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5th Edition semi-gonzo Class review - October playtest, non-caster edition.
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<blockquote data-quote="Uller" data-source="post: 6311068" data-attributes="member: 413"><p>I was looking forward to more and was going to refrain from posting until all reviews were posted so as to not bias them. But since it's been a while I thought I'd add my own (much less thorough) review.</p><p></p><p>Our group currently consists of 3 non-casters: Assassin, Barbarian and Monk. They're currently 5th level and have completed Murder in Baldur's Gate, Fane of the Sun Swallower and about 75% of Cursed Crypts of the Amberguls. Here is what I've observed at the table so far:</p><p></p><p>Of these three classes it is the Assassin that has something to do almost all the time. Sneaking, scouting, initiating combat, searching for traps. She fades into the background in RP situations, but that's mainly the player. Currently her +9 to +11 to skill checks that she is trained and has expertise in put her way over the top. As a DM I find I have to set DCs for some tasks so high just to challenge her as to make success for other PCs in them nearly impossible. For instance, she ended up in a pit with oily walls...DC 25 to climb out. the other characters offered to drop a rope to her to help her out (because any of them...even ones trained in athletics could not have managed it). She declined and climbed out on her own just to show off. This hasn't been too much of a problem so far. We've been using all published adventures so I typically am just using what is in the adventure. </p><p></p><p>In combat she rarely finds herself in trouble for long and competes with the barbarian on damage (in our last game she and the barbarian player were openly competing with each other on kills and damage done...the barabarian "won" but only barely). It's a fun class to play. I have to remind her to use Evasion sometimes and I have purposely avoided reminding her that she could also be poisoning enemies because I can see her getting out of hand with it. She takes enough of the spot light already.</p><p></p><p>Monk: Our monk player is a bit inexperienced but so far she seems to be pretty much a one trick pony. She can't compete with the assassin in the skill department. She does well in combat, especially against multiple low HP foes, but not as well as the assassin and barbarian. Her deflect missiles ability hasn't come up much yet and she has only gotten to attempt her stunning strike twice so far, both failed so she seems a bit disappointed in that. It seems to me one of the things the monk class should be is a skill class similar to the rogue...If the scale of out of combat skill to combat skill is 0 to 10 (0 being a class with lots of (rules based) stuff to do out of combat, nothing to do in combat and 10 being the fighte), I'd like to see the rogue be a 4, the monk be a 6. To me, monks should be sneaking, climbing, etc but so far it hasn't happened much in our game. Admittedly it could be the player. She's not real assertive. Still she generally holds her own, reliably scores hits and does reasonable damage in combat. In RP situations she does fine because she likes to talk.</p><p></p><p>Barbarian: Once the player learned this motto: "Duck's gotta quack, Fish's gotta swim, Barbarian's gotta rage" he discovered just how much more fun the class can be. For most of the campaign he was reluctant to use rage and other class features to save them for when he really needed them. Once he realized he should rage any time it looked like he'd take damage in a fight, he began having a lot more fun and has become a very reliable source of high damage and absorber of attacks. He's learned there is a limit to this (especially when the water elemental crits...28+1d6 damage hurts!) but his reckless attack/rage combo in our last game led to FOUR critical hits over the course of 3 battles, two of which felled a max HP wight in two hits. He was VERY pleased with himself.</p><p></p><p>All and all, all three classes have been fun for my players. We did have a fighter in MiBG as well. He was fun but as expected for a fighter, sort of a one trick pony. In that adventure we had 5 PCs spread over 2 players...so he fell into the background A LOT. To me, the fighter class is primarily for newer players who just want to attack stuff or skilled role players who don't feel a need to have class features backing up their role playing (I enjoy playing fighters very much...I served in combat in Iraq and model my fighters after some of my more colorful brothers...like the guy who put a Hello Kitty band-aid over the wound an IED put in his face...just for the laughs).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Uller, post: 6311068, member: 413"] I was looking forward to more and was going to refrain from posting until all reviews were posted so as to not bias them. But since it's been a while I thought I'd add my own (much less thorough) review. Our group currently consists of 3 non-casters: Assassin, Barbarian and Monk. They're currently 5th level and have completed Murder in Baldur's Gate, Fane of the Sun Swallower and about 75% of Cursed Crypts of the Amberguls. Here is what I've observed at the table so far: Of these three classes it is the Assassin that has something to do almost all the time. Sneaking, scouting, initiating combat, searching for traps. She fades into the background in RP situations, but that's mainly the player. Currently her +9 to +11 to skill checks that she is trained and has expertise in put her way over the top. As a DM I find I have to set DCs for some tasks so high just to challenge her as to make success for other PCs in them nearly impossible. For instance, she ended up in a pit with oily walls...DC 25 to climb out. the other characters offered to drop a rope to her to help her out (because any of them...even ones trained in athletics could not have managed it). She declined and climbed out on her own just to show off. This hasn't been too much of a problem so far. We've been using all published adventures so I typically am just using what is in the adventure. In combat she rarely finds herself in trouble for long and competes with the barbarian on damage (in our last game she and the barbarian player were openly competing with each other on kills and damage done...the barabarian "won" but only barely). It's a fun class to play. I have to remind her to use Evasion sometimes and I have purposely avoided reminding her that she could also be poisoning enemies because I can see her getting out of hand with it. She takes enough of the spot light already. Monk: Our monk player is a bit inexperienced but so far she seems to be pretty much a one trick pony. She can't compete with the assassin in the skill department. She does well in combat, especially against multiple low HP foes, but not as well as the assassin and barbarian. Her deflect missiles ability hasn't come up much yet and she has only gotten to attempt her stunning strike twice so far, both failed so she seems a bit disappointed in that. It seems to me one of the things the monk class should be is a skill class similar to the rogue...If the scale of out of combat skill to combat skill is 0 to 10 (0 being a class with lots of (rules based) stuff to do out of combat, nothing to do in combat and 10 being the fighte), I'd like to see the rogue be a 4, the monk be a 6. To me, monks should be sneaking, climbing, etc but so far it hasn't happened much in our game. Admittedly it could be the player. She's not real assertive. Still she generally holds her own, reliably scores hits and does reasonable damage in combat. In RP situations she does fine because she likes to talk. Barbarian: Once the player learned this motto: "Duck's gotta quack, Fish's gotta swim, Barbarian's gotta rage" he discovered just how much more fun the class can be. For most of the campaign he was reluctant to use rage and other class features to save them for when he really needed them. Once he realized he should rage any time it looked like he'd take damage in a fight, he began having a lot more fun and has become a very reliable source of high damage and absorber of attacks. He's learned there is a limit to this (especially when the water elemental crits...28+1d6 damage hurts!) but his reckless attack/rage combo in our last game led to FOUR critical hits over the course of 3 battles, two of which felled a max HP wight in two hits. He was VERY pleased with himself. All and all, all three classes have been fun for my players. We did have a fighter in MiBG as well. He was fun but as expected for a fighter, sort of a one trick pony. In that adventure we had 5 PCs spread over 2 players...so he fell into the background A LOT. To me, the fighter class is primarily for newer players who just want to attack stuff or skilled role players who don't feel a need to have class features backing up their role playing (I enjoy playing fighters very much...I served in combat in Iraq and model my fighters after some of my more colorful brothers...like the guy who put a Hello Kitty band-aid over the wound an IED put in his face...just for the laughs). [/QUOTE]
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