Nemesis feat

[thebladeofchaos]

So, I'm running an Exalted ranger in a current campaign. my last one being skylord so didn't really need to pay much attention to this, however, I saw the Nemesis feat and wondered: is it any good?

Is it a straight 1d6 instead of the +1/+2 etc that you'd gain on damage OR does the 1d6 become 1d6 per +1 against that target (so your first favoured enemy takes 2d6 when it would be +2)

I know the knowledge at 60ft would be useful in certain circumstances (especially if doing a cloak and dagger routine or just to hold off night attacks with early warning) but if the extra damage is just 1d6, it seems kinda....underpowered for the higher levels. (+3 straight vs an average roll of 3.5 doesn't seem that great, especially when you get +4, so every attack is over the average)

[Eldariel]

The 60' detection ability is gold. Enemies hiding, invisible, whatever? Doesn't matter to you, you can locate them. The damage isn't especially amazing but Favored Enemy: Evil with Nemesis is brilliant.

[Re'ozul]

The feat doesn't replace anything.
You get your normal favoured enemy things and additional a single 1d6 damage against evil versions of your favoured enemy.

Overall I don't think it is worth a feat slot unless you are in a campaign that is overwhelmingly (read 50% or more) that enemy type.

It basically gives you Blindsense 60' for a caertain enemy type.
And the extra 1d6 damage isn't that great either.

EDIT: Okay, if you can get favored enemy - Evil, then it is actually good due to broadness.

[nedz]

Detect through any substance is excellent, especially if you have wraiths hiding in the floor or something.

The damage is meh — +3.5 damage in very situational circumstances.

The question is: How many undead will you meet ?
In some games you may never use this feat.

[Eldariel]

It basically gives you Blindsense 60' for a caertain enemy type.

It's far stronger than Blindsense. In order:
- Darkstalker [Lords of Madness] doesn't function against Nemesis.
- Solid matter doesn't block Nemesis!
- Superior Invisibility and similar tools that defeat senses are useless vs. Nemesis.

FE: Evil can be gotten through Stalker of Kharesh or few other options. It's real nice since all Undead are, among other things, automatically Evil. Other strong one is the alternative class feature for Rangers in Complete Mage ("Arcane Hunter") which effectively gives you Favored Enemy: Arcanists.

If I were building a non-magical Magus Killer, I'd definitely use this as a key tool for locating the enemies who hide inside solid matter, in illusionary forms, under invisibility or whatever.

[gorfnab]

EDIT: Okay, if you can get favored enemy - Evil, then it is actually good due to broadness.
Arcanists is another decent choice for Favored Enemy. Especially with Nemesis.

[IronFist]

FE: Evil can be gotten through Stalker of Kharesh or few other options.
I think it's either Stalker or Harper Paragon, don't think there are any other options.

[herrhauptmann]

Harper paragon does it (pgtf 181)
Not sure about stalker. What is that, BoED?

[Eldariel]

I think it's either Stalker or Harper Paragon, don't think there are any other options.

Hm, I don't remember off the top of my head. But those two work for sure, at least.

[Hamste]

It's far stronger than Blindsense. In order:
- Darkstalker [Lords of Madness] doesn't function against Nemesis.
- Solid matter doesn't block Nemesis!
- Superior Invisibility and similar tools that defeat senses are useless vs. Nemesis.

FE: Evil can be gotten through Stalker of Kharesh or few other options. It's real nice since all Undead are, among other things, automatically Evil. Other strong one is the alternative class feature for Rangers in Complete Mage ("Arcane Hunter") which effectively gives you Favored Enemy: Arcanists.

If I were building a non-magical Magus Killer, I'd definitely use this as a key tool for locating the enemies who hide inside solid matter, in illusionary forms, under invisibility or whatever.

Invisibility is not totally useless, nemesis allows you to see the square the invisible person is on and nothing else. That means you still have a 50% miss chance against that target (of course you should be carrying flour and then you can just chuck it at them).

[Eldariel]

Invisibility is not totally useless, nemesis allows you to see the square the invisible person is on and nothing else. That means you still have a 50% miss chance against that target (of course you should be carrying flour and then you can just chuck it at them).

Yeah, sure, but there are other ways around that. The biggest problem with Invisibility is that you effectively can't attack someone with Invisibility, but Nemesis mostly negates that problem.

[Chronos]

Wow, all this time I've been ignoring Nemesis for the extra damage, and somehow completely managed to overlook the detection ability. That is, in fact, huge.

[Snowbluff]

Harper paragon does it (pgtf 181)
Not sure about stalker. What is that, BoED?

Yep. It's actually pretty decent, thanks to the FE: Evil and Nemesis. What were we saying about BoED? :smalltongue:

Arcanist is probably the best Favored Enemy.

[herrhauptmann]

Yep. It's actually pretty decent, thanks to the FE: Evil and Nemesis. What were we saying about BoED? :smalltongue:

Arcanist is probably the best Favored Enemy.

Only advances ranger casting though. Harper advances any casting 10/10.

Snowbluff:
Serving the different devils and demons sounds cooler than being servant of
A celestial made up by wotc to balance the fiends
An angel ported to dnd from a very obscure historical religious text

Partly because those demons have been around in dnd for decades. The companions and such are all brand new.

[Snowbluff]

Only advances ranger casting though. Harper advances any casting 10/10. Neat. I'll look into that. :smallsmile:


Snowbluff:
Serving the different devils and demons sounds cooler than being servant of
A celestial made up by wotc to balance the fiends
An angel ported to dnd from a very obscure historical religious text

Partly because those demons have been around in dnd for decades. The companions and such are all brand new.
Yeah, but at least we have more things for evil parties to fight.

[thebladeofchaos]

Wow, seems I asked a good question judging on some replies lol.

Looked at Stalker of Karash (Every time I say that I feel like I'm saying Shashashika...I mean Shishalakia....lashakasha....shalashaka) and....it's unfortunate...I'm chaotic as opposed to neutral, but I'd LOVE that. Move silently 8....that sounds reasonable enough to attain.

My guys....are actually within range of that. Heck, I could have the ranger get there NOW if not for alignment issues. (maybe a small discussion with the DM is in order) and thankfully in this game we can train feats and skills, which I intend to do a lot of with both of them. So....maybe not this level, but next level. Just gonna have to throw all my skills at this next level into it.

Ok, now this brings me to a question that I didn't think I'd have to ask at all...but detecting evil with Nemesis (ok, it works with the paladin and the cleric in the party. it'd save time in detecting evil and would give us an excuse to say no to some jobs) would this stack with normal favoured enemy? my first favoured enemy is human (she's an elf, don't worry) and that's what the nemesis was going on, would favoured enemy evil give me....plus 4 + around 7 if nemesis is taken twice (if my math is right at least) or would I have the stronger take precedent? (so only plus 3+3.5)

[Eldariel]

Wow, seems I asked a good question judging on some replies lol.

Looked at Stalker of Karash (Every time I say that I feel like I'm saying Shashashika...I mean Shishalakia....lashakasha....shalashaka) and....it's unfortunate...I'm chaotic as opposed to neutral, but I'd LOVE that. Move silently 8....that sounds reasonable enough to attain.

My guys....are actually within range of that. Heck, I could have the ranger get there NOW if not for alignment issues. (maybe a small discussion with the DM is in order) and thankfully in this game we can train feats and skills, which I intend to do a lot of with both of them. So....maybe not this level, but next level. Just gonna have to throw all my skills at this next level into it.

Ok, now this brings me to a question that I didn't think I'd have to ask at all...but detecting evil with Nemesis (ok, it works with the paladin and the cleric in the party. it'd save time in detecting evil and would give us an excuse to say no to some jobs) would this stack with normal favoured enemy? my first favoured enemy is human (she's an elf, don't worry) and that's what the nemesis was going on, would favoured enemy evil give me....plus 4 + around 7 if nemesis is taken twice (if my math is right at least) or would I have the stronger take precedent? (so only plus 3+3.5)

Ranger Favored Enemy (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/ranger.htm#favoredEnemy): "If a specific creature falls into more than one category of favored enemy, the ranger’s bonuses do not stack; he simply uses whichever bonus is higher."

[Greenish]

3.5 Rangers can take their own race as their Favoured Enemy without being Evil. So no, we won't worry. :smalltongue:

[thebladeofchaos]

Well, that ruins my hopes. at the very least it does give a good bonus when it comes to fighting off the evils of the world.

Ok, this is something I'm wondering now....say I take Nemesis feat against evil as my third with human as my primary and apply nemesis to evil. If I face an evil human do I get the human benefits without adding Nemesis or is that added in as well due to them being evil and human? (so...+3+3.5 vs just +3)

And I didn't know about the non-evil thing. It might just be my PHB saying that but we've always run it as such. Still, it made it entertaining to play the elf. it's a race I rarely play unless I'm going dex based Rogue (Well, it stands out as obvious to me) and then I mix it up between sky elf, human and normal elf. (well, I don't use the Cha stuff too often. should do really, Feint is powerful if played right)

[Chronos]

Ranger Favored Enemy: "If a specific creature falls into more than one category of favored enemy, the ranger’s bonuses do not stack; he simply uses whichever bonus is higher."
On the other hand, from Stalker of Kharash,

This bonus stacks with any other favored enemy bonus the stalker might have, such as from the ranger class

[thebladeofchaos]

....if I'm right, RAW gives me the ability to have that and stack two sets of FE on one another, and then nemesis on top as well (my god....this is starting to feel quite powerful for a ranger)

Now I REALLY need to chat with my DM concerning the prestiege class. LET ME IN!!!