New Player and New Party - Advice Needed Please

I think only the highest in the party counts (same for Appraise).

I seem to remember Cleave working also with AoO.

I'd agree. Whirlwind with its bazillion prerequisites only makes sense for fighters. If you want to send an unflankable barbarian with a reach weapon into the enemy hordes, Combat Reflexes and Cleave will probably maximize the impact. Dodge early on may still be a good idea.

 

Even with a fighter, you will be a mid to high level before you get this, but it is worth the effort. Think Enlarged, Bull's STR, raging barbarian with a magic reach weapon. Its like throwing someone into a giant blender!

 

Good input. I love the blender idea!

I am a little confused on the Dex bonus for armor. Wearing full plate gives you a max DEX of what?

So Combat Reflexes gives you as many attacks of opportunity as your Dex bonus. Does armor that effects DEX lower this number?

EDIT: I couldn't find this in the manual but when you craft a holy weapon you have to be "good". Does this only apply to crafting not wielding? If I have a "Good" Cleric craft a holy weapon can a "neutral" character use it? What about the other weapons: Axiomatic, Unholy, etc...?

 

Hi odium
I'll put my answers under your questions.

You're welcome, no need to apologize.
The Royal Canadian

 

Here are my opinions.

 

Max Dex means that the maximum bonus you can to AC for that type of armor. So in the case of Full Plate, you only get +1. One reason I like Mithril Full Plate, which is not only lighter, but allows a bonus of +3.

As to Combat Reflexes, your armor does NOT affect the maximum AoO you get. That is based on the full Dex bonus.

With Holy Weapons, I THINK neutral characters can still use them without a penalty, but if you craft axiomatic (Lawful) then any chaotic characters will suffer the negative levels.

 

Hi Cezmail
You are correct, Neutral characters can use Holy, Anarchic and Axiomatic weapons without penalty. You only need the proper alignment to craft the weapon.
The Royal Canadian

 

As the Canuck noted, you can take one step away from alignment wheel when wielding aligned weapons. On a side note, to make Holy weapons you need a cleric with the Good domain.

 

Wonderful info.

1. In regards to the DEX and armor. In my manual, it is the original one so it could be wrong, it shows leather armor with a max DEX of +2. It shows full plate with a max DEX of +8. This seems backwards from the way you all explained. Is the book wrong?

Here is how the book explains it on page 101:

The maximum Dexterity bonus is the limit to AC bonus that this armor will allow the wearer's Dexterity to provide. This limit does not affect any other Dexterity bonus (such as a bonus to Reflex saves), nor does having a limit of 0 negate a Dexterity bonus to AC for the purposes of sneak attacks.

2. I see 2 of you said different things about the Combat Reflexes Feat. Does armor affect this Feat or not?

3. Crafting and alignment. So if i wanted to take full advantage of holy and axiomatic weapoms the i need to have a Lawful Good Cleric make them then only Neutral Good characters could use them? Or if you can go one way on the alignment wheel the a true neutral character could use every weapon? (holy, unholy, axiomatic, and anarchic)

 

1-Well from manual, they have transposed the max dex and the armor bonus column headers. Reverse them to see the actual values.


2- from the SRD

3-For the crafting, you are correct. You do have to be Lawful Good to craft Holy Axiomatic weapons and some type of Good to craft Holy. For wielding, you have to be within one step, so only Lawful Good. Neutral Good, AND Neutral characters can use Holy and Lawful weapons, and only LG, CG, NG, LN. CN, and Neutral characters may use Holy weapons. When in doubt, look at the tab of your BaB as the break down will tell you about any negatives and say if there is a negative level hit.

 

Just to add for the crafting part, for example to craft Holy weapons you must be Good alignment AND chose Good domain, for Axiomatic both lawful alignment AND Law domain.

For the rest you take a peek in gazra's "mega" guide here:
http://www.co8.org/forum/showthread.php?t=8742

Just be aware it got tons of spoilers as well.

 

It is silly the manual had the armor/DEX thing messed up.

The info on crafting is is great and thanks for the link

A couple more things that I couldn't find in the manual.

1. Trip. I see Trip says you have to be "unarmed". Is this true? So only a monk would be good at it. I can't trip holding a sword?

2. Use Magic Device. I can't find anything that defines what I can use and when. I assume I can use wands and such but with what level spells in them and what do I need to roll to use it, etc?

3. Track Feat. I thought most monsters are in certain areas in this game. Why would it matter if I could follow them if they don't roam.

4. Anybody know yet if you are able to change the NPC HP and HD option mid game and not mess anything up?

Thanks again.

 

It is silly the manual had the armor/DEX thing messed up.

The info on crafting is is great and thanks for the link

A couple more things that I couldn't find in the manual.

1. Trip. I see Trip says you have to be "unarmed". Is this true? So only a monk would be good at it. I can't trip holding a sword?

You can certainly trip with a weapon, my fighter with his Glaive trips everyone from a distance. :Being_a_s

2. Use Magic Device. I can't find anything that defines what I can use and when. I assume I can use wands and such but with what level spells in them and what do I need to roll to use it, etc?

UMD, or use magic device is how the game figures if you're skilled enough to say, cast a spell from a scroll, or use a wand. UMD also effects your thief's ability to wear armor or clothing that is restricted to a certain class of character, because UMD is actually your character skill rating at imitating the appropriate class when using that particular device.

3. Track Feat. I thought most monsters are in certain areas in this game. Why would it matter if I could follow them if they don't roam.

You can track humans too.

4. Anybody know yet if you are able to change the NPC HP and HD option mid game and not mess anything up? Haven't tried it.

Thanks again.

 

Sirchet answered the others quite well, but for this one I can say, that for my game at least, I was able to change the settings and it did work. No problems with a change of 1 level for the group.

YMMV so take this with what I can offer.

 

Are we sure about the alignment restrictions, as I'm almost sure i had a NG cleric with the Good & Law domains who made Axiomatic weapons. I think its totally based on the domains, not alignment, but I could be wrong.