• Brys - Fr. Anton Bartok - Human Preserving Invoker of Pelor Cultist • jrmabie - Breelana - Eladrin Fey Pact Hexblade Reaver • LinYurenya - Leaf of the Oak Tree - Human Hybrid Ranger|Seeker Windlord • Pashalik_Mons - Senna, Half-Dwarf Fighter Ironwrought • Orbin - Tovar Hammerfall - Dwarven Earth Domain Warpriest of Moradin Deep Delver
Please post character sheets, backgrounds, wishlists, pictures, combat blocks, and other such info in this thread (preferably a single post).
Until everyone else has posted, please do not post anything else. Once everyone has posted characters, you can use this thread for OOC inanities and the like. Previous: • Harn_Winterfell - Vaius Zannifer (2) - Tiefling Paladin of Bane • Pashalik_Mons - Vaius Zannifer - Tiefling Paladin of Bane
• 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.
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ====== Fr. Bartok, level 3 Human, Invoker Divine Covenant: Covenant of Preservation Human Power Selection: Bonus At-Will Power Background: Occupation - Scholar (+2 to Arcana) Languages Spoken: Common, Elven Theme: Cultist
FINAL ABILITY SCORES Str 8, Con 11, Dex 10, Int 14, Wis 20, Cha 10.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES Str 8, Con 11, Dex 10, Int 14, Wis 18, Cha 10.
FEATS Invoker: Ritual Caster Human: Superior Implement Training (Accurate staff) Level 1: Staff Expertise Level 2: Invoker Defense
POWERS Bonus At-Will Power: Sun Strike Invoker at-will 1: Hand of Radiance Invoker at-will 1: Visions of Blood Invoker encounter 1: Blades of Astral Fire Invoker daily 1: Invocation of Ice and Fire, Silent Malediction (retrained at level 3) Invoker utility 2: Heaven's Bountiful Reward Invoker encounter 3: Offering of Justice
ITEMS Ritual Book, Chainmail, Challenge-Seeking Accurate staff +1, Adventurer's Kit, Belt of Vigor RITUALS Hand of Fate, Gentle Repose ====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ====== MONEY 45 gp (starting) + 1 gp (prepaid award)
Nobly born, Bartok went into the service of Pelor because it was what his mother always wanted him to do. He had a privileged childhood and aquired a taste for many of the finer things in life. He was schooled by private tutors and did well enough to earn Mum's praise but not so well as he could have done had he put in more effort. He in intelligent, but not the hardest worker. Bartok's mother was struck ill when he was in his early 20s. She prayed to Pelor for deliverence for months without any results and was quickly wasting away. Finally, she offered her Dearest Bartok-si-kins if only Pelor would allow her attend Dame Higgins's upcoming Gala. A traveling priest of Pelor promptly knocked at the door offering his services. He had an over-powering urge to come to the city (he believes it was Pelor's will). Upon arriving months ago, he felt nothing further until the middle of his walk this morning, when he was drawn to Bartok's house. The priest healed Bartok's mother and she made immediate arrangements for Bartok's delivery to the nearest House of Pelor.
Bartok did well enough in his studies though he progressed slowly. His faith was fierce (how could it not be with a direct divine experience) but he had trouble giving up the comfy lifestyle he was used to. His instructors wanted to kick him out years ago (especially those with sunrise classes that rarely saw the student) but the temple higher-ups wouldn't allow it. No one knew why, but Bartok was meant to be a servent of Pelor and it was their job to prepare him as best they could. Finally, when they couldn't take it any longer, the Abbot decided that Bartok's training would best be completed "in the field". He was sent out as an interrent priest to the Nentir Vale to do Pelor's work under Pelor's direction. Bartok was freed from the normal church hierarchy (no one wanted to be responsible for him) and was to do whatever he felt furthered Pelor's goals (alleviate suffering, bring light to the darkness through kindness and compassion, be watchful against evil).
Bartok has wandered since, doing as little real work as possible, awaiting some indication from Pelor as to why he was called (and hoping that whatever he is suppose to do isn't hard, because he's not sure how much effort he's willing to put in).
Accurate Staff Ranged: 10 Target: One creature Attack: +9 vs Reflex Hit: 1d8+6 Radiant damage and you slide the target 1 square. Special: You can use this power as a ranged basic attack.
Accurate Staff Ranged: 10 Target: One creature Attack: +9 vs Will Hit:1d6+6 Psychic damage and the target takes a -1 penalty to all defenses until the start of your next turn.
Accurate Staff Area Burst: 1 within 10 Target: Each enemy in burst Attack: +9 vs Reflex Hit: 1d6+6 Radiant damage. Effect: Each ally in the burst gains a +3 power bonus to AC until the end of your next turn.
Free Action Close Burst 1 Target: You and each ally in the burst. Trigger: You drop a non-minion enemy to 0 hit points with an invoker attack power. Effect: The target gains temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier (5).
Channel Divinity: You can only use one channel divinity power per encounter. Immediate Reaction (personal) Trigger: An enemy within 10 squares of you hits your ally Effect: Before the end of your next turn, you gain a +2 bonus to your next attack roll against the triggering enemy.
Accurate Staff Channel Divinity: You can only use one channel divinity power per encounter. Close Blast: 5 Target: Each undead creature in blast Attack: +9 vs Will Hit: 1d10+6 Radiant damage, you push the creature 2 squares and it is dazed until the end of your next turn. Miss: Half damage.
Accurate Staff Close Blast: 5 Target: Each creature in blast Attack: +9 vs Reflex Hit: 2d6+6 cold and fire damage Effect: The blast creates a zone of flaming hail that lasts until the end of your next turn. Any creature that starts its turn within the zone takes 5 cold and fire damage. Sustain Minor: The zone persists.
+1d6 damage against enemies at full hit points (Challenge Seeking Accurate Staff) You do not provoke OA from making ranged or area attacks with a staff (Staff Expertise Feat) When Bartok hits an enemy within 3 squares with an invoker power, he gains a +2 feat bonus to AC until the start of his next turn. (Invoker Defense)
Vaius is not like most tieflings. Oh, he started out the same, naked and crying. But something sets him apart. When Vaius was young, he had a vision. A representative of the gods appeared before him, and explained their concern. Asmodeus had killed a god before, and the rest believed that if he had the chance, he would again. The representative explained that Vaius had been chosen as the gods' weapon against The Betrayer, that in him lay the Fire with which they would fight Fire. From that day forth he has worked hand in hand with the worldly worshippers of the gods. In the beginning, the gods knew only one of their number could be trusted to train such a weapon, and that one agreed to do so. Bane. Vaius has trained under Bane's followers for years, and has taken the Great General's teachings to heart. Never allow your fear to gain mastery over you, but drive it into the hearts of your foes. Punish insubordination and disorder. Hone your combat skills to perfection. But Vaius has not been left wholly to Bane. All the gods, barring The Betrayer, have had some hand in his teaching. Erathis, in particular, sings a song that resonates in Vaius's soul. Finally, Vaius has reached the point where his training needs field experience. Luckily, darkness thrives in the world, and Vaius's opportunities are many. In the town of Fallcrest, Vaius has heard of a threat facing the innocent. He has decided to be at the Blue Moon tavern at the appointed time, to find a chance to hone his skills and make the world a safer place.
Vaius is not a bad man. But it's a little close at times. He is best described as Intense. When he speaks, he means it, and when he means it, he speaks. Vaius is driven, and dedicated. He tries to keep in mind that he works for a higher purpose, but he sometimes loses sight of the small things because of it.
"As the story goes, a tiefling of House Zannifer was in flight from Harrak Unarth's fall when she mistook a cutthroat for her nephew due to his red surcoat. In truth, the brigand wore white, but his garb was soaked in the fresh blood of the selfsame nephew. Before the noblewoman could discover her error, the murderous rogue stabbed her, robbed her of her jewels and signet ring, and left her for dead. Amazingly, she survived the attack, her bloody wounds proving just short of fatal. She dragged herself to shelter, leaving a crimson trail behind. Today, members who claim this bloodline always wear something red, but their reasons vary. Some pay homage to the nameless noble, bearing a scarlet boutonniere or broach in honor of her wound. Others believe themselves descended from the cutthroat who used her signet ring to pass as a member of House Zannifar until the day he died. Such individuals wear red garments in honor of their ancestor's deception. A few supposed descendants of Zannifer claim that the wearing of red is more than fashion-that failure to do so causes them to bleed spontaneously. What's more, they say that this condition can be staved off for a month by killing a criminal. Those who make their living in the underworld of society are often wary of tieflings wearing red."
Vaius is of this lineage. He is one more affected by the curse. If he goes a full day without wearing red, he begins to sweat blood. He is, however, quite willing to pursue the alternate cure as well. e sometimes wonders whether Asmodeus counts as the ultimate criminal, if killing The Betrayer would earn him a month of freedom, or perhaps a lifetime.
I'm putting his alignment as Lawful Good, as fate would have it. Vaius is driven, and follows the precepts given by the gods, particularly Erathis and Bane, as though they were, well, divine laws. But, he tries not to lose sight of his purpose. He is meant to make the world a better place, first and foremost. Note that when I say Vaius is Lawful Good, I don't mean he lives, eats, breathes and craps lawful goodness. Rather, Lawful Good is a useful shorthand for a set of principles he respects and tries to live up to.
Leaf of the Oak Tree, level 3 Female Human [Elemental], Ranger|Seeker Hybrid Ranger: Hybrid Ranger Reflex Seeker's Bond (Hybrid): Spiritbond (Hybrid) Hybrid Seeker: Hybrid Seeker Reflex Hybrid Talent: True Seeker's BondShow
You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls with both light thrown and heavy thrown weapons, and when you make an attack by throwing a weapon with which you have proficiency, the weapon returns to your hand after the attack. In addition, while you are not wearing heavy armor, you can use your Strength modifier in place of your Dexterity or Intelligence modifier to determine your AC.
Background: The Breach (Arcana class skill) Theme: Windlord
FINAL ABILITY SCORES Str 18, Con 13, Dex 10, Int 9, Wis 16, Cha 10.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES Str 16, Con 13, Dex 10, Int 9, Wis 16, Cha 10.
FEATS Human: Hybrid Talent Level 1: Weapon Proficiency (Drow Long Knife) Level 2: Hunting Wolf StyleShow
Prerequisite: Any martial class You gain a benefit with the following power: Hit and Run (ranger): If you move on the same turn after using this exploit, you do not provoke opportunity attacks from any enemy when you leave the first square adjacent to the target.
Standard, Ranged weapon Target: One creature Attack: Dexterity vs AC (Strength with heavy thrown) (+8) Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity (Strength) modifier (+4) damage. (1d6+4)
(Seeker) Standard, Ranged weapon Target: One creatuer Attack: Wisdom vs AC (+8) Hit: 1[W] + Wisdom modifier (+3) damage, and the target is slowed and cannot shift until the end of its next turn. (1d6+3) Special: You can use this power as a ranged basic attack.
(Windlord) Standard, Melee or Ranged weapon Effect: You can fly up to your speed. At any point during this movement, you can make the following attack. Target: One creature Attack: Highest ability mod. vs AC Hit: 1[W] + highest ability mod. damage, and you can slide the tgt 1 square.
(Ranger) Standard, Ranged Weapon Target: One creature Attack: Strength vs AC (thrown weapon) Requirement: You must be wielding both a thrown weapon and a melee weapon. Hit: 1[W] damage. Effect: You move up to your speed and make a melee basic attack against a creature other than the target.
(Seeker) Standard, Ranged weapon Requirement: You must be wielding a light thrown or a heavy thrown weapon to make a melee attack with this power. Target: One creature Attack: Wisdom vs AC Hit: 1[W] + Wisdom modifier (+3) damage. If the target doesn't end its next turn at least 2 squares away from its starting position, it takes damage equal to your Strength modifier (+4). Special: You can use this power as a ranged basic attack.
(Ranger) Standard, Melee weapon Target: One creature Attack: Strength vs AC Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier (+4) damage. Effect: If you move in the same turn after this attack, leaving the first square adjacent to the target does not provoke an opportunity attack from the target. Hunting Wolf Style: Leaving the first square adjacent to the target does not provoke an opportunity attack from any enemy.
(Ranger) Standard, Ranged Target: One creature Attack: Strength vs AC (thrown weapon) Requirement: You must be wielding both a thrown weapon and a melee weapon. Effect: Using your Hunter's Quarry, you designate the target as your quarry. Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier (+4) damage. Effect: You charge the target.
(Seeker) Standard. Area burst 1 within weapon range Target: Each enemy in burst Attack: Wisdom vs AC Hit: 1[W] + Wisdom modifier (+3) damage. Miss: Half damage.
Move action, Personal Effect: You shift a number of squares equal to your Wisdom modifier (+3) and must not end the shift adjacent to any enemy. You can use your second wind.
(Seeker) Standard, Ranged weapon Target: One creature Attack: Wisdom vs Fortitude Hit: 1[W] + 1d6 + Wisdom modifier (+3) damage, and you push the target 2 squares, then push each enemy adjacent to it 2 squares. Spiritbond: The number of squares you push the target equals your Strength modifier (+4)
Minor Effect: You can designate the nearest enemy to you that you can see as your quarry. Once per round, when you hit your quarry with an attack, the attack deals extra damage based on your level. If you can make multiple attacks in a round, you decide which attack to apply the extra damage to after all the attacks are rolled. If you have dealt Hunter's Quarry damage since the start of your turn, you cannot deal it again until the start of your next turn. The hunter's quarry effect remains active until the end of the encounter, until the quarry is defeated, or until you designate a different target as your quarry. You can designate one enemy as your quarry at a time. Hybrid restriction: You can deal the extra quarry damage only when you hit your quarry with a ranger power or a ranger paragon path power.
Free. Personal Trigger: You miss a creature with a ranged seeker or seeker paragon path power. Effect: You make a ranged basic attack against an enemy within 5 squares of the creature you missed, using that creature's space as the attack's origin square. Special: You regain the use of this power when you spend an action point.
Immediate Reaction, Melee weapon Target: The triggering enemy Requirement: You must be wielding a light thrown or a heavy thrown weapon. Trigger: An enemy misses you with a melee attack. Effect: The target takes 1[W] + your Strength modifier (+4) damage, and you push it 1 square.
ITEMS Leather Armor, Adventurer's Kit, Longsword, Amulet of Protection +1, Drow Long Knife, Shadowdance Leather Armor +1 MONEY 30 gp
"Please, take my child away from here. I cannot feed her alone. I have no home for her to grow up in. Take her, and keep her safe, until the day she is old enough to care for herself. That is my sole wish."
The Djinn had laughed cruelly when the young beggar girl had spoken these words. Her words had freed him from servitude in an old dusty lamp, with only the minor annoyance that he had to fend for the Human child in return. "Wish granted, wretch."
---
Thus began the life of the Human girl, taken from her mother, raised under the protecting wing of a Djinn Thunderer. She was brought to the Breach, a place where the Material and the Elemental planes merged, and the only place where a Djinn would dare to raise a Human child.
Other Djinn and Elementals soon took an interest in the girl, and affectionately named her after the tree she grew up under. Leaf of the Oak Tree. For many years she lived in a shallow cave under the giant tree, living off meat cooked in the belly of a huge friendly Efreet, and drinking directly from the hands of a Water Elemental. Air was provided by her charge, while Earth elementals ensured the small floating island on which the Oak stood was not consumed by the raging elements that make up the Breach. Even the Spirits of the land stood by her as she made her home in the wracked lands, teaching her about the natural world.
One day she was led out of the cave, and was taught to forage and hunt on other islands, to speak the language spoken by others of her kind. The only language she had been fluent in until then was Primordial, the language of Elementals, but she was a quick learner. The Djinn enjoyed the first steps Leaf took in the outside world at first, but then began to fear her ability to quickly master the lessons the Elementals gave her. He had come to love the young woman, but the day she would have to depart the Breach came ever closer.
That day came and went. Even Leaf itself was surprised at how quickly she could adapt to solitary life, once it was clear there was no possibility of her returning to the strange land she grew up in. She simply accepted the fact, and moved on.
First she marvelled at this strange new world. Earth and Air seemed to be afraid to mix, and Water seemed to have only a thin alliance with Earth. Fire was almost completely absent, it only showed itself as the large orb floating deep in Air's domain, and the small fires produced by the more intelligent creatures. In time however she found herself adapting to this odd world, remembering lessons given by the Oak Spirit. In fact, the only feature that was the same here as in the Breach was the abundance of Spirits.
Her desire to be among all the elements drove her towards the coast, where Earth, Air and Water joined, and it was here that she began to learn the one thing the Elementals nor the Spirits had been able to teach her. Social interaction with other humanoids. The lessons began when she joined a pirate crew, the group who, of all the coastal dwellers, had the largest affiliation with Fire.
They taught her how to interact with others of her kind, and gave her lessons in the way of the sword. As before, she could quickly copy what the brave men and women showed her, but her strange view on the world finally made them do what pirates do with people they have no further use for. Leaf was abandoned.
A year later the Human girl arrives in Nentir Vale. She has grown wiser in regards to the ways of the world, but there are still many questions left unanswered.
Leaf has dark hair that falls over her shoulders in long waves. She has the athletic body of a sailor, with strong muscles visible beneath her lightly tanned skin. At 5'6", she is not the tallest of Humans, but her bright brown eyes make her stand out, nonetheless. She prefers to wear tight-fitting leather outfits to protect her and keep her warm, plus it really brings out her lovely shapes. She completes her outfit with light cloth. (Think regular pirate wench outfit...)
I like Brys' style, so I'm going to copy it here. Bold is most desired at that level, Italics is preferred over other item in same slot at that level. Level 2Show
Badge of the Berserker +1, Boots of Adept Charging
Rope of Slave Fighting, Badge of the Berserker +2, Boar Tusk Helm, Boots of the Fencing Master, Rebounding Drow Long Knife +2, Repulsion Leather Armor +2
Breelana is basically NOT your average, aloof, corn cob up the bottom Eladrin. She acts more like a gnome. She likes to have fun, she plays hard and fast, she's a trickster both cunning and sly and she is definitely a lusty lass.
Appearance:
Breelana has russet colored hair, solid green eyes, olive skin tone (think Italian), a lithe and athletic body, a graceful neck...just basically lovely. She also can curse like a sailor though, so the idea of a classic beauty flies out the window once she opens her mouth. She wears autumn colors under her chainmail, red,gold and brown.
Background:
Breelana's papa was a noble in the Autumn court, and when he caught her trysting with someone outside their race, he disowned her and had her banished from court. She's been roaming the world since. Most other companies that she's drifted in and out of have either ditched her because they think she has no honor, is a whore, a loose cannon, etc.... On the outside, she appears to be living life as if she could drink it all in one gulp without choking, on the inside she knows that she is not a "proper" Eladrin, wonders what is wrong with her, why she's broken, and subconciously heading as fast as she can to the Raven Queen's court. You could say that she's seeking redemption or acceptance or both.
Class Features: Fey Pact Reward -- +2 (Dex) Bonus to damage Fey Pact Weapon -- Blade of Winter Mourning (1d10; prof = 3)
Powers:
At Will:
* Eldritch Bolt: (Arcane, Force, Implement) Standard +5 vs. Reflex, 1d10+6 force damage. Range 10, target one creature. With a gesture, you create a shard of shimmering force and send it streaking toward your enemy. (RBA)
* Icy Skewer: (Arcane, Cold, Implement, Weapon) Standard +7 vs. AC, 1d10+6 cold damage. Melee, one creature. Your strike imparts the deathly chill of winter on the target, hindering its attacks. On hit, gain +2 bonus to all defenses against the target's attacks until the end of your next turn. (MBA)
* Soul Step: (Arcane, Teleportation) Free action. As your enemy falls, you become a creature of wind and mist. Trigger: You reduce an enemy to 0 hit points, or an enemy adjacent to you drops to 0 hit points. You teleport a number of squares up to your Dex modifier (+2). Power can be used only once per round.
Encounter:
* Piercing Shard: (Arcane, Cold, Illusion, Implement, Psychic, Weapon) Standard +7 vs. Will, 2d10+6 cold & psychic damage, melee, target one creature. As you pierce your enemy's defenses, its perceptions of reality become twisted, cloaking you from its sight. You must use this power with your Blade of Winter's Mourning. As an effect, you are invisible to your target until the start of your next turn. (May be used twice per encounter.)
* Fey Step: (Teleportation) Personal. You step through the boundary between the planes, disappearing for a moment before reappearing somewhere else. Teleport up to 5 squares.
* Vicious Assault: (Fear, Primal, Weapon) No Action. If you hit an adjacent enemy with a melee weapon attack, you can cause every creature adjacent to the target (other than yourself, but including allies) to take {1W} (1d10+1) damage; also, you and every enemy within 2 grants CA until the end of your next turn.
* Driven to Kill: (Primal) Free. If you drop a creature below 1 hp, you can shift up to your Speed +2 (7) spaces.
Daily:
* Mists of Madness: (Arcane, Charm, Implement, Psychic) Standard, +5 vs. Will, 1d6+6 psychic damage, close burst 1, target each enemy in the burst. A thick mist rises around you. Within it, the intoxicating power of fey magic overwhelms your enemies' senses, driving those foes to lash out at each other in their madness. On hit, the target makes a melee basic attack as a free action against a creature of your choice. If you miss every target, the power is not expended.
====== Typed out by hand after using the online character builder ====== Tovar Hamerfall, level 3 Dwarf, Warpriest of Moradin Domain: Earth Theme: Deep Delver Background: Redeemer of the Desecrated (+2 Dungeoneering)
FINAL ABILITY SCORES Str 13, Con 16, Dex 11, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 8.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES Str 13, Con 18, Dex 11, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 8.
Whenever one of your powers grants a bonus to a defense, increase that bonus by 1. Whenever you mark an enemy, that enemy takes a -3 penalty to attack rolls for attacks that don’t target you instead of the normal -2 penalty. You can master and perform rituals in the warding category and the Fluid Funds, Knock, and Leomund’s Secret Chest rituals as if you had the Ritual Caster feat.
You can use one channel divinity power / encounter. Stone’s ResolveShow
Minor Action Close Burst 2 Keywords: Channel Divinity, Divine, Radiant, Weapon Target: You or one ally in busrt Effect: The target gains resist 5 to all damage until the end of your next turn.
Standard Action Melee Weapon Keywords: Channel Divinity, Divine Target: One undead crature Attack: +8 vs Will Hit: 2d10+5 radian damage and you push the target 7 squares. The target is immobiliazed until the end of your next turn. Miss: half damage
Minor Action Close Burst 5 Keywords: Healing Effect: The target can spend a healing surge and regain an additional 1d6+1 hp. Also the target takes half damage from the next attack that hits it before the end of your next turn. Special: You can use this power twice per encounter but only once per round.
Minor Action Personal Keywords: Divine Effect: You make a perception check with a +5 bonus to detect secret doors, hidden objects, and hidden creatures within 10 squares
Standard Action Melee Weapon Keywords: Divine, Weapon Target: One Creature Attack: +8 vs AC Hit: 1d10+5 Effect: You or one Ally within 5 squares gains a +2 (+3 because of Mark of Warding) power bonus to AC until the end of your next turn.
Standard Action Melee Weapon Keywords: Divine, Weapon Target: One Creature Attack: +8 vs AC Hit: 1d10+5 and you push the target one square Effect: The next time you or an ally attacks the target before the end of your next turn, that character gains a +1 power bonus to the attack roll
Standard Action Melee Weapon Keywords: Divine, Weapon Target: One Creature Attack: +8 vs Fortitude Hit: 1d10+5, and enemies within a blast 3 that includes the target take 4 damage. The target also takes this damage. Effect: You and each Ally within 3 squares gains a +2 (+3 because of Mark of Warding) power bonus to AC and Fortitude until the end of your next turn.
Standard Action Close Burst 1 Keywords: Divine, Weapon, Radiant Target: Each Enemy in Burst Attack: +8 vs Will Hit: 1d10+5 radiant damage Effect: Each ally within 2 squares of you gains a +2 (+3 because of Mark of Warding) power bonus to all defenses. The bonus lasts until the end of the encounter.
Minor ActionClose burst 5 Targets: You and each ally in the burst Effect: Each target gains a +2 (+3 because of Mark of Warding) power bonus to AC until the end of the encounter
Standard Action Melee Weapon Keywords: Divine, Weapon Target: One Creature Attack: +8 vs Fortitude Hit: 1d10+5, and you push the enemy 3 squares. Effect: You gain an Aura 2 that lasts until the end of your next turn. You and your allies gain resist all 5 while in the aura.
Added lifesaving broach found in post 327 Updated wtih Inherent Bonuses from OOC post 256 Added Healers Broach found in post 947 (Breelana gets Tovar's existing Lifesaving Broach +1) Added Rousing Hammer +1 found in post 1264
+1 to hit / defenses / initiative /skills / surge value +5 hp Feat: Mark of Warding Utility Power: Shield of Faith Retrained: Lesser Aspect of Wrath for Nimbus of Holy Shielding
An older dwarf, Tova has black hair streaked with grey. He attempts to keep his long beard tidy, but usually you can spot dust and pieces of earth sprinked throught it's many braids.
Tovar spent his youth in Hammerfast learning the ways of Moradin. When he reached middle age he joined an expedition in seek of a lost templed to the all father.
It took many years but his group did reach the old temple and Tovar was shocked at what they found. The once lovely temple had been desecrated. His team spent many months removing the taint and restoring what they could. When they finally arrived back in Hammerfast he decided that he wanted to find more lost holy places and attemp to restore them to glory.
Tova decided to become an adventurer, both to gain the influence and funding required to work on his dream, and also with the possiblity that his adventures might lead him to what he seeks.
AC: 20 Fort: 17 Reflex: 14 Will: 17 HP:40/40 Bloodied Value: 20 Healing Surges Used: 0/11 Surge Value: 10 Initiative Modifier: +1 Status: Other Relevant Information: * Earth Domain Feature: You and each ally within 5 squares gain +2 power bonus to saves vs Ongoing Damage. * +1 healing done with powers that allow an ally to spend a surge (healer's broach +1) * +5 save vs Poison * Save vs knock prone * Reduce forced movement by 1 square * Whenever Tovar hit with his hammer each ally he can see may stand up as a free action. Action Points Used: 0/1
[] Dwarven Resiliance / Second Wind [] Subterranean Survivor [][] Healing Word [] Channel Divinity [] Stone Speak [] Earthen Hall [] Granite Shield [] Nimbus of Holy Shielding [] Shield of Faith
If there's any issues with any of the "individual character hooks" which I populated the opening hook with, please feel free to let me know and I can re-word it. It was how I felt like wording it.
For those keeping track at home, this is the DM's Book's adventure from the Red Box. There is a solo play adventure in the Player's Book; that is the one to which Traeus refers, about the fending off of the goblins and the tracking back to the lair. Since none of y'all are going to go through it y'allselves, I found someone I considered to be a very suitable fill in, so to speak. (The backstory on the name of Dorton.)
Anyway, let me know when you're ready, or if there's any issues. I'll be in and out Monday, and then back to my normal schedule on Tuesday.
• 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.
I like the hook(more intro, really) provided for me. You nailed it.
As for Dorton, I'm glad to see that get used.
Ditto Also, sorry Orbin and Steph for the twisting of timelines already, dont want to change it as its a rather defining moment for how you view/get to know Leaf... plus I dont want to skip introductions, with Stephs emphasis on wanting more roleplay. ps im posting from phone atm so apologies for typos etc posting like this is dreadful blegh
posting like this is dreadful blegh
