Since the other thread raised the idea - here's the trial -

[Hoihe]

If you were always fishing for justification you're given a poorly judged DC, you really didn't need to go farther than a simple internet search, then a PM to the DM, CC'd to the HDMs:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/usingSkills.htm

Anyone can come up with a million anecdotes that justify a point of view, but the real issue here seems clearly that once upon a time, a PC possibly named Hoihe (at the time), was given a stupid high DC erroneously, and the lingering effect on the Player from auto-failing that DC, has exaggerated into a legendary, epic, heroic difficulty, of its own.

Can I offer you a suggestion, Hoihe? If this one time occurance bothers you so much, why not simply Retcon it, and/or seek Official permission to do so? And if it ever happens again, just repeat the process?

Don't you WANT to get over this?!?

I managed to avoid the worst of those DCs. People I know got slapped with them though and some had their entire RP ruined. Most got retconned, but the damage was done already for them and that's impossible to revert due to the echoes they create in the playerbase.

Repeating the fixing process won't fix echoes though, and I can bet you that the DM will try to turn it around and convene with the cadre of people who are already "fans" of me to further stoke their dislike.

[chad878262]

Not that I want you to leave the server, I don't.... but why do you subject yourself if the experience had been so damaging? If you can't get past it, your only going to continue to be frustrated. It's one thing to recommend things to try and improve the situation, but it seems no matter what you're going to assume the worst in DMs and your fellow players. That's going to lead to nothing but bitterness for you and, often times for those you interact with.

[Hoihe]

Not that I want you to leave the server, I don't.... but why do you subject yourself if the experience had been so damaging? If you can't get past it, your only going to continue to be frustrated. It's one thing to recommend things to try and improve the situation, but it seems no matter what you're going to assume the worst in DMs and your fellow players. That's going to lead to nothing but bitterness for you and, often times for those you interact with.

I took a break, returned. Was having fun then ended up entangled in the metaplot which returned all my worries. Especially considering we have a lot of new DMS - potential for those who are heavily pro permadeath to have become one, and they have an actual just cause now that devils are involved.

Considering the metaplot affects where my PC lives I have no option but to get involved. But if I get involved I need to interact with DMs. If I interact with DMs, that means I run risk of being shoehorned into either taking a permadeath-risk route or facing other consequences that are highly undesirable. If taking the permadeath-risk, then non-clearly communicated "What rank means what" and whatnot will lead to a DM with less than well intentioned nature doing things.

[chad878262]

How is that different than if you were playing PnP?

In any case, pretty sure all DMs give the option to not be involved if perma-death is a requirement (and those events are exceedingly rare.)

I think you're overthinking things a bit. Just have fun with it. If your character dies, you get to roll another one!

[Hoihe]

How is that different than if you were playing PnP?

In any case, pretty sure all DMs give the option to not be involved if perma-death is a requirement (and those events are exceedingly rare.)

I think you're overthinking things a bit. Just have fun with it. If your character dies, you get to roll another one!

Doesn't provide the same enjoyment. Provides enjoyment yes, but leaves a gap elsewhere.

If it were P&P, I wouldn't be playing to enjoy the experience as a specific character. P&P is about spending time with a group - it's impossible to immerse oneself anyhow, with how it's done with spoken words and the constant breaks.

And somehow, even in WH40k, one can survive ridiculous things. One of my party members got blapped for 3 turns rounds or whatever by a chainsword and lived. He has 1 less fate point now, but lived.

[Sputnik]

Seems to me you've got to turn that frown upside down and stop being a Negative Nancy.

[metaquad4]

IMO, you need to make a new character. You've changed your current character so much that its barely recognizable, you've backed yourself into a character concept that makes it near impossible to make something that you enjoy playing. Both RP and mechanics have stagnated.

I've been there. Getting rid of my first character was hard, but once you recognize that losing IC achievements and attachments isn't the end of the world, you can really spread your wings and RP more new and innovative stuff.

Stagnation will lead to boredom at best and misery (in your case) at worst. Its time for a change of pace, and that means a new character.

You don't have to get rid of your current PC. Just start a new one.

[Hoihe]

IMO, you need to make a new character. You've changed your current character so much that its barely recognizable, you've backed yourself into a character concept that makes it near impossible to make something that you enjoy playing. Both RP and mechanics have stagnated.

I've been there. Getting rid of my first character was hard, but once you recognize that losing IC achievements and attachments isn't the end of the world, you can really spread your wings and RP more new and innovative stuff.

Stagnation will lead to boredom at best and misery (in your case) at worst. Its time for a change of pace, and that means a new character.

You don't have to get rid of your current PC. Just start a new one.

All changes were planted at the start to have a very high chance of occuring. I rather not get into the exact planning/reasons to set affinities as such.

BGTSCC can provide a certain immersive experience through a given character. It's practically impossible to replicate elsewhere organically under a reasonable time frame, thus I am wiling to overlook the mechanics making me lose hair faster than spreading nair on my scalp would, as long as those mechanics don't threaten the ability to enjoy the thing that draws me in. Replication means to replicate given "check marks", not the entire thing.

The last few years have proven that these clumsy mechanics are more than capable of threatening long term enjoyment, and the forum atmosphere tends towards endorsing such negative outcomes.

[metaquad4]

Again, you are blaming the mechanics of the server and the game for what is ultimately your decision. Your decision to stagnate, to cherry-pick a concept that won't work in the game you are playing, and to not consider anything outside that chosen box. Somehow, you decided that you only want a concept that will not work within the game you are playing. And now you are upset because its not working, but you don't want to try anything new.

But if you can't recognize that the decision to do that is your to own, then there is nothing more that can be said. You've chosen to play like that, and apparently don't want to leave satisfied.

You can't help a customer who just wants to come in to complain for complaint's sake.

[Hoihe]

Again, you are blaming the mechanics of the server and the game for what is ultimately your decision. Your decision to stagnate, to cherry-pick a concept that won't work in the game you are playing, and to not consider anything outside that chosen box. Somehow, you decided that you only want a concept that will not work within the game you are playing. And now you are upset because its not working, but you don't want to try anything new.

But if you can't recognize that the decision to do that is your to own, then there is nothing more that can be said. You've chosen to play like that, and apparently don't want to leave satisfied.

You can't help a customer who just wants to come in to complain for complaint's sake.

Used to be 45 AC and 23 CL with AB of 33-35 was fine for most of the content including frost giants, stone giants and DM events. Then it is no longer fine because of... reasons.

(Sorc 6/blood magus 4/EK10/Dragon warrior 10 with 18 strength. 22 BAB with 28 + 5 = 33 + Heroism 2-> 35. Damage of 2d6 + 6 * 1.5 + 5 = 21 damage on average. 45 AC with FULL armour and spells. No HiPS/EW http://nwn2db.com/build/?126747)

It did better than 30 average damage, 30 ish AB with HiPS and EW, 50+ AC)

The game was literally easier with an objectively worse build than described here or my current one.

[chad878262]

Used to be 45 AC and 23 CL with AB of 33-35 was fine for most of the content including frost giants, stone giants and DM events. Then it is no longer fine because of... reasons.

With hips this is still absolutely fine!

[Hoihe]

Used to be 45 AC and 23 CL with AB of 33-35 was fine for most of the content including frost giants, stone giants and DM events. Then it is no longer fine because of... reasons.

With hips this is still absolutely fine!

I am told that the build I proposed here that does everything the above build did but million times better (especially the offensive casting) is "useless".

[Sun Wukong]

The server did not have properly working dispels. Thus caster level of 23 was no different to caster level of 30 with a level 30 character. Because Dispels did not work correctly, the only way to make dispels even have a chance at dispelling was to grant mobs multiple uses of them.

Thus when dispel fix first went in, the mobs literally had way too many dispels at their disposal, those have been toned down since then.

Anyhow...

It will not have dispels... But another build you could consider is as follows:

Wizard 10/Eldritch Knight 10/Duelist 5/Swashbuckler 5. It will not have HiPS, or evasion, but it will have access to 9th level spells with caster level of 23. BAB of 25.

10 (Base AC)
+ 5 (Intelligence AC)
+ 7 (Dexterity AC with +4 item or spell)
+ 4 (AC Enchantment Bonus)
+ 6 (Improved Combat Expertise)
+ 4 (Dodge Boots)
+ 3 (Tumble Skill)
+ 4 (Deflection Item)
+ 4 (Natural Armor Item)
= 47 (Can be higher with Spells)

25 (Base BAB)
+ 7 (Dexterity AC with +4 item or spell)
+ 5 (Greater Magic Weapon)
+ 1 (Epic Prowess)
+ 4 (Greater Heroism)
+ 1 (Haste)
+ 5 (Tenser's Transformation)
- 6 (Improved Combat Expertise)
= 42

1d6 (Rapier)
+ 5 (Greater Magic Weapon)
+ 1d6 (Duelist)
+ 9 (Insightful Strike with +4 intelligence item or spell)
+ 9 (Combat Insight with +4 intelligence item or spell)
= 30~

[Invoker]

I recommended that build, mate. It didn't make the cut

[Hoihe]

I also hate Tenser's with passion, alongside Haste. I pretty much hate all buffs that are 6 sec / level because they ruin any attempt at RPing because someone in the party sees them and wants to "not waste" it.

As an added note, no HiPS makes surviving anything million times harder. At the moment, I can panic-survive most low-alpha (where low is alpha < 75% max HP) encounters thanks to HiPS and healing spam.