Does anyone play core classes anymore? Are the expanded classes balanced? Are Elven wizards so hum-drum that we need half giant psionic ninjas? Does the AoW AP favor some expanded races/classes?
Does anyone play core classes anymore? Are the expanded classes balanced? Are Elven wizards so hum-drum that we need half giant psionic ninjas? Does the AoW AP favor some expanded races/classes?
As the DM for our AOW group, I do not own a single alternate class book. I don't think they're bad, I just don't want to make the investment when I could buy books with monsters. That said, half of my group actually uses the core classes. Right now, we have a 17th level Cleric/Fighter (Human), 8th Level Bard/8th Level Fighter (Human), 17th Level Paladin (Human), 17th Level Druid (Gnome), and finally one alternate class: The Spirit Shaman (15/Beastmaster 2). A number of party cohorts also take levels in useful filler roles like the Hexblade and Deepwood Sniper. My rule is, I look over the class and read every class feature, then ask how this type of character fits into the Path. Bottom Line: While my party is primarily PHB-classed, I think the other books are good and I have yet to find any class (Book of Exalted Deeds being the exception) that is completely unbalanced or unflavored. I think players need everything they can to get to the end.
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I'm playing a 14th level Cleric of Kord in my current campaign. The other players (who mostly are playing crazy stuff out of books most folks have never even heard of) are constantly being amazed by the cool stuff that my character can do. The other day I cast "Destruction" on an enemy:
Other player: "That's the coolest spell ever! What book is it from?"
Me: "The Player's Handbook."
Other player: "Wow! I never thought that spells from the Player's Handbook were even worth looking at!"
It goes to show that many of the core classes, if played properly, can be better than weird stuff.
My entire party is 14th level. I think one of the worst things we could come across would be a 20th level human fighter (played properly).
I am not a fan of splats at all. Besides the PH, I also allow classes from the PH2 and XPH only. They seem to be balanced enough without taking away anything from the core classes.
Does anyone play core classes anymore? Are the expanded classes balanced? Are Elven wizards so hum-drum that we need half giant psionic ninjas? Does the AoW AP favor some expanded races/classes?
Short answers: Yes. Mostly. Maybe. Not really.
Long answers: Core classes are just that, while the expanded classes are variations that quantify alternate concepts and hybrids (much like the bard, ranger, and paladin classes are hybrids). The expanded classes are about as balanced as the PHB classes; some are more specialized versions of core classes, others mix the abilities of core classes, some are variations that use a different starting point for a class concept (for example, sorcerers and warlocks); the power creep from the expansion books is more from the feats, prestige classes, and spells than the alternate starting classes. Many people enjoy variety and the expanded classes give players and DMs quite a lot of it; pick and choose which class(es) suit the character(s) or setting (for instance, removing the sorcerer and replacing it with the warlock in a campaign can add a theme of purity and corruption to arcane magic and a ready-made a wizards vs. warlocks plot hook). Certain expanded races/classes may find particular encounters in the AoW easier, but that's true of the core races/classes as well (i.e., clerics of Pelor with high Cha vs. undead); different classes shine in different situations; the APs are designed around a "typical" party of core classes, but the biggest factor is the players; even that half-giant psionic ninja can be killed by bad luck or poor decisions...
It goes to show that many of the core classes, if played properly, can be better than weird stuff.
The expansion books should be considered spice to be added to the campaign in measured doses to add flavor, but the core books remain the base of the meal.
Its great to play other classes but in the end all are specialised core classes to some extend. The most powerfull characters are high level single core class. Every prestige or alternate classe substitutes one benefit against another and most of the time it specialises the character on one aspect with the effect of degrading his abilities on others.
New stuff is simply new. It's fun to try new things but I guess we shall see if any of these new things stick around and really become much loved architypes (like elf mage) with the release of the 4th edition players handbook, lol! ;) :P
Does anyone play core classes anymore?
My AoW group consists of four core classes - barbarian, cleric, rogue and sorcerer. Pretty standard stuff! They're only half-way through the Whispering Cairn, but they seem to be doing quite well so far.
For my AOW campaign which should begin around the new year, I informed my players that only the core books would be use for initial PC's/feats/spells etc with very few exeptions. I allowed PHB II alternate class features with DM approval. The only other books I will allow my players accesss to for the entire campaign is the complete series, and everything must meet DM approval.
I for one would love to see an end to additional core classes. They were never really needed and most if not all would have made better more exciting prestige classes anyway.
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Does anyone play core classes anymore? Are the expanded classes balanced? Are Elven wizards so hum-drum that we need half giant psionic ninjas? Does the AoW AP favor some expanded races/classes?
I remember when monks were some weird stuff not all dm's would even allow, barbarians were a weird class from Dragon magazine, bards were a bizarre prestige class (though they didn't have the word yet...)that again, some dm's would not allow, and sorcerer was just another word for wizard or magic user. There were no "rogues" they were all thieves, and they liked stealing stuff.
So...from my perspective,...bring on some more weird classes.
My wife just tried to play a Scout; she got to 5th level and figured out the character was fighting an uphill battle vs. lack of feats, and she was going to have to take some levels of Fighter to catch up. She's playing a new character now: a single-classed Fighter.
The rest of my campaign has a paladin, a rogue, a cleric, a druid, a ranger, a wizard... and a Hound Archon. o.O
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My wife never plays anything "normal." She's played a red dragon monster class, a drow swashbuckler, a ghaele eladrin monster class, and a darfellan barbarian. She once played an elf fighter/wizard...and then multi-classed to swashbuckler to get the Intelligence bonus to damage.