Looking for advice concerning retraining (rebuilding) class levels!

[Melcar]

Hellow Fellow Scriberinos...

We play an epic level game, which is run almost entirely as a solo campaign... Long story short, I'm considering retraining a bunch on class levels as per the retraining rules in PHB2 page 197. But before I do, I wanted to hear from people who might have experience with this. Preferably both from a player as well as DM viewpoint. I'm aware that I'm essentially overwriting the characters past and experience, but I'm not super stoked with some of the choices I've made - specifically a 3rd party prestige class, which albeit good, is not to my liking any more. Also, we don't play very often, so if I want to reach my goals - in terms of PrC - I kind of need to enter them now, unless I want to wait several years of real time... which I don't really. Not at the rate we play these days.

So, does anyone have any advice, anecdotes or warnings they want to share on retraining (rebuilding) class levels of their long-standing character[s]?

Thanks in advance!

[Zerryzerry]

You can come up, toghether with your DM, with some random gibberish to justify a full rework of your char.

You could die to an excessive amount of negative levels (perhaps by falling in the Negative Energy plane after a mishaps with a mid-level artifact), then you do not play 1 or 2 sessions and then, surprising all your friends, a new you comes out from a high level planar shift, with the same appearance (and level), but with the char fully rebuilt from scratch. it keeps all his previous experiences and memories, but he had to retrain himself from lvl0 in soma kind of "Hyperbolic time chamber" kind of plane where time goes of 100x the speed of the plane you are living in your campaign. The only drawback could be that your char is now much older (perhaps you can even consider the aging bonuses and penalties), and it makes for a fun (and rewarding) experience at the table.

The bad thing is that the other players may want the same thing, and everything can go to hell very very fast is a full party retrains epic level chars.

[Psyren]

I'd recommend looking up fantasy stories that featured retraining for inspiration, especially ones that are well-received.

Starfinder has a magitech device whose sole purpose is retraining, called the Mnemonic Editor (https://www.aonsrd.com/HybridItems.aspx?ItemName=Mk%201&Family=Mnemonic%20Editor) - you could work with your GM to make an artifact version of that, powerful enough to do any number of levels.

[Doctor Despair]

One valid option is playing a new character; with that on the table, your DM should work with you on doing a rebuild if you really want to.

[Zerryzerry]

One valid option is playing a new character; with that on the table, your DM should work with you on doing a rebuild if you really want to.

Well that's basically what i suggested, i just wanted to save the history of the old character for the new one

[Melcar]

Well that's basically what i suggested, i just wanted to save the history of the old character for the new one

I very much want it to be the same character! With the same memories, demeanor feeling attitudes, and behavior. I "just" want to change 10 out of 32 levels. The game being 90% a solo campaign don't really have to worry about other players wanting to copy what my character is doing, so thats not a problem. The challenge is doing this retraining i a way that makes sense ingame, which would fit my characters behavior and which would allow me, to obtain the abilities, which otherwise would probably take me year in real time to achieve, now.

My current build is: Wizard 15, Arcane Avatar1 5, Arch Mage 5, Wizard King2 5, Wordbearer3 2!

1: Quintessential Wizard (Mongoose Publishing)
2: Path of Magic (Legends and Lairs/Fantasy Flight Games)
3: Quintessential Wizard (Mongoose Publishing)

While all the 3rd party elements are cool, I have come to dislike the Wizard King, which I feel, despite very good abilities, is not well enough written. I want to rebuild my wizard into: Cleric 3, Wizard 10, Dweomerkeeper 5, Arcane Avatar 5, Arch Mage 5, Dweomerkeeper 2, Wordbearer 2.

So, the character used to be a very devout Mystra follower, yet was tempted by Set, to go a different route to obtain some ancient mulhorant/ Imaskar knowledge... now this is all well and fine, but not only have I not really received any great insight I have also started feeling that he betrayed Mystra for filthy lucre. So I actually wanted to return to the flock so to speak!

And then there is the simple fact that playing no more than a couple of times per year, it would probably take like 3-5 years of real time before I would be able to enter Dweomerkeeper, let alone be high level in it... Its kind of my final goal build wise, and I want that now/ very soon. We started the characters at level 1 back in 2002, so I feel I have waited long enough for my goal... I still however, want it done properly ingame!

[Zerryzerry]

I very much want it to be the same character! With the same memories, demeanor feeling attitudes, and behavior. I "just" want to change 10 out of 32 levels. The game being 90% a solo campaign don't really have to worry about other players wanting to copy what my character is doing, so thats not a problem. The challenge is doing this retraining i a way that makes sense ingame, which would fit my characters behavior and which would allow me, to obtain the abilities, which otherwise would probably take me year in real time to achieve, now.

My current build is: Wizard 15, Arcane Avatar1 5, Arch Mage 5, Wizard King2 5, Wordbearer3 2!

1: Quintessential Wizard (Mongoose Publishing)
2: Path of Magic (Legends and Lairs/Fantasy Flight Games)
3: Quintessential Wizard (Mongoose Publishing)

While all the 3rd party elements are cool, I have come to dislike the Wizard King, which I feel, despite very good abilities, is not well enough written. I want to rebuild my wizard into: Cleric 3, Wizard 10, Dweomerkeeper 5, Arcane Avatar 5, Arch Mage 5, Dweomerkeeper 2, Wordbearer 2.

So, the character used to be a very devout Mystra follower, yet was tempted by Set, to go a different route to obtain some ancient mulhorant/ Imaskar knowledge... now this is all well and fine, but not only have I not really received any great insight I have also started feeling that he betrayed Mystra for filthy lucre. So I actually wanted to return to the flock so to speak!

And then there is the simple fact that playing no more than a couple of times per year, it would probably take like 3-5 years of real time before I would be able to enter Dweomerkeeper, let alone be high level in it... Its kind of my final goal build wise, and I want that now/ very soon. We started the characters at level 1 back in 2002, so I feel I have waited long enough for my goal... I still however, want it done properly ingame!


I stand with my previous storyline. Just add the fact that you get trapped in that "fast forward demiplane" due to the will of Mystra that wanted you to think about what you did in your life and what you could have done different.