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Half-orc Bard
2011-01-22, 11:11 PM
I'm Dming a game for the first time!!! My group is of noobs and one person who has been playing for 7 years. His character is way more powerful then all the others. He had like a +3 con, a +8 str, a +2 wis, a +2 dex, and a -1 to int and cha. This would break the game, so I first nerfed his str to a +7. Then I learned he had the +2 str bracers and the +4 str belt, and I said they didn't stack. Now he's pissed, so I'm sad my friend is pissed, but if I were right I would feel okay. So am I?


Thanks Internet

Whammydill
2011-01-22, 11:13 PM
First of all, what system are you running? We can't really give you help until we know that. If this is 3.5 two different items giving enhancement bonuses to strength don't stack, they only overlap...that is you get the highest only.

Half-orc Bard
2011-01-22, 11:14 PM
oh I'm sorry 3.5 thank you

darbythegambler
2011-01-22, 11:15 PM
going off of 3.5 rules here, bonuses of the same kind don't stack. If the bonuses to Strength are the same kind (enhancement is the normal case for ability scores) then they will not stack.

Elfin
2011-01-22, 11:16 PM
Yeah, gauntlets of ogre power and a belt of giant strength don't stack, as they're both enhancement bonuses.

Edit: Gah, swordsage'd.

Mando Knight
2011-01-22, 11:17 PM
Then I learned he had the +2 str bracers and the +4 str belt, and I said they didn't stack.
You are correct.

Half-orc Bard
2011-01-22, 11:18 PM
What about ion stones

Whammydill
2011-01-22, 11:19 PM
Just look and see what type of bonus it gives. It will say +2 enhancement bonus to strength or something to that effect. Enhancement is the type of bonus. No two enhancement bonuses to the same stat stack.

Half-orc Bard
2011-01-22, 11:19 PM
Okay thanks

dextercorvia
2011-01-22, 11:20 PM
What level is this? Are those his modifiers, or bonuses to his scores?

Edit: The Pale Blue Ioun Stone also provides an enhancement bonus.

Whammydill
2011-01-22, 11:22 PM
I'd read this section of the SRD it will explain it to you in detail and give you a solid foundation to DM these things.

http://http://www.d20srd.org/srd/theBasics.htm#modifierTypes

Greenish
2011-01-22, 11:51 PM
I'm Dming a game for the first time!!! My group is of noobs and one person who has been playing for 7 years. His character is way more powerful then all the others.Tell him that ain't cool. Ask him to play nice.

dextercorvia
2011-01-22, 11:53 PM
Tell him that ain't cool. Ask him to play nice.

Especially since he isn't even optimizing, he's just wrong. Anyone playing for 7 years should know that enhancement bonuses don't stack.

Elfin
2011-01-23, 12:10 AM
Perhaps he thinks he can pull off 'tricks' like that with a bunch of new players?
Thou that does sort of tend towards the 'assuming the worst' side of things.

RndmNumGen
2011-01-23, 12:19 AM
What level is this? Did he have 18 Str, or +8(26-27) Str before you cut it down?

Yeah, the gauntlets and belt don't stack though.

Vknight
2011-01-23, 12:23 AM
Good call & as every one has stated they do not stack. If they did then my Half-Troll Half-Dragon would be an even greater threat.

Whammydill
2011-01-23, 12:23 AM
Give him a curse that casts Ray of Enfeeblement on him everytime he takes a hostile action, and watch hilarity ensue.....:smallbiggrin:

dextercorvia
2011-01-23, 12:25 AM
Good call & as every one has stated they do not stack. If they did then my Half-Troll Half-Dragon would be an even greater threat.

I thought Racial bonuses to ability scores from race explicitly stacked.

Elfin
2011-01-23, 12:49 AM
They do; otherwise, we couldn't have any fun with mineral warrior half-minotaur water orcs.

Elric VIII
2011-01-23, 12:59 AM
Just for further clarification, the spell "Bull's Strength" also does not stack with Gauntlets of Ogre Strength, Belt of Giant Strength, and the Ioun Stone. They are all enhancement bonuses and therefore only the greatest applies.

And be prepared for a Feral, Half-Minotaur, Lolth-Touched, Mineral Warrior Water Orc. That's an LA +4 template pile that gives +28 racial strength bonus.

Elfin
2011-01-23, 01:23 AM
Feral is 3.0.

Sigh...some people have no shame. :smallwink:

Claudius Maximus
2011-01-23, 01:35 AM
What's wrong with it being 3.0? The only real problem there is the template itself.

Elfin
2011-01-23, 01:41 AM
Because 3.0 is, like, so totally ten years ago.

Note: I'm barely awake. Coherence not guaranteed.
And lack of valid contribution assured.

Elric VIII
2011-01-23, 01:51 AM
Feral is 3.0.

Sigh...some people have no shame. :smallwink:


Well, I suppose it could live without Feral, taking it down to only +24 strength, but I would want some ToB in there to make up for the decrease in power.

Elfin
2011-01-23, 01:54 AM
Well, luckily I'm a total ToB fanboy, so you're more likely to find me shoving it down your throat than refusing.

Now, the tricky part will be a pushing through the LA buyoff.

lightningcat
2011-01-23, 02:09 AM
Just for further clarification, the spell "Bull's Strength" also does not stack with Gauntlets of Ogre Strength, Belt of Giant Strength, and the Ioun Stone. They are all enhancement bonuses and therefore only the greatest applies.

And be prepared for a Feral, Half-Minotaur, Lolth-Touched, Mineral Warrior Water Orc. That's an LA +4 template pile that gives +28 racial strength bonus.

The old Gauntlets of Ogre Strength/Belt of Giant Strenth/Hammer of Thunderbolts combo allows stacking, but then you have a minor artifact in the mix.

Elric VIII
2011-01-23, 09:57 AM
The old Gauntlets of Ogre Strength/Belt of Giant Strenth/Hammer of Thunderbolts combo allows stacking, but then you have a minor artifact in the mix.

Well, one of the items specifically mentions the stacking, so I guess that there would be less confusion in that case.

grimbold
2011-01-23, 11:54 AM
just talk to him
sure he is strong and the previous posters are correct
but ask him if he can tone down his character a bit so that he does not outshine everyone

Fitz10019
2011-01-23, 12:43 PM
I think it's better to start a lower levels for noobs (both player noobs and DM noobs). Everyone has less feats to choose/understand, and wealth to spend. Work your way up the learning curve.

ericgrau
2011-01-23, 03:57 PM
As said bonuses of the same type don't stack. You also can't have two items in the same body slot and he seems to have some str/dex and wis/con overlap. Though Magic Item Compendium essentially gets rid of this for ability scores so it's not as bad as an error. I'd check his character sheet fairly carefully for other errors.

Vknight
2011-01-23, 04:33 PM
They do; otherwise, we couldn't have any fun with mineral warrior half-minotaur water orcs.

Exactly my point
Here is why the Half-Troll, Half-Dragon is awesome even before it gets class levels. With a +7LA, 5Levels of Giant (Hit Dice changed to d10's), +20Strength, +15Constitution, +4Dexterity, -2Intelligence, Charisma & Wisdom.

Flight Speed 60ft
Darkvision 90ft, Low-Light vision
Regeneration 5, Scent, Immunity Fire, Sleep, Paralysis
+9Natural Armor
1d8Bite Attack, 1d6Claw Attack
30ft Cone of Fire Breath (6d8damage), Save (10+1/2HD of creature+Con Mod)

Elric VIII
2011-01-23, 06:53 PM
Exactly my point
Here is why the Half-Troll, Half-Dragon is awesome even before it gets class levels. With a +7LA, 5Levels of Giant (Hit Dice changed to d10's), +20Strength, +15Constitution, +4Dexterity, -2Intelligence, Charisma & Wisdom.

Flight Speed 60ft
Darkvision 90ft, Low-Light vision
Regeneration 5, Scent, Immunity Fire, Sleep, Paralysis
+9Natural Armor
1d8Bite Attack, 1d6Claw Attack
30ft Cone of Fire Breath (6d8damage), Save (10+1/2HD of creature+Con Mod)

Is there any ruling about the amount of half-X templates that can be applied? I could see some definate potential hilarity if not.

senrath
2011-01-23, 06:55 PM
Nope. As long as the creature you're applying the template to has the right type, you can stick as many on as you want.

Vknight
2011-01-23, 07:02 PM
Actually the base creature is a Troll with the Half-Dragon template which is why I call him a Half-Troll Half-Dragon because thats what he is.

As for the Half-Templates depends on the DM some say only 1others say as many as you want.

I think Half-Ogre could make this build even more deadly or even a Half-Fiend.

senrath
2011-01-23, 07:03 PM
Ah, in that case it's technically a "Half-Dragon Troll".

Vknight
2011-01-23, 07:21 PM
Yeah which is something I should correct but its how I do things.

But Half-Ogre is a template and/or a race

It would change are Troll, Half-Dragon Half-Ogre to
+26Strength, +17Constitution, +2Dexterity, -4Intelligenc & Charisma, -2Wisdom.

So are exmple character has a +9LA after the Half-Ogre

A preview of said character (Using 25point buy & the +1bonus for being above level 4)
Strength:38 (+14)
Constitution: 30 (+10)
Dexterity: 12 (+1)
Intelligence: 12 (+1)
Wisdom: 10 (+0)
Charisma: 5 (-3)
So the Breath Weapon DC:22

5man party at Lvl5 will be fighting Lvl7 style encounters

Callista
2011-01-23, 08:05 PM
Get the veteran to help the others build characters. Tell him straight out that if he deliberately builds a character that's more powerful than theirs, you're going to start giving the weaker characters more XP, because fights will be more challenging for them.

BTW: that charisma score makes the PC a bumbling, shy, probably butt-ugly and absolutely forgettable person. Dump some social encounters on them and let the high-CHA PCs get all the glory for what he does.

Vknight
2011-01-23, 08:07 PM
Exactly or send the Troll, Half-Dragon Half-Ogre after him claiming he owes it money or something.

Half-orc Bard
2011-01-25, 07:15 PM
BTW: that charisma score makes the PC a bumbling, shy, probably butt-ugly and absolutely forgettable person. Dump some social encounters on them and let the high-CHA PCs get all the glory for what he does.

Well it's in a city so that will be easy