Why I'm growing more in favor of character audits

[Jiggy]

Yep, thanks!

[Matthew Morris]

Finlanderboy wrote:

Honestly I feel it is a stigmata in my local group to audit players. I seen a character with a 33 point build at 4th level with +11 to hit with one handed weapons dual wielding and +12 to damage. When I said that does not seem right I was pushed to just accept it verus making people uncomfortable.

This is my concern too. And, as much as I hate to be confrontational, it needs to be audited.

Even in a casual conversation. We had a player who's character had a really high init modifier for his wizard. (like +11 or 12)

I asked him how. He said "Improved initative, reactionary trait, dex, greensting scorpion." He then added, "It's all legal."

I nodded and said, "I know how to get to +12 init* I wanted to make sure you knew how you did it."

Between us, it was friendly conversation. I think there are two ways to go about approaching 'the audit issue'

Have an audit day like some folks said

Start small, helping friends or asking 'how did you do that?' Als don't forget to add, when explaining your own PCs, "You'll need the book."

The former is potentially hostile but needs to be done. The later is a bit more insidious. If you help people who aren't optimized, either by finding mistakes or making suggestions ("Oh, you want to play an aasimar? Well the ARG and Blood of Angels both have different Aasimar stuff. Do you have either?") Then when you ask Sir-cheats-a-lot how his 6th level fighter is getting a +25 bonus to hit, and he doesn't want to answer, the pressure is on him, not you. "Y'know, Matt helped me find that I was adding 1.5 strength on my agile weapon when using it two handed. What do you have to hide?"

*

Spoiler:

Before I went improved familiar, Talyn had a +12 or something. Dex, Elven Reflexes, Aldori dueling style, and his familiar bonus

[CRobledo]

Matthew Morris wrote:

Even in a casual conversation. We had a player who's character had a really high init modifier for his wizard. (like +11 or 12)

My Sorceress is up to +16 now! (imp init, reactionary, cha[scion of nobility], familiar, ioun stone)

[Finlanderboy]

Matthew Morris wrote:

Finlanderboy wrote:

Honestly I feel it is a stigmata in my local group to audit players. I seen a character with a 33 point build at 4th level with +11 to hit with one handed weapons dual wielding and +12 to damage. When I said that does not seem right I was pushed to just accept it verus making people uncomfortable.

This is my concern too. And, as much as I hate to be confrontational, it needs to be audited.

Even in a casual conversation. We had a player who's character had a really high init modifier for his wizard. (like +11 or 12)

I asked him how. He said "Improved initative, reactionary trait, dex, greensting scorpion." He then added, "It's all legal."

I nodded and said, "I know how to get to +12 init* I wanted to make sure you knew how you did it."

Between us, it was friendly conversation. I think there are two ways to go about approaching 'the audit issue'

Have an audit day like some folks said

Start small, helping friends or asking 'how did you do that?' Als don't forget to add, when explaining your own PCs, "You'll need the book."

The former is potentially hostile but needs to be done. The later is a bit more insidious. If you help people who aren't optimized, either by finding mistakes or making suggestions ("Oh, you want to play an aasimar? Well the ARG and Blood of Angels both have different Aasimar stuff. Do you have either?") Then when you ask Sir-cheats-a-lot how his 6th level fighter is getting a +25 bonus to hit, and he doesn't want to answer, the pressure is on him, not you. "Y'know, Matt helped me find that I was adding 1.5 strength on my agile weapon when using it two handed. What do you have to hide?"

*** spoiler omitted **

When I asked how he had +11 two wepaon fighting with one handed weapons at that level he got very defensive and started syaing garbage about how I am like everyone else and I some jerk who accuses other people of cheating. I asked this because I was generally curious. I did not have an ounce of suspicion until he started whining. So I looked over his stats and items and recorded his stats to count his point build after the game.

So others could continue the game without the drama. I just said nevermind.

[Jiggy]

I've seriously considered a TWF bastard sword build; nothing says "manly" like dual-wielding a weapon that most people need two hands to swing. ;)

[Chris Mortika]

Jiggy wrote:

I've seriously considered a TWF bastard sword build; nothing says "manly" like dual-wielding a weapon that most people need two hands to swing.

I know why more recent game systems no longer use Weapon Speed Factors and space requirements, but man, if we were still playing AD&D 1st Edition, you would be so hosed.

[Jiggy]

Thanks to the spiffy PDF creator thingy, my relatively audit-friendly custom character sheet has been added to the shared prep drive, in the Helpful Resources folder, as "JiggySheetv2x2". Hope folks find it useful, and any ideas for improvement are welcome. :)

[Mistwalker]

Jiggy wrote:

Thanks to the spiffy PDF creator thingy, my relatively audit-friendly custom character sheet has been added to the shared prep drive, in the Helpful Resources folder, as "JiggySheetv2x2". Hope folks find it useful, and any ideas for improvement are welcome. :)

For some reason, I can't seem to find it there. Has it been moved?