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Sep 2, 2011 -- 7:01PM, Herid_Fel wrote:

Sep 2, 2011 -- 4:12PM, Istaran wrote:

I'll back up 22_over_7 as I also DM'd at PAX and got an early copy of Mordenkainen's. I pointed the potion of invulnerability out to him initiallly, and he found the elven chain and pointed it out to me.

I don't know what more you're hoping for in terms of citation. There's like a few dozen of us that have it from PAX and I don't know who else could confirm it without violating an NDA. Obviously they won't hit the stores for a couple weeks or the compendium for longer. 

I don't suppose you'd be more willing to provide spoilers than Mr. Approximate Pi, would you?

Perhaps a bit. I don't have my book most of the time when I'm on the internet. 

So how about a quick sweep of common items?
Skipping toward the end there's a few pages dedicated to mundane adventuring gear. A variety of +2s and such available for cheap as well as an interesting design choice: a variety of mundane books (and a few other items that function similarly) that let you reroll certain skill checks.. if you spend an hour consulting the book in order to do so. Obviously the applications will be limited (especially for the Bestiaries, which work for monster knowledge checks) but it's a potent ability for 25 gp on a non-consumable.. when the plot allows.


Armor of Escape.. bonus to escape checks.. also can't back removed unless you're willing. There's a cute story about that on page 11.
Fishscale Armor grants a swim speed. So yay, common means of swim speed.
Robe of Useful Items.. makes a generic mundane item (10gp or less, DM approval required) that lasts for an hour, then disappears and recharges the power. Could be fun with a sufficiently creative player and DM as the wizard becomes MacGuyver but otherwise unimpressive.

There's a few new base weapons. Several new small weapons. I may need to research what benefit you get from a small weapon that isn't 2-handed nor versatile as there are several. (Keyword triggering obviously, but what can you do with that?)
The Lance is a 'mounted' weapon, which means -2 attack if you aren't mounted but +1[W] to charge attacks if you are mounted (!).
The Whip has been inexplicably made it's own weapon group, thus removing all Flail keyword benefits and making it sad. It also lost off-hand. What did the poor whip do to diserve this?
Pike and Heavy War Pick are +2/1d10 reach and +2/1d12 respectively, and both are small military weapons. So small characters get a few better weapon options. Especially since Pick Expertise gives a damage bonus versus enemies larger than you.

Lesser Cloaked Weapon can be stowed with a password and then can't be found until you retrieve it with the password and a minor action. Nice trick for an intrigue heavy campaign when you want to bring weapons into places they wouldn't be welcome.
Punishing Weapon does more and more damage as you continue to hit the same target with it. While the bonus is a power bonus, it doesn't seem to have a cap to how high it can get (aside from the target dying or what not). (though it only increases 1/rd.)

Weapon of Long Range is a slightly higher level, slightly higher range distance weapon. Good choice for thrown weapons if you can afford the extra expense.

Symbol of the Sun hates undead. Extra forced movement and item bonus to damage versus them.
Steadfast Stone Ki Focus ignores some of your target's resistances.
Orb of Forceful Magic increases your forced movement.
Rod of Smiting is a rod that can be used as a mace. Decent crit dice. Don't know why you'd bother.
Tome of Undeniable Might lets you ignore insubstantial with attacks using a keyword of your choice. (Chose keyword on extended rest)
Totem of Trailblazing.. bonus to nature. Wee.
Apprentice's Wand can be transported to your hand from anywhere on the plane as a minor action. (like the lesser cloaked weapon, good for intrigue scenarios?)
Wand of Inevitability gives you a bonus to attacking with an at-will after you miss every target with the same at-will.
Bracers of Infinite Blades gives you infinite +X daggers (or other light thrown weapons of a single type) for the cost of a +X+1 magic weapon.. not sure who could plausibly make this better than just getting a magic weapon. (also I don't think it's new.. just the rarity and maybe the scaling?)
Tusk Shield gives you a +2 item bonus to all defenses when you charge, until the end of your next turn.
It's natural enemy is the Vanguard's Shield: +4 item bonus to all defenses against charge attacks. (This could be decent for some ranged defenders with shinanegans to keep the enemy too far to attack without charging.)
Shoes of the Tireless Gait let you walk forever, though they give penalties if you walk for more than 24 hours.
Shoes of Water Walking are much more practical, and obvious in function.
Gauntlets of Swimming and Climbing give a swim and climb speed. Nifty!
Hero's Gauntlets give bonuses to AP attacks, including hefty temp HP generation.
Crown of Leaves.. nature and insight bonus, moving on.
Helm of Languages is great for conversing but not for reading/writing.
Ioun Stone of Sustenance keeps you from needing to eat, drink, or breath and cuts down ext rest time.
Reading Spectacles is now common.
Amulet of Life Protection is a neck slot item that is great if you anticipate being killed a long way from a raise dead, or by unintelligent undead that spawn... >_> I prefer plans that don't require me to die..
Brooch of Unerring Defense halves miss damage against you (except ongoing).
Lesser Badge of the Berserker, for those who can't find the real thing, +4 bonus to defenses against OA while charging.
Periapt of Health helps against diseases (both saves and endurance checks)
Lesser Ring of Feather Fall protects from falling damage.
Baldric of Time is common now.
Baldric of Valor gives a variety of bonuses when you AP.
Cincture of Vivacity is common now as is Survivor's Belt.
Backpack of Concealment can hide one item placed in it from searches, so yet another smuggling trick.
Climber's Rope let's you fire (use a bow or crossbow) one attachment point for a rope, the other end affixing where you are. Nice way to add a shortcut to the map.
Enchanted Reigns, Endless Quiver, and Eternal Chalk are common now, as are Floating Lantern and Flying Hook.
Gem of Auditory Recollection is basically a tape recorder.

and.. I'm going to stop for now. I need to finish some last minute prep to DM tomorrow!
Suffice to say there's a lot more interesting variety of common items out there now. The number of non combat-centric, non-skill-bonus common items is especially a nice area of growth.                                      

Sep 2, 2011 -- 11:22PM, mellored wrote:

Nothing new with flail.  Yes it will help out a few builds, but it's nothing you couldn't do before.  And you loose a useful slide.  IMO, it makes a nice, competitive option.

Well, lets actually compare what's going on here.

Previously you needed to invest in a very narrow weapon group, have a serious investment in what may have been an off stat, taken two feats, one of which is  a setting specific feat, and two specific magic items

Now you need at best, two feats, one which you HAD to take anyway, so really only one feat, and the same setting specific feat and one of the two magic items. Unless your an E-Class or using a Charge kit. In which case you can just take a one of feat in Paragon and you're golden. So a non-feat and a feat versus two feats, a heavy stat investment, and two specfic magic items. Warlocks and Hexblades only need the non-feat.

Sounds fair to me.

There's also the fact that on just a sheer weapon stat basis, flails are a way more versatile as a group than Polearms. With Polearms you either have the Glaive for HBO tricks, or its Greatspear or bust. Flails include the only one handed reach weapon, Long Sword and Bastard Sword analogues, A reach weapon only slightly less awesome than the Greatspear that becomes MORE awesome if your willing to give up your multi-class, and a heavy thrown weapon. If the feat works on any weapon attack, that means that Lightning Bola users can fairly easily knock prone at range. Granted, the range is piss, but it may make for some interesting Seeker builds, which I wouldn't be wholly opposed to. Particularly when you get the joys of Multi-Target Prone-Daze.

You can argue about the potencey of at-will prone, which as you point out is radiclaly common, but the fact is this feat is now the best and cheapest way for people to get to it. There is almost no reason for a Slayer or Knight to not pick up Flails now. This feat more or less makes Flails one of the best weapon types in the game. Straight up. Well, straight up until we find out that Pick Expertise stuns on a MBA when you meet certain easy to fufill conditions which, at the rate of stupid pouring from this book, I wouldn't be (completely) surprised to see. Light Blades are still better for DPR in situations where KAM abuse is out of the question, or your a theif with better options. Of course, one of those situations was in fact dual weilding, which, as I somewhat sarcastically pointed out in a prior post, can now be combo'd with KAM due to this feat. Besides warping the weapon option balance (again), I am also more than a little annoyed that we have yet another excuse to trot out Charge-KAM kits, which I've grown sick of. Its also more powerful than any other Expertise Feat. Yes, even Staff Expertise. At-Will Prone > Reach with a **** weapon.

Of course last week I was miffed at a load of dripping non-content in the form of narrow and whiff-tastic expertise feats and a bunch of utility powers I forgot within the hour. It seems WotC at this point is driven to either make Invulnerability Potions or Vampires. Damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Edit: After remembering a specific feat (Overpowering Charge), I realized that an epic Slayer/Barbarian would have far better reason to use a Gouge over a Flail, rendering some of my arguements a little flat, particularly since at the moment I don't see how a Flail-User could keep up in terms of damage after that point. Of course, in my defense that is still 21 levels to wait for something a Flail-Slayer could go at Level 16. And its still the best weapon ground for Knights.