How about gestalt???

[Ceridan]

I just wish at ask those who have DMed gestalt games and those who have played them about their experiences.

DM's
1. Do gestalt characters unbalance the game?
2. How do you compensate as far as EL to make up for the more powerfull party?
3. What machanical difficulties have you encountered?
4. An other advice?

Player's
1. Did you have more or less fun than playing a standard character?
2. Does your gestalt status inhibit role playing?
3. Did your DM overcompensate and whipe the floor with you?
4. Any other advice?

[Closet_Skeleton]

DM's
1. Do gestalt characters unbalance the game?

Yes, they can.

2. How do you compensate as far as EL to make up for the more powerfull party?

I sent creatures with much higher CRs that slaughtered the PCs. Though it was fun to 'defeat' an entire party of uber Gestalt characters with a single suggestion spell "you might want to leave".

3. What mechanical difficulties have you encountered?

Nothing really.

4. An other advice?

Favoured Enemy (humans) + Sneak Attack is too powerful in a human only campaign.

[Human Paragon 3]

No, I don't think gestalt characters unbalance the game. When you think about it the characters ARE the game, so if they are all on a similar power level this should usually not be a problem. The matter of balance comes into play when you give them challanges. As the above poster said, it is sometimes difficult to judge how strong these challanges should be. My advice is to run the first few sessions with wiggle room, as in, send a variety of enemies and then tweak them as they fight so they give the PCs a good challange. Once you have figured out how powerful the party really is, you can start running your combats normally. I am still in this process right now, but it's harder for me because I am also using the Wound Point system, so its two new systems at once for us.

And no, gestalt does not hinder roleplaying at all! Some of the coolest characters we have done are gestalt. The range of powers available really open doors rather than pigeonholing characters into one role. It makes you wonder what a Cleric/Thief would be etc.


Last but not least, when in doubt send more gestalt NPCs at them. That way you know it should be balanced.

[ZeroNumerous]

Gestalt doesn't unbalance the game any more or less than CoDZilla.

[ALOR]

well i can only coment from a players point of view and the gestalt game i played didn't last terribly long but here goes
1. i would have to say less fun than a normal character
2. i wouldn't say so no
3. no our gm is a pushover
4. none that i can think of

[Missing Shoe]

It all depends on how the players pick their classes. If chosen right they can definitely unbalance the game. If done correctly, gestalt is highly useful for smaller parties because all of the party roles can be filled my just a few people.

The main thing as a DM to remember is gestalt characters do not count as two PCs. They still have the same number of actions per round, they just have more to do with it. As such, it's always good to throw a variety of challenges at a gestalt party instead of incredibly hard ones.

As a player, it's usually more fun because you can do more things, your character seems more powerful. It doesnt have to limit your roleplaying. For example, nobody said all wizards have to suck at fighting.

My advice: Go for balance. Doubling up on spell casting classes gives you too much in your tool belt and not enough time to use it. Stacking melee characters doesnt help you any either. Also, try to pick classes that have some similar stat dependencies. That way you dont have to strive for 18 in more than half your stats.

[Jannex]

I just wish at ask those who have DMed gestalt games and those who have played them about their experiences.

DM's
1. Do gestalt characters unbalance the game?

No, but they require you to do a bit of re-balancing. Some gestalt combinations can make things a little crazy, but then again, so can some standard builds.

2. How do you compensate as far as EL to make up for the more powerfull party?

Really it depends on the party. You might bump the CRs of encounters by +1 or +2 (except for gestalt NPCs), but you should experiment a little in the first few sessions before developing a hard-and-fast rule on the subject. Find what works best for your group.

3. What machanical difficulties have you encountered?

None, really. Just be sure to use fractional BAB and saves, and you should be good.

4. An other advice?

Keep an eye on the players' builds--especially the ones involving arcane casters. And never ever ever waive the rule that says you can't take more than one PrC at any given level.

Player's
1. Did you have more or less fun than playing a standard character?

I'll be honest; it was a little bit more fun. I think that's because my play style prefers flexibility and diversification over specialization, so having twice as many options every level is great. It also lets me concentrate on the "core concept" on one side of the build, and experiment a little on the other side.

I've actually been in a game where we started out with standard builds, and then a couple of semesters later converted to gestalt (because one of the new PCs was able to convince the DM), so I've played the same character on both sides of the gestalt fence. I really liked having the flexibility to explore a little, while maintaining his basic concept and abilities (Ranger).

2. Does your gestalt status inhibit role playing?

Not at all. Why would it?

3. Did your DM overcompensate and whipe the floor with you?

If there was any overcompensation happening, it was because of one of the PCs' cheese builds, rather than the fact that we were gestalt. So I'd say no, but this will probably vary by DM.

4. Any other advice?

Have fun with it. Look for classes that complement one another, both in terms of mechanics and in terms of concept. Experiment a little. And try to avoid Arcane Caster//Arcane Caster.

[oloknotwise]

Gestalt can be quite a challenge for a DM, especially with a large group. From my experience, trying to to come to a good agreement between the effective party level and challenges is difficult. Do not base all of your decisions on the challenge ratings, because things can vary in a gestalt campaign.

However, the players were more effective and had more options to overcome obstacles than a normal party.

My advice: Gestalt is for small groups (>4 people) and should be avoided at all costs for large groups.

[Damionte]

I havn't found gestalt PC's to be a problem balance wise. I've always GMed most onsters on the fly anyway. If I made the monsters a little too difficult I tone them down a bit during the fight. if they're too weak I toss on some more HP's or give em eye beams or something.

I am the Game Master! Overlord of the gods; of the gods. It's my world so you're only as strong as I say you are.

As for real balance, balance doesn't exist between the heroes and the bad guys. Balance only matters between the PC's and the other PC's. PC to villains is never balances. All NPC are either stronger than or weaker than the PC's depending on how you want them to interact with the PC's.