HighWater
2014-02-17, 08:34 AM
Hey Playgrounders,
Thallia, Gregorius, Perrin, Rune and Daradun, please stay out, this contains campaign-sensitive information.
I wasn't sure where to post this (Homebrew, or 3.5), but I went for 3.5 because it's about balance and only a small sorta-kinda made up boon of which I see plenty of threads around here (if it's not in the right section, please relocate).
(My adjustment is based on an existing poison which I nerfed a bit.)
I was introduced to D&D (3.5) a few months ago and my D&D experience consists of a half-elf sorcerer that attained 5th level last session as well as too much time spent lurking on this forum. :smallamused: Next to that game I am also DMing a party of 5 players (started with 3), who are currently all level 3 and to whom my question refers:
A human Cleric of Pelor, first D&D campaign,
A human Bard, more experienced player, low-op,
A gnome Sorcerer, more experienced player, also kinda low-op (but aware of color spray and able to use it effectively), (current 1st levels are Shield, Color Spray and Magic Missile),
A half-elf Ranger who is focussing on archery, first D&D campaign,
and a human Rogue, also an almost new player (plays a Druid in the other campaign).
Play so far: the sorcerer only joined last session, the bard's been around for 2 sessions, the rest of the party started at level one.
During last session, the sorcerer was pretty effective with lucky rolls on magic missile damage (vs low-hp enemies) and a color spray, though he also almost went K.O. due to careless behaviour. The cleric hasn't realised his true power yet (next to being T1, he also rolled the best stats, but he spent last combat mostly on the backline, caught off guard by the encounter, trying to revive dying people, though his giant bee was of some use), the bard seems to be enjoying what he's doing so far and is effective enough (though got K.O.'d through carelessness and bad luck). The Ranger and the Rogue (who has found a +4 UMD skill item in the past and has a Wand of Entangle) have not fallen behind yet, but I dread the moment when they will, due to lack of options and lack of damage output.
I was considering having a shady character hand the party a special quiver for arrows and a case for bolts, that would provide their missiles with a +poison that would allow the users to “debuff” a little in combat aswell as doing straight damage. I'll probably make the provider stress that the items are to be deployed by the best archers in the group.
The current load-out of the ranger Feats: Point Blank Shot (1st level), Rapid Shot (Ranger feat), Precision Shot (3rd level), MW composite longbow, Str+1 (found last session).
Rogue Point Blank Shot (1st level), Improved Initiative (Human feat), Weapon Finesse (3rd level), MW light crossbow, perhaps switching to MW handcrossbows (found last session).
I'm aware archery is considered subpar, but I don't want to invalidate their choice and am also not willing to steer their feat selection unless asked by them, so I thought I'd boost their archery a little through the power of plot.
The Poison stats:
DC 13 or 14 or something,
1d4 Str Damage initial, no secondary (secondary damage is usually pointless in mortal combat and a pain for me to keep track off),
I was gonna go with a 1d6 first, but that seemed a little too strong when I compared it to Ray of Enfeeblement's Str penalty of 1d6+1/2 casterlevels (a spell the party sorcerer doesn't have though). Sure, the ray of enfeeblement would do more on a single hit (and against Touch AC) if the sorcerer were to pick it up, but seeing as the poison deals STR damage rather than a penalty, it would stack with itself. I'll also maintain the normal danger of self-poisoning (roll reflex save 15 on natural 1) when firing the missiles (but not when applying the poison, the case/quiver does that for them).
My questions are these:
- Am I too early to worry about the Ranger and Rogue falling behind? I don't think it has really been a problem so far, but the Tier2 only just joined (and proved effective) and the Tier1 will only become stronger. I'd rather give out some sneaky boons before they feel they're behind, rather than when they are already lagging behind (when it will both be more obvious, and less fulfilling to receive such “help”).
- How strong is the above boost, really? Will it make some encounters completely pointless, or does it do absolutely nothing? (It won't matter much against 1HD opponents, but they're quickly running out of that territory.) Should it be a flat 1 Str damage, or a 1d2 instead? Should one of the two items instead do Dex damage? The above quiver and case will have story-strings attached in the future, I'm also imagining the poison may need to grow stronger over time (higher DC, higher damage).
I'd be eternally grateful for your input.
PS: Oh god, I talk too much...
tl;dr:
is giving a level 3 or 4 ranger and rogue an item that gives their missile weapons a +poison, DC 13 or 14 or something,1d4 Str Damage initial, no secondary overpowered in a party with a Cleric, Sorcerer and Bard?
Thallia, Gregorius, Perrin, Rune and Daradun, please stay out, this contains campaign-sensitive information.
I wasn't sure where to post this (Homebrew, or 3.5), but I went for 3.5 because it's about balance and only a small sorta-kinda made up boon of which I see plenty of threads around here (if it's not in the right section, please relocate).
(My adjustment is based on an existing poison which I nerfed a bit.)
I was introduced to D&D (3.5) a few months ago and my D&D experience consists of a half-elf sorcerer that attained 5th level last session as well as too much time spent lurking on this forum. :smallamused: Next to that game I am also DMing a party of 5 players (started with 3), who are currently all level 3 and to whom my question refers:
A human Cleric of Pelor, first D&D campaign,
A human Bard, more experienced player, low-op,
A gnome Sorcerer, more experienced player, also kinda low-op (but aware of color spray and able to use it effectively), (current 1st levels are Shield, Color Spray and Magic Missile),
A half-elf Ranger who is focussing on archery, first D&D campaign,
and a human Rogue, also an almost new player (plays a Druid in the other campaign).
Play so far: the sorcerer only joined last session, the bard's been around for 2 sessions, the rest of the party started at level one.
During last session, the sorcerer was pretty effective with lucky rolls on magic missile damage (vs low-hp enemies) and a color spray, though he also almost went K.O. due to careless behaviour. The cleric hasn't realised his true power yet (next to being T1, he also rolled the best stats, but he spent last combat mostly on the backline, caught off guard by the encounter, trying to revive dying people, though his giant bee was of some use), the bard seems to be enjoying what he's doing so far and is effective enough (though got K.O.'d through carelessness and bad luck). The Ranger and the Rogue (who has found a +4 UMD skill item in the past and has a Wand of Entangle) have not fallen behind yet, but I dread the moment when they will, due to lack of options and lack of damage output.
I was considering having a shady character hand the party a special quiver for arrows and a case for bolts, that would provide their missiles with a +poison that would allow the users to “debuff” a little in combat aswell as doing straight damage. I'll probably make the provider stress that the items are to be deployed by the best archers in the group.
The current load-out of the ranger Feats: Point Blank Shot (1st level), Rapid Shot (Ranger feat), Precision Shot (3rd level), MW composite longbow, Str+1 (found last session).
Rogue Point Blank Shot (1st level), Improved Initiative (Human feat), Weapon Finesse (3rd level), MW light crossbow, perhaps switching to MW handcrossbows (found last session).
I'm aware archery is considered subpar, but I don't want to invalidate their choice and am also not willing to steer their feat selection unless asked by them, so I thought I'd boost their archery a little through the power of plot.
The Poison stats:
DC 13 or 14 or something,
1d4 Str Damage initial, no secondary (secondary damage is usually pointless in mortal combat and a pain for me to keep track off),
I was gonna go with a 1d6 first, but that seemed a little too strong when I compared it to Ray of Enfeeblement's Str penalty of 1d6+1/2 casterlevels (a spell the party sorcerer doesn't have though). Sure, the ray of enfeeblement would do more on a single hit (and against Touch AC) if the sorcerer were to pick it up, but seeing as the poison deals STR damage rather than a penalty, it would stack with itself. I'll also maintain the normal danger of self-poisoning (roll reflex save 15 on natural 1) when firing the missiles (but not when applying the poison, the case/quiver does that for them).
My questions are these:
- Am I too early to worry about the Ranger and Rogue falling behind? I don't think it has really been a problem so far, but the Tier2 only just joined (and proved effective) and the Tier1 will only become stronger. I'd rather give out some sneaky boons before they feel they're behind, rather than when they are already lagging behind (when it will both be more obvious, and less fulfilling to receive such “help”).
- How strong is the above boost, really? Will it make some encounters completely pointless, or does it do absolutely nothing? (It won't matter much against 1HD opponents, but they're quickly running out of that territory.) Should it be a flat 1 Str damage, or a 1d2 instead? Should one of the two items instead do Dex damage? The above quiver and case will have story-strings attached in the future, I'm also imagining the poison may need to grow stronger over time (higher DC, higher damage).
I'd be eternally grateful for your input.
PS: Oh god, I talk too much...
tl;dr:
is giving a level 3 or 4 ranger and rogue an item that gives their missile weapons a +poison, DC 13 or 14 or something,1d4 Str Damage initial, no secondary overpowered in a party with a Cleric, Sorcerer and Bard?