'sploitible mechanics...

[Pigboy]

What are some of the more famous/used/un-famous/you just made up exploits in DnD? I personally am looking for ones for rangers...'cause that's how I am. And I'm curious as to if anybody knows any.

[Fishies]

Diplomacy god.

[Joltz]

pun pun most famous ever--probably because he's everything at once

[Raltar]

I can never get the wizard's board to load...no matter how many different links I click that lead there, it always times out. Every other website on the web comes up, but not that.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Unfortunately Pun-Pun doesn't work. Normally, even with access to the required supplemental material you need for the abilities. It requires a DM to be easily swayed on rule twistings in order to function.

[Ulzgoroth]

No, it requires you to be a Scaled One (a broad term) native to Toril and to, just once, get a Sarrukh to obey your orders (or otherwise gain access to a single Su ability of said monster). After that, it's all broken... Manipulate Form is probably the worst ability ever implemented.

[Tor the Fallen]

I often see Ur-Priest mentioned in lists of Things that should not be. Why?

[Quietus]

I often see Ur-Priest mentioned in lists of Things that should not be. Why?

9th level spells over a 10 level class.

[Callos_DeTerran]

No, it requires you to be a Scaled One (a broad term) native to Toril and to, just once, get a Sarrukh to obey your orders (or otherwise gain access to a single Su ability of said monster). After that, it's all broken... Manipulate Form is probably the worst ability ever implemented.

It's not just those reasons though. Belial said once that Pun-Pun didn't work and it was amazingly simple why it didn't work so go ask him. Maybe that changed recently or sumthin' since its been like...two years since he said it but he was very confident that not only did it not work but Pun-pun never even gets off the ground in the first place.

'sides...Sarrukh only exist in a FR setting anyway and not many people play that sorta setting. (But that'd retract my previous statement before about allowing all the supplemental reasources neccesary for Pun-pun.)

[Jack Mann]

9th level spells over a 10 level class.

Like a lot of things in D&D, this isn't broken when used as it's originally presented (non-caster taking a casting class). It's just that when you combine it with certain other things that it becomes broken.

D&D game designers are very bad at spotting these synergies.

Of course, then you have plenty of things that are broken when used precisely as they were intended, like polymorph, or the candle of invocation.

[TSGames]

I believe that The Omniscificer exploits many mechanics.

[Jerthanis]

A popular one bouncing around these days is the fact that it never says anywhere in the RAW that you can't take actions while dead. That's a pretty obvious and immediate no if you ever even think of suggesting it.

I can't think of any rules exploits for rangers though.

[TheOOB]

D&D suffers from the problem that the designers usually do what seems cool first, and what is balanced second(actually its much lower then that even), and beings D&D is such a rules intensive game, game balance should a primary concern.

Do we really need a class that can, as an immediate action, bring up a barrier that stops any attack, sure it's cool, but is it balanced, did I mention that it's an arcane class that losses no caster levels and only halfway difficult prerequisite is spell focus(abjuration) (which isn't even a bad feat, abjuration has some nasty save or lose spells). Sure it's cool, but that initiate of the sevenfold veil doesn't need to exist...nor does celerity.

[-Cor-]

The 2 Full-Attacks 20 ft. step Mounted Combat maneuver.

Or basically, just Mounted Combat in general.

I find it easily exploitable if, shall we say, horse sense isn't applied to it. By RAW, as long as I'm overground, I can break the hell out of combat with a Mount and some ranks in Ride.

[Norsesmithy]

I believe that The Omniscificer exploits many mechanics.

I just love this quote from that thread:

When the knowledge check is made, it is not possible to calculate the bonus the omniscificer recieves. In an instant of agony whose intensity could not possibly be comprehended by mortal minds the omniscificer gains a lunatic insight that illuminates all the mysteries of the universe in an instant of perfect infinite clairty. The multiverse might be finite, or it might not, only the omniscificer knows for sure

[Jarlax]

ToB + vital Recovery: initiate combat with another PC, only deal nonlethal damage to them, particularly useful if you have a PC immune to non-lethal damage. recover your maneuvers to heal yourself, end combat. repeat. bonus, you only need 1 level in any ToB class, because the feat calculates based on PC level not class level.

[TheThan]

If you’re down to –1 or less hit points you can leap into some water and start drowning, this actually heals you and brings you hit points up to 0.


find out for yourself

[Triggerhappy938]

Wait, I thought this was the topic of the whole forum, not just one thread...

[ZeroNumerous]

Diplomacy.

Breaking an entire campaign at level 3.

[Kurald Galain]

Persistent Spell.

Nightsticks.

Alter self / polymorph / pao / shapechange.

IotSV

For a ranger, the brokenest thing you can do is become a druid, which can do everything the ranger can do only better.

[Jack_Simth]

9th level spells over a 10 level class.

... which you can qualify for at 5th, to take at 6th, and get 9th level spells at around 14th level.

Seriously. A Bard-4/Barbarian-1 (or Ranger-1, or Fighter-1, or Monk-1, or just about any good Fort save class-1) can meet the requirements fairly easily.

[giblina]

Any feat, item, or ability, meant to improve upon a deficiency, that can be applied to a character who's already good at it.

Warshaper is an easy example. This PRC is intended to provide a shapeshifting spellcaster with not-so-great combat abilities (druid, wizard) with some benefits that put them more on terms with pure-melee classes in terms of combat ability.

It "breaks" when you apply it to a natural-shapeshifting race who's taken a melee class (lycanthrope or what have you). Because now you've taken a class that's good at melee, and improved upon that even more.

Also, over-specialization.

There are a lot of new classes which think extreme specialization is a fair trade-off for too significant improvement within the area of specialization. What happens though is it breaks monster challenge ratings. Single characters can solo, without the slightest risk, monsters of same or even higher CR, all the time.

[Kurald Galain]

Since when does a druid have "not so great" combat abilities?

[giblina]

Druids will have average BAB progression and limited melee feats.

That's not to say a bear can't fight well (of course it can), but generally speaking they won't be on par with a same levelled melee character (nor should they be).

Warshaper PRC helps put them there (in exchange for some magical ability), but as mentioned, when you stick that PRC on a melee class (from a natural shapeshifting race) it breaks.

[clockwork warrior]

Any feat, item, or ability, meant to improve upon a deficiency, that can be applied to a character who's already good at it.

Warshaper is an easy example. This PRC is intended to provide a shapeshifting spellcaster with not-so-great combat abilities (druid, wizard) with some benefits that put them more on terms with pure-melee classes in terms of combat ability.

It "breaks" when you apply it to a natural-shapeshifting race who's taken a melee class (lycanthrope or what have you). Because now you've taken a class that's good at melee, and improved upon that even more.

hehehe, just play a changeling and never go to your normal form

[PirateMonk]

Druids will have average BAB progression and limited melee feats.

That's not to say a bear can't fight well (of course it can), but generally speaking they won't be on par with a same levelled melee character (nor should they be).

Warshaper PRC helps put them there (in exchange for some magical ability), but as mentioned, when you stick that PRC on a melee class (from a natural shapeshifting race) it breaks.

But melee classes can't buff or heal themselves, or cast Flame Strike, or Finger of Death. And if you allow Spell Compendium, Bite of the X spells make you pretty much equal to a fighter even without other spells.

[giblina]

You're drifting into a counter-argument for an argument I never made.

I never said druids don't have a wide array of abilities. I never said druids suck at combat.

I said that warshaper PRC is intended to close the gap in melee combat prowess between melee-oriented druids and pure melee classes, and the PRC breaks when you apply it to a melee class who's shapeshifting comes from his race (ie: changeling).

You end up with a melee class character that does a lot more damage than a melee class character should be able to do at their level.

It would be akin to having a PRC called "Supa-Fighta" that's exactly like fighter but all damage is increased by 50%

[Elana]

A popular one bouncing around these days is the fact that it never says anywhere in the RAW that you can't take actions while dead...

Yes it does.

When you are dead your HP drop to -10.
As your non lethal damage is never below 0 following rule aplies:

When your nonlethal damage exceeds your current hit points, you fall unconscious. While unconscious, you are helpless.

Note that the description of dying gives you a chance to be consious despite that effect, but that rule only applies whily dying.
Once your dead the normal rule takes over and you are unconsious.

[PirateMonk]

You're drifting into a counter-argument for an argument I never made.

I never said druids don't have a wide array of abilities. I never said druids suck at combat.

I said that warshaper PRC is intended to close the gap in melee combat prowess between melee-oriented druids and pure melee classes, and the PRC breaks when you apply it to a melee class who's shapeshifting comes from his race (ie: changeling).

You end up with a melee class character that does a lot more damage than a melee class character should be able to do at their level.

It would be akin to having a PRC called "Supa-Fighta" that's exactly like fighter but all damage is increased by 50%

Okay, sorry, but the point is, it's trying to close a gap that should exist but doesn't.

[lord_khaine]

actualy warshaper is made for shapechanging races like lycantropes ect, a pure druid doesnt not need it to be stronger in melee combat than a higher lv fighter, and taking the PC will only serve to weaken the druid.