I have a player playing a Drow gauntlet witch (long story, but it kinda makes sense).
He would like the Drow Noble Spell Resistance feat. Effectively this gives another +5 on the SR (after 13th level since that is one of the prereqs).
However, He doesn't want to be a Drow noble. Not of a major house, has abandonded their evil ways, opposes them when possible, etc... Plus he doesn't see the need for the spell like abilities when he is already a witch.
I have never GM'd for a PC with SR before. Will it really throw things off if I let him take it without the greater nobility prereq?
At level 13 (the first he could take it) SR would go from 19 to 24. That doesn't sound like alot. But that would make a 10th level caster go from a 55% chance of success to 30% chance of success. Almost cut in half.
its not really a problem, but prereq. are there for a reason.
However it can be annoying as a gm to roll another dice :)
Personally - I would say no. If he doesn't want the disadvantages that go with the feat, why should he have the benefits.
Of course, he MIGHT have links to a noble house that he doesn't know about. And he might be disgracing that bloodline. And they might just come looking for him ....
But then, I suppose, those would be the disadvantages he wants to avoid ...
Personally - I would say no. If he doesn't want the disadvantages that go with the feat, why should he have the benefits.
Of course, he MIGHT have links to a noble house that he doesn't know about. And he might be disgracing that bloodline. And they might just come looking for him ....
But then, I suppose, those would be the disadvantages he wants to avoid ...
Not really. I guess we read that as having to be a Noble in the house. Meaning in good standing not just related. He is already opposing them and they are coming after him, he knows that.
The only disadvantage he was avoiding was taking a bunch of feats with things he doesn't want or need. And that we thought meant he would have to take on a role he doesn't want.
He is trying to be a brother or cousing of Drizzt. We haven't read the books in decades, but we didn't remember him having a bunch of spell like abilities. However, he was difficult to affect with magic. At least that is how we remembered it.
OK. I never read any of those books - so I can't be of any help there.
But from what you say, it seems reasonable to let him have it, as you and he have been semi-colluding on that style of build for a while.
Yes, Drizzt had spell like abilities. He would drop globes of darkness on his foes and even levitated. But back when the books were written, drow spell like abilities faded away after a short time on the surface, so eventually he no longer had access to them. But this element of the racial abilities no longer exists, drow keep their racial abilities on the surface.
You mention that you haven't DM'ed a character with SR before, and the player doesn't want spell like abilities. You both realize that drow come standard with both SR and spell like abilities, right? The feats only improve the SR and grant additional spell like abilities.
I would also say that the Noble Drow traits are about blood, you are born one or not. Standing has nothing to do with it. They are racial traits after all. The feats let you unlock those abilities as you gain levels because the Noble Drow race is like 42 racial build points and unbalance for 1st level play. So you pay your opportunity cost (feats) to gain the powers as you play and level up. But you were still "born" a noble.
I would vote no, you have to have the pre-reqs to take the feat.
Hmm... I did not remember that he had them and they faded. Ok, that kinda makes sense.
Hasn't really been for a while. He just recently started this character. The prior character wasn't working out with this campaign and group. So he has only had the Drow abilities for a couple of sessions. They are just advancing to 7th level. So he wouldn't be able to take this for quite a while anyway. None of the recently encountered bad guys have cast any spells at them. He has used the Farie Fire once to help lite up something hiding in the water. Other thinkgs have been casting Darkness at them.
Based on our poor memory of the books, we thought the noble spell like abilities were something granted by house matriarch for the high ranking members of the house. But that could be way off. But that is what we were thinking.
Base Drow SR = 6 + PC level
Noble Drow SR = 11 + PC level
I think what I will give him is:
Drow B@$stard Scion Spell Resistance
Prereqs: Drow, spell resistance, level 13+, can not have nor later take any of the drow noble feat chain
Benefit: SR = 9 + PC level
That gives him something but not everything sisnce he didn't take all the spell like ability prerequisites. Seem reasonable?
I meant "level 11+"
Why not just make him invest the feats to get it?
There are drow feats that allow them to get the 11+ SR
Seems fair to me.
But remember SR can be a hinderance for him. It blocks friendly spells also. Meaning if the healer in the group wants to even heal him he needs to spend an action to lower his SR or the healer needs to try and overcome it and chance wasting the spell.
I think you can be of noble blood, and thus get all the physical benefits, without being an actual noble.
Say, the offspring of a noble and a whore, for example.