2005-09-03 Homework for JeffObarski
1. In D&D, class and race are crucial elements that define a character's role in the party and his place in the world. It's no coincidence that they're among the most important game mechanics for developers to understand.
a) What is the most powerful class in the Player's Handbook, and why is it the most powerful?
Far and away, the Cleric is most powerful. They have the armour and weapons to fairly easily survive the lower levels. Couple that with their out-of-gene-pool and buff spells such as Plane Shift and Rightious Might, and made even more powerful by the divine metamagic feats and you have a recipe for nothing short of 'teh ubxr'.
b) What is the least powerful race in the Player's Handbook, and why is it the least powerful?
I believe it is a toss-up between Half-Elves and Halflings, with a slight err on the side of Halflings. Being small is by far more negatives then positives, especally in the life of the adventurer. Grappeling alone has enough penalties in it to offset all bonuses gained by small size. In fact, only if you ignore the str penalty (which is easy to do as a caster) do Half-Elves become viable as an almost-as-bad race. Half-Elves get almost nothing, and lose the benefits that humans get. I don't see Gnomes as bad due to their con boost and inate spell-like abilities.
2. Longstrider is a 1st-level ranger and druid spell that increases movement by 10 feet for 1 hour per level. Is this spell more powerful, equally powerful, or less powerful than most 1st-level spells? Why do you think this is true?
I believe that to answer this question, the type of bonus and range of spell needs to be known. If it is not self-only, we must see if it stacks with other movment enhancement powers, and will it allow monk and barbarian characters to go above the 50 ft/round barrier? If so, then it is unbelievely broken.
If not, it is only marginally broken, approching on pretty broken. Any spell that scales 1 hr/level will quickly become permanant on all party members or at the very least 'permanant enough'. For the non-sleeping part of the day, for example. Divine metamagic feats make this even easier. An extra 10 ft/ round gives, if I remember correctly, either 8 or 12 more miles per day of travel. Much more importantly, it modifies combat distances, allowing for much more options on the battlemat. Charge distances grow 20 ft, allowing fighters to always be able to charge on an advancing foe. It allows casters and ranged fighters to kite opponents. It allows rogues to much more easily out flank opponents. Run speed also modifies some skill checks. Jump distance, for instance.
3. The concept of the "swift action" (as described in such books as Expanded Psionics Handbook and Complete Arcane) is a relatively new addition to D&D. Why were swift actions (especially swift-action casting time spells) added to the game? What's the downside of adding swift actions to the game?
Last question first. Any downside of more rules is more complexity. I don't think swift actions are that bad though.
Their addition cleared up that grey area between the free action the standard action. It helped greatly in actually giving limits to free actions, which were sorely needed by those GMs who were too timid to stand up to a bully player who abused free actions. By making what were 3.0 free actions now swift actions, it limits them to one per round.
4. You're part of the development team for the next D&D sourcebook. If these two feats were part of the design turnover, what are some comments that you would make about them?
Arcane Defiance
Your knowledge of one school of spells enables you to better resist spells from that school.
Prerequisites: Int 12, Spell Focus in the chosen school, ability to cast one spell from the selected school.
Benefit: Select one school of spells that you can cast and for which you have the Spell Focus feat. You get a +1 bonus on saving throws against spells from that school.
Burning Barrier of Breath
You can channel the power of your breath weapon to create a barrier of flames.
Prerequisites: Cha 13, breath weapon.
Benefit: Use your breath weapon to cast wall of fire.
Arcane Defiance is very metagame, but so are the Spell Penetration feats. I think this feat is underpowered. As a caster, I can raise my DC for my own saves by 2. For the same cost, why can I only protect myself by 1? It seems a better class ability of a prestige class or a benefit of spell school specialization at some point.
Burning Barrier of Breath is quite monstery and sounds really neat looking, but one can not forget the ease of PCs to get breath weapons these days. Dragon-born, or whatever its called, from CA I believe, allows a small breath weapon at 1st or 2nd level. As written, it is horribley broken. Free Wall of Fire at 1st or 2nd level is not ballanced.