[3.5] Unforseen Plot Nerfing, Help! (DMing issues)

[Reaper_Monkey]

I am currently DMing a campaign which is quite free roaming in its plot, however recently its taken a lot more shape and it has become very undead and construct heavy, with the current session taking place in an enchanted forest so also throwing up lots of plants.

The problem is, that as I didn't foresee this turn of events (which has set the theme to heavy anti-crit creatures for the immediate future and potentially the rest of the campaign) I've made one of my players characters pretty much redundant. They are a rogue/ scout gestalt class with some fighter in them now to allow entrance to the tempest prestige. I let them pick up swift ambusher a while back, as the undead theme was very heavy at the time, which balanced out being redundant for half of the time but kicking ass the rest... but even thats been compromised now.

I dont know what to do now, the plot is where it is and it has to feature these enemy types at least 80% of the time if not more, which means that this player is left with some TWF with no precision damage to boost damage, they aint even that much of a skill monkey as it don't fit the character well.

So basically, I'm looking for advice to get this character to be actually useful once more (and me out of the pickle I've let things get into) without breaking the game (as I've lots of ideas of how to fix it, but I'm pretty sure that they would be very very unbalanced, not helped by the existence of swift ambusher either now, we live and we learn hey?)

[The Glyphstone]

Perhaps the Penetrating Strike feature from Dungeonscape? It trades away either Trap Sense or uncanny Dodge, can't remember, but guarantees half precision damage against any foe you are flanking.

The Magic Item Compendium has Weapon Crystals of Truedeath and Demolition, which (I think) allow precision damage to function against undead and constructs respectively.

[Keld Denar]

Magic Item Compendium has weapon augment crystals that get around the immunities of undead and constructs. You could have some church force give him the crystals to attach to his weapons to help him in his quest (which the church benefits from?). They could request them back at the end, or allow him to keep them, as since they are only more effective against undead or constructs, don't really help him fight say....a hobgoblin.

MIC also has Deathstrike Bracers, which allow you to SA anything for a round, 3 times per day. Takes a swift action to activate.

You could also have him install Wand Chambers (Dungeonscape) in his weapons and have him load them with wands of Grave Strike or Golem Strike or Vine Strike (1st level spells in the Spell Compendium). Per the updated rules in the Rules Compendium, activating a wand with a swift action spell is now a swift action, and being enclosed in the wand chamber would allow him to use them without dropping either weapon to hold the wand. He'd still have to make a Use Magic Device roll every round, but its only a DC20, which isn't hard to come by. Plus, they would kind of feel like loading a special clip of ammo into a gun, like silver bullets when you are hunting werewolves. He could swap the wands around depending on what he anticipates hunting that day.

Does this help?

[FinalJustice]

I'd give one of the Crystals as a freebie and make it highly available to buy the other one.

[Arbitrarity]

6K each, Greater Crystal of Truedeath and Greater Demolition Crystal. +1d6 damage vs constructs or undead, weapon gets Ghost touch, or functions as adamantine (respectively), and sneak attacks can be made against undead. Must be installed in a weapon of at least +3.

[Keld Denar]

6K each, Greater Crystal of Truedeath and Greater Demolition Crystal. +1d6 damage vs constructs or undead, weapon gets Ghost touch, or functions as adamantine (respectively), and sneak attacks can be made against undead. Must be installed in a weapon of at least +3.

Greater Crystals are 10k...I think you are thinking of Lesser Crystal, which are the medium ones. Least are the low level ones. It was confusing for me at first, too. That said, Least Crystals give +1d6 damage, Lesser allow you to bypass DR/incorporiality, and Greater allow you to SA and crit them.

[Rei_Jin]

I'd look at three options

1. Penetrating Strike Alternate Class Feature from Dungeonscape. Expand it to allow Precision Based damage at half damage against all foes that you meet the pre-req of hurting (ie, moving 10ft for Skirmish, flat footed or flanked for Sneak Attack, etc)

2. Deathstrike Bracers, but they function indefinitely and cost double

3. Offer the player a rebuild

[Heliomance]

If they hit up Ranger, take Favoured Enemy (construct) and take Swift Hunter, they get to apply their skirmish damage to constructs.

[Arbitrarity]

Greater Crystals are 10k...I think you are thinking of Lesser Crystal, which are the medium ones. Least are the low level ones. It was confusing for me at first, too. That said, Least Crystals give +1d6 damage, Lesser allow you to bypass DR/incorporiality, and Greater allow you to SA and crit them.

Huh, you're right. However, not on the DR/Incoporeality. It's just Ghost Touch, unless it was changed since the preview.

[Keld Denar]

Huh, you're right. However, not on the DR/Incoporeality. It's just Ghost Touch, unless it was changed since the preview.

Nah, the / was there to indicate the difference between the Demo and TD Crystals. Demo Crystal bypasses the DR, TD Crystal bypasses the Incorp immunities. A TD Crystal will not bypass a Vampire's DR/Silver + Magic.

Sorry for the confusion, was just saving space, guess this post just made that irrelevant. :smalleek:

[Reaper_Monkey]

Thank you all for your replies! They've all be very useful!

I have decided to suggest a slightly edited version of Penetrating Strike.
It will now allow any precision based damage (as long as the normal conditions are met) but with half dice to anything naturally immune to critical strikes with the exception of oozes. However this only applies if the target has been correctly identified with a knowledge check (got to get people to stack that stat somehow) which'll have a fairly low DC and can be made by another player but with a much higher DC if needs be.

Although the weapon augments would've been quite handy, in theory they still will be now, as they will allow full damage die to be dealt. It also removes the problem of trying to mod both weapons (as she a TWFer). But thanks for the slew of potential, I'll keep it in mind for boss fights should they wish to cap damage.

Thanks again for all ye help. =)

[Moofaa]

Well, someone has to be making these contructs. I suggest some meatbag clercs/wizards or something similar. Maybe throw in an evil nymph since it seems to have a 'corrupted forest' theme. This character can be tasked with taking them out while the rest of the group deals with the contructs.

[Eloel]

I am currently DMing a campaign which is quite free roaming in its plot, however recently its taken a lot more shape and it has become very undead and construct heavy, with the current session taking place in an enchanted forest so also throwing up lots of plants.

The problem is, that as I didn't foresee this turn of events (which has set the theme to heavy anti-crit creatures for the immediate future and potentially the rest of the campaign) I've made one of my players characters pretty much redundant. They are a rogue/ scout gestalt class with some fighter in them now to allow entrance to the tempest prestige. I let them pick up swift ambusher a while back, as the undead theme was very heavy at the time, which balanced out being redundant for half of the time but kicking ass the rest... but even thats been compromised now.

I dont know what to do now, the plot is where it is and it has to feature these enemy types at least 80% of the time if not more, which means that this player is left with some TWF with no precision damage to boost damage, they aint even that much of a skill monkey as it don't fit the character well.

So basically, I'm looking for advice to get this character to be actually useful once more (and me out of the pickle I've let things get into) without breaking the game (as I've lots of ideas of how to fix it, but I'm pretty sure that they would be very very unbalanced, not helped by the existence of swift ambusher either now, we live and we learn hey?)

Make them take a single level of ranger on the scout side, and tadaa, they can skirmish-attack all favored enemies.
Req: Swift Hunter feat

[Talic]

Thank you all for your replies! They've all be very useful!

I have decided to suggest a slightly edited version of Penetrating Strike.
It will now allow any precision based damage (as long as the normal conditions are met) but with half dice to anything naturally immune to critical strikes with the exception of oozes. However this only applies if the target has been correctly identified with a knowledge check (got to get people to stack that stat somehow) which'll have a fairly low DC and can be made by another player but with a much higher DC if needs be.

Although the weapon augments would've been quite handy, in theory they still will be now, as they will allow full damage die to be dealt. It also removes the problem of trying to mod both weapons (as she a TWFer). But thanks for the slew of potential, I'll keep it in mind for boss fights should they wish to cap damage.

Thanks again for all ye help. =)

Nice rework of the feat.

For DC, it seems like you haven't defined it. May I suggest using the Knowledge skill entry in the PHb for this one? The DC for knowing useful information about a creature is 10+ the creature's HD.

[Reaper_Monkey]

the DC for knowing useful information about a creature is 10+ the creature's HD.

Ah yes, very good point :smallredface:, it might make sense to define it. Looking over that section I'll say it should indeed be 10 + creature HD for making the check yourself, but I'll up it to 15 + creature HD for anyone else, as not all the information gathered will be useful enough to determine its weaker spots. But for every creature of that type killed by the rogue the check can be considered to be 1 higher, thus allowing them to work out the remaining gaps in their knowledge. Thankie for pointing that out =)

Think that's all done and dusted then, thanks again for all the suggestions everyone.