Alright, I see no opposition to a Hexblade so that is what I will be playing. Here's more detailed character info that I'll update over the next day or so as I have time:
Lin was born in a Keeper settlement in the Dawnforge Mountains. The Keepers - one of two main categories of changeling - keep to their own heritage instead of adapting to those of the other races as the Becomers (the other category) do, and they generally live far from the rest of society. From birth Lin was selected to be a Watcher who protects her kind from the threats of the world.
Her early life was unremarkable; she grew up with the other children as if she were normal and had an average childhood. At 10 years old she was entered into Watcher training under an older male changeling named Bog. He taught her how to be swift and agile, and the social skills that would be needed of her when the time came to venture out into the world on missions. Anything needed was provided for her, as her future services were very important for the safety of not just the Keepers, but all changelings in the Nentir Vale.
At 18 she completed her training, and like the Watchers before her she made a pact with a Fey Lord. Pacts with these lords are what originally resulted in the changeling race's existence, so it is a tradition among Watchers (and any other Keeper desiring combat skills) to make a similar pact. Once fully initiated she began the work of a Watcher, which consisted initially of simple tasks like slaying creatures in nearby caves to keep them from expanding too close to the Keeper settlement.
The mundane tasks dominated her career up until she was in her late 20s. It was at this time she was first given the task of venturing into the Vale and checking on the various Becomer families to see how they were faring. Though it initially seemed like another mundane task, it proved quite exciting for one who had yet to try out her skill at shapeshifting. For safety she took the form of middle-aged male merchant, and used the opportunity to trade for various goods as well. The task took over a month, and when she returned she had a newfound fascination with the outside world.
In the years following her return from her first venture into the world she began to grow restless, anxiously awaiting the next time the Head Watcher would send her out again. The monster-slaying, which she used to do proudly, felt dull and insignificant compared to the opportunity to help her fellow changelings far and away in their secret settlements. This did not keep her from performing her duties, though the longing for more adventure (as she saw it) led to her taking up reading in her spare time.
Just a few weeks ago she finally recieved the assignment she had been awaiting for so long. The recent spike in raiding activity around the vale left the Keepers concerned for the safety of the Becomer families in the area, so they sent multiple Watchers out to check up on these various groups. Each one was sent to a specific location, with Lin being assigned to the most western settlement of Winterhaven. Lin developed her current guise of Lillian Morado - a mercenary seeking work - as the perfect role for the job, and after gathering provisions she set off. Now she has finally made it to Winterhaven, and is heading to the Church of Letharna to see Sister Linora - a prominent Becomer in the area - to get a better idea of what has happened, and what can be done to help.
Lillian Morado is the name that Lin chose for her current guise. So far she has not come up with much background for the persona except that she is a mercenary who heard of the troubles in Nentir Vale and has come looking for work, so most answers to questions regarding her past will be made up on the spot.
[I will update this part as the background is made up during roleplay]
Lin's natural form is nothing special when compared to other changelings, with the most noticeable trait being her slightly-lower-than-average height. She is 33 years old, stands 5' 5" tall and weighs 112 lbs. Her eyes are the same white color as all other changelings in their natural forms, and her hair is a long pale blonde with purple tips. In combat she wears a suit of armor made from the skin of the large cave lizards she often had to slay earlier in her career, as their hides are tough and perfectly suited for use as an armor component. On her hip she carries her pact weapon, The Blade of Winter's Mourning, which she has used exclusively since forming the pact 15 years ago. Its magical properties keep it always sharp, and rust never forms on its slightly blue-tinted blade.
Lillian appears to be a human in her 20s, matching Lin's natural form in height and weight. She has fair skin, blue eyes, and long brown hair. Her combat attire matches that of her natural form, though she keeps a dress to wear when possible to match with the character's personality.
Lin is quiet but not shy. She mostly keeps to herself in her homeland, as she is used to working alone and enjoys the solitude, but she can easily get along with others if in a situation where others are present. Her first venture into the world of the other races left her fascinated with it, and her recent assignment has been viewed as a great oppurtunity to see more of what the world has to offer. She plans to make the most of her current time with the other races, and learn as much about them as she can. Her favorite color is purple.
Lin's current guise is very similar to her natural personality, though without being openly fascinated with things that a typical human would consider mundane. She enjoys dressing fashionably when possible, but as a mercenary the opportunity rarely presents itself. Lillian is a bit arrogant, and a perfectionist at everything she does - even the things she doesn't want to do. She is proud of her skills, and always willing to prove her superiority on the battlefield to any would-be challenger. Her main hobby for passing the time is reading, and she sometimes reads as she travels if she has a book on her.
You gain a bonus to the damage rolls of your warlock and warlock paragon path attack powers. The bonus equals your Dexterity modifier (+3). The bonus increase to 2 + your Dexterity modifier (+3) at 5th level, 4 + your Dexterity modifier (+3) at 15th level, and 6 + your Dexterity modifier (+3) at 25th level. At 9th level, you also gain this bonus to the damage rolls of the creature you summon with summon warlock's ally.
You may summon the blade of winter's mourning weapon and you also gain two powers that you can use whenever you wield the blade: icy skewer and piercing shard.
At-Will * Polymorph Minor Action Personal Effect: You alter your physical form to take on the appearance of any Medium humanoid. You retain your statistics in your new form, and your clothing, armor, and possesions do not change. The new form lasts until you change form again. Any creature that attempts to see through your ruse makes an Insight check opposed by your Bluff check, and you gain a +5 bonus to your check.
At-Will * Arcane, Force, Implement Standard Action Ranged 10 Target: One creature Attack: Charisma (+4) vs. Reflex Hit: 1d10 + Charisma modifier (+4) force damage. Level 21: 2d10 + Charisma modifier (+4) force damage. Special: You can use this power as a ranged basic attack.
At-Will * Arcane, Teleportation Free Action Personal Trigger: You reduce an enemy to 0 hit points, or an enemy adjacent to you drops to 0 hit points. Effect: You teleport a number of squares up to your Dexterity modifier (+3). Special: You can use this power only once per round.
At-Will * Arcane, Cold, Implement, Weapon Standard Action Melee Weapon Target: One creature Attack: Charisma (+4) vs. AC Requirement: You must use this power with your Blade of Winter's Mourning Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier (+4) cold damage. You gain a +2 power bonus to all defenses against the target's attacks until the end of your next turn. Level 21: 2[W] + Charisma modifier (+4) cold damage. Special: You can use this power as a melee basic attack.
Encounter * Martial Free Action Personal Trigger: You roll initiative. Effect: You can draw a weapon and shift up to a number of squares equal to half your speed. If you end this move adjacent to an enemy, you gain a +2 power bonus to the next attack roll you make against that enemy before the end of your next turn. If your initiative is higher than every enemy's initiative, any melee weapon attack you make during your first turn of the encounter can score a critical hit on a roll of 18-20.
Encounter Minor Action Melee 1 Target: One creature Effect: You make a Bluff check (+12) opposed by the target's passive Insight. If your check succeeds, you gain combat advantage against the target until the end of your next turn.
Encounter * Arcane, Cold, Illusion, Implement, Psychic, Weapon Standard Action Melee Weapon Target: One creature Attack: Charisma (+4) vs. Will Requirement: You must use this power with your Blade of Winter's Mouring. Hit: 2[W] + Charisma modifier (+4) cold and psychic damage. Increase damage to 3[W] + Charisma modifier (+4) cold and psychic damage at 13th level. Increase damage to 4[W] + Charisma modifier (+4) cold and psychic damage at 23rd level. Effect: You are invisible to the target until the start of your next turn. Special: You can use this power twice per enounter, but only once per turn.
Encounter * Arcane, Teleportation Move Action Personal Effect: You can teleport 3 squares, and you gain a +2 power bonus to all defenses until the end of your next turn.
Daily * Arcane, Implement, Psychic Immediate Reaction Ranged 10 Target: The triggering enemy Attack: Charisma (+4) vs. Will Trigger: An enemy within 10 squares of you scores a critical hit or saves. Hit: 1d8 + Charisma modifier (+4) psychic damage. The target takes a -2 penalty to saving throws and ongoing 5 psychic damage (save ends both). The target cannot save against this power until it takes the ongoing psychic damage at least once. Dark Pact: The target takes a -3 penalty to saving throws instead of -2. Fey Pact: The target also takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls while affected by the ongoing psychic damage. Miss: The target takes ongoing 5 psychic damage (save ends). The target cannot save against this power until it takes the ongoing psychic damage at least once.
You gain a +1 feat bonus to implement attack rolls you make with a rod. When you hold a rod, you gain a +1 shield bonus to AC and Reflex. The bonus to attack rolls increases to +2 at 11th level and +3 at 21st level.
AC Bonus: +3 Check: -1 Weight: 25 lb. Type: Hide Level 4 Cost: 840 gp Enhancement: +1 AC Rarity: Uncommon Property: As a free action, you can draw a sheathed weapon or retrieve a stowed item. Property: You gain a power bonus to initiative equal to the item's enhancement bonus (+1).
Level 3 Cost: 680 gp Item Slot: Off-hand Critical: +1d6 damage Enhancement: +1 attack rolls and damage rolls. Rarity: Uncommon Power (Encounter): Free Action. Use this power when you make a ranged attack using this implement. The attack does not provoke an opportunity attack.
Level 2 Cost: 520 gp Item Slot: Feet Rarity: Uncommon Power (Daily * Teleportation): When you fall, instead teleport safely to the nearest horizontal surface within 5 squares that can support your weight, take no falling damage, and land on your feet.
Level 2 Cost: 520 gp Enhancement: +1 Fortitude, Reflex, and Will Rarity: Uncommon Power (Daily): No Action. Use this power when you fail a saving throw. Reroll the saving throw, using the second result even if it's lower.
Level 7 Cost: 2,600 gp Item Slot: Off-hand Critical: +2d10 damage Enhancement: +2 attack rolls and damage rolls. Rarity: Common Property: When you score a critical hit with this rod, you can reroll one of the extra damage dice granted by a critical hit. You must use the second result, even if it's lower.
Daily Powers [_] Action Point [_] Fortune's Reversal [_] Feyleaf Sandals [_] Amulet of Resolution
HP: HS: AC: Fort: Ref: Will:
Core 35 7 19 14 16 18
RndX 35 7
0 TPH Surge: 8hp Init: +9 Speed: 6
Resist: none Saves: none
*Notes* Melee Basic Attack +11 vs. AC; 1d10+9 cold damage, and I gain a +2 power bonus to all defenses against the target's attacks until the end of my next turn. Ranged Basic Attack +8 vs. Reflex; 1d10+9 force damage. Rod of Deadly Casting: +2d10 on a crit. When I score a critical hit with this rod, I can reroll one of the extra damage dice granted by a critical hit using the second result, even if it's lower.
Rod, Lv4: Rod of Absorption +1 Rod, Lv7: Rod of Deadly Casting +2 (Preferred of the two rods) Arms, Lv2: Bracers of Mighty Striking Arms, Lv6: Iron Armbands of Power (Preferred of the two arm slot items) Hands, Lv3: Gloves of Piercing Head, Lv4: Casque of Tactics Head, Lv5: Helm of Seven Deaths (Preferred of the two head slot items) Waist, Lv2: Muleback Harness Waist, Lv8: Belt of Lucky Strikes Neck, lv3: Brooch of Shielding +1 Neck, lv8: Brooch of Shielding +2
Ok, so even if 'm naturally more attached to Fuguell since it's a character I had already completely made, I think I will save her for an Eberron campaign, because both her original race and background were very tied to the settting, so Nadirah it is! Even though I've been kindly suggested a lot of themes, I'm still a bit undecided, but I'll figure it out very soon. Actually, I'll decide this now in real time.
I had seen before Seer as something quite fitting, due to the fact she deals with spirits of long dead souls or anywhere spirits of nature tied to death, who surely know many things. Plus, The Raven Queen has Fate as a domain, so it would be really natural. But the mechanic requires a bit of agreement and approval from the DM, since I guess we should agree on what rolls count for the pre-rolled ones (the most restricting but easy version would be applying this to attacks only). Also, you might not enjoy the idea of your first three rolls being rolled by me before an adventure, even if this puts you at some tactical advantage (because I can tell you something like "the first thing you'll do will be risky, the second will surely go bad, the third blind luck will assist you so use it well", for a medium, low, and high roll.
Fallback decision, not bad at all either, could be a reflavored Templar, made as a member of the chirch who always by knowing well the will of The Raven Queen, marks a target for death, rewarding the one who will help the needed passage, and making the granted bonus to attacks some kind of "fate in alignment" effect.
I really like both, will stick to Seer if there are no objections to the power. Plus, I was thinking that since I have attack enabling powers, at least one or two of the three pre-rolled attacks could fuel attacks granted by me, also to make the three "fate-decided" actions end sooner and make the affected character feel more free just as soon. I don't know, just an idea.
Sorry for not having decided as I had said at first, with this we're done.
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Hello guys! I'm the new guy, going to play a Raven Queen divine character of some type! I also see friendly faces (avatars maybe)... Hi LinYurenya!
No, no, that's my real face. /duckface
Welcome! I wish I could help you out with picking a theme, but practically every time I build a new character I have to go through them all over again to see which one did what Steph is a genius when it comes to themes, though, so I'm sure he can help out. Nadirah sounds like a character Nelly will naturally befriend, so I agree with the choice on that part.
Walrus: Haha, alright. Well, I'm sure I can have some fun RPing with a Lin in the party "Neldeorn feels Lin looking at him. He shrugs uncomfortably, unable to shake the feeling that she knows his every move, even before he makes one."
Welcome aboard Acheon, I like the idea of the ghost whispering preist and with 3 strikers we'll likely need the healing. The only thing I can see that might be an issue (more for swmabie than me) is having a lot of companion characters on the field. With zephyr having his onyx dog and conscious fragment, as well as our goblin buddy Splug wandering around, we might have trouble in tighter combats. On the plus side there won't be any room for enemies, though.
Btw, you can call me NNFN or Charles or Chuck if you like (since writing out noneedforaname is a pain).
Seer sounds fine to me, knowing your rolls ahead of time sounds more useful than detrimental so it wouldn't really bother me to have the power used on my rolls.
Also, I just remembered that LordManshoon has already seen a previous incarnation of my character, though this one will vary quit a bit from the one I submitted to his game. Just thought that was an interesting coincidence.
Perfect guys, Nadirah will be Seer in the end! And she's ready, the background and everything, I'd prefer to develop them during play, but I already asked @swmabie the needed points and I'll think I'll develop those very quickly, cause I'm feeling like "I know the character", I'll just ask those questions to her, and she'll answer. (Creepy, maybe the ghost whispering is getting past RP boundaries... )
Join the Zendikar D&D Campaign Setting group: discover the fantastic world and contribute to make Zendikar a playable setting! - Warning! Spectacular visuals and lore ahead! ... Take a look...
If the roll might be considered "necessary," then it's allowed, even if the result is a Failed skill check. For example, you can use the roll to attempt to jump over Difficult Terrain, or a gap, or hindering terrain, even if you know in advance that it would be a failed check; anything that you could have a reasonable expectation of at least trying to jump over. However, you can't use it to jump over a regular space that you'd have no reason to jump over in the first place.
• Ad Hominem— Attacking the person's circumstances, not addressing the argument. • Ad Hominem Abusive (Personal Attack)— Insulting the person, not addressing the argument. • Ad Hominem Tu Quoque— Saying the person's inconsistent, not addressing the argument. • Appeal to Authority/Belief/Common Practice/Consequence of a Belief/Emotion/Fear/Flattery/Novelty/Pity/Popularity/Ridicule/Spite/Tradition— Using emotion instead of Fact. • Bandwagon— Use of peer pressure. • Begging the Question— Assuming premises which haven't necessarily been agreed to. • Biased Sample— Using a sampling which may not properly represent the whole. • Burden of Proof— Shifting it to the wrong side. • Circumstantial Ad Hominem— Attacking the person's interests in supporting their argument. • Composition— Assuming that the whole has the same qualities as individual parts. • Confusing Cause & Effect— Assuming that one thing causes another because they appear in conjunction. • Division— Assuming that the individual parts have the same qualities as the whole. • False Dilemma— Assuming that only two options exist. • Gambler's Fallacy— Assuming the odds have changed because of past occurances • Genetic— Assuming a perceived defect in the origin of a claim is proof of a defect in the claim. • Guilt by Association— Attacking others who agree with the claim. • Hasty Generalization— Assuming a quality based on too small a sample size. • Ignoring the Common Cause— Assuming there is no outside cause of two connected things. • Middle Ground— Assuming the midpoint of two extremes must be correct. • Misleading Vividness— Assuming a colorful anecdote outweighs statistical evidence. • Poisoning the Well— Using unprovable claims about the person instead of addressing the argument. • Post Hoc— Assuming that something caused something else simply because it happened first. • Questionable Cause— Assuming that one thing causes another. • Red Herring— Using irrelevant evidence to divert a discussion. • Relativist Fallacy— Asserting that a claim may be true for some but not for the speaker. • Slippery Slope— Assuming the inevitability of one event based on another. • Special Pleading— Claiming exemption without justification. • Spotlight— Assuming individuals that get the most attention to be indicative of the whole. • Straw Man— Misrepresenting the opposing argument. • Two Wrongs Make a Right— Justifying something unethical/immoral as response or pre-emption to something else unethical/immoral.
Response to those who like to compare 4e to a Video GameShow
Also, I find that the "D&D 4e is like an MMO" argument is often a sign of someone who is deliberately being obtuse and/or is potentially ignorant of actual MMO play. As someone who only ended a 6-year World of Warcraft addiction a year ago, I can say that most of your bullet points actually don't match up to the truth of it.
In D&D 4e, you can choose a hybrid, you can choose to play one class as though it were another (people played Warlords as Bards frequently, when the edition first came out, and Rangers were refluffed to Monks), you can focus your class on its secondary role (a Warlock who is more controller than striker, for instance), you can multiclass, and you can create a particular concept (a mounted lancer, a charger, etc.) within the mechanics via feats, choice of powers, and choice of skills. You decide which set of stats you use--are you a Chaladin, Straladin, or Baladin?--and you have ultimate influence on how your character turns out in the end. Yes, powers require you to be using a particular weapon within your class's available selection, but the powers are not themselves tied to the gear. Powers tied to weapons or armor are typically powers that belong to the item, not to the character class that's most likely to use it.
Yes, there are only so many powers available, and these will be what you do in battle; this is all that the designers created. Yes, there is a time-frame in which they can be used; this has always been the case, even in the days of Vancian casting. Yes, there are suggested builds, but you can routinely ignore those if it pleases you; the only parts of a class you have to take are the class features, and even those have options at this point. But the only way that this can be considered at all conflatable with MMO character building/playing is if you are deliberately ignoring all of that.
In WoW, you choose a class and you're done. No multiclassing or hybridization, no way to mimic one class with careful building of a different one. There is a firm dividing line on what is a WoW class. No secondary roles or creative concepts, either; you're going to be what the class sets out to be, and that's it. You'll always have the same stat allocation as another of your class, because you get set numbers as you level up, and you've got at best four options--and that's only the Druid class--to build, and if you plan on running dungeons, particularly heroic level ones, or raiding, you'd better not even think of deviating from the single defined best build on the talent tree for what you want to do. It was only recently, with the complete tear-down and recreation of talent trees for Mists of Pandaria, that there was a concept of there being anything but the one best build that people who calculated such mechanical advantages (the folks on Elitist Jerks, for example), and the people who did things like achieve "World First" at various top-tier raids set precedent for.
Also, no class will ever not have a specific set of powers; all Priests in WoW have the same baseline, with deviation only based upon their talent tree specialization, where a D&D4e player could take whatever power in their class pleases them. Any Retribution Paladin will be the same as any other in terms of powers, because that is what a RetPally is. Any Assassination Rogue will always have the same powers as another, etc. All powers are always on specific cool-downs, but will always be there when they start a battle, where a 4e PC might enter an encounter with only At-Wills, or without their Daily powers due to what plot has done up until that point. Furthermore, no power that is not already specifically tied to an item will ever "require" you have that item, to my recollection. Classes get all their powers based on class; gear only gives bonuses to stats, possibly cuts down cast times for abilities or cooldowns, grants temporary extra bonuses to stats (the latter two most often on the raid tier equipment), and on rare occassions an extra power that may or may not be valuable, as some are only special effects instead of valuable abilities.
Most honest/open response on why DDN needs to be InclusiveShow
I've always felt it is in the best interests of D&D to be as inclusive across the playerbase as they can be and still have a game. I've never felt though that making a game that was inclusive within a group was very useful or even desirable. DM's and players can decide amongst themselves what options or restrictions they want for their games. I tend to lean to the DM to make most of those decisions but again that is a group specific thing.
Having said that. I get the distinct impression that there are a lot of players on these boards who come from groups that generally ruled against their own desires. It's almost like they are an oppressed minority from a gaming perspective. I also get the impression that they tend to advocate against things that if available their fellow group members might like and vote them down on.
Do a lot of you feel this way?
Just for clarification...here are some examples... 1. Alignment restrictions as an option. 2. Alignment Mechanics 3. Martial healing 4. Races being included or not.
I know my perspective is not that I often play at tables where my likes are not represented. Instead, my perspective comes from the many years I spent being a bad DM. I was a bad DM because my guidance came from the books, and the books gave bad advice. The books told me that alignment was a useful approach to roleplaying, so I went with it even though it felt kind of weird to me. Now I know that, at least in my style of running games, alignment destroys rp. I trusted the books to give good advice, and it messed up my game. Now I'm much more mature as a DM, so I know how to take advice with a grain of salt. And I still learn new stuff every session I run.
I don't want future DMs to go through my problems again. There's a big enough DM shortage as it is. DMing well is hard.
The biggest thing I had to unlearn in my process of becoming a good DM was the idea that the game is a simulation of a world. I understand many DMs prefer a more simulationist approach, although I am always skeptical simply because I would have said the same thing until I learned and grew as a DM. This doesn't mean their approach is completely invalid, but it still gives me a personal twinge when I see a regression back to 3e era sim style gaming.
I also have noticed many groups where one or two old-school players run a whole group's playstyle because the newer players aren't even aware there are other ways of doing things. The newer players tell me stories of things they hated in the session, and I end up explaining to them how those things they hate are very fixable, and in fact are fixed in the newer edition of the game their older players have told them is terrible.
In regard to things like martial healing, I don't think it's necessary for it to be in the game for the game to be fun. However, the attitude that says martial healing is terrible and shouldn't exist is an attitude that, to me, reveals a wrongheaded approach to the game. Therefore, my fight for it to be an option is to help legitimize the more narrative approach that I think is what most players want, but many don't know is possible, because they've never been exposed to it.
If the roll might be considered "necessary," then it's allowed, even if the result is a Failed skill check. For example, you can use the roll to attempt to jump over Difficult Terrain, or a gap, or hindering terrain, even if you know in advance that it would be a failed check; anything that you could have a reasonable expectation of at least trying to jump over. However, you can't use it to jump over a regular space that you'd have no reason to jump over in the first place.
Translation: Don't try to cheat the system by making frivolous skill checks.
Actually, not really. Just don't be blatant about it. With Monster Knowledge checks, Perception or Insight checks, so on and so forth, there's plenty of minor or free actions which could be used, coming up with completely unnecessary ones seems... unsporting.
To be honest, I'm cool with "gaming the system." That's the point of that particular Theme, isn't it, to know one's fate? There's no significant difference between, "You won't hit them with your first attack but you will with the other two" and "You won't remember what their vulnerabilities are, but you hit them twice anyway." If anything, the latter is better, because it gets you through the encounter that much faster.
• Ad Hominem— Attacking the person's circumstances, not addressing the argument. • Ad Hominem Abusive (Personal Attack)— Insulting the person, not addressing the argument. • Ad Hominem Tu Quoque— Saying the person's inconsistent, not addressing the argument. • Appeal to Authority/Belief/Common Practice/Consequence of a Belief/Emotion/Fear/Flattery/Novelty/Pity/Popularity/Ridicule/Spite/Tradition— Using emotion instead of Fact. • Bandwagon— Use of peer pressure. • Begging the Question— Assuming premises which haven't necessarily been agreed to. • Biased Sample— Using a sampling which may not properly represent the whole. • Burden of Proof— Shifting it to the wrong side. • Circumstantial Ad Hominem— Attacking the person's interests in supporting their argument. • Composition— Assuming that the whole has the same qualities as individual parts. • Confusing Cause & Effect— Assuming that one thing causes another because they appear in conjunction. • Division— Assuming that the individual parts have the same qualities as the whole. • False Dilemma— Assuming that only two options exist. • Gambler's Fallacy— Assuming the odds have changed because of past occurances • Genetic— Assuming a perceived defect in the origin of a claim is proof of a defect in the claim. • Guilt by Association— Attacking others who agree with the claim. • Hasty Generalization— Assuming a quality based on too small a sample size. • Ignoring the Common Cause— Assuming there is no outside cause of two connected things. • Middle Ground— Assuming the midpoint of two extremes must be correct. • Misleading Vividness— Assuming a colorful anecdote outweighs statistical evidence. • Poisoning the Well— Using unprovable claims about the person instead of addressing the argument. • Post Hoc— Assuming that something caused something else simply because it happened first. • Questionable Cause— Assuming that one thing causes another. • Red Herring— Using irrelevant evidence to divert a discussion. • Relativist Fallacy— Asserting that a claim may be true for some but not for the speaker. • Slippery Slope— Assuming the inevitability of one event based on another. • Special Pleading— Claiming exemption without justification. • Spotlight— Assuming individuals that get the most attention to be indicative of the whole. • Straw Man— Misrepresenting the opposing argument. • Two Wrongs Make a Right— Justifying something unethical/immoral as response or pre-emption to something else unethical/immoral.
Response to those who like to compare 4e to a Video GameShow
Also, I find that the "D&D 4e is like an MMO" argument is often a sign of someone who is deliberately being obtuse and/or is potentially ignorant of actual MMO play. As someone who only ended a 6-year World of Warcraft addiction a year ago, I can say that most of your bullet points actually don't match up to the truth of it.
In D&D 4e, you can choose a hybrid, you can choose to play one class as though it were another (people played Warlords as Bards frequently, when the edition first came out, and Rangers were refluffed to Monks), you can focus your class on its secondary role (a Warlock who is more controller than striker, for instance), you can multiclass, and you can create a particular concept (a mounted lancer, a charger, etc.) within the mechanics via feats, choice of powers, and choice of skills. You decide which set of stats you use--are you a Chaladin, Straladin, or Baladin?--and you have ultimate influence on how your character turns out in the end. Yes, powers require you to be using a particular weapon within your class's available selection, but the powers are not themselves tied to the gear. Powers tied to weapons or armor are typically powers that belong to the item, not to the character class that's most likely to use it.
Yes, there are only so many powers available, and these will be what you do in battle; this is all that the designers created. Yes, there is a time-frame in which they can be used; this has always been the case, even in the days of Vancian casting. Yes, there are suggested builds, but you can routinely ignore those if it pleases you; the only parts of a class you have to take are the class features, and even those have options at this point. But the only way that this can be considered at all conflatable with MMO character building/playing is if you are deliberately ignoring all of that.
In WoW, you choose a class and you're done. No multiclassing or hybridization, no way to mimic one class with careful building of a different one. There is a firm dividing line on what is a WoW class. No secondary roles or creative concepts, either; you're going to be what the class sets out to be, and that's it. You'll always have the same stat allocation as another of your class, because you get set numbers as you level up, and you've got at best four options--and that's only the Druid class--to build, and if you plan on running dungeons, particularly heroic level ones, or raiding, you'd better not even think of deviating from the single defined best build on the talent tree for what you want to do. It was only recently, with the complete tear-down and recreation of talent trees for Mists of Pandaria, that there was a concept of there being anything but the one best build that people who calculated such mechanical advantages (the folks on Elitist Jerks, for example), and the people who did things like achieve "World First" at various top-tier raids set precedent for.
Also, no class will ever not have a specific set of powers; all Priests in WoW have the same baseline, with deviation only based upon their talent tree specialization, where a D&D4e player could take whatever power in their class pleases them. Any Retribution Paladin will be the same as any other in terms of powers, because that is what a RetPally is. Any Assassination Rogue will always have the same powers as another, etc. All powers are always on specific cool-downs, but will always be there when they start a battle, where a 4e PC might enter an encounter with only At-Wills, or without their Daily powers due to what plot has done up until that point. Furthermore, no power that is not already specifically tied to an item will ever "require" you have that item, to my recollection. Classes get all their powers based on class; gear only gives bonuses to stats, possibly cuts down cast times for abilities or cooldowns, grants temporary extra bonuses to stats (the latter two most often on the raid tier equipment), and on rare occassions an extra power that may or may not be valuable, as some are only special effects instead of valuable abilities.
Most honest/open response on why DDN needs to be InclusiveShow
I've always felt it is in the best interests of D&D to be as inclusive across the playerbase as they can be and still have a game. I've never felt though that making a game that was inclusive within a group was very useful or even desirable. DM's and players can decide amongst themselves what options or restrictions they want for their games. I tend to lean to the DM to make most of those decisions but again that is a group specific thing.
Having said that. I get the distinct impression that there are a lot of players on these boards who come from groups that generally ruled against their own desires. It's almost like they are an oppressed minority from a gaming perspective. I also get the impression that they tend to advocate against things that if available their fellow group members might like and vote them down on.
Do a lot of you feel this way?
Just for clarification...here are some examples... 1. Alignment restrictions as an option. 2. Alignment Mechanics 3. Martial healing 4. Races being included or not.
I know my perspective is not that I often play at tables where my likes are not represented. Instead, my perspective comes from the many years I spent being a bad DM. I was a bad DM because my guidance came from the books, and the books gave bad advice. The books told me that alignment was a useful approach to roleplaying, so I went with it even though it felt kind of weird to me. Now I know that, at least in my style of running games, alignment destroys rp. I trusted the books to give good advice, and it messed up my game. Now I'm much more mature as a DM, so I know how to take advice with a grain of salt. And I still learn new stuff every session I run.
I don't want future DMs to go through my problems again. There's a big enough DM shortage as it is. DMing well is hard.
The biggest thing I had to unlearn in my process of becoming a good DM was the idea that the game is a simulation of a world. I understand many DMs prefer a more simulationist approach, although I am always skeptical simply because I would have said the same thing until I learned and grew as a DM. This doesn't mean their approach is completely invalid, but it still gives me a personal twinge when I see a regression back to 3e era sim style gaming.
I also have noticed many groups where one or two old-school players run a whole group's playstyle because the newer players aren't even aware there are other ways of doing things. The newer players tell me stories of things they hated in the session, and I end up explaining to them how those things they hate are very fixable, and in fact are fixed in the newer edition of the game their older players have told them is terrible.
In regard to things like martial healing, I don't think it's necessary for it to be in the game for the game to be fun. However, the attitude that says martial healing is terrible and shouldn't exist is an attitude that, to me, reveals a wrongheaded approach to the game. Therefore, my fight for it to be an option is to help legitimize the more narrative approach that I think is what most players want, but many don't know is possible, because they've never been exposed to it.
Actually, not really. Just don't be blatant about it. With Monster Knowledge checks, Perception or Insight checks, so on and so forth, there's plenty of minor or free actions which could be used, coming up with completely unnecessary ones seems... unsporting.
To be honest, I'm cool with "gaming the system." That's the point of that particular Theme, isn't it, to know one's fate? There's no significant difference between, "You won't hit them with your first attack but you will with the other two" and "You won't remember what their vulnerabilities are, but you hit them twice anyway." If anything, the latter is better, because it gets you through the encounter that much faster.
Big like.
For now here's the updated imported character on the viewer. I'll make a complete "character post" tomorrow, cause it's 3 AM here and this means in 6 hours the world will appear to me as if I had crossed to the Shadowfell: GRIM!
Join the Zendikar D&D Campaign Setting group: discover the fantastic world and contribute to make Zendikar a playable setting! - Warning! Spectacular visuals and lore ahead! ... Take a look...
Steph is a genius when it comes to themes, though, so I'm sure he can help out.
