Cutting words question and build critique desired

[SliceandDiceKid]

So my previous moon druid was killed for being overpowered in HotDQ. I'm rerolling a bard. As I'm reading through, it looks like RAW (pardon the profanity) I can use cutting words to reduce the damage of a fireball. I know some will oppose this, but give a rules based response please. Am I wrong???

Also I'm starting at level 6 with a bonus feat at 1 b/c HotDQ...
Party consists of a life cleric, polearm paladin, and greatsword fighter.

Liam Fintan (Irish)

Hp 51
AC 16 w/o mask (19 w/mask)

Helf Criminal lore bard

10
18
16
15
14
18->20(Lvl 4 cha +2)

Lvl 1 magic initiate warlock EB+hex+Mage hand

Spells

Cantrips:
Minor illusion
Message
Viscous mockery

1:
Dissonant whispers
Healing word
Comprehend languages ritual
Heroism

2:
Hold person
Invisibility

3:
Hypnotic pattern
Tiny hut (ritual)



$$$$Lore$$$$
Aura of Vitality
Fireball


Skills

+7
Sleight of hand
Acrobatics
Stealth

+5
Investigation
Arcana

+5
Insight
Perception

+8
Deception EX +11
Persuasion EX +11
Intimidate


Any input is welcome. Also, think I'll get targeted by the DM again? :P

[ad_hoc]

I would talk to your DM about the goals of play.

Why start with ridiculous stats and a bonus feat?

I am not sure what kind of advice you are hoping to get. You already have a grossly overpowered character.

Where are you in the adventure? If you are using the milestone advancement that is recommended and the rest of the party is like your character then you are probably trivializing the encounters. If your character is just more powerful than the other characters I don't see how that is fun for them, or for you for that matter.

My suggestion would be to talk to the DM and the other players and figure out what kind of game you want and make a character based on that.

[SliceandDiceKid]

I would talk to your DM about the goals of play.

Why start with ridiculous stats and a bonus feat?

I am not sure what kind of advice you are hoping to get. You already have a grossly overpowered character.

Where are you in the adventure? If you are using the milestone advancement that is recommended and the rest of the party is like your character then you are probably trivializing the encounters. If your character is just more powerful than the other characters I don't see how that is fun for them, or for you for that matter.

My suggestion would be to talk to the DM and the other players and figure out what kind of game you want and make a character based on that.

We're playing HotDQ. That's the kind of game we're playing. We rolled stats (in dungeons and dragons has rolling stats suddenly become taboo??? What's wrong with this world? Standard is the nice YMCA approach, great for those easily made emotional by stratification). We are using experience, but are actually very closely aligned with the adventure's milestones (having skipped a few fights and our DM tweaking things to be easier or harder as he sees fit). Level 6 just before chapter 8. The other players have comparable stats (two have magic weapons above +1). Nothing about our encounters has been trivial... It's a brutal campaign. Especially for a party of 4, sometimes 3. Two wipes and a few individual deaths.

This campaign doesn't leave too much room for role playing, which I find frustrating, but it is what it is... A difficult, almost exclusively combat based campaign.

[ad_hoc]

We're playing HotDQ. That's the kind of game we're playing.

That actually doesn't answer the question.



We rolled stats (in dungeons and dragons has rolling stats suddenly become taboo??? What's wrong with this world? Standard is the nice YMCA approach, great for those easily made emotional by stratification).


Well you said that your other character was removed for being too powerful and now you are worried about this character being too powerful.

I will give you a hint, it is incredibly powerful.



We are using experience, but are actually very closely aligned with the adventure's milestones
(having skipped a few fights and our DM tweaking things to be easier or harder as he sees fit).


Okay, so not actually following the adventure to the letter. Nothing wrong with that, but that is different than just playing HotDQ.



Level 6 just before chapter 8.

By milestones you would be level 7 in chapter 8 so about right. You can certainly be lower level and have things work out.


The other players have comparable stats (two have magic weapons above +1).

So the DM is giving out extra treasure? There isn't a lot in the adventure as written.



Nothing about our encounters has been trivial... It's a brutal campaign. Especially for a party of 4, sometimes 3. Two wipes and a few individual deaths.

That doesn't sound like the HotDQ that I am playing. We are in chapter 7, using point buy, and the characters barely have any magic items.



This campaign doesn't leave too much room for role playing, which I find frustrating, but it is what it is... A difficult, almost exclusively combat based campaign.

That is almost the opposite of what we have experienced.

The adventure as written is almost perfectly split evenly between the social, exploration, and combat pillars.

The point is, telling me that the game is HotDQ does not answer what the goals of play are or what the game is like.

I am playing the same campaign and have an entirely different experience.

Goals of play, just so you are clear, isn't asking what the character's goals are, it is asking what the player's goals are.

That might be something you want to talk to your DM and other players about. Especially if you find it frustrating that everything is coming down to combat. The adventure is certainly not written that way.

It's fine to play the kind of super powered campaign that you are playing. I'm glad the other characters also have similar power. I am not sure that you are going to be able to get much help on your character build from posting it though. There isn't much to say. It is super powerful.

[-Jynx-]

We rolled stats (in dungeons and dragons has rolling stats suddenly become taboo??? What's wrong with this world? Standard is the nice YMCA approach, great for those easily made emotional by stratification).

Standard is what is RECOMMENDED. Even if you don't like the standard array you should be given a 27-point buy which will give you stats that are comparable. Your point-buy equivalent is 57 before racial bonuses (assuming a 17 in Dex bumping to 18 with half elf and a 16 +2 Cha) which is absolutely absurd considering HotDQ is built for characters generated using standard array or 27 point buy.




The other players have comparable stats (two have magic weapons above +1). Nothing about our encounters has been trivial... It's a brutal campaign. Especially for a party of 4, sometimes 3. Two wipes and a few individual deaths.

Everything about your encounters will end up trivial. The saves, the skill checks, and monster fights, everything in that campaign is based around a 4-man (ish) group with standard or similar point-buy stats. Since you're characters are built basically like demi-gods you'll breeze through everything unless your DM just starts revamping EVERYTHING which even a very good DM will have issues with given the story, and your current power level. He even killed your druid for being too OP so clearly he has no idea what he is doing letting you have such high stats.




This campaign doesn't leave too much room for role playing, which I find frustrating, but it is what it is... A difficult, almost exclusively combat based campaign.
The campaign definitely does have a lot of combat but is by no means lacks in role playing. It lacks in role playing because of your DM.