As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

[DnD 4E Discussion] Staff Fighter and Pyromancer essentials builds released on time!

1474850525361

Posts

  • dresdenphiledresdenphile Watch out for snakes!Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    First time creature creation critique request:
    20kaals.jpg

    It's an orc warlord who is in cahoots with the end boss dragon, who has imparted a bit of magic to him (hence the Soulstorm Strike). Is this too much/too little/too boring for a solo to be able to do?

    dresdenphile on
    steam_sig.png
  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Initial observation: Soulstorm Strike doesn't have a burst/blast size.

    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.
  • Owen EdwardsOwen Edwards Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Dirty Trick's pretty powerful for a paragon at-will. Also, in the encounter, I'd give him a couple of meatshields if that's appropriate for your group size.

    Owen Edwards on
  • Silas BrownSilas Brown That's hobo style. Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Anyone know some good rules for random magic item distribution? I'm feeling lazy, but there are so many resources that just closing my eyes and pointing at a level-appropriate item is a bit daunting.

    Silas Brown on
  • Owen EdwardsOwen Edwards Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Think of items your group could use and put those in scattered across a module.

    Owen Edwards on
  • TerrendosTerrendos Decorative Monocle Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Alternately, ask for wish lists from your players and let them spend hours sifting through every item in every book.

    Terrendos on
  • HachfaceHachface Not the Minister Farrakhan you're thinking of Dammit, Shepard!Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Terrendos wrote: »
    Alternately, ask for wish lists from your players and let them spend hours sifting through every item in every book.

    Pffft. And while you're at it, give every kid in Little League a trophy just for showing up.
    :mrgreen:

    Hachface on
  • FoefallerFoefaller Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Hachface wrote: »
    Terrendos wrote: »
    Alternately, ask for wish lists from your players and let them spend hours sifting through every item in every book.

    Pffft. And while you're at it, give every kid in Little League a trophy just for showing up.
    :mrgreen:

    Well, obviously the items they pick are the only items that don't show up :P

    Foefaller on
    steam_sig.png
  • Owen EdwardsOwen Edwards Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    cf the Wire, season 1..."I wanna see you land safe Jimmy. Where don't you wanna go?"

    Owen Edwards on
  • Silas BrownSilas Brown That's hobo style. Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Man, you guys love holding your players' hands, huh?

    Silas Brown on
  • Owen EdwardsOwen Edwards Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Nah, it's more like we love ruining their lives at every step.

    Owen Edwards on
  • SkyCaptainSkyCaptain IndianaRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    My players only have two magic items and they're 5th and 6th level in my campaign. :mrgreen: They should have around sixteen items! Although they basically just got 10 magic items (+1 armor, +1 neck) through inherent bonuses, which they will obtain after they consume the Crown of the Mushroom King.

    SkyCaptain on
    The RPG Bestiary - Dangerous foes and legendary monsters for D&D 4th Edition
  • Owen EdwardsOwen Edwards Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I love low-magic item stuff - or at least where "magic item" takes on a different meaning. In my Dark sun campaigns a real treat for a longsword of some sort +1 will be that...wait for it...it's good steel and can't break, and against non-metal armour it gets bonus damage on crits (but nothing on metal armour).

    Owen Edwards on
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    HOLY SHIT ASSASSIN ARTICLE IS UP WUT WUT

    READING THIS NOW

    http://wizards.com/dnd/downloads/dragon/391/391_Essentials_Assassin_Playtest.pdf
    Martial and Shadow Striker: Your sense of timing, skill with weapons, and ability to use the shadows as a second home allow you to strike with devastating effect against an unsuspecting foe. You even mix in some shadow magic when appropriate.

    I'm glad to see they changed their minds about the complicated bullshit Assassins were proficient with. Also, normal HPs for a Striker;
    Hit Points: 12 + Constitution score + 5 for each level after 1st
    Healing Surges per Day: 7 + Constitution modifier
    Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather; light shield
    Weapon Proficiencies: Simple one-handed melee, simple ranged, military one-handed melee, shortbow

    Edit: 1st level;
    Benefit: You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for melee basic attacks. Additionally, you deal 1d6 extra damage with weapon attacks.
    Benefit: Once during your turn, you can stow a weapon and draw another weapon as a free action.

    1st level, choose a guild;
    Red Scales:
    Benefit: Your assassin’s guild weapons are the dagger, garrote, javelin, kukri, and unarmed attacks. You gain proficiency in all of these weapons.
    League of Whispers:
    Benefit: Your assassin’s guild weapons are the blowgun, bolas, hand crossbow, and shuriken. You gain proficiency in all of these weapons.

    1st level, gain the Assassin's Strike power;
    Assassin’s Strike Assassin Attack
    You strike with precision at the exact right moment, landing an attack against a vital area which can be instantly fatal.
    Encounter --- Martial, Weapon
    Special: Any time an effect would allow you to regain the use of an encounter attack power, you cannot choose this power to regain.
    Free Action Personal
    Trigger: You hit an enemy within 5 squares of you with an
    attack using a weapon.
    Target: The enemy you hit.
    Effect: The target takes 1d10 extra damage from the triggering attack.
    Level 3: 2d10 extra damage.
    Level 7: 3d10 extra damage.
    Level 13: 4d10 extra damage.
    Level 17: 5d10 extra damage.
    Level 23: 6d10 extra damage.
    Level 27: 7d10 extra damage.
    Special: If the target is helpless, this power inflicts maximum damage.

    Rius on
  • SaurfangSaurfang Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    The "striker feature" for executioner assassins is really straightfoward: just a straight up 1d6 (2d6 paragon and 3d6 at epic) addition to any weapon attack the assassin makes. Also, they get an encounter power to add damage, a la the half-orc racial, but it scales pretty damn well.

    Edit: Oh my god, I love Shadow Coffin. I don't care that it doesn't have any mechanical utility, it's just awesome.
    Trigger: You kill an adjacent enemy.
    Effect: The enemy’s body disappears and becomes trapped in a
    small, fragile object of your choice (such as a delicate goblet,
    a handheld mirror, a small gem, or a piece of jewelry).
    You can release the body into an adjacent square by breaking
    that object. You can have only one creature in a shadow
    coffin at a time.

    Saurfang on
  • AegisAegis Fear My Dance Overshot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I like the weapon attack at-wills. They are nifty.

    Aegis on
    We'll see how long this blog lasts
    Currently DMing: None :(
    Characters
    [5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Quoting myself as I got BotP'd.
    Rius wrote: »
    HOLY SHIT ASSASSIN ARTICLE IS UP WUT WUT

    READING THIS NOW

    http://wizards.com/dnd/downloads/dragon/391/391_Essentials_Assassin_Playtest.pdf
    Martial and Shadow Striker: Your sense of timing, skill with weapons, and ability to use the shadows as a second home allow you to strike with devastating effect against an unsuspecting foe. You even mix in some shadow magic when appropriate.

    I'm glad to see they changed their minds about the complicated bullshit Assassins were proficient with. Also, normal HPs for a Striker;
    Hit Points: 12 + Constitution score + 5 for each level after 1st
    Healing Surges per Day: 7 + Constitution modifier
    Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather; light shield
    Weapon Proficiencies: Simple one-handed melee, simple ranged, military one-handed melee, shortbow

    Edit: 1st level;
    Benefit: You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for melee basic attacks. Additionally, you deal 1d6 extra damage with weapon attacks.
    Benefit: Once during your turn, you can stow a weapon and draw another weapon as a free action.

    1st level, choose a guild;
    Red Scales:
    Benefit: Your assassin’s guild weapons are the dagger, garrote, javelin, kukri, and unarmed attacks. You gain proficiency in all of these weapons.
    League of Whispers:
    Benefit: Your assassin’s guild weapons are the blowgun, bolas, hand crossbow, and shuriken. You gain proficiency in all of these weapons.

    1st level, gain the Assassin's Strike power;
    Assassin’s Strike Assassin Attack
    You strike with precision at the exact right moment, landing an attack against a vital area which can be instantly fatal.
    Encounter --- Martial, Weapon
    Special: Any time an effect would allow you to regain the use of an encounter attack power, you cannot choose this power to regain.
    Free Action Personal
    Trigger: You hit an enemy within 5 squares of you with an
    attack using a weapon.
    Target: The enemy you hit.
    Effect: The target takes 1d10 extra damage from the triggering attack.
    Level 3: 2d10 extra damage.
    Level 7: 3d10 extra damage.
    Level 13: 4d10 extra damage.
    Level 17: 5d10 extra damage.
    Level 23: 6d10 extra damage.
    Level 27: 7d10 extra damage.
    Special: If the target is helpless, this power inflicts maximum damage.

    Rius on
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Saurfang, the Assassin's Strike power is similar to the Thief's Backstab and the Knight/Slayer's Power Strike, but it scales up to much much higher amounts of damage than either of those. I'm not far enough into the article to see yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if Assassins don't gain extra uses of that power like the other classes do.

    Rius on
  • AegisAegis Fear My Dance Overshot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Interesting thought I just had. New assassin's at-will garrote weapon power says:
    Hit: 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage, and you grab the target. The target takes a –4 penalty to escape checks to escape this grab, and the target cannot speak, shout, or make other vocalizations as long as it is grabbed.

    But, Garrote Training [Multiclass Garrote] says:
    Benefit: You gain proficiency with the garrote. When you use a garrote to successfully grab a target, the target takes a -2 penalty to escape the grab. Each turn you successfully maintain a grab with a garrote used with two hands, you have combat advantage against the target you’re grabbing for the purpose of attacking again with the garrote.

    Hello -6 penalty to escape checks!

    Aegis on
    We'll see how long this blog lasts
    Currently DMing: None :(
    Characters
    [5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I love how they had the foresight to make at-wills that require 1d4 weapons deal 2[w] damage at 1st level instead of just 1[w]. Thank the gods for someone intelligent over there, they've found a way to make Assassins use small weapons without something like Sneak Attack.

    Swapping weapons as a free action as a feature is also perfect.

    Ooh, 1st level; Poison Use AND new/custom poison recipes. Holy cow.

    Edit: and it's a MINOR action to apply these poisons, thank GOD.

    Edit x2: all the poisons have in-combat uses and out-of-combat uses that are more powerful. Holy god. Choose +5 poison damage and dazed (save ends) if you use a weapon or ammunition, or dazed (extended rest) if you pour it into someone's drink. Oh the RP potential this sort of thing has.

    Rius on
  • AegisAegis Fear My Dance Overshot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I am extremely annoyed that they gave the Assassin a much, much better Drow Cloud of Darkness racial. Boo!

    Aegis on
    We'll see how long this blog lasts
    Currently DMing: None :(
    Characters
    [5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
  • IncenjucarIncenjucar VChatter Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    For what it's worth, I approve of the assassin. I really like the poison mechanics.

    Incenjucar on
  • SaurfangSaurfang Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Yeah, the whole poison thing is really neat. I think it's a flavorful mechanic that looks like it will actually work well mechanically with not too much hassle (you don't need to buy components or anything for these poisons, apparently--just need to have the assassin's kit)

    That stuff about the Knight, etc. is interesting, Rius--I haven't really looked at the other Essentials stuff yet.

    Saurfang on
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Aegis wrote: »
    I am extremely annoyed that they gave the Assassin a much, much better Drow Cloud of Darkness racial. Boo!

    I haven't gotten that far, but this news pleases me GREATLY as a guy who can't pick Drow for the campaign he's about to start playing in.

    I was going to play a Thief; fuck that, I'm pretty sure I'm playing one of these bad boys.

    Rius on
  • AegisAegis Fear My Dance Overshot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Rius wrote: »
    Aegis wrote: »
    I am extremely annoyed that they gave the Assassin a much, much better Drow Cloud of Darkness racial. Boo!

    I haven't gotten that far, but this news pleases me GREATLY as a guy who can't pick Drow for the campaign he's about to start playing in.

    I was going to play a Thief; fuck that, I'm pretty sure I'm playing one of these bad boys.

    It's their level 6 daily.

    It does the exact same thing as the Drow Racial except:

    1) It's Close Burst 2 instead of Close Burst 1; and
    2) It's Sustain Minor instead of Sustain Standard.

    !!!!!!!!!!

    Aegis on
    We'll see how long this blog lasts
    Currently DMing: None :(
    Characters
    [5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
  • IncenjucarIncenjucar VChatter Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I do find it kind of funny with the poison thing though... since you can magically only create the poison so often, when part of the reason for these new classes is supposedly people throwing fits over not being able to do the same thing over and over again. :P

    Incenjucar on
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Haha holy fuck Id Moss;
    Special: A creature reduced to 0 hit points by this poison does not die, but instead is driven permanently insane.

    Rius on
  • AegeriAegeri Tiny wee bacteriums Plateau of LengRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Well we should note this is like other martial essentials classes (even if he does dress up in Shadow drag). They spam MBAs/RBAs and occasionally use an at-will power the rest of the time.

    Aegeri on
    The Roleplayer's Guild: My blog for roleplaying games, advice and adventuring.
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Wow.

    3rd level; Death Attack;
    Benefit: When you hit an enemy with a weapon attack that deals damage, if the target has 10 hit points or less after you deal damage, you can choose to automatically kill the target.

    Rius on
  • daniantdaniant Columbus, OhioRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Hmmm...all this puts the regular assassin to shame. To shame, sir!

    daniant on
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Heh; 4th level, at-will free action utility to reduce falling damage by 10. 6th level, at-will move action utility to climb up to your speed or jump horizontally up to your speed. With Speed 6, that's the equivalent of making a 30 Athletics check, at-will, every time.

    Rius on
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    daniant wrote: »
    Hmmm...all this puts the regular assassin to shame. To shame, sir!

    I just told my Sunday night group that I cannot possibly play my 4th level old Assassin any more. I will always feel inadequate compared to this writeup.

    Rius on
  • AegeriAegeri Tiny wee bacteriums Plateau of LengRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    daniant wrote: »
    Hmmm...all this puts the regular assassin to shame. To shame, sir!

    To be fair, that's a lot like someone going and punching a baby in the face to prove how strong they are. I will be interested to see how it compares in DPR to the rogue and thief.

    Aegeri on
    The Roleplayer's Guild: My blog for roleplaying games, advice and adventuring.
  • SkyCaptainSkyCaptain IndianaRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    o_0 Gorram... this is going to be a real pain in the ass to script for in MapTool.

    SkyCaptain on
    The RPG Bestiary - Dangerous foes and legendary monsters for D&D 4th Edition
  • IncenjucarIncenjucar VChatter Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    SkyCaptain wrote: »
    o_0 Gorram... this is going to be a real pain in the ass to script for in MapTool.

    Lots of "or 30 damage if HP 30 or below" or something.

    Incenjucar on
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Just finished the article. I think the Executioner PP that is presented is not stellar, and I also think the class is going to have a hard time getting expanded crit range in epic.

    Now that I mention the latter, I'm shocked to see that this article doesn't include any new feats to support the class.

    Rius on
  • TSI|AwesomeTSI|Awesome Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Rius wrote: »
    Just finished the article. I think the Executioner PP that is presented is not stellar, and I also think the class is going to have a hard time getting expanded crit range in epic.

    Now that I mention the latter, I'm shocked to see that this article doesn't include any new feats to support the class.

    Really? Executioner has less secondary stat dependencies than any class I've ever seen. That is, none. The only reason to take charisma is to boost skills, getting weapon mastery is merely a matter of pumping strength.

    Garrote and Blowgun groups are kind of hard to take a feat for, but your primary weapon that you might use(which, lets face it, with the at-will powers offered you'd probably serve well to keep a longsword or better as a primary weapon) it shouldn't be too hard.

    TSI|Awesome on
    63.png
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    That's a fair point.

    Something else I've noticed; In theory you'll wield a weapon (longsword or whatever) and a light shield, and you'll use your free swap-weapon feature to switch to the specialty weapons for your guild at-wills. Except that two of the better powers, Garrote Strangle and Precision Dart, require the wielding of a two-handed weapon.

    Rius on
  • TurksonTurkson Near the mountains of ColoradoRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Ok, so now I know what I'm going to play in our next campaign. Some cool stuff.

    Turkson on
    oh h*ck
  • Jam WarriorJam Warrior Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I'd not really looked at an essentials build before. So they trade in their encounters and dailies for a 3rd ed. style list of bonuses per level? Sounds like a nice alternative for people who I've played with before and who often got paralyzed by choice at level up time.

    And that was about a year ago, I'd imagine the range of options open to them now would blow their tiny minds.

    Jam Warrior on
    MhCw7nZ.gif
Sign In or Register to comment.