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[DnD+GW 4E Discussion] Everyone hates whatever you like. Yes, YOU.

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Posts

  • soxboxsoxbox Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    If you could give me a hand with the math, I could probably make an online monster builder in my app once I'm done with the current round of stuff.

    (I'm currently down a rabbit-hole of re-writes and optimization which is why nothing interesting has happened for a week).

    soxbox on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    you should link that thing in your signature man

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • soxboxsoxbox Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    While I'm thinking about it (not that I'll get to it for a little while) - things that a power could do is some combination of:
    • applies damage
    • applies healing
    • creates a zone
    • creates a summoned creature
    • creates a real creature (that has its own initiative)
    • reduce/increase healing surges
    • applies a status effect to a creature (this is very broad - basically anything that you could deal with by putting a sticky note on a character)
    • relocates a creature
    • trigger a secondary power

    Is there anything else that a power might do that I'm missing?

    soxbox on
  • webguy20webguy20 I spend too much time on the Internet Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Man I haven't played DnD for about a year and a half. I loved all the online tools, especially the character creator. It's a shame seeing it all slide downhill.

    webguy20 on
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  • DenadaDenada Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Another Wednesday, another Encounters report:

    There were ten of us at the table again, plus the DM for a total of 11. Two more new players arrived this week (adults this time!), and the shop in general was pretty busy through most of the evening. Both things are pleasing to me.

    Anyway, I think we're a week or two behind in the season, so we just arrived at some ruins where we fought more lizardmen on our way to ... something. I'm not sure what. The story is barely there, but I think this is more a DM thing than anything else. It seems like the adventure has a decent plot to it, but I've only caught bits and pieces.

    So all 10 of us (three mages, two thieves, a knight I think, a warpriest, a cleric, a bard, and a paladin) spread out and got to work on the lizardmen. The gold star of the night went to one of the kids, whose mage caused one of the big brutes to turn around and whack his brother, sending the other brute into a pit where he promptly died. This triggered the paladin's divine challenge, doing the last 6 damage necessary to put him down. The drakes got scared at this point and ran off, leaving us to mop up the last lizardman and get ready to do ... whatever we're there to do.

    Overall another fun session. I also got a chance to talk to the owners about running a regular game there on another day and they were more than happy to accommodate me, so now I have the dual dilemmas of rounding up players and deciding on a campaign.

    Edit: On the subject of all this crap at Wizards, I'm concerned that they're trying to save a sinking ship here. I'm not very concerned, but it still has that feeling of some guys with buckets dumping water back into the ocean. I don't know, it will probably all work out by the end of the year. The lack of compilation PDFs is a shame though, and their reasoning is the same kind of bullshit they gave us about character limits on the CB. As usual, some open and honest communication would do them more good than their useless half-speak.

    Denada on
  • hippofanthippofant ティンク Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    soxbox wrote: »
    While I'm thinking about it (not that I'll get to it for a little while) - things that a power could do is some combination of:
    • applies damage
    • applies healing
    • creates a zone
    • creates a summoned creature
    • creates a real creature (that has its own initiative)
    • reduce/increase healing surges
    • applies a status effect to a creature (this is very broad - basically anything that you could deal with by putting a sticky note on a character)
    • relocates a creature
    • trigger a secondary power

    Is there anything else that a power might do that I'm missing?

    Conjurations? I suppose that's sort of "like a zone" but some conjurations can move. Conjurations can also be destroyed, or moved, or whatever, like Wall of Blades, which can be destroyed one chunk at a time.

    Grant saving throw.
    Remove status effects.
    Grant attacks/actions/entire turns.
    Enable secondary powers (as opposed to triggering one immediately).
    Create/remove lighting.
    Create/remove terrain (does this count as a zone?).
    Remove a creature from play (usually temporarily).
    Temporary hit points.

    hippofant on
  • edited January 2011
    This content has been removed.

  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    :whistle:

    he did the maths

    he did the monster maths


    :whistle:

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • MrBeensMrBeens Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Incenjucar wrote: »
    I would really, really like it if they just went back to the original release plan.

    PHB X
    DMG X
    MM X
    X Power I & II
    AV X
    Setting Book(s) X
    PoL Expansion Book X
    Annual Experiment Book X

    Just stagger them at roughly 1 every 2 months, with dragon and dungeon articles to fill in the gaps, with the occasional backtrack book to make up for failing to do this in the past.

    Agreed.

    No more minis :(:(

    MrBeens on
  • brain operatorbrain operator Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Hexmage-PA wrote: »
    Denada wrote: »
    I know they won't, but they really ought to consider a new third-party licensing system. Being able to step back and say "Okay, we're going to work on the core products because that's what we're good at. Here's the license so that you can go make your vtt and character builder and magazines," seems like it would be a smart decision for them. But then I'm not particularly business-savvy, so I'm probably missing some glaring problem in that formula.

    Their chief competitor was born of this process. They sold them the Dragon/Dungeon license and they went on to make it so successful that when they pulled them the company survived and became Paizo. While Paizo isn't like an equal competitor they are far more significant than anything else out there.

    Isn't Paizo's continued success primarily due to the Open Game License? I doubt they'd be anywhere near as successful as they are without the OGL.
    Indeed, but it's equally doubtful WotC would have been as successful as they are without the OGL for 3E. 3E pretty much had to revive D&D before the rotting corpse of a game line TSR was flogging disintegrated altogether. I'm 100% convinced the OGL was instrumental in allowing that to happen.

    Also, Paizo would not have been able to pull off Pathfinder without their considerable knowhow, resources and staff, which they accumulated because of their licences for Dragon and Dungeon magazines.
    Denada wrote: »
    Edit: On the subject of all this crap at Wizards, I'm concerned that they're trying to save a sinking ship here. I'm not very concerned, but it still has that feeling of some guys with buckets dumping water back into the ocean. I don't know, it will probably all work out by the end of the year. The lack of compilation PDFs is a shame though, and their reasoning is the same kind of bullshit they gave us about character limits on the CB. As usual, some open and honest communication would do them more good than their useless half-speak.
    I think the comparison is apt, but not entirely accurate. To me it doesn't feel like they're trying to save the ship. They're only doing just enough to stay afloat a while longer and not have the passengers jump ship, and that's it. Bailing water, but no attempts to fix the hull breach.

    I'd be sorry if we were told D&D isn't performing well enough to keep to the old ways of doing things and WotC would choose to significantly change their business model accordingly, but I would understand that that would be the best solution. Instead I don't see a solution, just a series of stopgap measures (and worse, changes made not for the good of the line or the customers, but just for the company).

    brain operator on
  • squishy-blobsquishy-blob Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Instead I don't see a solution, just a series of stopgap measures (and worse, changes made not for the good of the line or the customers, but just for the company).

    The solution is quality. People aren't suddenly jumping ship because they don't want to play D&D any more, they just don't like what wizards is producing. I can't for the life of me justify buying a DDI subscription and I went from collecting almost every book they published to, well, practically none. I think the last thing I bought was MM3. The main reason is that the amount of stuff in each book that I'd want to use has been dropping quite steadily. I first noticed it when the AV1 came out and I realised that so very many of the items in it were totally useless. The worst thing about this is that so many of the things they've released have been so obviously useless/broken and should never have gotten past the most basic of QA procedures.

    I'm another one who thinks a complete reboot with a 5e would be a good idea (along with replacing their entire software development team). Provided that is they don't repeat all the same mistakes they made in this edition.

    squishy-blob on
  • brain operatorbrain operator Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    I'm another one who thinks a complete reboot with a 5e would be a good idea (along with replacing their entire software development team). Provided that is they don't repeat all the same mistakes they made in this edition.
    That's a tough call to make.

    3E was the edition that restored D&D after TSR ran it into the ground.
    4E is the edition that is supposed to fix the technical problems with the 3E ruleset (including reviling that previous edition during release, which to this day bugs me no end).
    What's 5E supposed to accomplish, fix WotC's internal processes? That's hardly a decent reason to reboot the line, from a customer's POV. Basically we'd be expected to buy all those books over again simply because WotC can't be arsed to do a good job with the current edition anymore?

    For 4E's release, I could muster some faith that WotC would give me a good product based on what i'd seen for 3E, even with the flaws that system has. For a hypothetical 5E, looking at what we get for 4E now, I can't really be optimistic.

    brain operator on
  • LeztaLezta Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    I don't think I'd buy a 5e anyway, unless it was very, very easy to convert (all) 4e stuff to it. I've only just started a big campaign that could easily be run for four or five years. If 5e comes out in the in-between time, chances are I'll just ignore it until I'm done (or someone else I know runs it).

    Lezta on
  • edited January 2011
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  • poshnialloposhniallo Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Excellent post Aegeri, and I agree with everything you say.

    I'm trying, fairly successfully, to change the way I think about 4e.

    It's now, to me, an excellent game that is finished with the Dark Sun books. I will continue to play it for as long as I wish, without paying any attention to what WOTC do.

    When I have a bit of time I'll sort out that offline CB, but if I can't we'll just have to do things by hand again. Not such a big deal.

    Just remember the game is already there, on your shelves and in your mind. WOTC can't touch that.

    poshniallo on
    I figure I could take a bear.
  • edited January 2011
    This content has been removed.

  • SkyCaptainSkyCaptain IndianaRegistered User regular
    edited January 2011
    I'm just going to focus on my derivative of D&D 4e that solves all my problems and find a way to create a .part file for the character builder.

    SkyCaptain on
    The RPG Bestiary - Dangerous foes and legendary monsters for D&D 4th Edition
  • angrylinuxgeekangrylinuxgeek Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Aegeri wrote: »
    Interesting. Personally, if they just publish the CC builds as just straight errata that would be a really good thing.

    that's silly. why would they do that when they can make you pay for DDI to get them? :?

    great post up above. I'm really trying hard not to sperg on this stuff but a game I love is basically shitting the bed because of poor management. I'm fine with never buying a product again, I guess :(

    angrylinuxgeek on
    sQwJu.png
  • mugginnsmugginns Jawsome Fresh CoastRegistered User regular
    edited January 2011
    I don't understand the D&D management at all.

    mugginns on
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  • IncenjucarIncenjucar VChatter Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Aegeri wrote: »
    Yeah, even though I feel disappointed I am still going to run my 2 (soon 3) DnD games for the forseeable future. It's not like I've run out of ideas for campaigns or anything. Not to mention all the things I want to do with Gamma World...

    That is the thing to keep in mind for the gamers, if not for WotC: We do already have a damned lot of great stuff we can use for the rest of our lives. We're just not getting any NEW stuff very often anymore. I've been using the dearth of new material as an excuse to get back into painting miniatures.

    Incenjucar on
  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    mugginns wrote: »
    Management don't understand the D&D at all.

    Fixed.

    DevoutlyApathetic on
    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    The new guy is rolling Goliath Greatclub Rogue.

    yeeeeessssssss

    OptimusZed on
    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • Mr_RoseMr_Rose 83 Blue Ridge Protects the Holy Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    *sneak* *sneak* *sneak* *sn-wham!*

    Mr_Rose on
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  • InfidelInfidel Heretic Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    :whistle:

    he did the maths

    he did the monster maths


    :whistle:

    I love you.

    Infidel on
    OrokosPA.png
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Infidel wrote: »
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    :whistle:

    he did the maths

    he did the monster maths


    :whistle:

    I love you.

    I felt the same but was too ashamed to admit it.

    Edit: I have atoned for my sins.

    Rius on
  • brain operatorbrain operator Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Incenjucar wrote: »
    Aegeri wrote: »
    Yeah, even though I feel disappointed I am still going to run my 2 (soon 3) DnD games for the forseeable future. It's not like I've run out of ideas for campaigns or anything. Not to mention all the things I want to do with Gamma World...

    That is the thing to keep in mind for the gamers, if not for WotC: We do already have a damned lot of great stuff we can use for the rest of our lives. We're just not getting any NEW stuff very often anymore. I've been using the dearth of new material as an excuse to get back into painting miniatures.
    Absolutely. Yet that also goes for 3E, and it's an option I exercise vigorously for that edition (I play more 3E than 4E games). Something to keep in mind for WotC should they elect to run 4E into the ground and do a new-edition reboot: 3E only lost players to a no longer supported system (AD&D), 4E lost players to a still-supported system as well (Pathfinder) and 5E will undoubtedly lose players to the shortest-running edition so far (4E, if it's terminated anywhere in the next 4 years) on top of all that. All those alternative options chipping away at your customer base starts to add up eventually.

    brain operator on
  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Rius wrote: »
    Infidel wrote: »
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    :whistle:

    he did the maths

    he did the monster maths


    :whistle:

    I love you.

    I felt the same but was too ashamed to admit it.

    Edit: I have atoned for my sins.

    I was trying to figure out some what of making the next two lines work but couldn't.

    DevoutlyApathetic on
    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
  • Dr. Phibbs McAtheyDr. Phibbs McAthey Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    *cough*
    Sorry to interrupt the (justified) lamentations over the state of WotC, but I have a question about electronic gm aids.

    Mainly, I feel that aside from being terrible at planning, my main weakness as a DM is tracking combat. Usually my monster hp and conditions are scratched on whatever piece of scratch paper is laying around, and while it essentially works, it's cumbersome.
    Are there any free tools online that are easy to set up and use at a live game on, say, a slightly older Asus netbook? I've tried Googling this question but am finding very little that's free or has the appearance of usefulness.

    Dr. Phibbs McAthey on
  • DenadaDenada Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    *cough*
    Sorry to interrupt the (justified) lamentations over the state of WotC, but I have a question about electronic gm aids.

    Mainly, I feel that aside from being terrible at planning, my main weakness as a DM is tracking combat. Usually my monster hp and conditions are scratched on whatever piece of scratch paper is laying around, and while it essentially works, it's cumbersome.
    Are there any free tools online that are easy to set up and use at a live game on, say, a slightly older Asus netbook? I've tried Googling this question but am finding very little that's free or has the appearance of usefulness.

    I've never tried it myself, but inCombat 4E looks pretty decent. It just needs Adobe AIR to run offline, which should be fine on any EEE pc.

    Denada on
  • Dr. Phibbs McAtheyDr. Phibbs McAthey Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Denada wrote: »
    *cough*
    Sorry to interrupt the (justified) lamentations over the state of WotC, but I have a question about electronic gm aids.

    Mainly, I feel that aside from being terrible at planning, my main weakness as a DM is tracking combat. Usually my monster hp and conditions are scratched on whatever piece of scratch paper is laying around, and while it essentially works, it's cumbersome.
    Are there any free tools online that are easy to set up and use at a live game on, say, a slightly older Asus netbook? I've tried Googling this question but am finding very little that's free or has the appearance of usefulness.

    I've never tried it myself, but inCombat 4E looks pretty decent. It just needs Adobe AIR to run offline, which should be fine on any EEE pc.

    That looks exactly like what I'll need, thanks!

    Edit: Terrible top of page.

    Dr. Phibbs McAthey on
  • dresdenphiledresdenphile Watch out for snakes!Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/DnD4eCM

    Dnd 4E Combat Tracker is pretty awesome. You can export offline CB characters and MB creatures to it. I use it for my Dark Sun game, and it's been a life-saver.

    dresdenphile on
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  • Dr. Phibbs McAtheyDr. Phibbs McAthey Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Speaking of offline CB, I've kept mine installed since the new version came out (which I'm not altogether against, it's just...not as good), and have heard things about fan-made packs to keep it up to date (ie Dark Sun and its themes, etc.). Any idea where to find such things?

    Dr. Phibbs McAthey on
  • brain operatorbrain operator Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    *cough*
    Sorry to interrupt the (justified) lamentations over the state of WotC, but I have a question about electronic gm aids.

    Mainly, I feel that aside from being terrible at planning, my main weakness as a DM is tracking combat. Usually my monster hp and conditions are scratched on whatever piece of scratch paper is laying around, and while it essentially works, it's cumbersome.
    Are there any free tools online that are easy to set up and use at a live game on, say, a slightly older Asus netbook? I've tried Googling this question but am finding very little that's free or has the appearance of usefulness.
    I still use pen and paper (I'm old school like that), but a little planning goes a long way. I always have slips of paper prepped for all individuals involved in combats I know might occur that session (PCs, NPCs, monsters). Each slip has all the basic combat info as well as fields to track status effects in. The reason I use separate slips is that I can then put them in initiative order while resolving combat. If you get the arduous part (preparing all the sheets) done one beforehand, the old-fashioned way isn't really much more cumbersome than having an electronic tool. The prep work is the same in both cases anyway. Just make youself a nice template for a combat sheet, something you find easy to use, and do your homework on beforehand. You'll be fine.

    brain operator on
  • Hexmage-PAHexmage-PA Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Apparently they're trying to make-up for the lack of articles in Dragon and Dungeon (and the seemingly random nature in which they are released) by introducing weekly columns that will always be released on certain dates:
    We feel we can do a better job communicating more regularly and consistently. To this end, we’re planning to bring a series of regular, weekly columns to the site. They’ll be free and in addition to the content we’re currently providing. Our goal with these columns is to create an ongoing dialogue with D&D fans, presenting thoughts and ideas that we feel are touchstones for segments of the community, and helping spark discussion on topics of interest to you.

    What columns are we adding? Here they are:

    Legends & Lore: Each week, RPG Group Manager Mike Mearls will examine certain elements behind the D&D’s past editions and influences, and how they inform the game today. Think of this one as game theory.

    The Dungeon Master Experience: D&D Senior Producer Chris Perkins will use his ongoing home campaign as a tool to give Dungeon Masters awesome ideas and hooks for their home campaigns. Think of this one as game practice.

    Design & Development: Not a new column, but it will increase in frequency from monthly to weekly. We’ll be looking around the entire R&D department to find contributors best suited to handle each topic.

    Rule-of-Three: Our community team will regularly round up three questions from you, the player community (the details of how will announced shortly). Again, we’ll convene all of R&D to bring you answers to your questions—every week.

    Finally, we have one column that remains to be determined. We’d like to experiment with a number of ideas, see what works and what doesn’t, and hear from you about what else you’d like to see fill this spot.

    My first thought is "How long until they ditch the weekly, organized release of these columns?".

    I'll admit that I'm excited by Mike Mearls' column, and Chris Perkins' column might be interesting as well, but do free columns really make-up for a lack of content (content that must be paid for)?

    Also, maybe "Design & Development" will shed some light on what is currently being designed and developed.

    Hexmage-PA on
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    edited January 2011
    I have nothing but good will and high hopes for that initiative, actually. Legends & Lore sounds good, a weekly Design and Development sounds great and if they don't dodge the hard questions then Rule of Three could be good too.

    Plus, they're free articles, so even after my sub dies I can still read them. Good move.

    Rius on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    The new guy is rolling Goliath Greatclub Rogue.

    yeeeeessssssss

    fucking awesome

    zed do i remember incorrectly

    or are you and i the only dudes who think Ruthless Ruffian is sweetness

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    The new guy is rolling Goliath Greatclub Rogue.

    yeeeeessssssss

    fucking awesome

    zed do i remember incorrectly

    or are you and i the only dudes who think Ruthless Ruffian is sweetness
    I'm pretty sure we're alone in that, shoe.

    But the joke's on everybody else. One day our half orc ruffians will hooligan themselves to world supremacy.

    OptimusZed on
    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • Hexmage-PAHexmage-PA Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    I just bought 20 bucks worth of Gamma World cards (I got them from this website if you're interested).

    Really, who buys booster packs?

    Hexmage-PA on
  • angrylinuxgeekangrylinuxgeek Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    I can't bring myself to think they will stick to any sort of weekly release schedule for FREE content. Sorry, this fall has pretty much ruined any sort of good will I have left.

    angrylinuxgeek on
    sQwJu.png
  • FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Man, I am a dual hand crossbow rogue right now. It is pretty great.

    Fencingsax on
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