Author Topic: Making a Witcher  (Read 17377 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

zugschef

  • Curious George
  • ****
  • Posts: 331
Re: Making a Witcher
« Reply #20 on: October 10, 2011, 06:19:17 PM »
That's a rather powerful Gish, really. Not crazy, but certainly very powerful. While you're at it, you're already sterile, so Eunuch Warlock might be of use to get you the higher level spells, and fit the fluff, sorta.
Eunuch Warlock was updated in Dragon Magazine to 3.5, it now grants 9/10 casting progression instead of bonus spells.
eunuch warlock really doesn't fit at all though...

X-Codes

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 3941
Re: Making a Witcher
« Reply #21 on: October 10, 2011, 06:28:55 PM »
This is utterly off-topic, but thanks for reminding me, I need to play through Witcher again on my next vacation.

On topic: I think the swords he uses are more like longswords than bastard swords. Easier to pull off as well. Also, he probably could be counted to have medium armour proficiency. At least to me Raven's armour looked like medium, not light.
The silver sword, maybe, but he generally uses them both two-handed, so I'm not inclined to think that they're not at least somewhat heavy.

Also, his armor looked like studded leather to me, if I remember it right.  Maybe a very light chainmail.

Geralt's abilities are limited spellcasting, but he's a fast and strong swordsman.  Basically a poster-child for the Swiftblade PrC.

The Witcher's abilities are almost universally tied to potions and mutagens beyond that point, which you could translate into potions and custom grafts in d20.

The Alchemist class in PF doesn't really suit Geralt, though.  Geralt does alchemy as a secondary shtick, not as his life's career.

Havok4

  • Man in Gorilla Suit
  • *****
  • Posts: 2144
  • It can only be attributable to human error.
Re: Making a Witcher
« Reply #22 on: October 10, 2011, 06:47:23 PM »
A witcher could be a interesting custom archetype or prestige class for the alchemist class. Likely focusing having a permanent mutagen and more melee abilities at the cost of a few discoveries, swift poisoning, swift  alchemy and persistent mutagen.

But in 3.5 a mystic ranger/swiftblade seems to fit best.

Tshern

  • Clown Prince of Crime
  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 5726
  • Aistii valoa auttavasti
    • Email
Re: Making a Witcher
« Reply #23 on: October 11, 2011, 01:03:54 PM »
The silver sword, maybe, but he generally uses them both two-handed, so I'm not inclined to think that they're not at least somewhat heavy.
Generally, but with the group style he swings the sword with one hand. Very easily as well.

Quote
Also, his armor looked like studded leather to me, if I remember it right.  Maybe a very light chainmail.
The standard armours, yes, but the one you get as a reward for complete the mission Raven's armour (or something like that) he gets a heavier armour. I do agree this could easily be done with light armour, because that is what he is usually wearing.

Quote
Geralt's abilities are limited spellcasting, but he's a fast and strong swordsman.  Basically a poster-child for the Swiftblade PrC.
Swiftblade is a good answer, although perhaps more powerful than what Geralt ever displayed. I still think Switblade works though.

Handy Links

X-Codes

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 3941
Re: Making a Witcher
« Reply #24 on: October 11, 2011, 01:44:36 PM »
I don't know.  Geralt takes on some pretty ugly critters.  I think if we're going to translate that into 3.5e effectively, we're going to have to juice his spellcasting a little.  Also, most of the low-level spells he'd have access to would mostly be used to satisfy pre-reqs for potions.

Also, as nunkuruji said, Aard is pretty clearly some manner of TK, and that's a 5th-level spell, so the ability to cast 5th-level spells is pretty much a must-have.

Scrollreader

  • Ring-Tailed Lemur
  • **
  • Posts: 53
Re: Making a Witcher
« Reply #25 on: October 11, 2011, 03:04:27 PM »
Human w/ mark of making into that cyran explorer class from Dragonmarked, maybe.  Has some martial fu, and some infusions.  Expensive infusion components as potions, and such.  Tk is a bit hard to get, but spell storing item might work in a pinch, if you can find it on some one's spell list.  Alternatively psionics might be the answer.

Tshern

  • Clown Prince of Crime
  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 5726
  • Aistii valoa auttavasti
    • Email
Re: Making a Witcher
« Reply #26 on: October 11, 2011, 07:00:48 PM »
I don't know.  Geralt takes on some pretty ugly critters.  I think if we're going to translate that into 3.5e effectively, we're going to have to juice his spellcasting a little.  Also, most of the low-level spells he'd have access to would mostly be used to satisfy pre-reqs for potions.

Also, as nunkuruji said, Aard is pretty clearly some manner of TK, and that's a 5th-level spell, so the ability to cast 5th-level spells is pretty much a must-have.
Precisely the reasons why I agree with Swiftblade, he needs more casting than is depicted in the games.

Handy Links

Nunkuruji

  • Bi-Curious George
  • ****
  • Posts: 416
Re: Making a Witcher
« Reply #27 on: October 12, 2011, 01:11:25 PM »
In regards to the Witcher universe, and power of surrounding characters and creatures.

Witchers themselves by default posses the capabilities of about E8-11, in terms of spellcasting, basically capped off by telekinesis/tk-maneuver. However, that list narrowed only to the list I previously posted. Swiftblade might emulate Heliotrope to some extent, but I never went down the magic path to see how it really worked. Probably extra actions, probably not time stop. This is assuming he goes down the magic path anyways.

So then, you really have the last chunk of levels finished off by probably Swiftblade, an Alchemist PrC, or Initiator levels.

A small handful of mages posses the potential to be E17 with 9th spell capability. Witcher2 pretty much has an apocalypse from the sky event, combined with a greater curse. Though, these are largely ritual-time casting, and the mages only display the combat capability of maybe 5th or 6th level spells, as far as what they can sling as standard actions. Aside from the signs, other effects seen performed by mages are teleport, dimension door, flesh to stone, stone to flesh, shrink item, polymorph, personal range area protection from arrows, anti-unlife shell, summon monster, dominate.

You also have the Wild Hunt, which at the moment seems to be a bunch of plane shifting, nightmare riding specters, or invaders posing as specters. Home plane being alternate time flowing. This arc will probably be covered more in depth in a future game.

The final encounter in Witcher2 is about a CR14 - CR16
[spoiler]One on one fight, is essentially either a young adult, or adult gold dragon. Mages didn't get to rampage due to a suppressing mythal.[/spoiler]

A Witchers primary profession is to deal with unintelligent monsters, and in fact, killing intelligent living monsters such as trolls and dragons poses a moral dilemma. Of course, Geralt gets caught up in politics and whatnot, so he inevitably ends up slaying an armies worth of humans as well. Typically dealing with usual aberrations, magical beasts, undead, and demons, typically possessing no more than low to mid level SLA/Su effects if they have them. Monstrous threats are typically going to be large and brutal, or overwhelming speed & numbers, rather than the threat of a slay living SLA instagib.

Ultimately, if you try and dump Geralt into a 3.5e game, the disparity is going to be the magic capabilities of characters and creatures around you. Items similarly are typically enhancement bonuses, rather than producing impressive magical effects.

Scrollreader

  • Ring-Tailed Lemur
  • **
  • Posts: 53
Re: Making a Witcher
« Reply #28 on: October 13, 2011, 01:10:46 PM »
Wilder?  Decent BaB, narrow power list.  Can use synchronicity and hustle, and actual time screw.  Grab a couple potions, drugs, and oils and call it good. Maybe sprinkle in ranger/slayer.

stranglebat

  • Barbary Macaque at the Rock of Gibraltar
  • ***
  • Posts: 152
    • Email
Re: Making a Witcher
« Reply #29 on: October 14, 2011, 08:30:12 AM »
Geralt also should really be an Elan or something, to cover his non-human status

ImperatorK

  • Bi-Curious George
  • ****
  • Posts: 500
Re: Making a Witcher
« Reply #30 on: October 14, 2011, 09:31:02 AM »
Witchers did age, IIRC.
"I'm done thinking for today! It's caused me enough trouble!"
"Take less damage to avoid being killed."
"In the arena of logic, I fight unarmed."


[spoiler]
Quote from: Lateral
Or you could just be a cleric of an ideal. Like, physics and say that the domain choices reflect potential and kinetic energy.

 Plus, where other clerics say "For Pelor," "For Nerull," or "For Crom?" You get to say, "FOR SCIENCE!" *fanfare*

About me:
Quote from: dark_samuari
I know your game, you just want a magical Amazon.com to knock off those good ol' honest magic shops run by polite, old wizards!
Use Iron Heart Surge on the sun. That'll teach him to use fluff as RAW.

Damn you! You totally ruined my build that was all about getting epic far shot early and throwing my enemies into the sun!
[/spoiler]

X-Codes

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 3941
Re: Making a Witcher
« Reply #31 on: October 15, 2011, 04:48:54 PM »
I picked up the Otherworldly feat for him, which makes him an Outsider.

Aberration is probably more appropriate thematically, but mechanically I needed the martial weapon proficiency.

awaken DM golem

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 3294
  • PAO'd my Avatar
Re: Making a Witcher
« Reply #32 on: October 15, 2011, 06:08:22 PM »
That's a rather powerful Gish, really. Not crazy, but certainly very powerful. While you're at it, you're already sterile, so Eunuch Warlock might be of use to get you the higher level spells, and fit the fluff, sorta.
Eunuch Warlock was updated in Dragon Magazine to 3.5, it now grants 9/10 casting progression instead of bonus spells.
eunuch warlock really doesn't fit at all though...

... and you really don't want to have to role-play this one.