Messed-Up Faerun #3.5 FR#

[Machiavellian]

In my upcoming Forgotten Realms campaign, the Weave has gone to hell in a handbasket. Spellcasters are forced to literally cast spells with caution to the wind. All they get to pick is the spell's level. So I need something that meshes well with either Orc, Half-Orc, or Goliath. We are gonna be 2nd level

[Hendel]

In my upcoming Forgotten Realms campaign, the Weave has gone to hell in a handbasket. Spellcasters are forced to literally cast spells with caution to the wind. All they get to pick is the spell's level. So I need something that meshes well with either Orc, Half-Orc, or Goliath. We are gonna be 2nd level

What is wrong with a Fighter!?

[Machiavellian]

What is wrong with a Fighter!?

fighter's a joke class. It sucks without SERIOUS screwing with

[Kylarra]

fighter's a joke class. It sucks without SERIOUS screwing with

Play a Warblade then?

[Machiavellian]

Play a Warblade then?

DM said no ToB

[Kylarra]

DM said no ToB

Play a PsyWar? This class suggestion thing goes faster if you tell us what houserules and disallowed books you're working with.

[Morty]

If the spellcasters can't decide which spells they cast, isn't fighters being underpowered a non-issue? But if you don't want to play a core fighter anyway, try a fighter fix like Ultimate Fighter.

[Aharon]

Truenamer... For once, their kind of magic will be more reliable than that of the real casters.

[Machiavellian]

Play a PsyWar? Or some other psionic class.

Psionics are the same as spellcasting. Any form of casting (including Incarnum) is now 100% randomized

[Morty]

Psionics are the same as spellcasting. Any form of casting (including Incarnum) is now 100% randomized

Psionics doesn't use the Weave, actually.

[Siosilvar]

hmm... non-casting Ranger (CWar)? Archery path, use a greatsword for melee combat.

Don't forget you can draw weapons as part of a move action.

[Kylarra]

Psionics are the same as spellcasting. Any form of casting (including Incarnum) is now 100% randomized

I'm gonna reiterate my edit then. TELL US ALL THE HOUSERULES AND BOOKS ALLOWED SO THAT WE DON'T PLAY THIS GAME OF GOTCHA.

[Swok]

Although really, if casters are crapped on like that, you're far better off not being a caster. Most of the power of spellcasters pretty much evaporates if you have no control over what you cast.

[Hendel]

fighter's a joke class. It sucks without SERIOUS screwing with

I would think that this would be the perfect time to be a fighter with the spell casters in such disaray.

Also, I don't think they suck, you just need to pick your direction and stick with it in your feat selection. At lower levels they are better than most classes in my opinion. At higher levels, the casters tend to rule, but you do not have that issue. Unless you see this wild-magic time coming to an end soon...

Maybe you look at the Mage Slayer feat tree to totally mess with the casters. Now you cannot cast defensively around me AND you are not sure what you will be casting!! Brilliant! Win one for the meat shields!

[Aharon]

Does being a wild mage confer any advantage?
Does anybody in your group plan on playing a caster?
What about spell-likes?
What happens if the chosen spell isn't legal for that target?
"I cast a first level spell at the orc." "You identify him."

All of this sounds like a very roundabout way to say "It's actually FR low magic, and I want you to play non-casters."

So I would do just that. Barbarian, Dungeoncrusher Fighter, Rogue... take your pick.

[Machiavellian]

All FR books, All Complete, ect. And all forms of casting are randomized

[Swok]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the mental gymnastics required to classify incarnum as spellcasting.

[hamishspence]

If "all magic isn't working" rather than "the Weave isn't working" then psionics is included (since it's a form of magic)- if it is only the weave that's messed up, psionics is fine.

Players Guide to Faerun:

Unlike spells, which derive their power from Faeun's Weave (or Shadow Weave), psionic power taps only the inner reservoirs of the manifester. In a sense, each psionic creature is its own Weave, using the magic of its own lifeforce and mind to create psionic effects. Mystra and Shar have no ability to deny psionic creatures access to powers, and they do not control the promulgation of psionic lore and ability throughout Faerun.

While psionics does not require the Weave to function, psionic powers are magical in nature.

[Machiavellian]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the mental gymnastics required to classify incarnum as spellcasting.

He said that's how it works, since you draw from the Incarnum, which in his book, is interconnected with the Weave.

And there are "Calm Areas" where the Weave isn't a Charlie Fox, if you speak phonetic...

[hamishspence]

As written in MoI, sometimes incarnum seems to come from within- it's the character's own personal soul energy) and sometimes from without (incarnum wielders can manipulate ambient soul energy.)

Either way, Mystra shouldn't be able to deny an incarnum wielder their powers- but if "magic itself" (rather than just the Weave) is going haywire, then incarnum wielders might be affected too.

[Aharon]

So... Goliath Barbarian?

Or are you totally bent on not playing a martial class despite the obvious advantages it has in your current campaign?

[Machiavellian]

As written in MoI, sometimes incarnum seems to come from within- it's the character's own personal soul energy) and sometimes from without (incarnum wielders can manipulate ambient soul energy.)

Either way, Mystra shouldn't be able to deny an incarnum wielder their powers- but if "magic itself" (rather than just the Weave) is gong haywire, then incarnum wielders might be affected too.

in this case, they are. Magic as a whole is on Wheel of Fortune mode, inless you happen to be in a calm zone.

Hence why I want something that makes an Orc in the Party not look like some bdb (Big, Dumb Brute), which we have in an Orc Barbarain

[Aharon]

Well, you could have said that earlier. You asked for something that meshes well with 3 rather melee focused races.

What about a Knowledge-Devotion rogue, then? At higher levels, you can still UMD in the areas where magic works.

[Machiavellian]

Well, you could have said that earlier. You asked for something that meshes well with 3 rather melee focused classes.

What about a Knowledge-Devotion rogue, then? At higher levels, you can still UMD in the areas where magic works.

Well, actually was looking at Knight (to play against the Orc-Stereotype). Is knight all that good?

[Grumman]

I'd suggest not playing. This just screams "The DM is a control freak, and will abuse this houserule to make your life a living hell."

[Machiavellian]

I'd suggest not playing. This just screams "The DM is a control freak, and will abuse this houserule to make your life a living hell."

Opposite. He wants spellcasters to be on the same par as melee. In his idea, the spellcaster must make do with what he gets to pull victory from the jaws of defeat

[Aharon]

Sorry, can't help you there. I never looked into the class all too thoroughly. JaronK puts it at Tier 5, the same as fighter and paladin, in his Tier system found at BrilliantGameologists. As usual, they can be higher with optimization. All I can do is point to the Knight handbook on the same site.

Also note that this houserule really, really makes martial characters less useless. Even a normal fighter might be viable, despite it normally being considered weak.

[Optimystik]

Be a class with a small spell list, like a Warlock - that weights the odds of getting what you want heavily in your favor, and because you never run out of "ammunition" you can just keep spamming until you get what you need.

Binder too - since what you get is based on what you bind (and it is also unlimited use) randomizing it won't help him very much.

Psionics doesn't use the Weave, actually.

No, but because it interacts with the Weave, you could feasibly stretch Weave instability to affecting psionic powers.

(For external effects, anyway. Self-powers should probably be unaffected.)

[Machiavellian]

Sorry, can't help you there. I never looked into the class all too thoroughly. JaronK puts it at Tier 5, the same as fighter and paladin, in his Tier system found at BrilliantGameologists. As usual, they can be higher with optimization. All I can do is point to the Knight handbook on the same site.

Also note that this houserule really, really makes martial characters less useless. Even a normal fighter might be viable, despite it normally being considered weak.

ok. Knight or Warlock (who ironically isn't affected) SLAs and Sup. aren't affected

[Boci]

Well, actually was looking at Knight (to play against the Orc-Stereotype). Is knight all that good?

As a dip its okay, but for the long run its not better than a fighter. Knight is also PHII, which wasn't on your allowed list, neither was MoI, so can we please know what is allowed and what isn't. In UA there is a wildhsaping ranger, is that randomized as well? What about binding?