Running a game need some help. 3.0-3.5

[TripperdeCleric]

This is a 3.0 game with some of the alternate books of 3.5...just ones that 3.0 doesnt have.


Ok need to combine base classes with each other to put things together and balance them.

Looking at things like Ranger/Druid and such...trying to make the core classes more useful and fun. Going to be a really hard game and need them to have a chance of surviving.

Also need some (magical) items...anything really.


Throw your ideas/combinations at me so I can get this game rolling...having a hard time myself.

[HunterOfJello]

My first suggestion is to use 3.5e since it's an improved version.


If you want your players to gravitate toward the more powerful classes, use the 3.5e Class Tiers (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=5256.0) list and focus on tiers 1 through 3. Tier 3 classes are the best in many people's opinion, including mine.

If you want to make hyrbid classes that involve the base classes like a druid/ranger you should take a look at the prestigious character classes from Unearthed Arcana. They have Prestige Class versions of the Bard, Paladin and Ranger that are designed so that someone can take a couple levels in druid, cleric, sorcerer or wizard and then enter the bard, paladin or ranger prestige classes with the better spell lists. They're a bit difficult to explain so it would be better for you to take a look at them. They really are very nifty.

If you want to make your player characters extremely powerful than you could consider using Gesalt characters. I would not suggest this alternative whatsoever if your players aren't experienced in the game.


As far as items go, your best friends are the Arms and Equipment Guide, Magic Item Compendium and Crystal Keep's d20 index website. The Arms and Equipment Guide is a 3.0e book that has lots of information on mundane items (which can prove to be very useful in campaigns) and an assortment of magical items. The Magical Item Compendium is jam packed from cover to cover with an unbelievable number of cool magical items. Just reading it for 10 minutes make me start drooling. Finally, Crystal Keep's d20 index has almost every scrap of information about 3.0 and 3.5 d&d's mechanics in it ranging from races to magic items. The indexes don't have all of the information about D&D in them and don't include any of the information from sidebars (which are quite plentiful if you look out for them), but they are extremely useful.


Is this your first game that you're running as a DM? Are there any other things we could help you with?

[TripperdeCleric]

This is my 4th game Ive run. My first was horrible of course followed by 3 amazing games according to players. I really want to put thought and get some help on custom groupings of base classes.


Also need a class that allows a player to copy "relics"

Im trying to make special items that arent in books..was looking for some creativity from the community.

[HunterOfJello]

Relics? What kind of magical properties would the items have?



There are a type of items in the Magic Item Compendium called Relics that use powered up enchantments for PCs who worship a specific deity and have taken a specific feat to have access to relics.


There's also Legacy Weapons which improve and become more powerful over time.


If you're interested in a powerful item creating character then you should go read up on the Artificer. It's an extremely powerful, useful and complicated class from the Eberron Campaign Setting book.

An Artificer has many magical item creation abilities that it receives as class skills. The class utilizes the concept of a character who doesn't actually use magic themselves, but is adept at creating and using magical items. One of their abilities is to remove magic from some items and use that magic to enchant other items. (I haven't read up on the class properly, but that's the general gist of one of their class features.) You could easily adapt that class into being able to replicate the creation of specific types of magical items like a Relic.


~~

As far as item creation guidelines go, the Dungeon Master Guide is your best friend. There might also be more information on it inside the DMG 2 and the Magic Item Compendium.

I'd also give a look around the WoTC website for any articles on item creation. I would be very surprised if there weren't any.

[PinkysBrain]

Looking at things like Ranger/Druid and such...trying to make the core classes more useful and fun. Going to be a really hard game and need them to have a chance of surviving.
Easiest would be to just run a gestalt game :
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/gestaltCharacters.htm

Also need some (magical) items...anything really.
There's a whole homebrew forum full of them.

I'd simply get the Magic Item Compendium though, it's a really good book (with some exceptions, the circlet of quick casting is too cheap and the belt of battle should give full attacks and standard action attacks instead of being a cheaper metamagic rod).

[TripperdeCleric]

I want to stray away from gestalt characters. I want a new class lineup.

On the note of relics my bad. I meant very magical items..hats/weapons/armor/eyegear just something special to give players...


ill go grab my ebberon book and actually read that class...

Yeah just looking for a fun game to run with a few friends and possibly invite more if it turns out to be good in beta.


Thinking that I might just make my own special base classes to use.

[HunterOfJello]

Thinking that I might just make my own special base classes to use.

I'm guessing you didn't check out the link in my last post.


There are TONS of great base classes out there. The Tome of Battle classes are all amazing to play and great in a group.

Swordsage = improved Rogue/Monk/Wizard hybrid
Warblade = improved Ranger/Fighter/Barbarian hybrid
Crusader = improved Paladin/Fighter


The base casting classes are all insanely powerful. That includes the Druid, Wizard, Cleric and Sorcerer.

Beguiler and Dread Necromancer are both great classes full of flavor who have great casting capabilities along with being able to handle several other party roles in any party.

The Duskblade makes a great melee fighter/caster and the Factotum is the super skill monkey that every party wishes they had.



All of this is excluding the Artificer, Archivist and Euridite who are each complicated classes that overpower all the rest.

~~


There are plenty of great base classes that have already been designed for balance that your players can enjoy. There's no reason to create your own.

It's also usually best to allow your players a good margin of choice in what they want to play. The reason players keep coming back to the table is because of their connection to the group, connection to the story and the connection to their PC.

[TripperdeCleric]

Ok, ill look over them and try that method...less work for me...and it can still be fun heh.

Thank you, and looking through your link now and through some of the book.


Ill also look through those item books and work with that.