Truenaming effectively [3.5]

[foxtrotpenguin]

So thanks to a horrible incident involving the local druid, a BBEG origanated Suggestion spell, a promise to aid the local old farmer's daughter while the rest of the party rescues her dad and brothers, and a pack of bulls, I'm no longer playing a psion.

So looking for my new character, I started pouring through the Tome of Magic, and have become quite intrested in playing a Truenamer.

It doesn't seem that powerful, but I nev er really liked being a DAMAGE MACHINE!.

Anything I need to know before joining the party?

[SilveryCord]

It doesn't work.
No, really, truenaming, as written, is unplayable. Read this thread for an explanation as to why. Don't play a truenamer unless your DM lets you use that variant.

[lsfreak]

I haven't looked through truenaming myself, but from my understanding it's flawed. As in, the mechanics don't function and the class becomes unplayable at a point. Not like "monks are unplayable," but the checks needed to succeed become effectively impossible.

Seeing as how I don't know anything beyond that about truenaming, I can't say anything good or bad about it, but here's a truenaming fix on the forums.

[foxtrotpenguin]

It doesn't work.
No, really, truenaming, as written, is unplayable. Read this thread for an explanation as to why. Don't play a truenamer unless your DM lets you use that variant.

That sucks

[Oslecamo]

That sucks

Don't listen to them. Truenaming worcks just fine if you bother to optimize your skills. It's more or less in the middle scale of power. It isn't an easy to play class, but if you know what you're doing it can be quite an interesting experience.

Check out these threads to know how to unlock the truenamer's potential:

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114269

http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=614007

[Flickerdart]

Don't listen to them. Truenaming worcks just fine if you bother to optimize your skills. It's more or less in the middle scale of power.

No. It isn't. As written, Truenamer is a class that does not work without optimizing to squeeze every last +1 you can have, and even then they suck. You're better off refluffing a Warlock, who are weak to begin with. A Truenamer that by some miracle can reliably succeed on its checks, without Gate abuse, is comparable to perhaps a Ninja in their power. Maybe an Adept.

Do not play a Truenamer unless you really, really, really like a challenge that your DM's encounters can't provide (and since you got killed, clearly they can).

[foxtrotpenguin]

No. It isn't. As written, Truenamer is a class that does not work without optimizing to squeeze every last +1 you can have, and even then they suck. You're better off refluffing a Warlock, who are weak to begin with. A Truenamer that by some miracle can reliably succeed on its checks, without Gate abuse, is comparable to perhaps a Ninja in their power. Maybe an Adept.

Do not play a Truenamer unless you really, really, really like a challenge that your DM's encounters can't provide (and since you got killed, clearly they can).

I'll try it. Last difficult character I tried to play was my Kobold Spearman.

[InkEyes]

The quickest fix for the truenamer is giving one a complimentary skill rank-boosting Item Familiar. Either that or dropping the 2 from the 15 + (2*CR or HD) equation because then the scaling of the truenaming DCs doesn't outpace your skill checks as rapidly. Truenamers still aren't a super strong class, but at least it's playable.

Edit- Actually, do both. The class needs it. Badly.

[Oslecamo]

I'll try it. Last difficult character I tried to play was my Kobold Spearman.

That's the spirit! You can't know how a class really plays untill you try it out!

[Zaq]

I'm the author of the latest big Truenamer Thread we had around here, so I can probably answer whatever questions you have. Read the thread first, because pretty much everything I could want to say I already said in there, but I'm always happy to help someone.

Don't be fooled. The Truenamer is a rough, rough class that really isn't finished and is only playable with a lot of work. I'm confident that no one at WotC actually playtested it, and you will have next to no flexibility in your build, which is really sad.

It can be done. It's not pretty. It's not pretty at all.

A few questions for YOU:

-What level are you starting at? This makes a HUGE difference.

-Who else is in the party?

-What books are available?

-What do you want to get out of Truenaming? What's your goal? What do you hope to do?

-Are you locked into a race, or restricted from taking esoteric races?

I need more information before I can really start helping you.

[erikun]

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114269

http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=614007

This

I'm the author of the latest big Truenamer Thread we had around here, so I can probably answer whatever questions you have.

And this. Note that Zaq's link is in the other quote, too.

Basic math is against the Truenamer. You're simply not going to affect something level-appropriate at higher levels, never mind affecting multiple things, multiple times. I believe someone once said: "Truenaming is broken, and needs considerable optimization just to be viable."

Good luck, either way.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

As a Truenamer, you want to dip into Exemplar, Marshal, and Chameleon

Exemplar lets you take 10 and get a +4 bonus

Marshal allows you to add your charisma modifier to the check

Chameleon lets you have access to the spell Improvisation, a bard 1st level spell that gives a floating pool of luck points equal to 2* your caster level, up to 1/2 of which are usable at any one time in order to boost a skill check.

You also get to use the spells Divine Insight (SpC) that gives 5+CL (max +15) to a single skill check, and Guidance of the Avatar, which gives +20 to one skill check. Both are second level spells.

At some point, you stop getting useful abilities and truespeech utterances as a Truespeaker, so you should feel free about multiclassing out of it at that point. I think the Lexicon of the Evolving Mind has decent stuff, the others not so much.

Pick the ones you like and then go Chameleon/Exemplar/Marshal.

Thoughts on Marshal1/Truespeaker8/Chameleon1/Exemplar1/Chameleon9?