3.5 - Gestalt X-Treme!

[Elora Danan]

This is for those who basically want to be demigods for a large portion of their adventuring careers.

Take the standard D&D Gestalt system from Unearthed Arcana. Add the following:

-Now level up in 3-5 class progressions instead of just 2.
-Can now take up to two prestige classes at once, however, they can not progress the same spellcasting (or equivalent) class.
-Players can now take 1 additional move or standard action per turn.

Thoughts?

[Morph Bark]

Making it a triple Gestalt (especially up to FIVE) would make it needlessly complicated. The other rules... okay, I suppose I can see that (depends on if the enemy gets it too for the extra actions).

But does this also take to mind the huge bonuses being a demigod already grants? The numerous immunities and resistances?

[Elora Danan]

No, this isn't meant to interact with any actual demigod rules. I used that wording to show how these characters would end up significantly more powerful.

And as for the bad guys, I imagine if I were to run a game like this most of the villains would be standard gestalt. Bosses and the like would use this system and normal people would be basic npcs.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

I think this gets to the point where the character just ridicule the DMs attempts to challenge them. With full spellcasting, I can already break the game without trying. With full spellcasting, manifest, AND either the other of Arcane/Divine or full martial maneuvers? Geez.

Especially with 5. Psion 20/Wizard 20/Archivist 20/Factotum 20/Warblade 20 has incredible Int synergy, durability, tons of actions, full casting from 3 classes, and full maneuvers. Game over.

I think you'll find it's to complicated, and to easily broken. :smallfrown:

[BladeofOblivion]

Not to mention action economy, with Metamagic Reducers and Quickened Spells, you can literally throw out three spells a round.

[Eldan]

More. A lot more. You can cast Celerity, use Factotum "more actions per turn" powers, use equivalent powers and schism of the psion...

Effectively, even as a Psion/Factotum/Wizard or Psion/Factotum/Archivist, you'd have effectively unlimited power, enough to use four or five spells per turn easily.

[BladeofOblivion]

More. A lot more. You can cast Celerity, use Factotum "more actions per turn" powers, use equivalent powers and schism of the psion...

Effectively, even as a Psion/Factotum/Wizard or Psion/Factotum/Archivist, you'd have effectively unlimited power, enough to use four or five spells per turn easily.

True. I always forget Factotum.

[Roc Ness]

The bookkeeping alone would be horrendous, I might add.

[Morph Bark]

If one would want to remove certain limiters on Gestalt, I'd think the only rule would be that you'd have a combo of two sides, but that being all. Dual-advancement classes and using two PrCs at once would be fine then. Still much potential for cheese, but hey, you're a becoming demigod of sorts.

[Shpadoinkle]

Either battles will be over in less than a single round from two SoD/SoS spells from each character, or anything immune to those will take an entire session for the battle alone due to the game going at an absolutely glacial pace as players roll fifty dice per round and spend at least half the time looking through thier spells lists to find the perfect spell.

Yeah, gonna have to say this isn't a great idea.

[Dead_Jester]

You have to understand that if every one the party faces is built with these rules (or the party face appropriate monsters) played smartly by the DM, this game is just a game of extremely diverse Rocketag, and the one who wins initiative should absolutly destroy the other side (unless some contingenties are in place, but at this level, even those can probably be countered).

Like others said, the bookeeping would be horrible, and all characters would be the same (every one probably has 2-3 full casting, action abuse, full bab, full saves, d10 or 12 and a ton of skills). When you get to this level of diversity, you almost can't make a specialist, and every is a 1 man party. The only thing you don't get is more hitdices, which only makes the instagib effect worse.

However, what could be interesting would be runing a game were the PCs gain divine ranks as they level ... :smallbiggrin:

[Kobold-Bard]

...

However, what could be interesting would be runing a game were the PCs gain divine ranks as they level ... :smallbiggrin:

Everyone takes Alter Reality at Level 1. 9th level spells all round :smallbiggrin:

Though there was a revamp of the Deities & Demigods rules that Yuki Akuma used for a God game a while back. It fixed some of the uber in them and made them more usable. If I can find them I may well steal that idea and run a pbp game doing it.

[Dante & Vergil]

Everyone takes Alter Reality at Level 1. 9th level spells all round :smallbiggrin:

Though there was a revamp of the Deities & Demigods rules that Yuki Akuma used for a God game a while back. It fixed some of the uber in them and made them more usable. If I can find them I may well steal that idea and run a pbp game doing it.

I thought one had to be a greater deity to take alter reality.
And I would like to see those rules, too.:smallcool:

[Iferus]

And what if we ban all tier 1 and tier 2 classes? How broken does this Gestalt X-treme get?

[Dead_Jester]

And what if we ban all tier 1 and tier 2 classes? How broken does this Gestalt X-treme get?

Well you could still take beguiler/warmage/factotum/wilder/warblade for pretty much the same insanity, but for the most part, it should be more balanced. However, most builds will probably be similar, as the overlap between party members is inevitable.