How do gestalt campaigns actully play out?

[akma]

I saw the gestalt variant rules once, and maybe I`ll use it one day in a campaign.
How does it play out in actuel game? Are there any problams arising that don`t rise during regular games?

[Diarmuid]

Mostly, as long as the DM can appropriately gauge what the players can handle, then it plays out like most other games.

PC's fight stuff, PC's win, PC's get loot, PC's complete quest, yay!

[Ernir]

3.5's power imbalances are exacerbated. Those that make powerful characters can make ridiculously powerful characters, and those that don't know how to make powerful characters make characters that are just as useless as if they were non-gestalted. Also, CRs get even harder to judge.

That being said, the campaigns play out exactly the same.

[Amphetryon]

Issues of action economy get exaggerated as well. Characters now have twice as many nifty things to do per Round, with no more actions in which to do them.

[Chess435]

Issues of action economy get exaggerated as well. Characters now have twice as many nifty things to do per Round, with no more actions in which to do them.

Unless they play an optimized Wizard//Factotum, in which case you as a DM can just throw all concepts of balance out the window.

[Kylarra]

Unless they play an optimized Wizard//Factotum, in which case you as a DM can just throw all concepts of balance out the window.Optimized wizard can do that already. Factotum just increases the divide.

[Eloel]

Unless they play an optimized Wizard Psion//Factotum, in which case you as a DM can just throw all concepts of balance out the window.
Wizard may be stronger. But when it comes to getting the DM to cry due to nova-ability, Psion//Factotum shines.

[testpatternmih]

If you have skilled players that know how to game the system, you would be best served to ban all Tier 1 and probably Tier 2 classes.

Also, getting your players to get into a mindset of thematic, not min/max, mind would also help. They should be able to describe the character in a sentence or two.

'I make deals with devils and dead gods for power' warlock/binder.

Possibly don't let characters take another PrC until they finish the one they started. With gestalt, outside of bleeding every ounce of power out of the system, there isn't as much of a reason for the really complex builds. YMMV.

[akma]

Optimization never been an issue in my campaigns. I played with and DMed for munchkins, but never to people who have a deep enough understanding of the rules to cause problams.
Whoever I will play D&D with next, they will probably not even know that classes such as the factotum and psion exist.
Also, I decided that I won`t allow anything that will allow too much of a power imbalance withing the group.

[Gullintanni]

3.5's power imbalances are exacerbated.

A somewhat elegant solution to this is to permit Tier 4, 5 and 6 characters to Gestalt, Tier 3's can Gestalt but only with non-spellcaster classes, and Tier 1/2 can't Gestalt...in otherwords, you can use Gestalt to offset the narrow roles and limits of power experienced by lower tier characters.

[KoboldCleric]

I enjoy the gestalt rules; I am currently in a gestalt game (we've gone through levels 1-7) which is working out splendidly. We're a fairly mature group though (believe you me, I've seen some immature ones), and those of us with the capability to break the game in half have much more fun making an interesting but mechanically weak concept work for us. I'm playing a ranger/lasher//paladin/halfling outrider. Not very powerful, but rather fun. I really don't see having too many options as a bad thing ... it allows us to handle similar situations very differently. I'd much rather be choosing between four or five "good" options each round rather than only having one "optimal" action; gestalt only increases that variety for me.

[Gamer Girl]

It depends a lot on the players. If you have players that just want to role-play and have fun, in the traditional sense, then gestalt is great. However if you have crazy min/max power gamers, the game will soon become pointless to even play.

Though it should be noted that a lot of crazy gestalt tricks depend on bending or breaking the rules. So if you stick to the rules, that eliminates about half of the crazy.

Also, you can cut down the crazy by powering up the game. The town guards are not 2nd level warriors..they are 5th level half red dragon/half drow warlock/fighters.

But if you have the sane and good players, it's just all fun. Players will gestalt with fighter to get a couple extra combat feats, or such. It can work great for role-playing as a character can have a combat side and a non-combat side.