Experience with Ghostwalker PrC?

[The Souljourner]

Has anyone played a Ghostwalker? What did you think of it?

I'm considering playing a ranger/rogue on the way towards ghostwalker. Our campaigns are fairly combat heavy, though there is plenty of story as well. My question is, is this prestige class powerful enough in a normal campaign. It's a damn cool concept, but I don't want to feel like I'm giving up usefulness for coolness factor, if you know what I mean. Not that I need an uber-PrC in order to be happy, but I don't want to feel like I would have been better off taking levels of Warrior.

-The Souljourner

 

[Crothian]

Problems we had with this (an it is such a cool concept). The mysterious aspect only applied to NPCs since all the PCs new the character. It would have worked much better if the other PCs weren't as familiar with the character. THe big power of the Ghostwalker is to have fights that the enemy and the ghostwalker don't die in. Our group liked to kill the bad guys, and IO as DM liked to have the bad guys try to kill the PCs. So, that power showed up very little. But he was very excited when it did happen.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

I'm running a Ghostwalker in Wulf Ratbane's Lazy Days campaign (check out the Story Hour, though he hasn't shown up there yet).

One thing to do is check the S&F errata. It boosts up the healing effects he gets while Shadowwalking a fair amount (no books here so I can't give the full reference). The healing ability alone is extremely cool - I've barely had to ask for healing as a result.

The etherealness ability has saved me on multiple occasions, and has allowed me to catch fleeing enemies on at least one occasion. Feign Death has saved my life once so far.

We gets our butts handed to us on a regular basis, so I expect to get good usage out of the boost to rolls in subsequent fights.

The Superior Iron Will is great. It's nice to have a FTR-type with a high will save. A +25 to intimidate doesn't suck either.

I see what you're saying about it being difficult to keep the mystery for an existing PC. I brought my guy in after a previsou character's death, so he came in as a 5th level Ghostwalker (12th level overall). I'd try to work with the DM to create a wierd situation where the character seems to die or have a horrific fate, and then comes back somehow. Maybe a terrible ceremony to undergo, something along those lines.

Then I'd try to keep the PrC secret from the PC's as long as possible, and let them get freaked out by things like the etherealness, or the feign death ability. Play up the strangeness and the difference from the way the PC used to act.

 

[Gaiden]

I believe there was another thread out there that considered the Ghostwalker one of the most underrated PrC's in the game, and I wholeheartedly agree.

The PrC gets bonuses to will saves for a fighter type, gets huge bonuses to hot/dmg/AC (with conditions), gets healing, and a bit of freaky magic.

I modeled a character (never got to play him) who evaded death and then killed the grim reaper when it came to claim him causing a disruption in the life death cycle. A high cleric of Nerull than cursed him into fulfilling the role of the grim reaper. He was going to be a ghostwalker with combat abilities using a scythe - the best thing about him though was the cool factor. Like you said, the PrC reeks of coolness. Even if his combat abilities were poor - the bonus to intimidate and the other abilities of the class make him much like the monk or ranger - an all around character effective in almost any situation. Of course, he gets some of the most powerful abilities in the game when it comes to combat, so don't worry about being like a warrior - won't happen - even if your DM does nerf the enemies to try and kill you.

 

[Xarlen]

That's a cool idea Gaiden. I could see a similar character who was cursed to be the Grim Reaper, but after a time, the curse was lifted. And now he's just set in his ways (A ghostwalker to boot), and is adventuring for some odd reason, who knows.

Where's the S&F errata?

And, it was me who made the note of the Ghostwalker being under-rated.

 

[Kai Lord]

Does the Ghostwalker's Painful Reckoning penetrate DR?

 

[The Souljourner]

Nope, Painful reckoning doesn't bypass damage reduction. Only enhancement bonuses to weapons or your own DR when using natural weapons counts for bypassing DR. And since PR doesn't fall into one of these categories and doesn't specifically say it does, it doesn't.

But that's ok, when it comes into play, it'll rock all the same.

Thanks for your insights, people. I have just one point I'd like to bring up. For a class that is not one of the strongest, it certainly has pretty stiff requirements. 3 feats, two of which are pretty much worthless.... and one that, although it's useful (iron will), isn't one most fighter types would pick until way late in the game.

So my question to you is this - do you think the requirements to get into the class are too strict? I mean, they're almost as bad as the requirements for a Dwarven Defender! And we all know that's one of the best prestige classes out there.

-The Souljourner

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

So my question to you is this - do you think the requirements to get into the class are too strict? I mean, they're almost as bad as the requirements for a Dwarven Defender! And we all know that's one of the best prestige classes out there.

-The Souljourner

No question, teh prereq's are pretty stiff. My Ghostwalker is a 12th level fighter that doesn't even have Cleave! I mean, c'mon! Overall though, I do think it's worth it, especially if you think that you'll get a good chance to use a fair amount of the really cool abilities.