Rebuilding and Graceful Pleas? Oh!

[DiegoBastet]

Hello GMs, I came back to Layo recently, and I was looking until late at night (waiting for approval to my char, and spending time) at LORE, and found a session that I missed, about the submissions and all. Back in my time every PrC needed a CDQ, and now I see that some require only a CDT, and some not even that.

Looking further I saw the option of rebuilding levels of the character. That sounded pretty interesting, since I made some terrible choices based on RP with my druid char that crippled her considerably (she's still a druid, so she can keep her own, but sincerely, it's sad to play with her in this regard).

Finally, I saw about Graceful Pleas, and the ability to get accepted requests that were denied, or to re-level beyond the normal threshold or ay other thing.


So, explaining myself: When I began her I wanted my char to be a shifter, since she was raised among feys, she considered herself more "other things" than a half-elf, but I decided to leave this idea behind when I saw it required a CDQ. My problem with CDQ is that I didn't have as much time as I wanted to play, and really, I couldn't really say that I could tell a GM that I would be avaible at a certain time and really be there. To tell the truth little changed in this regard.

So I made my char a spellcasting Druid with some little shapes here and there (I find myself dying a lot because of that I can't stope wildshaping, since this was the original idea!), but even for that I made some very terrible choices, mostly based on RP, things that I only noticed later. Yet it was fun to play and craft the CNR (even this I choose for RP, since I choose Cooking -the single more "useless" craft- as my unique craft (let's face it, many players like to rp and such, but won't care about cooking or their chars eating better always. It usually isn't worth, and this still is a game about fighting and levels, sadly)), but now that I see this, it becomes even more and more fun.


So, now my char is a 7th level druid crippled beauty, and I don't quite like her build. What could I do with the tools avaible to rebuild her?

-Die many many times (this is incredible IC-wise

[darkstorme]

As a general reply:

If you want to swap feats or stat point choices (well, "choice", since at seventh level she would only have chosen one), this can be accomplished through the use of a GP.  If this would entail a substantial releveling or an out-and-out rebuild, it must still be approached through the Character Submissions Forum.

If you want to restart your character completely (not a rebuild, but a restart), this can be negotiated through the Character Submissions Forum, and may not require a GP.

As for Shifter... as a general rule, PrCs that have the CDT or CDQ option require a lot more work on the CDT than virtually any other extra benefit.  So it is possible to take Shifter levels without a CDQ - but be prepared to do a lot of writing beforehand.

Anyway, these are general responses.  We're able to better answer if you make specific requests.  Hopefully, however, this helps you understand what is available.

[DiegoBastet]

but be prepared to do a lot of writing beforehand.

This shall not be a problem at all. I'm very used to writing RPG guides and classes and such things, so I write, write, write a LOT in my life.

So, I'll try to be more specific with the requests. But this, of course, is just espectulation. I Want:

A: To change her feats (really, this one is very needed), and relevel her last two levels to enter shifter prc (I don't mind waiting two weeks and working many CDTs. Actually, I'll have to spend more than that since I probably won't play more than two times a week).

or

B: To change her feats and go all the way to true caster, keeping all the druid levels and such

or

C: To rebuild her from scratch (but keeping her CNR Cooking ability. I've spent more hours leveling this than adventuring or questing to gain xp and levels!). I could just make another char and play it very much like I play Eliza, and all in all it would be the same thing, however this just seems way too cheap.


I hope this is more specific, kind GM. I already know that B is possible, but what about A and C?

[Rowana]

By 'true caster' do you mean basically multi-classing to a druid/wizard (or sorcerer) split?

~row

[DiegoBastet]

By no means no, dear Row. I mean dedicating to the way of a caster: Buffing allies, summoning creatures and blasting enemies with powerfull magic, while staying in defensive casting and expertise mode. A true caster stands behind and rains spells over the opponents, only engaging in melee (as a cleric or druid) as the battle is mostly won or when truly depleted of spells and thinks that going to melee will win the battle. Druids have interesting spells to be a true caster.

Opposed to a Gish, that is the spellcaster that buffs himself and maybe the others and then goes to stand toe to toe against the enemies, like most clerics.

Hope this clarifies.

[darkstorme]

Sorry about the delay in this reply, Diego.

Regarding your three proposed paths:

A, as a relevel, is not possible.  That is to say, we can't remove your levels, have you successfully apply for Shifter on the strength of a CDT, and then return the levels.  We can, without the use of a GP, permanently remove two levels, and you can advance the normal way, and employ a GP to fix whichever feats you needed to change.

B, as you indicated you understand, is entirely possible.

C is possible, but you'd have to request a reduction to first level in the Character Submission forum.  An actual restart while keeping Crafting levels would be technically tricky, so it wouldn't be "from scratch", per se - however you designed her as a first-level character would still hold.  (This is effectively a variation on A, but with the reduction from 7th to 1st level, it needs to be approved by the CAs first.)

Hopefully this can help you make a decision as to what you want to do with this character.

[DiegoBastet]

Thanks GM. I understand now, C is a variation of A, where A can't be done in the way mentioned by me, but with another option pointed by you, that is the base of C, where B has no point with the other two. I hope this last sentence was confuse enough

I know what I want to do: I want to make Eliza a true caster, someone who casts as a primary function, and because of that I need to follow option B. Where do I request it? Should I make a list of the feats by level, and where I want the stat increase? A PM? A post here?


PS: Lore states "By default, NWN allows spellcasting while using Expertise." The "default" part makes me worry. Does Layonara removes this use?

[Carillon]

To change her feats, you should make a request in the Disputes, Grievances and Reimbursements forum. Because this is a request that is beyond the normal threshold of a simple relevel "I clicked the wrong feat" request, it will require the use of one of Eliza's three Graceful Pleas.

You can make your request in this forum. You should include the feats that you want to switch out, and what feats you want to replace them with. Because of the way it works mechanically, you can only switch for a feat that you would have been eligible to get at that level, or it will classify her as an invalid character.

You can read more on Graceful Pleas here if you are not already familiar with the concept.

Hope this helps,
~Carillon

[darkstorme]

In answer to your other question, to the best of my knowledge spellcasting while using Expertise is possible in Layonara.

[Hellblazer]

Sorry to differ, but it is possible and just tested it with Feh who casted Ultravision on himself without being booted out of expertise. It may be that an "Attack" spell would boot someone out of it. Which sadly I don't have any chars that have both expertise and attack spells.

[darkstorme]

Er... how is that differing, Hellblazer?  

...spellcasting while using Expertise is possible in Layonara.

[Hellblazer]

gah.. lmao sorry, misread your is to isn't. Teaches me to read the forum, chat in game and watch a movie at the same time. My bad!

[DiegoBastet]

Hmm, thanks you three.

Rain's player, I believe thereis nothing wrong with casting an attack spell while in expertise mode, since with Expertise you receive a penalty to attacks to gain a bonus on AC. It would apply to touch attacks and to ranged touch attacks, of course, but if you can cast defensive spells there is nothing to bar offensive spells. I've heard an argument once that this wasn't abusive in PNP, because it is limited to the character BAB, but that it was on NWN, because with two feats a spellcaster could easily gain +10 to his AC with no bigger problem than having -10 to something they never use: Attacks.

In any case, thanks all involved. When I'm back home from work I'll post it in the char reinburse. Along with the feats I also wanted to change a skill. It's Spellcraft. Really, when I created her I thought it would be nice (a good skill, after all), and that Eliza would know about this, but the way I roleplay her sincerely she would understand nothing of the theory of spellcasting. She reveres nature and feels as one with it, like the Fey who taught her, so she sincerely would know nothing about the theory of Spellcraft. But then, she would be a good healer, tending to the wounds of man and beast, and I didn't put even a point in Healit. Since it's a minor change I can put it in the request for the feat reselection, right?

Well, anyway, I shall make my request. Thanks all.


BTW: Hell, I really love to play this char! Even a weakling she is such a great char!