie Vanish without pumping the spell level up 4 notches that would do pretty much the same thing as well!

It seems like a really weak holdover that really pushes the lower-level spell usage away. I still think different abilities, something that made them more wily in melee, like dodge and mobility would be a fantastic way to broaden the beguiler's repertoire and build on their skills without essentially giving them what they already have. And, quite possibly, Savvy Preparation (which seems like a terrible compromise) could go the way of the dinosaur and really push the Beguiler to something far far better.

EDIT--
Another thing worth mentioning, still a very good conversion! <3 playing it so far. LoL

DM/GM PCs
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DM/GM PCs have a place at any table, but like with all things DM/GM you have to implement it correctly. People can say it is a bad idea, but sometimes it is completely and totally necessary, and it really does depend on the the DM/GM's skill, and their ability to unfold a story. I happen to know a wonderful GM/DM who is also an incredible player, and every game that I have been involved in where there has been a DM/GM PC with him, it has never failed to be a more than excellent experience. Some might disagree with me, but I've yet to experience a negative outcome when he introduces a DM/GM PC. If anything, they are NPCs that we get to interact with every waking moment.

Reasons to have a DM/GM PC
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There are a multitude of reasons to have one in the player party. The aforementioned GM/DM and myself are playing a game via E-mail that only has one player, me. Having a GM/DM controlled PC is almost inevitable in that case, as my character will inevitably make friends, recruit other adventurers, etc.

Plot-level characters. I have two DM/GM PCs that I use to drive plot in a far-reaching universal campaign. PCs have been built and screwed by them so many times that the players don't even know if they should trust them or not, which is as it should be (for this game.)

To experiment with homebrew material. Nothing like a good playtest than introducing that one character to the party and putting them all through their paces. (If it's underwhelming and the party is being threatened, you can always 'adjust' the combat in the player's favor, and likewise if the character is too strong!)

To have fun. Being a DM/GM is a lot of hard, and rewarding, work, and I know many a DM/GM that DM/GM exclusively for a very long while. It's nice to be able to play both aspects of a campaign you are running. A lot of what I read in this thread comes from a player perspective, but what about the DM/GM perspective? Usually I find very little to support the DM/GM with their difficult work from their players.

Leadership. This is a touchy subject, but I played a character where her background included her being married to a semi-important NPC. The DM said that if I wanted him to tag along in the party, I would need to take the Leadership feat. I agreed, but he needed to RP the spouse, because RPing both ends of that seemed difficult to me. He agreed, and a DM/GM PC in the party was born. (Sort of.)

Conclusion
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I am sure there are a LOT more reasons to have such a character in the party. Given the DM/GMs purview of things, it is easy to overshadow the players and make mistakes. A good group will let you know how they are feeling and what you can do to improve. That's what friends are for. You don't get good at something by thinking about riding a bike, you go and ride the bike and fall down a lot. Storytelling skills are no different. DM/DM PCs are not really any different than NPCs that stick around a REALLY long time, and if the DM/GM likes them, he/she may use them to play in a game where he/she isn't the DM/GM. Help build the skills of your DM/GM through effective communication, and not only will your experience improve, but your skill as a player will improve as well.

I created an account just so I could post to this thread in regards to your Beguiler conversion. I am not certain which is your most current revision, as I found two separate versions of the beguiler modification floating around the internet. The one I am currently using is not the one I was able to obtain from this site, but I wanted to pass along some constructive suggestions regarding the Beguiler class and the conversion you all have done a remarkable job with. I am guessing the one with Saavy-Preparation is your most current revision, and I will provide my feedback from that perspective.

1) Spells-Known
I don't feel that giving them a spells-known limit is really necessary, as the original spell list they had was severely limited and focused. People who say they shouldn't have access to those spells all the time. I noticed you expanded their spell-list /significantly/ and while that might help bring them forward in terms of power, being forced to pick and choose certain tools doesn't really do anything other than make them pick certain spells always over other ones. Suggestion: expand the spell list if you like, but just give them all of the spells.

2) Savvy-Preparation
This just feels like a gimme to bring the class to where it needs to be. Just give them access to any Enchantment or Illusion spell of their own research just like in 3.5. Giving them additional spells known, even if they are variable spells known, gives them slightly more flexibility, but is really not THAT much better. Cool though... Suggestion: give them an alternative benefit, perhaps letting them prepare spells adjusted via metamagic in any spell slots they like so they can cast them without taking a full-round action, or lowering the metamagic spell-level increase by 1 or more (min +1)

3) Order Powers
I really liked the effort put into this, it really showed a very flavorful and thoughtful process of turning the class into something more than just another class. Risky though... as it really does pigeonhole people into a certain feel, when other base classes are far far more versatile in my opinion.

4) Hide in Plain Sight
While I love this ability, I feel it is incredibly underwhelming on a class loaded with spells that can basically do the same thing. They need a different tool to make them safer. The biggest problem beguilers had, was they needed to get into melee to feint to take the biggest advantage of their class abilities. Limited to light armor and no shields, this proved to be a very very risky thing, and it left their combat abilities severely lacking. Since they can already get up close and personal via spells, (and so many of them!), it really just seems like more of the same. Suggestion: make them better tricksy fighters, they are encouraged to be in melee to feint early and feint often, why not give them a dodge feat chain, (cant get out of melee without provoking AoO's typically, feinting and moving away is a hard business!) They could use more synergy here.

Still, lots of good work!