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Will smoother leveling be a feature of 2E? Too many builds are near-useless at low levels, until they hit that one feat or class ability that finally allows them to become viable.
I find this especially problematic regarding damage bonuses, e.g.: Gunslinger 5 being leaps and bounds more effective than Gunslinger 4, or virtually any class that wants to get Dex to damage (there are a couple options that can do this at level 1, but unless you want to be a human or an Inspired Blade it's really tough.) It's frustrating to have a character in mind, and think "If I were starting at level 5 this would be totally viable, but if I start at level 1 I'll be deadweight for 4 levels."
Options like "You may add your Dex modifier as a bonus to your damage roll, up to a maximum of your class level" are perfectly acceptable, because the leveling is graceful in that case. But herky-jerkyness in damage increases, whether due to an Agile weapon or Finesse Training II or Slashing Grace or Gun Training or Precise Strike or what-have-you, really puts you in a difficult position during character design. And it only gets worse when you aren't sure about the longevity of the campaign!
I've felt this. Did an Drow arachnid Wildsoul Vigilante. Dex based. Didn't have Weapon Finesse by choice till level 3 (wanted Lethal Grace and to avoid a retraining nightmare) and was more or less useless for 2 levels, and still wont really pop till Fist of the Avenger at level 4.
I do hope for some smoother leveling, whether by making things like Finesse built into weapons, or more options like Fist of the Avenger and Lethal Grace built in so things feel more minor progressive rather than the giant power jumps of finally slugging through all the tax to get to a feat you need.
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In theory I agree with this request, however, this is a tough nut to crack. Dex to hit and/or damage at level 1 makes sense. Wanting to be a blind old man who uses a staff, but is also good with a bow, and can cast divine and arcane spells is just too broad a concept to achieve at level one. Also, not everyone agrees with "comes online". For instance, I dont see any problem with a level 1-4 gunslinger. YMMV.
Gunslinger is already good before getting Dex to damage, but other Dex to damage builds have the same issue.