Hail again :}
2 V1nce : heh , 2nd edition DMing... last time I had something with 2nd edition when I knew that DMG , PHB and MM of 3rd edition are on their way to me by airmail
and actually - I dont regret abandoning 2nd edition . Yes, I do agree that creating with 2nd edition is much easier , however 3rd edition makes the DMing MUCH easier . And long live the feats ! :} , We could consider that option as me DMing by 2nd edition, but I would like to refer to it as a last reserve only , if you dont mind :}. By the way - why you are still on 2nd ?
2 Murdoc : thnx .I hope that I will find a place in a party someday . Now I'm spending my tyme while reading Libro Mortis - a book dor DnD , quite deeply reasoning the undead (bought it yesterday:} ).
2 Dr Caligari : By tactics - I had in mind some team-based character creation or highly specializing creation ( we had a party with 2 wizards , 1 sorcerer and my ROGUE as main tank . I made my rogue extremly high combat specialized - it's possible to make a 7th level rogue sneak-attacking non-undead opponent with every attack
, with the drawback of course - you will be hardly used for any other rogue activities such as Listening and so on. But socializing with that kind of rogue is really great, because Charisma should be your 2nd high characteristic ( I prefer 1st , actually 8) ) .
I will speak a little about how the knowledge of those tactics was discovered :
Actually we ( roleplayers-dnd community ) in Klaipeda ( my native city ) actually decided that the chars we are playing differs TOO MUCH , which actually resolves in in-party conflicts, and as I and Finwe are LE usually - makes conflicts too lethal often - we made a city . Arena . Imagine the entire city living by the profits of fights of self (or sometimes not) willing gladiators . Some of the main rules of arena - you can become a gladiator anytime, just sign in . The Arena doesnt gives you up to anyone - no matter what you had in past . If you want to leave Arena - you have to find the way - otherwise it's impossible... However that doesnt mean that gladiators are caged or something like that - vice versa - citizens treat gladiators with great respect , it's just all about the contract - it's bound on life time AND after-life time as well :} (yeah , we need zombies for fight sometimes
), And if you fail to show up on your match - well , we better not consider this . Between the matches you a free to do what ever you want .
So , we entered Arena ( which now has about 300 of different small arenas with various designs ) as 1 on 1 gladiators, than made a team , than interracted with other teams making a friends and ocassionaly foes
( death is not necessary in Arena , the fun of the combat is most important ) . After we thought out our way out of Arena we were about 8th level each ( started from 1st ) , everybody helped to anyone greatly , as you can say - you own a few of your lives to anyone of your group
( death in Arena is final , as the contract claims your after-life as well , so it's very unlikely that you will ever return as this character) , and that cementized our parties greatly . that's how it's started ... The tradition of Arena's start is still continuing and that lead to specializing characters and covering the blindspots of your team ... I actually enjoying greatly by designing arena's levels from time to time - as it is easy , fun and always unpredictable ( especially if you have Co-DM , who plays with opposite party 'boss' and from time to time uses his and his team resources to different tactics which you as a designer didnt considered).
2 Thekkur : Thanks :}
2 ALL : Still searching for place in a party ...
}. My streetwise skill of Rotterdam is quite poor { it will take some time for me to reach a certain point for the first time, probably }. 
