Problem with DM and Pally Sorc Advice

[Verbek]

Hey there!

I am having a problem with the way my DM leads the game. I was a lvl 9 optimized Archer (Fighter, 9).
i will introduce you to the way the DM leads the game after i introduce you to my party members.

4 Party members, a monk, a summoner, a rogue, me (fighter 9)

Monk: Good saves, very high grapple bonus, low damage per hit.

summoner: good summoning but poor spells selection and constantly do nothing besides odering his summoning to hit and summon leopards and rhinos

rogue: (type of PC DM uses when not a DM) DM alows him to sneack attack all the time so he gets good damage per hit, he always get a lot of gold stealing (in level 3 he got 5k gold) and most of his skills is considered automatic success by DM

Fighter: Always the best in combat, with MW bow i did around 50-60 per round. My Fort and Ref saves were high.

The way DM leads:

We dont have gold for nothing, we cant buy itens we can only get then as a reward from quests and normally they arent what we really want. At lvl 9 we got only 15k gold of itens, only the rogue got around 25k from stealing things. Due to my high Attack bonus (+14 with rapid shot and deadly aim) ALL the mobs had AC 25 ( i was the only one that hit, the summoning, the monk and the rogue hitted only when they got 17+ on dice)and ALL since lvl 7 had more then 100HP (we always fight a group of mobs not only one) and in last combat 3 mobs got a death area effect, a sonic area effect (35 dmg) at will with DC 24. Of couse i died and some others died again.

What i think is: i am playing with a DM that benefits rogues, and have no idea of CR and ways to get a nice combat going without healers and arcane casters in the play. What you think?

Now that i am dead, i said i dont want to bring up the archer again. i got excitted when i builded a Pally/Sorc Arcane (2/7) with magical Knack. I got all saves higher than +11, 23 cha without itens, could cast 8-1º 8-2º and 6-3º but i dont really know what spells to pick there are so many, till now i got:

1st - Ray of Emfemblement, Burning Hands, Indentify*, Grease, Enlarge Person, Magic Missile.

2nd - Schorching Ray, Blur, Invisibility*, Touch of Idiocy

3rd - Dispel magic*, Displacement, Haste

I am not sure with this is a good selection and if spell focus is good way to spend feats. What you think?

[Lathiira]

I'd replace burning hands with color spray or shield for 1st level spells. For 2nd, try to fit in glitterdust. Your spell list is overall pretty good.

As for the rest, you'll have to bring up your problems with your GM. You're in a group with no real healing ability outside of someone taking Use Magic Device (if anyone has it). That means you've got to be canny and cagey as a team, because your party can't go head to head with anyone unless you have the time to heal up afterwards. Also, if you're under-equipped due to lack of funds and treasure that doesn't line up with what you need, you're going to have more problems yet. Suggest he comes over here and does some reading up on the effects of low wealth on parties; there are plenty of those threads around.

[W E Ray]

Uh, yeah, you gotta talk to the DM.

In this case I'd do it privately, not at the table where it could get heated. Let him know you've got a few concerns that are bothering you and you want to bounce them off the DM.

1) Despite being underequiped are you overwhelmed by the monsters you face? If you don't need magical gear to get past DR, if you don't need it for healing or trouble shooting stuff -- then you don't need it. Lots of DMs do their best to keep out the arms race in their games. Thus, even if you create a caster who creates magical items, your DM will not let you. Talk to him.

2) If the Rogue is a party member and he's effective in combat (because of the broken Sneak Attack), then the gold he steals should be party treasure, split equally.
The fighter fights on the front line so the wizard & rogue can stay safe.
The Wizard does artillery and trouble shooting so the fighter doesn't get overwhelmed.
The cleric heals everyone.
The rogue steals so the party has money to get better equipment. That's his job in the party.
If the rogue is keeping all the money then the fighter should get more XP cuz he's doing more of the fighting.

3) If the DM is favoring a certain Player, or PC Class, you should call him on it -- in private. Tell him you'll play a Rogue so you'll get all the extra benefits of being the Class the DM favors. And pretty soon everyone will be playing Rogues.

[stuart haffenden]

Listen to what >W E Ray< said, it's all good advice.

As a side: A Pally/Sorc would lose all Pally class features in my games, so maybe your DM isn't so bad ;) lol

[Verbek]

yeah, i will do that...

my DM dont care about aligment, we have a chaotic monk, and probably get a neutral good paladin.

I had nothing to complain about my DM before this adventure.

Ty all