I only have 3 players for my STAP campaign so I let them all make gestalt characters to help offset some of the difficulty, but I'm wondering if I should a a 4th NPC.
Right now we have a rogue/swashbuckler, duskblade/swashbuckler, and a druid/monk. I was thinking of adding a sorcerer/warlock to help out with the offensive spellflinging.
Also I think it's worth noting that my PCs just finished the Parrot Island part and already have 2500 xp each due to the fact there's only 3 of them.
so is it worth adding an NPC?
We're doing gestalt as well, for the same reason. Of course then another player came in so now we have four gestalt PC's, but oh well..
I would not make an NPC. I think the characters you have fill the niches neccessary, especially if the Druid takes the Spontaneous Healer feat. As a DM, I find running an NPC very annoying and some players don't like it either. My advice would be to keep going like you're going and unless you find the characters getting their butts kicked all the time, leave it at three.
This reminds me of the time I made a quad-gestalted character; he leveled up in rogue, psion, cleric, and ranger all at the same time (I think). His character sheet at whatever level the Styes is (just the stats, mind, no fluff involved here) was a good 15 pages of spells and powers. He adventured with a Kenku Rogue/Warlock/something/something... maybe marshal/cleric?
It was interesting to try, but not anything I'd want to play or run in anything long term.
My STAP has heard the siren's call of gestalt as well... :)
Milton - if you are concerned with the XP that three party members are getting, then it might be worth adding an NPC - with the understanding that said NPC gets an equal cut of the XP and treasure for their services. This gives them the arcane punch you think they need, but the party has to pay for that privilege.
Otherwise I agree with cthulhu_waits - three well-made gestalt PCs should be able to handle things for now.
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Not only would I say that you shouldn't run an NPC, I'd say there's no way you should run an NPC that is a spellcaster (particularly a wizard, but also a sorcerer because of all the bookkeeping required), and that gestalting a sor/warlock doesn't make any sense. The sorcerer rarely runs out of spells, so it's not clear to me what advantage is gained from having a level of warlock. A fighter/warlock makes a lot more sense because you get the fighters BAB and feats applicable to ranged attacks, plus you get to wear light armor.
Similarly, I would sit down with your swashbuckler/duskblade player and point him in the direction of the swashbuckler/wizard or swashbuckler sorcerer. The duskblade is a fighter/wizard cross. It gives up some power from each class in order to have some abilities from both classes. Gestalting lets you get the best abilities from both classes without giving up power. A fighter/duskblade makes about as much sense as a fighter/ranger or a fighter/paladin, it's redundant and is going to be pretty weak compared to other gestalt options.
Also I think it's worth noting that my PCs just finished the Parrot Island part and already have 2500 xp each due to the fact there's only 3 of them.
Cut the xp you give 'em in half. I'm running a SCAP campaign with three gestalts, and I told them right off I was awarding xp as if they were a party of six. It's keeping them in line with where they should be in terms of levels, and they are not having too much trouble so far. I should also add that I'm always ready to alter encounters on the fly if they should prove too difficult--the main problem with three gestalts being that they only get three actions per round instead of the six you'd get with six single class characters.
--Fang
Personally, I think cutting XP in half for gestalts is a bit much. I believe that what the Unearthed Arcana says to do is lower the CR's of all monsters by 1, and turn any NPC's with PC class levels into gestalt. I plan on lowering the CR's of monsters by 1, but then advancing the monsters so their CR goes up by 1, leaving them at the same CR they are written at in the adventure but they will be a bit more powerful to account for the gestalt characters.
But for the first few encounters I'm going to leave the monsters as written, while still lowering the CR. This is because a 1st level gestalt character is not much more powerful than a 1st level regular character.
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The way we did it when we went through the SCAP as gestalt characters, is divide the spoils as though there were half-again as many other party members. ie if there are 3 gestalt PCs divide xp & loot four ways with the remainder just vanishing into the ether. (we explained the 1/4 of the loot as donations to the temple and orphange). if there are 4-5 gestalt PCs divide by 6, etc. It worked pretty well as far as keeping us at the proper level.
I'd hoped that gestalt would become more along the lines of the old school multiclassing.
XP divided evenly between the classes. Slows down advancement, but can be tremendous fun to play as you down blow through low-and-mid-range BBEGs any time soon either. Harder to do with xp divisions in an adventure path without adding in sufficient filler xp awards to bring up the APL to the crucial points.
Be a good way to stretch out an AP tho ...
I'm running the AP with three players, but everyone seems to be used to running two characters at a time in this group, so we're just doing it that way. We'll see if it detracts too much from roleplaying. We have another player coming back to town next month, maybe we can retire the extra characters and run it the old-fashioned way. I've not tried "gestalt," as I don't have Arcana Unearthed.
I'm running the AP with three players, but everyone seems to be used to running two characters at a time in this group, so we're just doing it that way. We'll see if it detracts too much from roleplaying. We have another player coming back to town next month, maybe we can retire the extra characters and run it the old-fashioned way. I've not tried "gestalt," as I don't have Arcana Unearthed.
You don't need AU. See here: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/gestaltCharacters.htm
As well as mine, the gestalt is among us. I'll be DMing, and so far I believe we've got: rogue/fighter, warmage/fighter, and a fighter/ranger. I'm tempted to make a cleric/favored soul for healing duty, but I might persuade one of them to go half druid. It's gonna be cool, cause 2 of my players got 80% through Age of Worms, so when the wormfall festival starts in Bullywug gambit, they'll be seeing people dressed up as they're old characters and stuff. It'll be the shiz!
I'll also start off with three players soon and you made me wonder. I wasn't intending to use gestalt. Do you think it is really necessary if there are three characters in the group? The adventures are intended for 4 players, aren't they? I was just planning to give them a capable henchman (probably warrior). Is this adventure path too hard with only 3???
I'll also start off with three players soon and you made me wonder. I wasn't intending to use gestalt. Do you think it is really necessary if there are three characters in the group? The adventures are intended for 4 players, aren't they? I was just planning to give them a capable henchman (probably warrior). Is this adventure path too hard with only 3???
Without knowing the party composition, that's a tough question.
Basically, the adventures assume that you have characters filling the four main roles (arcane spellcaster, combat specialist, divine spellcaster, and stealth/trapfinding). This can be tough to do without gestalting, although it's possible (even with just PHB classes) with good planning and a little multiclassing. A conjurer and druid make the best arcane and divine caster team using the PHB, IMO, for a party of three because the druid's animal companion and both casters' summoning spells can fill in for the combat specialist. Depending on what extra rules are in use, some of the non-PHB classes can fill multiple roles reasonably well without multiclassing.
Also, a party of three will have to pay more attention to tactics and managing resources. The group tends to have less "depth" to handle attacks and will probably need to be more cautious in combat.
Well so far so good with my three gestalt.
Our cast of includes :
Bertrum the beguiler/conjurer. He has been apprencticed to an elven conjurer, who owns a book store in the Noble district. A male human, with a reserved attitude and journal at his side, ready to scribe at any given moment. He has ties with the witchwarden.
"Frosty" the rogue/warlock..Raised by his aunt and uncle, who own an armorsmith in the Merchant district. A male human, he seems aloof at times but seems to be taking everything in. Uncle has recently revealed that he knows how and why "Frosty" aqquired his warlock powers and has sent for a package from the mainland that supposedly explains everything. Has ties with the dawn council.
And last but not least Sars, the barbarian/cleric. Sars, a male human, was recently inducted to the whirling fury and as an initiation underwent a ceremony to gain the amphibous template.
He is a junior watchman for the champions district and carries a greataxe, seems to always be expecting a fight.
Well if anyone want details of the first night I suppose I could start something over in the campains