Quote from: SigmundThen again maybe multi-classing is the answer. A sorcerer combined with rogue and the right spells is tough. Sorcerer and bard is a natural combination, and a sorcerer/ranger would be interesting too.

There's actually a perfect hook here for her to start multiclassing, if she takes it.

They were in this tomb, and a ghost of a bygone king appeared and boomed "INVADERS HAVE BEEN PLUNDERING MY TOMB. THIS CANNOT BE ALLOWED. THEY MUST BE DESTROYED! WILL YOU DO THIS FOR ME?"

Typical party spokes person, "Well, first, who has been..."

"WILL YOU DO THIS FOR ME?" Yes, I cut him off and yelled this line.

So she, having established in the past that she has strong feelings about the defiling of tombs, jumped in with a firm "Yes!"

The ghost floated up to a pair of crossed scimitars on the wall, and brought one down and gave it to her, personally, and vanished.

This weapon is a (spoiler for my group)

Spoiler

+1 Keen Vorpal Scimitar. When she gets it identified I think she's going to pass out. And it's all hers, and nobody elses. She'll either have to burn a feat to get proficient with it, or she'll have to multiclass. If she goes this route, I'll allow the sword to be Vorpal on 17-20 when wielded by her, in order to make up for poor character build (and to represent the spirits of the dead aiding her). So it'll crit on a 15-20, and be Vorpal on an 18-20.

I'll talk with her after the scimitar is identified and let her know about these options. With her spells and wands, she's a decent backup damage dealer, her utility spells (and store of scrolls) make her useful outside of combat, and this weapon and some additional class levels could make her effective in melee, too, and complete the "jack of all trades, master of none" route.

On d4 hit points she ain't going into melee anytime soon, not if she wants to keep the character. She'll be dead with one hit, and very likely to be hit, due to the armour restrictions.

I'm going to suggest that you don't

Spoiler

use the scimitar as a way to level the playing field for the sorcerer, at least not in the way you intend it.

Instead, I'm going to suggest that it is simply a vehicle to a different type of leveling agent - another respec, this time into a houseruled cross between a sorcerer and a wizard:

This is how it would work - keep spells per day the same, but double spells known. However, that PC could still only "prepare" the old spells known (in effect, their known spells change every day, selected from a list twice as long as the original).

You can then use other tweaks to fit your game as needed for example:

Example Tweak) Sorcerers "dumbing down" spells that are related - for example, a sorcerer with greater dispel magic on their selected list would also by default have dispel magic on their list as a bonus. The same could be true of the teleportation tree, etc.

Quote from: EnkhiduI'm going to suggest that you don't

Spoiler

use the scimitar as a way to level the playing field for the sorcerer, at least not in the way you intend it.

Instead, I'm going to suggest that it is simply a vehicle to a different type of leveling agent - another respec, this time into a houseruled cross between a sorcerer and a wizard:

This is how it would work - keep spells per day the same, but double spells known. However, that PC could still only "prepare" the old spells known (in effect, their known spells change every day, selected from a list twice as long as the original).

sounds a bit like arcana evolved...

seriously - If you use the scimitar as an equalizer (for combat), how will your other players feel about that?

I'm still thinking. I could just totally redo the scimitar...

After all, being handed the sword of an ancient king and told to avenge him of the graverobbers is a pretty cool scenario. I'd rather not give up the "tribal magic scimitar-wielding sorceress" coolness just becuase the rules don't mesh with it. Turns out the ancient king is of the same racial stock as herself (there are many human races in this world), and they traditionally practice ancestor worship (which is why she hates the idea of tombrobbing).

There's potential for coolness here.

And now that I've participated fully in the hijacking of my own thread, we might as well continue to explore it.

The latest thing I've thought of is the idea of having the king's ghost appear when the graverobber is killed, and inform her that she has done well, and her noble ways and honoring the deal has shamed him that he could not take action himself... whereapon he touches the blade and is absorbed into it.

But what powers would a blade possessed by the spirit of an ancient king have? Perhaps sometimes he takes over her body, wielding the sword through her? Perhaps she is granted certain powers?

There's gotta be some way to make this work that is, for lack of a better term, FUCKING COOL!

Quote from: Name LipsThe latest thing I've thought of is the idea of having the king's ghost appear when the graverobber is killed, and inform her that she has done well, and her noble ways and honoring the deal has shamed him that he could not take action himself... whereapon he touches the blade and is absorbed into it.

But what powers would a blade possessed by the spirit of an ancient king have? Perhaps sometimes he takes over her body, wielding the sword through her? Perhaps she is granted certain powers?

There's gotta be some way to make this work that is, for lack of a better term, FUCKING COOL!

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howbout a +1 Intelligent Dancing Scimitar?

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Special powers and being possesed by the king are both cool, and might inspire her to alter her leveling path, make her interested in her character again, but I'd also include a cost or drawback to the powers/possession of the sword as well. That way your other players don't all clamor for the same treatment. I'd also consider letting her trade out some spells for ones which might aid her in melee combat. AC enhancers, stat boosters, Heroism, True Strike, Enlarge Person, Exp. Retreat (just in case), Haste, False Life, Daze Monster, Tasha's Hid. Laughter, Ghoul Touch, Displacement, Blink....shit, these are just from the PHB alone. There's lots of lower level spells that are useful in melee, and if she multis as a ranger or fighter she can get a decent ranged weapon to aid in combat as well, and still have some utility spells for social interaction or stealth or transportation as well. Heck, a magic scimitar wielding horse-archer who can summon her own spectral horse would be very cool.

Quote from: Thjalfi[sblock]
howbout a +1 Intelligent Dancing Scimitar?

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Woot, a very great idea.

Quote from: SigmundWoot, a very great idea.

I'm liking it too...

ok, so who's who in this thread?

Quote from: Thjalfiok, so who's who in this thread?

I think they'd bleed me if I told you who plays the sorcerer.

Quote from: Name LipsI think they'd bleed me if I told you who plays the sorcerer.

Kind of an obvious pun there.

Quote from: ThjalfiKind of an obvious pun there.

I don't have an inkling what you're talking about.

ok, this particular revalation makes me reissue my question from post number 19:

How will your other players feel about giving that particularly major piece of loot to this character?

Quote from: Thjalfiok, this particular revalation makes me reissue my question from post number 19:

How will your other players feel about giving that particularly major piece of loot to this character?

I don't think people will mind, for two reasons.
First, it was clear the way things were presented that ANYBODY could have ended up with that sword. I'm not playing favorites.
Second, the player seems, at times, bound and determined to have an ineffective character. From feats to skills to spell choice to equipment, she's not tricked out at all. It'd be nice seeing her having some proper fun.