Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utcsrgv.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcsrgv!grindal From: grindal@utcsrgv.UUCP (David Grindal) Newsgroups: net.games.frp Subject: Too Powerful Characters Message-ID: <2543@utcsrgv.UUCP> Date: Fri, 21-Oct-83 12:51:16 EDT Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.2543 Posted: Fri Oct 21 12:51:16 1983 Date-Received: Fri, 21-Oct-83 13:39:11 EDT Organization: CSRG, University of Toronto Lines: 75 Ok, people. I've got a problem for you. I'm a faily recent addition to the frp world (about one year of AD&D), and recently my GM asked if I could run a dungeon so that he could play one of his characters. I thought this was fine, so I used on of Gygax'x modules and plugged it into our game with the addition of my GM's character. This is where the problems began. This character is one of his favorites, for reasons you will soon understand. He has been playing her for over three years (real time - about 30 years game time). I'll describe this character to you now. STR: 19(45) WIS: 17 INT: 18 (or 19. I can't remember) DEX: 22 Yes, that's right. 22!!! CON: 17 CHR 16 This character started life as a fighter with good but not execptional stats. After reaching 8th level as a fighter, she switched classes (yes, she's{human) to assasin. (She's lawful evil). At 7th level assassin, she switched again to illusionist. At present she is at 14th level in that class. She intends to become in the future: a thief for the backstabbing a magic-user (for the offensive spells); a monk and eventually a cleric. I'm sure you already see some of my problems. She has about 100 odd hit points, and to make things worse, over the course of her life she has accumulated a very large amount of magic. This partially accounts for her stats. She has used the books to increase strength and dexterity. She wears gauntlets of dexterity, and has met magic pools a few times in her life. She also owns: ring of regeneration, ring of wraith-form, several very nasty swords, several wands(potent ones too), and other stuff I won't list. You ain't heard the worst of it yet! For protection she has: Bracers (AC 2) + cloak(+4) + ring(+3) + defender sword(+5) + scarab agaist chaotics(+1) + scarab against good (+1) for an armour class of: -5 just standing there -9 with her dex -14 with all 5 from the sword on defense -15 against chaotics or goods -16 against chaotic goods Want more? Because of her dex, the DMG allows her to use two weapons simultaneously. So she has two attacks one round, 4 the next, all as an 8th level fighter! Don't forget the backstabbing abilities as well. A formidable fighter indeed! Now top all this off with the spells of a 14th level illusionist, and (oh did I mention that she's also a powerful psionic) you 've got someone I don't want to even think of taking on. Now to my problem. As you can imagine, this character went through the dungeon like a hot knife through butter. She wiped out a stone golem all by hersef, without the slightest bit of trouble. Even the heap-big, ultra-powerful vampire at the climax of the adventure was quickly dispatched. If you were GM'ing an adventure with such a character what would/could you do? Beefing up the monsters during the adventure is one possiblity but is inconsistent, difficult and unfair to the rest of the party. (Something that could give her trouble would wipe out any other character in the group.) I've never liked arbitrarily tampering with rolls. Not that it would do much good against her. Most monsters can't hit her with a 20, and the cloak and ring give her saving throws down around 2 or 3. I could make dictatorial declarations during the game, but it would be obviously a directed, deliberate persecution, and the player would get upset. Frankly, I didn't know what to try. Is there anyone out there in net.frp who has got a better imagination than I do? Has run into this problem before? Has any ideas whatsoever? Mail replies would be nice, but I'm sure this would be a good discussion topic as well. David Grindal (...!utzoo!utcsrgv!grindal)