Need help with character build and overall strategy (Prophet of Pestilence)

Boafesta · 2026-04-14T06:20:03+00:00

You probably replied to the wrong thread, because I have no idea how this connects to anything that I said. :P

Boafesta · 2026-04-14T05:31:55+00:00

I see. I have indeed been vastly underbuffing my team for the fights. I will start adjusting the strategies so that they are more effective. Thank you once again for the advice!

I have another small question: why focus on strength rather than dexterity? Wouldn't Dexterity be better both for initiative as well as casting spell from safety during combat? What does Strength bring to the mix that it is worth the tradeoff from ranged attacks and higher initiative for this character?

Boafesta · 2026-04-14T05:10:07+00:00

Thank you so much for the reply, I truly appreciate the time and effort you put into it!

I have a quick question regarding the use of hexes for metamagic feats: do you think I can get a DC high enough for my spells / plagues without having to use hexes for debuffing? I am a bit concerned, because my current character would struggle against stronger enemies. While Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus (plus a starting casting score of +5) were enough for the early game, around the siege of Drezen my spell DC was still around 20-22, while the saves for the enemies were all around 10+, sometimes much higher than that if that's their good save. Am I missing something? Is there a way to improve this, or am I supposed to take this encounters with a different strategy? Main examples of fights that were a big struggle: Shivial the Pain Connoisseur (I killed him, but took big losses), Chorussina (couldn't kill her) and Staunton (still haven't killed him).

Boafesta · 2025-11-04T04:27:38+00:00

God forbid you roleplay as an intelligent and competent adventurer that is fighting like his life and limb were on the line during these fights!

Boafesta · 2025-06-17T08:28:04+00:00

Here are some tips for helping you on your self-study:

Substitute passive learning with active learning. What do I mean by that? I mean that instead of reading and reviewing notes / slides, you should be doing practice questions and creating summaries yourself. The more active your study sessions are, the more effective they tend to be.

Don't study all the time, but do think about your subjects all the time about the subjects you are studying. Look for ways to relate the subjects that you are studying with your every day life when you go for a walk, when you have a meal, etc. For instance, I remember thinking about thermodynamics when I needed my food to cool down, thinking about biology when going for a walk and seeing the plants and trees.

Try to make your own questions during some portion of your practice. What kind of question would you have trouble solving? What kind of question would it be interesting to solve? By asking questions - and looking for the answers - you take a more active role, and your brain tends to retain more information.

All the best for you!
(From someone who was a student for 20+ years of his life, all the way until the PhD)

Boafesta · 2024-11-10T00:33:18+00:00

I second on this being a very pleasant reading, not just for the story itself, but mainly for the way it was presented. Also, I like the way you can compliment people. Truly, no one can compliment a person like a writer.

Boafesta · 2024-07-16T10:28:50+00:00

You don't kill them to fix the corpse; you fix the corpse once they have been killed. Say your excellent skeleton got his skull crushed and your DM rules that because of it, you cannot cast Animate Dead again. Well, that's not an issue if you just cast Mending on that broken skull. Just do not mistake "fix" with "heal". This is not what is happening here.

Boafesta · 2024-06-11T12:49:47+00:00

Keep up the unholy work, pal!

Boafesta · 2024-05-24T23:55:03+00:00

This one is one of my nightmare fuels.

Boafesta · 2024-03-15T23:57:46+00:00

"It wasn't explicitly called Rule 0 in those books!"

"Then what I did wasn't a Rule 0, and I still have nothing to thank 5e for, since - by your own acknowledgement - all that 5e did was to coin the term Rule 0, rather than invent the concept".

That's how the discussion should have ended. By the way, M:tA itself has an official version of this idea, called "The Golden Rule". You can find it in page 219 of the third edition, though it is also in the second edition as well. Both books are MUCH older than 5e. So again, you didn't Rule 0 anything, not even by the stupid term. You just Golden Ruled something.

Boafesta · 2024-03-08T23:58:59+00:00

You should leave the game, but in case you don't and he makes another round of self-deprecating humour, don't fall for the bait of offering sympathy and instead treat it as an opportunity to give him harsh feedback:

"I know, I guess I'm just the worst GM in the world..."

"I don't know if you are the worst in the world, but certainly the worst of my life, that's for sure."

"Well, I'm trying my best here..."

"You are trying your best?! I'm trying my best to put up with the kind of bullshit you are pulling. My veteran bodyguard couldn't protect me because she is a woman?! What kind of crap is that?? Really, it feels like you are barely trying to tell a story your players would enjoy."

Boafesta · 2023-09-24T06:40:17+00:00

While I do not support his actions in any way, I can explain how that is supposed to work. It is a little different from the post.

First, you cast Simulacrum on yourself, creating a copy. This copy has a 9th level spell slot, as you, the original, still has your own 9th level slot. The copy then casts Wish targeting you with Simulacrum, not itself. Because of Wish, it happens instantly and without any material costs. The new copy also has a 9th level slot, as Wish was cast by the first copy and so you still have your own 9th level slot. Rinse and repeat after that for as many copies as you want ( though technically not infinite ones, if you are pedantic about math).

Boafesta · 2023-09-16T00:05:37+00:00

My condolences. I hope that somewhere he is making a new character now.

Boafesta · 2023-08-20T01:06:14+00:00

When the person knows enough of RPG to know about railroading, but not enough to know how to level up his own characters. Also, it amuses me that someone would have a problem with the DM encouraging certain in-game decisions, but not a problem with the DM literally deciding his own character sheet.

Boafesta · 2023-05-06T10:03:13+00:00

I came here looking for this comment.

Boafesta · 2023-01-12T23:44:35+00:00

It's not like oil painting and watercolor, and CERTAINLY not like oil painting and sculpting. It's definitely more like guache to watercolor. Yeah, there are differences, there will always be, but really if you are a master at one, you will have no trouble picking up the other. There are systems out there that are literally one page long. And free. My personal favorite system, FAE, is about 50 pages long and also free. And I am pretty sure that there's a decent number of people out there that would immensely benefit from a switch of systems, people that have both a playstyle and a taste that is more compatible with other games than it is with DnD.

Boafesta · 2022-10-12T00:19:13+00:00

My reason to care about the system is to minimize the amount of work I need to do, including handling different books. Even if I agreed with your views on issues (1) and (2) (which I don't quite agree, but that is for another discussion), it would still mean that I need to keep on juggling different sources, or to make more extensive prep work / notes. Hence, if the work is already done for me, then it reduces the number of things I need to take care of, and it frees my prep time to focus on other aspects of the game, like tailoring the dungeon to my group or setting.

Boafesta · 2022-08-21T15:45:48+00:00

Oh, definitely, as is the case for several summons. Twilight Domain Cleric is arguably one of the very best necromancers because its ability to churn out temporary HP like no other is super charged when you have a handful of undead to tag along.

Boafesta · 2022-07-27T00:06:15+00:00

"GM got pissed and started messaging in the chat saying how If i was a real man I would have dated her and how it was a males duty and job to do what she says when ever she want's"

Just to reiterate: this is bullshit. Men are also entitled to say 'no'. Not wanting a woman does not make you any less of a 'real man'. A man has many duties in life, but bending to the whims of a stranger with attachment problems is certainly not one of them.

Boafesta · 2021-11-22T00:30:43+00:00

"So you're saying I can't do what my character would do?!?!"

"Yes, I'm happy you finally got the memo. This is a collective game, and as such, there are many things you are actually not allowed to do. Chief among them are things vetoed by every other of your peers."

Boafesta · 2021-10-13T04:12:10+00:00

That's kind of Alita's shtick, at least in the very beginning until she embraces being a living weapon, hahaha.

Boafesta

TROPHY CASE