|
3 months ago ::
Mar 11, 2013 - 6:01AM
#71
|
|
|
donut holes does sound stupid...but thats your term.
being able to drop a fireball and sculpt it to not affect my allies because I'm just that damn good...sounds awesome...however not all mages should be that kind of awesome. That's why I like the evocationist tradition.
It's an apt description. A ring of effect with an artificial hole in the middle where my buddies can be safe and secure.
See my response above for why fireball is probably the worst example of what you are trying to advocate.
A wall of energy shaped in a circle IS a donut, so I think there are differernt categories of spells to consider. AoE spells that are "blast"-like (fireball, burning hands, cone of cold) would have more limitations on how they are controlled than others. Making a cone narrower to avoid an ally is one thing (and feels appropriate). Making your ally that is just in front of a enemy get missed but the enemy gets the full brunt of the cone effect does stretch the imagination too far, IMO.
I'd organize the AOE spells into shapes such as:
- wall: "wall of X"
- line: lightning bolt
- field: entangle, fog cloud
- blast: fireball
- cone: burning hands, cone of cold
Blast spells are the most difficult to truly control (conceptually), where wall and field are the easiest. IMO, the true trick is to make sure the caster has enough variety of shapes, or the ability to morph a spell into a different shape. IMO, the latter would be a really neat feature of an evoker.
Note: There could be spells that use these shapes in an unconventional manner, like the 4e power that has a lightning attack in the shape of a wall, but was an instantaneous spell (it was a controlled forked lightning-styled spell).
Field is a blast. Just last longer.
An elemental shaper sounds fun. Not sure it should be a "wizard" though. Sorcerer makes more sense IMO.
guides
Show
my builds
Show
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.
|
|
|
|
3 months ago ::
Mar 11, 2013 - 6:03AM
#72
|
Date Joined:
Oct 28, 2010
|
On a separate note, it looks like my Easter weekend will be spent with g/f's parents, so I probably won't be able to do anythign for international tabletop day D:
What, your girlfriend and her folks don't like rolling dice or have imaginations??! 
Not as such, no. I might manage to swing a game of monopoly, but that's about it D:
|
|
|
|
3 months ago ::
Mar 11, 2013 - 6:07AM
#73
|
|
|
If i recall...
Recall from where? In 35 years of playing D&D I have never once read or heard this.
I want to say 3.5, but it may have been from a different system entirely.
guides
Show
my builds
Show
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.
|
|
|
|
3 months ago ::
Mar 11, 2013 - 6:07AM
#74
|
|
|
This week's L&L seems to be addressing the problem of D&D being too much like 3E and 4E.
...whatever
|
|
|
|
3 months ago ::
Mar 11, 2013 - 6:08AM
#75
|
Date Joined:
Oct 23, 2012
|
manuevers already level.
My mind is a deal-breaker.
|
|
|
|
3 months ago ::
Mar 11, 2013 - 6:09AM
#76
|
Date Joined:
Apr 15, 2001
|
This week's L&L seems to be addressing the problem of D&D being too much like 3E and 4E.
Thats a good thing.
Reducing a character to a list of dice rolls and modifiers is not role playing*
*pg 30, AD&D 2nd Ed DMG, 1989.
|
|
|
|
3 months ago ::
Mar 11, 2013 - 6:10AM
#77
|
Date Joined:
Feb 10, 2011
|
"Hold on, I'm just going to open my magic door to take a quick jaunt through the ethereal realm and back out that other magical door I put over there then I'm going to make myself fly. What can I make the magical fire I conjured from my fingertips not burn you? What do you take me for? Some kind of wizard?"
|
|
|
|
3 months ago ::
Mar 11, 2013 - 6:14AM
#78
|
|
|
If i recall...
Recall from where? In 35 years of playing D&D I have never once read or heard this.
I want to say 3.5, but it may have been from a different system entirely.
Nope. The Player's Handbook v3.5 says, "Wizards, sorcerers, and bards cast arcane spells, which involve the direct manipulation of mystic energies." Nothing there about living spell creatures with intelligence. 3rd edition did have creatures called living spells, that I think originated in the Eberron setting but that's not the same thing I don't think.
Kalex the Omen Dungeonmaster Extraordinaire Concerning Player Rules Bias
Show
Gaining victory through rules bias is a hollow victory and they know it.
The argument goes, that some idiot at the table might claim that because there is a "default" that is the only true way to play D&D. An idiotic misconception that should be quite easy to disprove just by reading the rules, coming to these forums, or sending a quick note off to Customer Support and sharing the inevitable response with the group. BTW, I'm not just talking about Next when I say this. Of course, D&D has always been this way since at least the late 70's when I began playing.
|
|
|
|
3 months ago ::
Mar 11, 2013 - 6:22AM
#79
|
Date Joined:
Jan 29, 2005
|
Field is a blast. Just last longer.
Not really. A blast (and cone) has a point of origin, where a field doesn't. Now, a blast may become a field, such as a fireball igniting the area in a field of fire...But the shapes are distinctly different.
Magic Dual Color Test
Show
|
|
|
|
3 months ago ::
Mar 11, 2013 - 6:25AM
#80
|
Date Joined:
Jun 21, 2012
|
I don't want the spells to have donut holes either, but I don't mind sparing use of abilities that allow aoe spells to be more friendly. I don't want them to be especially common though, and I agree that there should be some room for error in it. In the past, I've had players roll int checks to see if they've placed the donut hole in the right spot.
|
|
|
