Pretty much everyone plans out their character to some degree mostly because you run into prerequisite issues otherwise. But do you ever get the urge to break from your plan ?
I mean say your build starts coming into its own around 9th-10th level but your finding the adventure your in is progressing slowly the game is still fun but your only 2nd level just about to hit third and your character feels like dead weight. Or perhaps the adventure is gear more for other character classes and your character simply isn't having the impact you'd like.
Are you tempted to take a single dip in another class just to boost your current character get some extra options and have a bit more "fun". Even if it means you'll need to redesign your build maybe even have to swap a few feats for the next coupe of levelups, or even retrain out of the 1 level dip at a later stage take the XP hit just to get back on track ?
For my own example at the moment playing a PHBII Druid with shapeshifting at 6th level. Still doing ok dmg, can fly at will which is handy and pretty much doing all the party healing. I'm sorely tempted to break straight druid progression and dip into some other classes.
Warshaper for even 1-4 levels for extra Natural attacks, stat boost (since items don't help) reach and free regen.
Few lvs of WarMind for Psionic self buffing , expansion would turn Pred and Ariel into Large even Huge, maybe take some monstrous feats, awesome blow, Grab etc, for combat fun.
Level of Sorc for free +4 AC mage armor (practiced caster pretty much have this on all day)
Level of Monk for free AC and extra natural attack on Pred and Ariel forms.
Gah so many options that would enhance the build or do I wait more lvs for Ferocious Pred then dip or wait another 4 for plant etc etc.
So Tempting. (any suggestions on my particular situation would also be appreciated, as well as thoughts on the main thread topic)
My husband laughs at me because every time I make a new character I make a chart of what feats/spells/etc. they'll have up to 20th level. Now, mostly I do this so I can quickly raise levels if I ever need a replacement character quick. Because when I play from first level, I never, ever folow the original plan. Something similar to the original, maybe, but refining those decisions based on what sort of things happen to the character over the course of their career is part of the process. And sometimes that means an unscheduled multiclass. Like the sorcerer whose main joy in life was blowing things up planning to take a level in bard for the knowledge skills. Up to that point, she'd practically been living in libraries as we desperately researched this that and the other thing and it seemed silly not to have that reflected on the character sheet.
My husband laughs at me because every time I make a new character I make a chart of what feats/spells/etc. they'll have up to 20th level. Now, mostly I do this so I can quickly raise levels if I ever need a replacement character quick. Because when I play from first level, I never, ever folow the original plan. Something similar to the original, maybe, but refining those decisions based on what sort of things happen to the character over the course of their career is part of the process. And sometimes that means an unscheduled multiclass. Like the sorcerer whose main joy in life was blowing things up planning to take a level in bard for the knowledge skills. Up to that point, she'd practically been living in libraries as we desperately researched this that and the other thing and it seemed silly not to have that reflected on the character sheet.
Heh you just reminded me that Barbarian is also another direction i could take my charcter since he seems to run headlong into combat and enjoys tearing throats out just a little too much.
My husband laughs at me because every time I make a new character I make a chart of what feats/spells/etc. they'll have up to 20th level.
I do the same thing (and my group laughs at me too). I think it helps when I'm planning on a PrC down the road. I'm also the DM 90% of the time, so when I get the chance to play a PC, I like to play around with possible carreer paths.
Now the Pathfinder rules have come out, and I'm less tempted to follow my original plans. We're just hit 5th level in Shackled City. Now I'm thinking that my fighter/rogue will just lean more toward rogue, and not pursue Order of the Bow Initiate. And my fighter/wizard will now be more of a wizard, and forget about becoming a Spellsword.
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I do this all the time. My most recent example being the Rogue I played for the Age of Worms AP. As you know, at a certain point, a Rogue gets short shrift due to the large amount of undead in that AP. My original plan was to follow Rogue till 10th Level, the cross into Shadowdancer. However, once I hit 10th level, I had a change of heart due to the way the campaign was going, and ended up crossing into Beguiler instead.
Honestly, I think it's very hard to follow a pre-conceived path to 20th level. So many variables happen during actual game play that it's almost necessary to adapt your character a bit as he advances.
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Yeah I've never made a plan, oh I'll look at what I intend to take when I hit the level that gives me my next feat, and I may look forward to hitting a level to get x ability, but I don't plan for it, I let what my character does in game determine how they advance on paper, to the point that I'll make less than optimal choices for them because that's what they'd do.
My sweety and I started making character 'progression charts' when we decided to use the Gestalt Option for character creation. It makes keeping track of what option gets pulled from which class much easier for us, and leveling up is a breeze.
Having that framework in place also makes 'breaking from the plan' a bit easier - I can see what effects the change will have across the progression, and make corrections accordingly.
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I don't usually bother with a big career plan unless I'm shooting for a particular prestige class that looks interesting. In that case, sometimes you have to plan well ahead if you want to qualify.
I don't usually bother with a big career plan unless I'm shooting for a particular prestige class that looks interesting. In that case, sometimes you have to plan well ahead if you want to qualify.
Fochlucan Lyrist, here we come!
I don't usually bother with a big career plan unless I'm shooting for a particular prestige class that looks interesting. In that case, sometimes you have to plan well ahead if you want to qualify.Fochlucan Lyrist, here we come!
It would be hard to qualify for that particular prestige class without a little planning ahead of time!
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I've seen the extreme to either of these. For me, I usually stick to a plan for a PrC and hope that the DM will have the cojones to tell me if it's a bad idea.
On the one side, there was a player in my AoW campaign that was (when the campaign ended) Human Psionic Rogue 2/Psionic Warrior 4/Ranger 3/Elocator 1/Wurmguard 3 (can't remember the name of the AoW specific PrC). He had tons of options, and they unfortunately didn't hold up well to the resistances of the bad guys.
Then there was the Cleric who had said he was sticking to only Cleric and then took levels 6-13 of Warlock...
Honestly, after all that, I believe to stick to what you're going to, and if you are going to change, let them know just incase they were relying on you being the healer (or arcanist or theif or tank).
The most recent (and most frustrating) experience of this I've had was my last character. She was a tiefling sorcerer that was fond of two things: fire and gold. I had her planned all the way to taking levels in a PrC from the Book of Eldritch Might called Embermage (more fire), and then a couple of levels of rogue to reflect her kleptomaniacal bent. The "special" prerequisite for the PrC is to be reduced to less than 0 hp by fire, and she kept making her reflex saves vs. everything fire-based that the DM tossed her way, much to my frustration. In the last level of a dungeon we were exploring, she dove for a treasure chest in an empty room before anyone could stop her, and she sprung a fireball trap that brought her down to -5, with the cleric right there to heal her the next round. success!
Unfortunately, just as she levelled up, we finished the adventure and the DM announced that we would be making new characters... to play a 4e campaign.
I am so leery of plotting out a character now...oh, and I switched DMs. ;)
Building characters that you actually have to play for 10-20 levels is completely different than making a character that starts at level 12. The people on the optimization board would post the most obscure builds that are likely nearly worthless at levels 5-8 but at level 10 they are great. I generally play straight classes and don't mess with multi or PrCs too much so I haven't had a lot of problems. I am occasionally tempted to dip out though for a little flavor. My rogue is seriously tempted to take a level of sorcerer right now... must resist.
My rogue is seriously tempted to take a level of sorcerer right now... must resist.
If I'm playing a thief, I always multiclass rogue with a spellcasting class -- it's just too hard to get really good at stealing stuff without access to clairvoyance, knock, detect magic, dispel magic, detect thoughts, etc. Segue into Arcane Trickster or Unseen Seer, and you've got the makings of an eventual master thief.
I do some very basic planning ahead when creating a new character, but mostly I like to just start at first level and as my character gains levels take what looks interesting or seems appropriate for the adventure/campaign at the time. Then I just like to see where these choices take my character and what options open up.
yup, me too. it is good to think about feat trees a little way ahead but you never know what is going to happen. If the healer in the party dies and someone has to fill the roll so long as it ties into my character concept and is interesting I don't mind dippin into something else. Also I find my characters and the interactions with other players sometimes shape my characters in ways I had never imagined when I originally created the character.
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I do some very basic planning ahead when creating a new character, but mostly I like to just start at first level and as my character gains levels take what looks interesting or seems appropriate for the adventure/campaign at the time. Then I just like to see where these choices take my character and what options open up.
This is how I play as well.
Though there was this one gestalt game I played in where I actually wrote a 1-20 progression for my character. That was a very fun game but I only wrote the progression because of the gestalt factor.