[blacxthornE]

Hi guys.

This forum has been posted on dragonhand777's advice.

Not being able to have the DMG (yet, I'm gonna buy it as soon as it is published here), I know very little about things you might all know about.

The questions will have numbers, and I appreciate if you mention the question numbers when you answer, because there might be a lot more than one question in the future.

Question 1 This question is, as dragonhand777 mentions a lot these days, about gesalt characters. Here's the question: What the heck are they?

[ladyofdragons]

Gestalt characters are a rule variant from the new Unearthed Arcana sourcebook (one of the first rulebooks you should consider buying after the core books!).

They're sort of like multiclassing, but not. Rather than taking a level in fighter, then next level taking one in wizard, then next level taking another level of fighter, you sort of take both at the same time but get less power in return.

It's a methodology that works well if you're in a small group with only a couple players. It allows you to have a party that contains all the necessary skills (healing, magic, fighting) without needing everyone to run two characters at a time.

[Gamemasta]

[WOMBAT]! This was a question for @lice, as i believe her answer would have been something like this...
"Gestalt characters are alot of things."
And by golly, she woulda been right!

[Ssri-Tel-Quessir Hitokiri]

With gestalt characters, you also combine the best aspects of the two classes you are taking with you level up. For the fighter/wizard combination, you would get the fighter's BAB, Fort save base, fighter feats, HD, and class skills but you would also get the wizard's Will save base, wizard feats, spells, and class skills. You would also get the better number of skill points but since both classes get 2 + Int mod it doesn't matter which one you choose.

You should also be pretty comfortable playing DnD before you try out these characters and the DM should also be pretty experienced because these characters are a tad more powerful than normal 1st level characters.

[dragonhand777]

1.Gesalt Characters:What the heck are they?

While you get the better hit die, bab, saves of the two chosen classes, it's imortant to note that you get all the class feats and abilities of both but you're still subject to the other D&D rules (example:you still suffer arcane spell failure when wearing armor, you still can't cast spells while raging etc.).

Quote

You would also get the better number of skill points but since both classes get 2 + Int mod it doesn't matter which one you choose.

But in the case of a fighter/rogue it would matter. You get, as has already been mentioned, both classes skills. In the case of the fighter/rogue you would get the 8 +Int. mod. x4 at first level and 8 + Int. mod. at each additional level.

Quote

Gestalt characters are a rule variant from the new Unearthed Arcana sourcebook (one of the first rulebooks you should consider buying after the core books!).

Deffinately!

Also, the book suggests that if you use this varraint, then it takes the place of the "standard" D&D character. And although I'm having trouble finding it now as I skim over it, I think it mentions somewhere that this form of multiclassing would replace the multiclassing style mentioned in the PHB. In other words, you wouldn't have Gesalt pcs, and 'regular' multiclassed pcs or npcs. The Gesalt Style would be the norm for your world/campaign.

Another thing the book (Unearthed Arcana) states is that a gesalt character is not "twice as powerful as a standard character." The CR for a party of four gesalt characters is only one to two higher than the CR for a party of four standard characters.

"This varriant only works if every PC in the campaign uses it, and it results in complicated characters who may overwhelm newer D&D players with an abundance of options." That's a quote staight out of text. Something to consider, but don't let it intimidate you. Our entire group was unanimous in the decision to use the Gesalt varriant. Our ages range from mid 20s to mid 30s, and every one playing (except the wife of one of the other players) has been playing D&D since we were teenagers (although we have only been playing together for three or four years now).

Honestly, I almost considered not using the gesalt varriant for my campaign world. However, after playing a gesalt character (as a pc) for several more sessions, I changed my mind. Which, I'm sure made the others happy, they have already decided what thier characters are for my campaing, and all of them are gesalts.

[blacxthornE]

Thanks Milady for the brief but powerful answer and advices.
Thank you, Ssri-Tel-Quessir-Hitokiri for additional info.
Thanks dragonhand777 for the useful explanations and pointing out the question you're answering as I asked.

And Gamemasta, dude, your comment deserves another nomination for [Post] category in the Originality Contest... However, I will remain have voted for the previous one ("If Doomdreamer was...").

More questions to come. Not today though. Feel free to add new comments and answers, that's why I asked for a note about the question number before answers; the questions will not be "closed". So nobody misses an opportunity to answer a question, if newer questions exist.

[blacxthornE]

Question 2 About cards and decks... I have a full card list downloaded from, I dunno, probably WotC. And it has some things I can't interpret in the cards like:

{W} {B}

or

{2} {X}

or

{B} {U} {U} {U}

etc. Now these may be not legitimate examples since I made them up, but these are very much like what's written in the cards under the title.

Anyone knows something about it, please share it with me.

[Ssri-Tel-Quessir Hitokiri]

What cards and decks are you talking about?

[dragonhand777]

Question 2:Cards and decks.

Hmmm...

Are you refering to Artifacts?
Without you listing more specific examples, I'm not sure I can help.

However, using the Deck of many Things as an example (pg 278, DMG). You simply use a deck of playing cards (or tarot, or plaque) and the corresponding effect is listed straight a cross from it. There aren't any of those symbols in the text. They maybe something unique to the downloads. I haven't come a cross anyother decks in the DMG. Although I could sware that I've seen one some where, in one of the other source books [if not the DMG].

I know there are other decks out there. My current character, Karne the sor./bard (human) has True Seeing as a spell like ability now, thanx to drawing a card from a deck provided by a druid npc. Where the DM got it, I don't know.

I guess this wasn't much help. Sorry.

[Darius]

dragonhand777, on May 28 2004, 03:42 AM, said:

[I know there are other decks out there. My current character, Karne the sor./bard (human) has [i]True Seeing[/i] as a spell like ability now, thanx to drawing a card from a deck provided by a druid npc. Where the DM got it, I don't know.

I guess this wasn't much help. Sorry.

That sounds like the Tarot Deck of many things from the Encyclopedia Magica (2nd ed source books,Im busy converting it over to 3ed at the moment) , Draw one of the minor arcana cards and you would get a NPC , ie- Knight of Wands card gives you a 4/4 fighter mage.

Doesnt help BlacxthornE though

D

[blacxthornE]

Related to the previous question, here comes the
Question 3 Magic: The Gathering. How is that played? I'm trying to decide whether to buy it, so I need a few points about gameplay. That could at least help me expand my D&D games, if I could apply some M:tG features into the campaigns. Just a thought.

[Rintaran]

Question 3:

Depends on which version of the game you want to play. As more and more expansion decks are released, the game keeps getting more and more complicated and I've found that it has caused far more arguments about the rules as a result.

The basics of the game are as follows. Tap mana to bring out creatures or cast spells. Only one land can be placed in a turn. Creatures cannot attack on the first turn that they're summoned. Tap a creature to attack with that creature. You have 20 life. You may defend with creatures. If a creature has less defense than the opposing creatures offence, it dies. If you cannot block the creatures, you take damage. When reduced to 0, you're dead and have lost the game.

That's the basics. But with all the zillions of special abilities and different instants (and what once were interrupts), enchantments, etc, it can get really confusing fast.

If you want the full rules, order a rulebook or pick up a starter pack as there are WAY too many to put down here.

[Ssri-Tel-Quessir Hitokiri]

Question 3:

Also, as time goes on, some of the editions become outlawed when playing in tournaments and such. For example, the lightning bolt card which did 3 dmg for 1 mana is no longer legal. Alpha through I believe the 5th or 6th edition are now illegal. Unless you are willing to spend a ridiculous amount of money on this game I do not suggest that you start collecting the cards.

The playing of the game is really simple after your second game and Rintaran has already told you the basics of the basics.

[blacxthornE]

Question 4 How is fatigue (etc) figured? There are two possible ways to answer this:
a. Just pointing out (or posting) the information from the sourcebooks
b. Telling about any variant(s) you may have been using

[dragonhand777]

Question 4:Fatigue

Much of it may depend on the circumstances, or what the charaters are doing to cause fatigue. Page 164 of the PHB has the result of a Forced March (under that sub heading). It only lists nonleathal damge, but I would think there would be negative modifiers to ability, skill and attack rolls. A faigued character just isn't going to have the same alertness/awareness, reflexes or strength that he/she would normaly.

Page 64 of the PHB or page 30 of the DMG both list (the same) same types of modifiers for the DCs of skill checks under certain circumstances. Using this as a base you could just create the modifiers as you see fit, not only on skill checks, but savs and attacks as well.