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1 year ago ::
Dec 27, 2011 - 1:55PM
#191
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I Googled the basics on Core and Essential 4th edition and I have to admit that it's still a bit puzzling. The original purpose for Essentials seems to have been to simplify an already "simple" game (by D&D terms) yet the write up goes on to say that the Essential's line went on to revise Core rules and update various aspects.
I suppose my question is if Core is still being published or is it ALL Essential now...thus making Essential "Core"?
Everything (except settings) is "core".
Essentials reworded a number of rules, but it's still the same game.
Essentials classes can be used along side pre-essentials classes.
A few (not all) of the essentials classes are simple to play.
guides
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my builds
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F-111 Interdictor Long (200+ squares) distance ally teleporter. With some warlord stuff. Broken in a plot way, not a power way.
Thought Switch Higher level build that grants upto 14 attacks on turn 1. If your allies play along, it's broken.
Elven Critters Crit op with crit generation. 5 of these will end anything. Broken.
King Fisher Does an excellent job at keeping an enemy disabled in a few ways. Strong.
Boominator Fun catch-22 booming blade build with either strong or completely broken damage depending on your reading.
Very Distracting Warlock Lot's of dazing and major penalties to hit. Overpowered.
Pocket Protector Pixie Stealth Knight. Maximizing the defender's aura by being in an ally's/enemy's square.
Yakuza NinjIntimiAdin: Perma-stealth Striker that offers a little protection for ally's, and can intimidate bloodied enemies. Very Strong.
Chargeburgler with cheese Ranged attacks at the end of a charge along with perma-stealth. Solid, could be overpowered if tweaked.
Void Defender Defends giving a penalty to hit anyone but him, then removing himself from play. Can get somewhat broken in epic.
Scry and Die Attacking from around corners, while staying hidden. Moderate to broken, depending on the situation.
Skimisher Fly in, attack, and fly away. Also prevents enemies from coming close. Moderate to Broken depending on the enemy, but shouldn't make the game un-fun, as the rest of your team is at risk, and you have enough weaknesses.
Indestructible Simply won't die, even if you sleep though combat.
Sir Robin (Bravely Charge Away) He automatically slows and pushes an enemy (5 squares), while charging away. Hard to rate it's power level, since it's terrain dependent.
Death's Gatekeeper A fun twist on a healic, making your party "unkillable". Overpowered to Broken, but shouldn't actually make the game un-fun, just TPK proof.
Death's Gatekeeper mk2, (Stealth Edition) Make your party "unkillable", and you hidden, while doing solid damage. Stronger then the above, but also easier for a DM to shut down. Broken, until your DM get's enough of it.
Domination and Death Dominate everything then kill them quickly. Only works @ 30, but is broken multiple ways.
Battlemind Mc Prone-Daze Protecting your allies by keeping enemies away. Quite powerful.
The Retaliator Getting hit deals more damage to the enemy then you receive yourself, and you can take plenty of hits. Heavy item dependency, Broken.
Dead Kobold Transit Teleports 98 squares a turn, and can bring someone along for the ride. Not fully built, so i can't judge the power
Psilent Guardian Protect your allies, while being invisible. Overpowered, possibly broken
Unnamed Avenger|Runepriest/Hammer of Vengance Do lot's of damage while boosting your teams. Strong to slightly overpowered.
Charedent BarrageA charging ardent. Fine in a normal team, overpowered if there are 2 together, and easily broken in teams of 5.
Super Knight A tough, sticky, high damage knight. Strong.
Super Duper Knight Basically the same as super knight, only far more broken.
Mora, the unkillable avenger Solid damage, while being neigh indestuctable. Overpowered, but not broken.
Swordburst Maximus At-Will Close Burst 3 that slide and prones. Protects allies with off actions. Strong, possibly over powered with the right party.
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1 year ago ::
Dec 29, 2011 - 12:57PM
#192
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Date Joined:
Sep 26, 2001
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I suppose my question is if Core is still being published or is it ALL Essential now...thus making Essential "Core"?
Core is still in print. With the inclusion of any 'update documents' (ongoing, extensive errata), any published 4e book, in print or not, remains useable with the rest of 4e, including Essentials.
If you're not using Essentials, there are a few 'updates' that you'd want to ignore - you wouldn't worry about which items are 'common,' for instance, and wouldn't need to change Magic Missle or concern yourself with wizard-spell school keywords, or take to calling the fighter in your party a 'Weapon Master (Fighter).'
Love 4e? Concerned about its future? Join the Old Guard of 4e"You want The Tooth? You can't handle The Tooth!" - Dahlver-Nar. "If magic is unrestrained in the campaign, D&D quickly degenerates into a weird wizard show where players get bored quickly" - E. Gary Gygax
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1 year ago ::
Dec 31, 2011 - 7:05PM
#193
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Date Joined:
Jan 15, 2009
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or take to calling the fighter in your party a 'Weapon Master (Fighter).'
Heh who calls any character by there class name... He is a Thane not a Warlord, by garsh.
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1 year ago ::
Jan 05, 2012 - 8:53AM
#194
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Date Joined:
Jun 23, 2010
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I have been out of D&D for maybe the last 18 months or so and just getting back in now, I am trying to figure out how the Essentials line works in to character creation and not getting any good answers from either searches or my local game store.
If I am making a Warlock for the Encounters program on Wednesdays am I limited to the ability/builds shown in the Essential guide or can I take powers from the PHB? The DM at Encounters made it sound like I had to stick to the Essential build/options but some of the pre-gens seemed to take from the PHB. I initially wanted to play an Invoker but they are not listed in the Essential books and could not be used for Encounters was the explanation I got
I know the local DM will have to ok anything I bring to the table but in general should I view Essentials as a supplement/extra options for characters? Something I can mix and match with PHB created characters?
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1 year ago ::
Jan 05, 2012 - 9:05PM
#195
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Date Joined:
Aug 25, 2011
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I'm new to D&D and am looking to DM for a group of friends whom have also never played before (the books I am using are the Dungeon master guide, the MM1, and the players hand book). The initial dungeon is made and all of the encounters within it are ready (although reading some of the comments from another thread I see that my MM1 was probably not a good purchase as it looks like the monster vault book supersedes it). Anyway, I figure since I only have the one players hand book I would get power cards to supplement our game and make it so we don't drag out combat having to pass a single book around a table of 6 people.
I'm looking on line to purchase the cards but am getting confused. First there is the Players Hand book set:
www.wizards.com/dnd/Product.aspx?x=dnd/p...
These are the ones I think I need. They are for the players hand book that I purchased. Unfortunately, through all of my searching this item seems to be discontinued (there are people selling this boxed set but every seller I have come across online wants a boat load of cash for it.).
So instead I am looking to purchase the packs individually as they seem easier to come by: www.wizards.com/dnd/Product.aspx?x=dnd/p...
But then I saw these packs:
www.wizards.com/dnd/Product.aspx?x=dnd/p...
...They seem like they might be the same thing but I can't tell for sure (the descriptions aren't that helpful). Which ones do I want?
As well, is my dungeon going to be too hard based on the fact that I used MM1?
Thanks for hearing me out guys.
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1 year ago ::
Jan 06, 2012 - 1:06AM
#196
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Date Joined:
Sep 26, 2001
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I have been out of D&D for maybe the last 18 months or so and just getting back in now, I am trying to figure out how the Essentials line works in to character creation and not getting any good answers from either searches or my local game store.
Essentials is a specific product line, particularly aimed at new gamers. They're nominally compatible, but cover a lot of the same ground as the core three PH, MM, & DMG. In the case of the 'Monster Vault' they cover that ground better. In the case of the player materials, not so much.
If I am making a Warlock for the Encounters program on Wednesdays am I limited to the ability/builds shown in the Essential guide or can I take powers from the PHB?
The Encounters-legal character guidelines are different each season. This season, it's Essentials + Heroes of the Feywild. So, you can use stuff from Heroes of the Forgotten Kindgom, Heroes of the Fallen Land, or Heroes of the Feywild. And, you can also use Dragon material that /specifically/ expands on stuff from Essentials (like a Pyromancer, for instance).
The DM at Encounters made it sound like I had to stick to the Essential build/options but some of the pre-gens seemed to take from the PHB. I initially wanted to play an Invoker but they are not listed in the Essential books and could not be used for Encounters was the explanation I got
Your DM is correct. The pre-gens are Essentials-only, and have been used for 3 seasons now, IIRC.
I know the local DM will have to ok anything I bring to the table but in general should I view Essentials as a supplement/extra options for characters? Something I can mix and match with PHB created characters?
For Encounters, Essentials + the latest thing being pushed that season, is it. Your DM /can/ allow in anything, if he wants. Outside of Encounters, Essentials is just another source - you can use or not use as you see fit.
Love 4e? Concerned about its future? Join the Old Guard of 4e"You want The Tooth? You can't handle The Tooth!" - Dahlver-Nar. "If magic is unrestrained in the campaign, D&D quickly degenerates into a weird wizard show where players get bored quickly" - E. Gary Gygax
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1 year ago ::
Jan 06, 2012 - 1:17AM
#197
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Date Joined:
Sep 26, 2001
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I'm new to D&D and am looking to DM for a group of friends whom have also never played before (the books I am using are the Dungeon master guide, the MM1, and the players hand book). The initial dungeon is made and all of the encounters within it are ready (although reading some of the comments from another thread I see that my MM1 was probably not a good purchase as it looks like the monster vault book supersedes it).
Technically, the MM1 is still a valid source for monsters. It's just not quite as good as later ones - it was one of the first books out, and the monsters missed the mark slightly - most doing too little damage, for one example, and Elites and Solos having too-high defenses, for another. It's useable, though. It might be hard to challenge experienced players building 'drink from the firehose' characters with the MM1, but it'll be fine for a set of new players. Even Elites and solos are OK - just don't use any more than a level or two above the party, or combats could drag.
I'm looking on line to purchase the cards but am getting confused. First there is the Players Hand book set:
www.wizards.com/dnd/Product.aspx?x=dnd/p...
These are the ones I think I need. They are for the players hand book that I purchased. Unfortunately, through all of my searching this item seems to be discontinued (there are people selling this boxed set but every seller I have come across online wants a boat load of cash for it.).
So instead I am looking to purchase the packs individually as they seem easier to come by:
www.wizards.com/dnd/Product.aspx?x=dnd/p...
I don't know that you 'need' these. There are alternatives. For one, your players should quickly become familiar with their at-will and encounter powers, and not have to look them up all the time. Until then (and for dailies) there's the option of simply copying the powers down - onto a sheet or onto index cards. Not as pretty, but not really much of a problem, a starting character only has a few powers. There's also the Character Builder on DDI. The current one is on-line only (the old one was useable offline, and was consequently pirated - obviously, you wouldn't want to go and Torrent some pirated CB) so it's available while your DDI sub is current. There are similar third-party programs that let you create 'cards,' which is just a fancier way of copying down your powers - heck, a word processor lets you make prefectly presentalbe 'card sheets' like the ones the CB outputs.
But then I saw these packs:
www.wizards.com/dnd/Product.aspx?x=dnd/p...
...They seem like they might be the same thing but I can't tell for sure (the descriptions aren't that helpful). Which ones do I want?
Nope. These cards are for the 'Divine Power' suplement, they have no PH powers in 'em.
As well, is my dungeon going to be too hard based on the fact that I used MM1?
Not at all. If your players are using just the PH1 it should be quite challenging. Just be cautious of higher-level Elites and Solos. You might, in fact, find that combats are a little easy, you can always up monster damage a bit to make 'em a little scarier.
Love 4e? Concerned about its future? Join the Old Guard of 4e"You want The Tooth? You can't handle The Tooth!" - Dahlver-Nar. "If magic is unrestrained in the campaign, D&D quickly degenerates into a weird wizard show where players get bored quickly" - E. Gary Gygax
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1 year ago ::
Jan 06, 2012 - 7:08AM
#198
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Date Joined:
Aug 25, 2011
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Thanks for the help Tony_Vargas.
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1 year ago ::
Jan 21, 2012 - 10:58PM
#199
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Date Joined:
Jan 18, 2012
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So I recently purchased the Red Box and I must say I love it, a nice read and a fun game to boot. I ran through the solo side and am working on running my wife through it. My hopes are to have a few of my co-workers run through it also to build their characters and end up DMing a group of four people. I purchased the DM kit and will be getting it Monday (I can't wait). My question is should I continue to purchase the monster vault, and other 4e books since I see talk of a new edition coming out. Also if my group plans dont pan out how active is the VT? I would gladly pay $10 a month for some good games.
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1 year ago ::
Jan 22, 2012 - 2:04AM
#200
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Date Joined:
Sep 26, 2001
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No idea about the VTT.
5e is probably a couple of years away, and for all we know, it may suck. No reason you can't play now.
One obvious option is to just pick up the Rules Compendium and a DDI subscription. When 5e comes out, if you like it, drop DDI and start buying 5e books. If it sucks, start buying 4e books on ebay.
:shrug:
Or you could just not worry about it and get whatever books interest you. Where it might get a little wierd is the 4e/Essentials divide, since it created a lot of redundnacy.
Heroes of the Fallen Land and Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdom, for instance, are player-oriented books that the Red Box points you at. They are redundant - a lot of basic information is in both - but, you need both to get a reasonable selection of classes and races. They're also /both/ redundant with the Player's Handbook, which gives you even more basic rules information, and a broader selection of races and classes.
Similarly, DM Kit and DMG 1 & 2 has some redundancy. DM Kit gives you a module, maps and tokens, though, so it a pretty fair deal. Likewise, Monster Vault & Monster Manual 1 - again, the Monster Vault is newer and has an adventure & tokens - and has better write-ups of many of the same monsters.
With the basics of Player's Handbook, DMG or DM Kit, and a Monster Vault, you could run 4e until 5e comes out with an investment of less than $100.
Love 4e? Concerned about its future? Join the Old Guard of 4e"You want The Tooth? You can't handle The Tooth!" - Dahlver-Nar. "If magic is unrestrained in the campaign, D&D quickly degenerates into a weird wizard show where players get bored quickly" - E. Gary Gygax
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