Author Topic: Making it through Ravenloft with a killer DM on the loose  (Read 3593 times)

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T_Stalker

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Making it through Ravenloft with a killer DM on the loose
« on: February 19, 2010, 05:22:07 AM »
Hello all.
Long time lurker, first time poster here.

Party is as follows:

Maliph: Human Duskblade 6 (DM applied a semi-custom half-undead template after second death of pc, now has very Str 21-22, Cha 6 and last session lost his larynx to some Worgs, in other words: no more casting for our arcane glass canon :-( ) (player is no optimizer)
Grimwald: Half-Giant Psychic Warrior 5 (player knows his rules and how to apply them)
Forge: (me) Warforged Crusader 4/Cloistered Cleric 1/ Warblade 1, going for RKV. Can't use Chuck-tactics since DM only allows for 3 books/player. Did get one extra feat as 1st level for background reasons
Grace: Human pacifist VoP Cleric 6; player not always present and will most likely quit the campaign or join once every 3-4 sessions (player is definitely no optimizer)


DM is a slight control freak, likes to have control over his player's builds, sometimes adjusts the working of feats on the fly, sometimes adjusts monsters after they have been (nearly) one-shotted and seems to have some trouble understanding what players consider as fun.
Duskblade player is his best friend (at the table), but seems to undergo the most crap of everyone.
Right now, he's walking around with no larynx after a solo encounter with 4 Worgs.
(It basically happened like this: "You're tripped, Worg #2 attacks, hits, tears of your larynx and runs off".  :bigeye )


So, I basically want to ask about the following things:

1) Besides Silent Spell feat, is there any way for the Duskblade to get the use of his spells back? (Any way to ignore Verbal components / get his voice back/ ... ? )

2) Right now I'm having a blast with my Warforged Crusader. I like the class, the racial immunities and how well this makes my character perform in the current setting. We've all been asked though to have a backup concept ready, just in case.
Until previous session teamwork was pretty good with me tanking it up, but rarely hitting anything, while the two other melee pc's wailed on the badguys. Now, I'm not so sure that will continue to work.
So my 2nd question is: what makes for a fun build to play in Exp. to Castle Ravenloft?
(Any 3 WoTC books + Core, 6-7th level, nothing that's obviously broken. Preferably Tier 3, to keep in line with the other players.)

KellKheraptis

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Re: Making it through Ravenloft with a killer DM on the loose
« Reply #1 on: February 19, 2010, 05:53:41 AM »
1 :
-Beat the sorry ass DM to death with his own severed arm.
-Explain to him that's your only arcanist and what he did was not only arbitrary and wrong, but also incredibly assholish.
-Have the DB make a Shadowcraft Mage and buttfuck the game.  Sorry, zero tolerance policy for knee-jerk nerfbatting that's feebly disguised as combat injury.

2:
-Totemist, a la Sinfire Titan's guide.  You'll still be melee, and damn good melee at that.
-Shadowcraft Mage.  You guys seriously need a primary caster.

Disclaimer : Lotta venom?  Yep.  These DM's that show these problem signs early tend to turn into major problems later.  Nip it in the bud.  Either he straightens his fucking ass up or he's without a group.  Awww, no moar powwah twip?  Pooor wittle DM.  And this method is a LOT nicer than what I would do to him :)

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The_Mad_Linguist

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Re: Making it through Ravenloft with a killer DM on the loose
« Reply #2 on: February 19, 2010, 06:07:19 AM »
Play a druid, and insist that your pet wolf attempt to rip the throats out of all your opponents.
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KellKheraptis

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Re: Making it through Ravenloft with a killer DM on the loose
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2010, 06:30:49 AM »
Play a druid, and insist that your pet wolf attempt to rip the throats out of all your opponents.

Which is what should have happened if the Worg got the voice box in the first place  :banghead
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lianightdemon

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Re: Making it through Ravenloft with a killer DM on the loose
« Reply #4 on: February 19, 2010, 07:44:52 AM »
Make  boffer sword. Instructions on most Larp websites and make it and then use it to beat your DM.

Make one of those diplomacy crack characters and roleplay with every npc you meet making them completely loyal to you.

KellKheraptis

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Re: Making it through Ravenloft with a killer DM on the loose
« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2010, 07:48:31 AM »
Make  boffer sword. Instructions on most Larp websites and make it and then use it to beat your DM.

Make one of those diplomacy crack characters and roleplay with every npc you meet making them completely loyal to you.

The second suggestion...hehehe Diplomance Strahd :D
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carnivore

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Re: Making it through Ravenloft with a killer DM on the loose
« Reply #6 on: February 19, 2010, 08:26:58 AM »
take the feat:

Nonverbal Spell [General]Planar Handbook

You can cast spells that have verbal components without actually verbalizing the words.

Benefit: You can cast spells with verbal components without needing to utter the actual verbal components. You still make noise when casting such a spell (which may be anything from recognizable speech to elaborate song to simple growls), but the noise is unrecognizable as a verbal spell component. (A silence spell still would prevent you from completing the spell, for example.) Spells without verbal components are not affected.
This feat is most beneficial to races incapable of speech in the traditional sense, but still capable of communication. However, it also can prove helpful to characters wishing to disguise the verbal components of their spells.


this way he can just whistle,grunt,etc.. the verbal component

 :D




T_Stalker

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Re: Making it through Ravenloft with a killer DM on the loose
« Reply #7 on: February 19, 2010, 08:30:26 AM »
Now that would be funny as hell.

"Hey count, nice castle you got here. Say, since you're actually dead and desperate to see your lost love again and all, would you mind just dying and leaving me the keep? Seriously, it's a win-win situation. Whadda ya say? ... Great! Now hold still while I stake your heart, chop of your head and throw your remains in the river."

Seriously, I might not agree with the way he runs things, but I don't want to anger the guy or ruin his campaign.
Knowing him, he probably won't change his ways anyhow. Having heard some stuff of the other player(s), he just likes to fuck with his players characters.
Though if we ever tries that on me I just might look into that boffer sword thingy.

Mainly I'm looking for a character he just nearly can't mess with. (=> Immunities, class features that don't depend on bodyparts, ... Something akin to a warforged or a ghost. Something that could waltz through Ravenloft, but not at first sight would be great, but I guess that wouldn't be fun for the other players. )

Oh yeah, another question:
I keep reading that Shocking Grasp is a great spell for DB's, but it's not on their list.
Do you need to multiclass in order to get that spell, or am I just overlooking something?

EDIT: Thank you carnivore, exactly what I was hoping for.
« Last Edit: February 19, 2010, 08:31:58 AM by T_Stalker »

carnivore

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Re: Making it through Ravenloft with a killer DM on the loose
« Reply #8 on: February 19, 2010, 08:35:15 AM »
for a fun 6th-7th lvl build .... try these:

Pixie 4/ Ranger 2/ Fighter 1
Pixie 4/ Ranger 1/ Monk 1/ Fighter 1
Pixie 4/ Sorceror 1/ Monk 1
Pixie 4/ Sorceror 1/ Monk 1/ Favored Soul 1

are Flaws allowed?

 :D


The_Mad_Linguist

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Re: Making it through Ravenloft with a killer DM on the loose
« Reply #9 on: February 19, 2010, 08:37:31 AM »
Linguist, Mad, Unique, none of these things am I
My custom class: The Priest of the Unseen Host
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carnivore

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Re: Making it through Ravenloft with a killer DM on the loose
« Reply #10 on: February 19, 2010, 08:44:53 AM »
i dont know if i would go with an Undead based Character ..... but if you want an Incorporeal Living character.... try this:

Unbodied
http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/resources/systems/pennpaper/dnd35/soveliorsage/psionicMonsters.html#unbodied

but it would be ECL 8

 :D

Anklebite

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Re: Making it through Ravenloft with a killer DM on the loose
« Reply #11 on: February 19, 2010, 12:47:59 PM »
I kinda second the idea of having a wolf that auto-tears out all throats. do it.
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Nunkuruji

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Anklebite

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Re: Making it through Ravenloft with a killer DM on the loose
« Reply #13 on: February 19, 2010, 01:42:28 PM »
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/regenerate.htm
target: living creature touched.

the guy is undead. the DM is a douche. hes apply the rules of anatomy to an undead creature in a game where awakened skeletons can speak.
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snakeman830

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Re: Making it through Ravenloft with a killer DM on the loose
« Reply #14 on: February 19, 2010, 01:44:20 PM »
i dont know if i would go with an Undead based Character ..... but if you want an Incorporeal Living character.... try this:

Unbodied
http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/resources/systems/pennpaper/dnd35/soveliorsage/psionicMonsters.html#unbodied

but it would be ECL 8

 :D
Vivacious creature from Planar Handbook.  Incorporeal, alive, and has the unique death by ice cream factor that is just oh so cool.
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PhaedrusXY

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Re: Making it through Ravenloft with a killer DM on the loose
« Reply #15 on: February 19, 2010, 02:10:42 PM »
Mainly I'm looking for a character he just nearly can't mess with. (=> Immunities, class features that don't depend on bodyparts, ... Something akin to a warforged or a ghost. Something that could waltz through Ravenloft, but not at first sight would be great, but I guess that wouldn't be fun for the other players. )
If he randomly changes the rules on a whim, there is absolutely no way to get anything like security. I would definitely consider walking out of the game...

Although I did play with a DM that would sometimes do things like this, but would allow you to "fix" them later. Mostly this was done in the name of "realism", but if you trust the guy to let you find a work-around... I guess it can be ok. I had a character that was nearly killed by ghouls, and the DM imposed movement restrictions on him until he could get a Regenerate spell cast on him, because the ghouls had basically eaten parts of his leg muscles... It was kind of fun at the time, but that had a lot to do with the fact that the DM told me that it could be repaired later.

Quote
Oh yeah, another question:
I keep reading that Shocking Grasp is a great spell for DB's, but it's not on their list.
Do you need to multiclass in order to get that spell, or am I just overlooking something?
There are two "spell lists" for the duskblade. One with the character class, and another at the back of the book. One of them only has new spells that occur in the book containing it. The other has the complete spell list, containing core spells. I forget which is which, but it should be obvious once you look at them both.
« Last Edit: February 19, 2010, 02:13:28 PM by PhaedrusXY »
[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
...thanks
[/spoiler]

Solo

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Re: Making it through Ravenloft with a killer DM on the loose
« Reply #16 on: February 19, 2010, 02:12:13 PM »
Could try a Warforged Warlock. Get your war on.

"I am the Black Mage! I cast the spells that makes the peoples fall down!"

The Legend RPG, which I worked on and encourage you to read.

Grollub

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Re: Making it through Ravenloft with a killer DM on the loose
« Reply #17 on: February 19, 2010, 02:34:29 PM »
Play a druid, and insist that your pet wolf attempt to rip the throats out of all your opponents.

 bahaha... this made me laugh so hard I cried   :lol

 
but seriously, if the dm is gonna be a jacknut and basically "autogimp" your caster.. he needs a kick in the nuts/ someone to put him in his place  :fo

Nunkuruji

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Re: Making it through Ravenloft with a killer DM on the loose
« Reply #18 on: February 19, 2010, 03:25:41 PM »
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/regenerate.htm
target: living creature touched.

the guy is undead. the DM is a douche. hes apply the rules of anatomy to an undead creature in a game where awakened skeletons can speak.

Preceding it with Spark of Life (LM 71) might do the trick.

T_Stalker

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Re: Making it through Ravenloft with a killer DM on the loose
« Reply #19 on: February 19, 2010, 03:52:29 PM »
Thanks for the answer Phaedrus.

And for the suggestions everyone.
Seriously laughed at the druid suggestion.
I just want to make it clear the guy is not an asshole. He's just ... well I guess he figures that for a character to be a real hero, he has to go through a lotta crap or something.

Ironically, Malliph actually had Regeneration 0. (DM decided to give it to him, to make up for the (evil) intelligent Vicious longsword he gave him.)
I know, I know. And so maybe he'll just heal it tonight or something.

I think I might give a factotum chameleon a try. Or an arcane swordsage perhaps.

Well, gotta go, late for the game already.
Will report in the morning.