Also another thing I really like about 4e is that your party isn't pigeon-holed into having a healer.
In 3.5 you either have some sort of cleric, or you buy healing rings. In 4e, every character has the ability to heal themselves, and all leader types has some sort of ability to help their party members.
I dont think you can do that. You can either full move or shift 5 feet.
It's really, really likely that we were looking for problems to justify using all the old source material we have gathered up.
Although our DM has the full first round of books from 4e, so we may try it one day.
Well, I will say this for 4th edition, I really enjoyed playing my 1st level fighter. I think that's the first time in any edition of D&D that has occurred.
Fights are way more interesting and challenging at low-levels in 4e. Going into a fight with the 3e mentality of "run in and hit them with a sword" won't work; teamwork and strategy will pay off hugely.
Also, I love the minion concept. One thing I found interesting in the PA DnD podcast was that their DM would announce which minis were the minions. Overall that's probably a better way to deal with it, because during the running of Keep on the Shadowfell that I ran I never told the PCs which monsters were minions and which weren't, so they'd get discouraged when they 'wasted' an Encounter or Daily on a one-hit wonder.
Sorcerers have some pretty interesting options: dragon magic or wild magic. The former allows for some AC buffing and strength modifier damage with powers, while the latter is similar to the wild mage from 3.5
Wild magic has an interesting feature: Unfettered Power
Unfettered Power: When you roll a natural 20
on an attack roll for an arcane power, you slide the
target 1 square and knock it prone after applying the
attack’s other effects.
When you roll a natural 1 on an attack roll for an
arcane power, you must push each creature within 5
squares of you 1 square.
It seems odd that you benefit from rolling a natural 1. I also read that there is a feat for dragonborn in Martial Power called Draconic Arrogance, which deals STR modifier damage when you push or knock an enemy prone.
Which means when you roll a 1, every enemy within 5 squares takes damage.
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Kane Red RobeMaster of MagicArcanusRegistered Userregular
Fights are way more interesting and challenging at low-levels in 4e. Going into a fight with the 3e mentality of "run in and hit them with a sword" won't work; teamwork and strategy will pay off hugely.
Also, I love the minion concept. One thing I found interesting in the PA DnD podcast was that their DM would announce which minis were the minions. Overall that's probably a better way to deal with it, because during the running of Keep on the Shadowfell that I ran I never told the PCs which monsters were minions and which weren't, so they'd get discouraged when they 'wasted' an Encounter or Daily on a one-hit wonder.
The downside of that is when your party wizard goes, "Bah, a group of peasant minions, I have thunderwave, I'll charge them!" and then proceeds to get clubbed into insensibility in the following round.
Sorcerers have some pretty interesting options: dragon magic or wild magic. The former allows for some AC buffing and strength modifier damage with powers, while the latter is similar to the wild mage from 3.5
Wild magic has an interesting feature: Unfettered Power
Unfettered Power: When you roll a natural 20
on an attack roll for an arcane power, you slide the
target 1 square and knock it prone after applying the
attack’s other effects.
When you roll a natural 1 on an attack roll for an
arcane power, you must push each creature within 5
squares of you 1 square.
It seems odd that you benefit from rolling a natural 1. I also read that there is a feat for dragonborn in Martial Power called Draconic Arrogance, which deals STR modifier damage when you push or knock an enemy prone.
Which means when you roll a 1, every enemy within 5 squares takes damage.
Powers that target creatures hit your party members to, who are a lot more likely to be near you then enemies. Note the "must" in the effects there.
minions? what are minions? I know practically nothing about 4e
Minions are basically monsters with 1 HP. They'd typically do only a set amount of damage (depending on their level) but have decent AC and often have powers and abilities that give them benefits when they attack en masse. In addition 'real' monster types like Controllers (a Orc Warchief or a Vampire Lord) can buff and heal their minions.
They're a fun clump of monsters that make you feel like a badass when your Wizard nukes 10 at a time with a fireball, or your Fighter cleaves right through'em.
Powers that target creatures hit your party members to, who are a lot more likely to be near you then enemies. Note the "must" in the effects there.
Alright, so it pushes your allies. Draconic Arrogance only targets enemies. It's still pretty handy for rolling a 1. Dunno if it's worth pushing your dragonborn sorcerer to wild magic though.
They also did a better job in the MM and DMG of helping you to design encounters for players.
Being able to just look at a monster and say 'Okay the party is level X and the average encounter would give them this much XP; looking through the MM, this one is a Lurker, he'd be good mixed in with a couple Brutes and a Artillery, and they all add up the the encounter total XP.' helps to streamline the process.
The monsters are defined by their role in an Encounter, instead of just as a monster themselves.
so how are the new classes in the PHB II? I guess I need to pick it up when Barnes and Nobel gets it in
I've only really looked at the shaman but I would say it seems pretty well balanced and I'm really looking forward to getting to play one. The spirit companion is a great idea and It should make healing people that are spaced far apart a bit easier.
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kaleeditySometimes science is more art than scienceRegistered Userregular
Mostly nitpick stuff like how much easier it is to back out of combat without taking an attack of opportunity.
It just seemed to us that there were too many abusable changes that were made to make the game easier, but we never tested it in an actual game, so maybe it's unwarranted.
They got rid of withdraw.
4e shift+movement isn't as good as 3.5e withdraw, a full round action you can take to double move and ignore attacks of opportunity for moving from the square you occupy.
Ifso, there's no reason to stress. You're all there to have fun. Stick to your notes, fudge some rolls if need be, and if you need to buy some time come up with some riddles for the PCs to solve.
Hey guys. I'm dm 4.0 for the second time ever. My party full of idiots did some stuff to put them somewhere a couple levels higher than they should be. I know what I want to do to them but I don't know how to do it because I'm unfamiliar with 4th ed. My question is, since and encounter is supposed to be say 700 xp does that mean I can just put them against 1 level 12 (or whatever) monster that is worth 700 xp? I know in 3.5 they would get their asses handed to them but I was wondering if 4th ed. is different. I should probably ask this in CF forum but hey, I don't like to move around.
A level 12 would almost certainly wipe the floor with the party, it's defenses will be so high the party would need to roll 20s to hit, and it's attacks would more or less auto-hit the PCs for buckets of damage. Pretty much the same there as 3.5
What you want to do for an encounter against a single foe is use a Solo type monster of the appropriate level, they'll provide the same challenge as 5 monsters of the same level, but are balanced so they'll be difficult but not impossible for the Party to beat.
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MorgensternICH BIN DER PESTVOGELDU KAMPFAFFE!Registered Userregular
edited March 2009
Threads needs less:
Needs more:
Morgenstern on
“Every time we walk along a beach some ancient urge disturbs us so that we find ourselves shedding shoes and garments or scavenging among seaweed and whitened timbers like the homesick refugees of a long war.” - Loren Eiseley
MorgensternICH BIN DER PESTVOGELDU KAMPFAFFE!Registered Userregular
edited March 2009
Except one is more inherently awesome than the other.
Morgenstern on
“Every time we walk along a beach some ancient urge disturbs us so that we find ourselves shedding shoes and garments or scavenging among seaweed and whitened timbers like the homesick refugees of a long war.” - Loren Eiseley
Except one is more inherently awesome than the other.
Maybe you should shut up and let people discussing table top games talk about it in a thread that is for table top games.
Maybe you shouldn't fly off the handle at a comment that was made more in the spirit of fun than actually trying to say that one is better than the other because 'i iz bein so srz'.
Morgenstern on
“Every time we walk along a beach some ancient urge disturbs us so that we find ourselves shedding shoes and garments or scavenging among seaweed and whitened timbers like the homesick refugees of a long war.” - Loren Eiseley
Hey guys. I'm dm 4.0 for the second time ever. My party full of idiots did some stuff to put them somewhere a couple levels higher than they should be. I know what I want to do to them but I don't know how to do it because I'm unfamiliar with 4th ed. My question is, since and encounter is supposed to be say 700 xp does that mean I can just put them against 1 level 12 (or whatever) monster that is worth 700 xp? I know in 3.5 they would get their asses handed to them but I was wondering if 4th ed. is different. I should probably ask this in CF forum but hey, I don't like to move around.
What level is the party? How are they 'somewhere a couple levels higher?' The MM and the DMG have rules for encounters against a Solo monster, you should be able to find one appropriate for the party. And it doesn't always have to be one big monster. Break it up into several smaller encounters. Alternatively, add some environmental hazards to the fight, like fire pits, swinging blade traps, boiling hot geysers to bump up the XP 'requirement.'
Except one is more inherently awesome than the other.
Maybe you should shut up and let people discussing table top games talk about it in a thread that is for table top games.
Maybe you shouldn't fly off the handle at a comment that was made more in the spirit of fun than actually trying to say that one is better than the other because 'i iz bein so srz'.
Posts
In 3.5 you either have some sort of cleric, or you buy healing rings. In 4e, every character has the ability to heal themselves, and all leader types has some sort of ability to help their party members.
Although our DM has the full first round of books from 4e, so we may try it one day.
Well, I will say this for 4th edition, I really enjoyed playing my 1st level fighter. I think that's the first time in any edition of D&D that has occurred.
Also, I love the minion concept. One thing I found interesting in the PA DnD podcast was that their DM would announce which minis were the minions. Overall that's probably a better way to deal with it, because during the running of Keep on the Shadowfell that I ran I never told the PCs which monsters were minions and which weren't, so they'd get discouraged when they 'wasted' an Encounter or Daily on a one-hit wonder.
Wild magic has an interesting feature: Unfettered Power
Unfettered Power: When you roll a natural 20
on an attack roll for an arcane power, you slide the
target 1 square and knock it prone after applying the
attack’s other effects.
When you roll a natural 1 on an attack roll for an
arcane power, you must push each creature within 5
squares of you 1 square.
It seems odd that you benefit from rolling a natural 1. I also read that there is a feat for dragonborn in Martial Power called Draconic Arrogance, which deals STR modifier damage when you push or knock an enemy prone.
Which means when you roll a 1, every enemy within 5 squares takes damage.
The downside of that is when your party wizard goes, "Bah, a group of peasant minions, I have thunderwave, I'll charge them!" and then proceeds to get clubbed into insensibility in the following round.
Wait, no, that's still awesome.
Powers that target creatures hit your party members to, who are a lot more likely to be near you then enemies. Note the "must" in the effects there.
Minions are basically monsters with 1 HP. They'd typically do only a set amount of damage (depending on their level) but have decent AC and often have powers and abilities that give them benefits when they attack en masse. In addition 'real' monster types like Controllers (a Orc Warchief or a Vampire Lord) can buff and heal their minions.
They're a fun clump of monsters that make you feel like a badass when your Wizard nukes 10 at a time with a fireball, or your Fighter cleaves right through'em.
Alright, so it pushes your allies. Draconic Arrogance only targets enemies. It's still pretty handy for rolling a 1. Dunno if it's worth pushing your dragonborn sorcerer to wild magic though.
Being able to just look at a monster and say 'Okay the party is level X and the average encounter would give them this much XP; looking through the MM, this one is a Lurker, he'd be good mixed in with a couple Brutes and a Artillery, and they all add up the the encounter total XP.' helps to streamline the process.
The monsters are defined by their role in an Encounter, instead of just as a monster themselves.
I've only really looked at the shaman but I would say it seems pretty well balanced and I'm really looking forward to getting to play one. The spirit companion is a great idea and It should make healing people that are spaced far apart a bit easier.
They got rid of withdraw.
4e shift+movement isn't as good as 3.5e withdraw, a full round action you can take to double move and ignore attacks of opportunity for moving from the square you occupy.
Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
Oh god, I'm going to panic, this is terrible, I need to calm down, shiiiiiiiit.
Ifso, there's no reason to stress. You're all there to have fun. Stick to your notes, fudge some rolls if need be, and if you need to buy some time come up with some riddles for the PCs to solve.
Seriously though. Dea?d won't be there. He broke his internet.
Steam - Talon Valdez :Blizz - Talonious#1860 : Xbox Live & LoL - Talonious Monk @TaloniousMonk Hail Satan
It's terribly irrational really, like stagefright or something.
EDIT: Yeah, I heard about DE?AD. Toned down the encounters a bit to compensate already.
You're already doing better than I did then, I forgot to tune stuff down the first time. (Not much tuning down has still been done).
What you want to do for an encounter against a single foe is use a Solo type monster of the appropriate level, they'll provide the same challenge as 5 monsters of the same level, but are balanced so they'll be difficult but not impossible for the Party to beat.
Needs more:
Steam - Talon Valdez :Blizz - Talonious#1860 : Xbox Live & LoL - Talonious Monk @TaloniousMonk Hail Satan
Yeah, it doesn't get a whole lot stompier than that.
EDIT: Yes I can
Maybe you should shut up and let people discussing table top games talk about it in a thread that is for table top games.
Maybe you shouldn't fly off the handle at a comment that was made more in the spirit of fun than actually trying to say that one is better than the other because 'i iz bein so srz'.
Maybe.
Then again, maybe you're not funny.
Sure, my bad.