standard-issue "character help request" form

[SangoProduction]

I like this idea, let's make it a thing.



I wonder if it would be possible to develop (and have a mod sticky) a standard-issue "character help request" form, to help fine-tune responses in ways that people might not know to ask about. Something like:

What sources are available?
How many different sources are you willing to use in one build?
How willing are you to re-flavor material, bend role-playing requirements, and so on?
How mechanically complicated a character are you looking for?
How powerful a character are you looking for-- one who struggles with similar-level/CR monsters, one on equal footing with them, one who can handle monsters several levels higher than expected, or one who can handle monsters many levels higher than expected?
What's your tolerance for "technically legal" stuff-- do you want to avoid anything weird-looking, stick to things where the end result is logical/not too strong, or does anything go?

[GrayDeath]

Good idea.

:)

[quark12000]

It's nice, but, speaking as a very casual player, line 3 is confusing "re-flavor materials"? "bend role-playing requirements"? And in line 4, "mechanically complicated"? First thing I thought of there was a robot!

[GrayDeath]

Reflavouring means, for example, things like this :

The Warlock is supposed to be chaptic or Evil.

Refluffing it to a celestial pact would likely allow you to play a lawful good one, to later combine with a Paladin, for example, IF your table is OK with such things.

And as for mechanical ically complicated, let's say your final build FOR a "powerful Initiator" reads Warblade 20 or Swordsage 2, Crusader 2, Warblade 2, rogue 4, Telfammar Shadow lord 5, Master of the Nine 5.

Just some simple examples, better optimizers might be able to offer better options.

[quark12000]

Reflavouring means, for example, things like this :

The Warlock is supposed to be chaptic or Evil.

Refluffing it to a celestial pact would likely allow you to play a lawful good one, to later combine with a Paladin, for example, IF your table is OK with such things.

First, what's a Warlock? Second, are you talking about changing the rules? That's what re-flavoring means?


And as for mechanical ically complicated, let's say your final build FOR a "powerful Initiator" reads Warblade 20 or Swordsage 2, Crusader 2, Warblade 2, rogue 4, Telfammar Shadow lord 5, Master of the Nine 5.


Okay, let's say that. Are you saying the second one is more "mechanically complicated'?

This is what I meant. The idea of the request form is good, it just needs a bit more clarity.

[rrwoods]

Re-fluffing, or re-flavoring, refers to changing or ignoring the narrative sections of a class description (or some other character option). For example, throughout the Tome of Battle, there are mentions of the Sublime Way — a martial art of sorts that the classes in that book practice. It has a sort of anime feel. But many DMs choose to “refluff” those classes to change or remove the anime “flavor” and replace it with something else, and allow the characters to use the *rules* for those classes in a world that wouldn’t support the stated *narrative*.

EDIT: When it comes to Warlock, many players and DMs consider alignment restrictions to be on the line between rules and narrative. Depends on the table. So while one DM might consider relaxing those restrictions to be changing the rules, another might consider it to be adjusting the narrative of what it means to play a Warlock. (The book-stated “fluff” of a Warlock involves a pact with an evil being, but one could reasonably interpret many of the powers a Warlock gets to come from a divine source.)

“Mechanically complicated” refers to a character that is complicated for the player to play, because of how much paperwork or bookkeeping or other complexity is required. A classic example is your typical spell caster — simply by the nature of being able to cast spells at all, a mid-level cleric or wizard has access to dozens of different options at any given time. Some classes are even more complex than this, and different players are willing to tolerate different levels of complexity at the table. “Mechanics” (or “crunch”) refers to game mechanics — the guts of how the players interact with the game. Thus “mechanically complicated” refers to how complicated those interactions are to adjudicate, or how complicated the decisions are that are presented to the player.

[GrayDeath]

First, what's a Warlock? Second, are you talking about changing the rules? That's what re-flavoring means?

[/spoiler]


That was answered really well above.

To sum it up: changing everything that is not "clear, hard rules".

[QUOTE]

Okay, let's say that. Are you saying the second one is more "mechanically complicated'?

This is what I meant. The idea of the request form is good, it just needs a bit more clarity.

Yes, it is, surely on the building, and less so on the playing part.

Otherwise you can make a clear Hierarchy with the prepared casters being the most and the noncaster martial being the least complicated.

[Nifft]

I like this idea, let's make it a thing.

Good stuff.

In addition:

- Who else is in the party? What are the other PCs that you're aiming to match / compensate for / support?

- How do your fights go? What are you planning to fight? How has the team been doing so far?

- What in specific have you NOT been doing that you want to start doing?

- Are you allowed to buy magical gear? What's your budget? (Standard WBL? random loot only?)