Dr z0b's page

The real problem is that there is no rules to take into account the difference between the handling of different weapons. An axe should do much greater damage than a sword, but a sword is a more responsive and accurate weapon; better at hitting small targets and finding a chink in armour, much better at parrying. Whilst an axe doesn't need to find a chink in armour; it just crushes its way though.

A falchion would be somewhere between the two, and a rapier would be even more responsive than a normal sword.

Shields should also add a lot more to AC but are generally made of wood and would probably start to break after a few rounds of heavy combat. There is no way you would block a two handed axe blow with a shield, it would cut straight through the shield and into your arm.

What about a halfling ranger, riding a wolf who is his animal companion, which has the skill stealth and the feat stealthy. Can he aid his wolf to stealth along while he's riding it or could the wolf aid the ranger's stealth?

I don't think taking this feat grants dogs, wolves or any other creature a hoof attack if they don't already have one.

I think the bell curve exists at least for the general population of whatever world you are playing in, even if it doesn't directly apply to the PCs.

I have no problem with 5 CHA characters if they are played the right way. Actually after reading this thread I'm interested in making a Wizard with a huge INT but super low CHA kind of like Sheldon from BBT.

However I do have a problem with people always using CHA as a dump stat and not playing the character as an unlikeable @#$$. For example saying that their character is dark and broody and doesn't say much isn't low CHA. That's Clint Eastwood's character in The Good, The Bad and the Ugly who had CHA coming out the wazoo. Having mega low CHA is always babling on at the wrong time, or saying the most offensive thing possible but unaware of it, or having a gross skin disease that makes you ugly and nobody wants to come anywhere near you lest they catch it.

I'm wondering exactly how this spell works as well. I presumed it just meant less than 0HP, but my question is do all the arrows hit automatically, as there's no saving throw?

As for the favored enemy question, I would say hell no as well.

Thanks for the great resource, just two bugs I'm having making my 8th level halfling Ranger:

1) doesn't seem to be calculating my Dex bonus (+6) to my AC properly, it's listing it as +5 in P-Front.

2) Animal companion with Skill focus (Stealth) isn't showing a bonus to the skill.

3) Halfling Sling Staff doesn't calculate bonus for str damage unless you set it as "thrown" rather than "ranged" (that may or may not be a bug).

Ignore 1) it was working fine, I just forgot about the fact he was wearing studded leather which gives a max dex bonus of +5 to AC.

Thanks for the great resource, just two bugs I'm having making my 8th level halfling Ranger:

1) doesn't seem to be calculating my Dex bonus (+6) to my AC properly, it's listing it as +5 in P-Front.

2) Animal companion with Skill focus (Stealth) isn't showing a bonus to the skill.

3) Halfling Sling Staff doesn't calculate bonus for str damage unless you set it as "thrown" rather than "ranged" (that may or may not be a bug).

Thanks everyone for your replies, I didn't mean to start a debate on the balance of shields but I enjoyed it none the less.

One thing that now occurs to me is the cost issue. It's not really that important to PCs, but for your average farmer or goblin the difference between a light wooden shield (3gp) and a buckler (15gp) is huge. So the game does need to include items that are generally inferior even if the PCs don't use them to remain realistic (or at least to retain verisimilitude).

Hi all, I have a halfling ranger who's an archer and uses a buckler. However my GM has a problem with it as he can't see why you would ever use a small shield rather than a buckler.

Basically if you don't use anything in your off hand then a buckler is as good as a small sheild but it gives you the option to use that hand if you wish. Apart from loosing the ability to shield bash, and the cost is there any disadvantage?