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View Full Version : [4e] DMPC to fill the missing role - Leaders



Thajocoth
2009-12-19, 06:34 PM
Let's say you're playing a 4e game, and your party has no Leader. It's possible to play like that, and I've done it before, but your DM decides to give the party a choice of three different DMPC Leaders.

Let's meet today's contestants!

Leader #1 is an Artificer who figures that, by taking surges from those with the most of them to fuel Healing Infusion, that the party will be able to handle more encounters in a day.

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
level 10
Deva, Artificer

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 11, Dex 8, Int 21, Wis 20, Cha 10.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 11, Dex 8, Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 10.


AC: 25 Fort: 18 Reflex: 23 Will: 23
HP: 68 Surges: 6 Surge Value: 19

TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +15, History +17, Dungeoneering +15, Heal +17, Thievery +9, Nature +15

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +4, Bluff +5, Diplomacy +5, Endurance +7, Insight +10, Intimidate +5, Perception +10, Religion +12, Stealth +4, Streetwise +5, Athletics +5

FEATS
Artificer: Ritual Caster
Level 1: Potent Restorables
Level 2: Mark of Healing
Level 4: Spirit Talker
Level 6: Mending Spirit
Level 8: Arcane Familiar
Level 10: Combat Medic

POWERS
Artificer at-will 1: Thundering Armor
Artificer at-will 1: Magic Weapon
Spirit Talker: Spirit's Shield
Artificer encounter 1: Shielding Cube
Artificer daily 1: Life-Tapping Darts
Artificer utility 2: Restorative Infusion
Artificer encounter 3: Altered Luck
Artificer daily 5: Corrosive Sigil
Artificer utility 6: Healing Reserve
Artificer encounter 7: Vampiric Weapons
Artificer daily 9: Lightning Motes
Artificer utility 10: Healing Figurine

ITEMS
Ritual Book, Healer's Brooch +2, Runic Javelin +2, Magic Drowmesh +3, Bracers of Respite (heroic tier), Gloves of Grace (heroic tier), Belt of Sacrifice (heroic tier), Adventurer's Kit, Climber's Kit, Potion of Healing (heroic tier)
RITUALS
Brew Potion, Disenchant Magic Item, Enchant Magic Item, Make Whole
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======

Leader #2 is a self sacrificing Cleric, who decides to bolster the force of their healing power, even if they take penalties for doing so.

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
level 10
Kalashtar, Cleric
Kalashtar: Heal Bonus

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 11, Dex 10, Int 8, Wis 21, Cha 20.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 11, Dex 10, Int 8, Wis 17, Cha 16.


AC: 23 Fort: 17 Reflex: 17 Will: 24
HP: 68 Surges: 7 Surge Value: 17

TRAINED SKILLS
Religion +9, Diplomacy +15, Heal +19, Insight +17, Nature +15

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +4, Arcana +4, Bluff +10, Dungeoneering +10, Endurance +4, History +4, Intimidate +10, Perception +10, Stealth +4, Streetwise +10, Thievery +4, Athletics +4

FEATS
Cleric: Ritual Caster
Level 1: Healer's Implement
Level 2: Shielding Word
Level 4: Pacifist Healer
Level 6: Mark of Healing
Level 8: Spirit Talker
Level 10: Mending Spirit

POWERS
Channel Divinity: Healer's Mercy
Cleric at-will 1: Sacred Flame
Cleric at-will 1: Astral Seal
Spirit Talker: Spirit's Shield
Cleric encounter 1: Exacting Utterance
Cleric daily 1: Beacon of Hope
Cleric utility 2: Life Transference
Cleric encounter 3: Astral Flare
Cleric daily 5: Consecrated Ground
Cleric utility 6: Stream of Life
Cleric encounter 7: Zealous Sanction
Cleric daily 9: Rebuke Violence
Cleric utility 10: Word of Vigor

ITEMS
Ritual Book, Medic's Morningstar +2, Healer's Brooch +2, Adventurer's Kit, Climber's Kit, Symbol of the Holy Nimbus +2, Healer's Chainmail +2, Belt of Sacrifice (heroic tier), Bracers of Respite (heroic tier), Gloves of Grace (heroic tier), Potion of Healing (heroic tier)
RITUALS
Gentle Repose, Create Holy Water, Cure Disease
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======

Leader #3 is a Bard who figures that having more healing powers at the party's disposal will keep them alive the longest.

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
level 10
Kalashtar, Bard
Bardic Virtue: Virtue of Prescience
Kalashtar: Heal Bonus

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 13, Con 11, Dex 8, Int 13, Wis 17, Cha 21.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 13, Con 11, Dex 8, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 17.


AC: 27 Fort: 18 Reflex: 20 Will: 23
HP: 68 Surges: 7 Surge Value: 17

TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +14, Insight +15, Diplomacy +15, Heal +17, Bluff +15, Nature +13, Religion +11, Endurance +9

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +4, Dungeoneering +9, History +7, Intimidate +11, Perception +9, Stealth +4, Streetwise +11, Thievery +4, Athletics +6

FEATS
Bard: Ritual Caster
Level 1: Spirit Talker
Level 2: Mending Spirit
Level 4: Initiate of the Faith
Level 6: Student of Battle
Level 8: Student of Artifice
Feat User Choice: Skill Focus (Arcana)
Level 10: Mark of Healing

POWERS
Bard at-will 1: Vicious Mockery
Bard at-will 1: Misdirected Mark
Spirit Talker: Spirit's Shield
Bard encounter 1: Prophetic Action
Bard daily 1: Stirring Shout
Bard utility 2: Healer's Gift
Bard encounter 3: Recitation of Foreknowledge
Bard daily 5: Vigorous Cadence
Bard utility 6: Swift Recovery
Bard encounter 7: Theft of Life
Bard daily 9: Saga of Vengeance
Bard utility 10: Word of Life

ITEMS
Ritual Book, Medic's Amulet +2, Adventurer's Kit, Climber's Kit, Doss Lute +2, Healer's Shield Light Shield (heroic tier), Magic Braidmail Armor +3, Bracers of Respite (heroic tier), Potion of Healing (heroic tier), Gloves of Grace (heroic tier)
RITUALS
Gentle Repose, Traveler's Chant
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======

A note on Leader #3, they received a free Skill Focus: Arcana for a house rule allowing a Multiclass Feat to grant a Skill Focus instead of a Skill Training if you can't use the Skill Training.

Shardan
2009-12-19, 09:53 PM
Generally I frown on DM-PCs. but if you have to have one, the leader is probably the best place to put one. I'd still give the PC's control of him during battle. (pick a player you trust or let them control him by committee)

Sir Homeslice
2009-12-19, 09:56 PM
Has your DM ever heard of... the White Mage? It's a build, see. Pacifist Cleric, Cha/Wis. It's floating around the CharOp board someewhere, made by a bloke named Adslahnit, or rather, he made a topic making a build.

Thajocoth
2009-12-19, 10:20 PM
This is an entirely hypothetical situation. The three builds above were made by me. I figured people would weigh the pros and cons of each as a DMPC. Obviously, you don't want a DMPC to shine, but at the same time, it's there to fulfill an empty role. Which build takes the best approach to that? That sort of thing.

Duos Greanleef
2009-12-19, 10:29 PM
I've always had to play a DMPC. I just never have enough PCs to make a feasible party.
Healbot clerics do make the best.
Maybe a bard M/C cleric, artificer, shaman, warlord partially because most players (in my experience) dislike playing leaders.
It's definitely a matter of seeing what roles the PCs don't want to fill.

Sir Homeslice
2009-12-19, 10:32 PM
This is an entirely hypothetical situation. The three builds above were made by me. I figured people would weigh the pros and cons of each as a DMPC. Obviously, you don't want a DMPC to shine, but at the same time, it's there to fulfill an empty role. Which build takes the best approach to that? That sort of thing.

I see I see.

Still, number two is the best. One and Three are kind of... ass.

Thajocoth
2009-12-20, 01:11 AM
I see I see.

Still, number two is the best. One and Three are kind of... ass.

I was thinking #2 as well, because, while they can heal amazingly well, they have a huge penalty - Stunning themselves if they damage a Bloodied target, with Astral Seal to still have something to do when they can't deal damage. It keeps them firmly out of the spotlight and keeps them helping the PCs.

Though, while #2 has the largest heals, #3 can neutralize 3 encounters in their entirety per day with automatic heals for events that will happen anyway. (Having seen those three powers turn interesting fights into long boring hauls with no risk of losing and no reason for other players to use anything but At-Wills numerous times, I would, honestly, nerf that Bard's Dailies... Change the effect from "Until the end of the encounter" to "Until the end of your next turn. Aftereffect: Same effect (save ends)".)

#3 also has a lot of daily heals... So after those three neutralized encounters, the party can still be pretty fearless for another 2-3 encounters that day. It's likely other PCs will run out of tricks first.

So #3 does take some spotlight with their powers, and even moreso for having great Cha. #3 might be a great healer, but they're a horrible DMPC for spotlight grabbing.

#1 is a bit too much of a normal PC. The Artificer's Healing Infusion being surgeless now, but taking surges from anyone later, is likely to extend the quantity of encounters per day the party can take... An Artificer is not likely to take the spotlight (few Leaders do, it's part of why people are reluctant to play them), but they still look more like a PC than they should imo.

That's my take on them.