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malchor7
Seeker
62 Posts |
 Posted - 06 Oct 2005 : 17:12:24
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Well met, honored scribes:
I don't know if this question would be welcome, but it involves a shadowbane inquisitor of mine who is currently operating in the North (the Rauvin Vale) and is having some difficulty measuring up to this ascetic knight. . . anyway.
Reviews have been mixed on these boards about Complete Adventurer, and I saw a couple deprecations of the shadowbane inquisitor as well. I confess it seemed unlikely to me, but I was intrigued by the concept and think I've created a decent one. He could, though, use a little extra edge. . . as you'll see below.
This is, tragically, a rules question, so if it needs deleting, it needs deleting. I asked it over at WOTC discussion boards, but I've found people are much more friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable here. Thanks for bearing with me!
Without further do, my question:
Should the feat Devoted Inquisitor include some manner of paladin/rogue level stacking to increase smite damage, as do the other ascetic & devoted feats (multiclass monk and paladin respectively)?
Similar feats, for reference:
Ascetic Hunter: 1) unarmed strike against favored enemy has increased DC (half of favored enemy bonus), 2) ranger and monk levels stack for unarmed strike damage, 3) freely multiclass
Ascetic knight: 1) paladin and monk levels stack for smite damage, 2) paladin and monk levels stack for unarmed strike damage, 3) freely multiclass
Ascetic mage: 1) sacrifice spells for attack and damage bonuses, 2) sorcerer and monk levels stack to determine AC bonus, 3) CHA bonus on AC instead of WIS, 4) freely multiclass
Ascetic rogue: 1) increased stunning DC (+2) with sneak attack, 2) rogue and monk levels stack for unarmed strike damage, 3) freely multiclass
Devoted inquisitor: 1) combine sneak attack and smite to deliver 1 round daze, 2) freely multiclass
Devoted performer: 1) levels in paladin and bard stack to determine bardic music uses, 2) stack to determine smite damage, 3) freely multiclass (also can be lawful as a bard)
Devoted tracker: 1) levels in paladin and ranger stack for smite damage, 2) levels stack for wild empathy bonus, 3) combine special mount and animal companion, 4) freely multiclass
That is, EACH of these feats gives THREE abilities (including freely multiclassing), except for devoted inquisitor, which gives TWO (including free multiclassing). My question is, does the ability to inflict a possible one round daze (a saving throw against it allowed, much like a stunning attack, and is an ability that can be used only rarely, with the low number of smites, and a specified enemy (evil) that can be the target, unlike stunning fist, which allows comparatively any enemy) balance against stacking levels to provide additional smite damage AND another benefit.
I'm not contending that the daze effect is not an awesome ability, but it is very limited in usage (limited targets because it's a smite, limited situations because it's a sneak attack, few number of times per day because it's a smite), unlike the sneaky stun of the ascetic rogue (which is still limited, I'll confess, but not as badly), or the stacking levels to determine monk damage, or stacking levels to determine abilities for your animal companion/special mount.
So all I'm asking is whether devoted inquisitor is balanced against the other ascetic / devoted feats, and whether designers intended it the way it is written, or whether some errata is needed to fix it. After all, the other devoted feats and ascetic feats allow for level stacking, plus some cool ability (like ascetic rogue's increased stunning DC with a sneak attack) -- why not this one?
At best, you can use this ability not more than three or four times a day (that's if you're very high in paladin, which means you're low in rogue, meaning that your sneak attack isn't all that great) without Extra Smiting, and a feat that requires another feat to be even decent is suspect, in my view. And then, your smite won't carry as much punch as it could, since your paladin level is not your character level, and thus does not match your opponent's CR (as much as sneak attack compensates, I suppose).
Compare that to stacking monk and paladin levels to determine unarmed strike damage, which is usuable an unlimited number of times a day, not to mention stacking paladin and monk for those smite attempts, and one's left wondering.
Nor do I feel that "number of abilities" is a measurement of balance. All I'm asking is whether the feat is really balanced and/or reasonable, since ALL THE OTHERS allow stacking levels to determine smite damage; why not this one?
Thank you, learned scribes. Perhaps I might be able to measure up to that ascetic knight in the party (eventually). Though vow of poverty. . . well, let's just say he's awesome.
m
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Arivia
Great Reader
Canada
2965 Posts |
Posted - 07 Oct 2005 : 06:20:08
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You provide a good argument for stacking the two levels.
I'd say yes-watch it carefully, but yes.
What really convinces me is how close to very rare the ability to use that daze is...I think if you're going to keep the original feat, then yes, add that, but looking at it now, I'm thinking it might need a total rewrite...maybe mixing it with the paladin variants from Unearthed Arcana...hm. |
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Devoted Inquisitor (Complete Adventurer)
