• Illumination: At least one of you have sunrods lit, so no real issue. • Ceiling: 10 foot high • Sarcophagi: Standing within a sarcophagus grants partial cover.
(20) Corruption Corpse (Medium natural animate, undead, artillery): ?
(22)Gelatinous Cube (Large natural beast, blind ooze, elite brute): Immune to blind & gaze attacks; Resists 5 acid; Ooze (trait) lets it squeeze without penalty; Translucent makes it nearly impossible to detect once hidden; Smash hits with an immobilizing acid attack; Engulf allows it to swallow as many as two medium-sized (or smaller) "meals."
17 Armalia (U,3) {33/50} Status: Poised Assault, Wrathful; Used: 8/13 Surges, 3/3 AP, 0/2 Power Strike 17 Splug (S,3) {35/35} Status: Haunted; Used: 1/7 Surges 17 Nefertiti (V,1) {27+4/40} Status: Clumsy, +1 AC(sont), Resist 5 Psychic; Used: 1/7 Surges, 1/3 AP, Chromatic Orb 13 Gelatinous Cube (Y-Z,3-4) {??-104} Status: +2 Saves; Used:1/1 AP 11 Riardon (W,5) {31/31} Status: Reckless; Used: 1/7 Surges, 3/3 AP, Wizard's Fury, AP 9 Wil (Y,1) {4+7/41} Status: Bloodied, Quarrelsome; Used: 10/10 Surges, 1/3 AP, Dance of the Sword 9 Antsy (X,2) {29/40} Status: Covetous; Used: 2/9 Surges, 2/3 AP, 0/2 Inspiring Word, Battlefront Shift, Leader's Instinct, Rub Some Dirt on It, AP 3 Flint (X,3) {32/35} Status: Rune of Destruction, Mistrustful, +2 Damage, Regen 2; Used: 3/8 Surges, 1/3 AP, 0/2 Rune of Mending, Rune of the Undeniable Dawn, Word of Alliance, Blood Fury Sword, Longtooth Shifting, Guardian's Defense
Other Stuff: • Bravura Presence – When you spend an AP for an attack, declare before the attack roll if you're using this feature (Antsy, LOS). If you hit, you get a free Basic Attack or Move. If you miss, you grant CA until eont. • Shield the Fallen - Bloodied and/or Helpless allies adjacent to Armalia get +2 to saves and to all defenses. • Rune of Protection (when active) - Adjacent to Flint, get Resist 2 All. • Rune of Destruction (when active) - Get +1 to attack when attacking enemy adjacent to Flint. • Word of Exchange - Next attack (hit or mis) against Cube (other than Flint) gets 4 THP & 4 Extra Damage (Flint, eont).
Despair Deck: Antsy: Covetous - Enemies adjacent to you & an ally grant CA to you (next extended rest). Armalia: Wrathful - Grant CA to adjacent enemies Flint: Mistrustful - Gains +1 bonus to attacks & all defenses when adjacent to an ally (next extended rest). Nefertiti: Clumsy - Reroll a natural 1 on an attack roll (1/encounter, next extended rest). Riardon: Reckless - May use 2nd Wind with a Minor Action (next extended rest). Splug: Haunted - -4 to all defenses vs charm/fear Wil: Quarrelsome - Adjacent allies get +2 to all defenses (next extended rest).
• 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.
When the corpse goes down, Armalia turns and charges towards the cube with a roar of defiance. She swings the blade and carves out a sizable chunk of the cube, grimacing as bits fly and sting her.
Encounter Powers [X] Action Point [_] Second Wind [_] Dwarven Resilience [_] Minor Resurgence [X] Power Strike
[X] Power Strike
HP: HS: AC: Fort: Ref: Will:
Base 50 13 21 18 13 12
Current 33 18
Temp: 0 hp Surge:12 hp Init: +2 Speed: 5
Resist: none Saves: +5 against poison MBA: +10 vs. AC, 1d12+9 Stances: * Berserker's Charge: +2 Power bonus to both speed & attack when charging * Poised Assault: +1 Power bonus to attack
Elated at his previous success, Splug runs ahead, striding boldly ahead of Wil and Antsy. He tries the same tactic, trying to intentionally miss with the blade. This time when he whips the butt of the spear back into guard, a chunk of cube dislodges by Armalia's axe splatters in his eye. He yelps in pain and blinks them shut. The blade and butt both whistle through the air without making contact and the goblin feels a tinge of shame at his performance. He only hopes that everyone was so busy guarding themselves that they didn't notice. Splug's eyes tear and wash the cube gunk out. He blink rapidly to ensure it's cleared, and if anyone were to be looking, it would seem as if the little goblin was crying.
Spear: (Standard) +8 vs AC, 1d8+2 dmg Javelin: (Standard) Range 10/20, +8 vs AC, 1d6+2 dmg Mobile Ranged Attack: (Standard) Move half speed. Before, during or after, make a Javelin attack. No Opportunity Action is provoked from the target of this attack by either the move or the attack.
UTILITIES: Striker Bonus: (Null) Once per round, if attacking with Combat Advantage, does 1d6 extra damage. Goblin Tactics: (Imm. Reaction) Trigger: Missed by a melee attack; Effect: Shift 1
Next up: Riardon, Wil, Antsy, Flint; after they go, then the rest can do so.
After one of Nefertiti's spells fail to affect the cube, it tries to engulf both Flint and Armalia. The shifter manages to evade the attack, but Armalia is swallowed by the giant ooze. It then uses the opening it created, squeezing through the opening and starting to head down the hall. In spite of the opportunity granted, none of Armalia's allies are able to land blade or spear into the escaping creature.
Gelatinous Cube: Standard: Engulf @ Armalia & Flint (rolls here) • Armalia: 23 vs AC hits; Armalia is Grabbed, Dazed, and Ongoing 10 acid (escape ends) • Flint: 23 vs AC missed. Move: Squeeze into (Y,3) followed by movement - provokes OAs in the process. • Flint: 12 vs AC misses • Splug: 11 vs AC misses Movement is to (X,6), which draws more OAs. • Antsy: 16 vs AC misses • Riardon: 9 vs AC misses. Free: Unsqueeze into (W-X,6-7)
• Illumination: At least one of you have sunrods lit, so no real issue. • Ceiling: 10 foot high • Sarcophagi: Standing within a sarcophagus grants partial cover.
(20) Corruption Corpse (Medium natural animate, undead, artillery): ?
(22)Gelatinous Cube (Large natural beast, blind ooze, elite brute): Immune to blind & gaze attacks; Resists 5 acid; Ooze (trait) lets it squeeze without penalty; Translucent makes it nearly impossible to detect once hidden; Smash hits with an immobilizing acid attack; Engulf allows it to swallow as many as two medium-sized (or smaller) "meals."
17 Armalia (In Cube) {33/50} Status: Grabbed/Dazed/Ongoing 10 Acid(escape), Berserker's Charge, Wrathful; Used: 8/13 Surges, 3/3 AP, 2/2 Power Strike 17 Splug (Y,2) {35/35} Status: Haunted; Used: 1/7 Surges 17 Nefertiti (V,1) {27+4/40} Status: Clumsy, +1 AC(sont), Resist 5 Psychic; Used: 1/7 Surges, 1/3 AP, Chromatic Orb 13 Gelatinous Cube (W-X,6-7) {??-133} Status: +2 Saves; Used:1/1 AP 11 Riardon (W,5) {31/31} Status: Reckless; Used: 1/7 Surges, 3/3 AP, Wizard's Fury, AP 9 Wil (Y,1) {4+7/41} Status: Bloodied, Quarrelsome; Used: 10/10 Surges, 1/3 AP, Dance of the Sword 9 Antsy (X,2) {29/40} Status: Covetous; Used: 2/9 Surges, 2/3 AP, 0/2 Inspiring Word, Battlefront Shift, Leader's Instinct, Rub Some Dirt on It, AP 3 Flint (X,3) {32/35} Status: Rune of Destruction, Mistrustful, +2 Damage, Regen 2; Used: 3/8 Surges, 1/3 AP, 0/2 Rune of Mending, Rune of the Undeniable Dawn, Word of Alliance, Blood Fury Sword, Longtooth Shifting, Guardian's Defense
Other Stuff: • Bravura Presence – When you spend an AP for an attack, declare before the attack roll if you're using this feature (Antsy, LOS). If you hit, you get a free Basic Attack or Move. If you miss, you grant CA until eont. • Shield the Fallen - Bloodied and/or Helpless allies adjacent to Armalia get +2 to saves and to all defenses. • Rune of Protection (when active) - Adjacent to Flint, get Resist 2 All. • Rune of Destruction (when active) - Get +1 to attack when attacking enemy adjacent to Flint. • Word of Exchange - Next attack (hit or mis) against Cube (other than Flint) gets 4 THP & 4 Extra Damage (Flint, eont).
Despair Deck: Antsy: Covetous - Enemies adjacent to you & an ally grant CA to you (next extended rest). Armalia: Wrathful - Grant CA to adjacent enemies Flint: Mistrustful - Gains +1 bonus to attacks & all defenses when adjacent to an ally (next extended rest). Nefertiti: Clumsy - Reroll a natural 1 on an attack roll (1/encounter, next extended rest). Riardon: Reckless - May use 2nd Wind with a Minor Action (next extended rest). Splug: Haunted - -4 to all defenses vs charm/fear Wil: Quarrelsome - Adjacent allies get +2 to all defenses (next extended rest).
• 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.
Not liking being next to the cube, Riardon steps back and then sends two magic missles into the gelatenous form. "Hold on Armalia! We'll get you out!" he calls to his engulfed compaion.
AC: 15 Fort: 12 Reflex: 15 Will: 18 HP: 31/31 Bloodied Value: 15 Healing Surges Used: 1/7 Surge Value: 7 Initiative Modifier: +1 Status: * Wizard's Fury is active - Until the end of the encounter, as a minor action once per turn, you can cast magic missile * May Use 2nd Wind as a Minor Action (next extended rest). Other Relevant Information: Action Points Used: 3/3
[] Second Wind [] Suggestion [] Fey Step [] Charm of Misplaced Wrath [] Blissful Ignorance [] Argent Rain [X] Wizard's Fury [] Instant Friendship [] Power Jewel
"Don't just stand there! Finish it! Get her out." Riardon fires another magic missile while Antsy goes through the motions of preparing to charge in and help. He doesn't actually charge in just yet. He's waiting to see if someone else will step up, first. It looks like it would get crowded in that hallway, and he doesn't want to be swallowed up. He'll help out as soon as it looks safe to do so - or if no one else will. MechanicsShow
Standard: Direct the Strike: Riardon's Magic Missile - 7 more damage.
Standard Action Melee weapon Target: One creature Attack: An ally of your choice makes a melee basic attack against the target Hit: Ally's basic attack damage + 2 (int modifier)
Standard Action Melee weapon Target: One creature Attack: +10 vs AC Special: Before you attack, you let one ally adjacent to either you or the target shift 1 square as a free action. Hit: 1d8+5 (+1d6 vs targets at maximum hit points)
Standard Action Ranged 5 Target: One ally Effect: The target makes a basic attack as a free action against an enemy of your choice that you can see and is within 10 squares of you.
Minor Action Close burst 5 Target: You or one ally in burst Special: You can use this power twice per encounter, but only once per round. Effect: The target can spend a healing surge and regain an additional 1d6 hit points.
Immediate Reaction Personal Trigger: An enemy hits you Effect: You make a basic attack against the triggering enemy, and one ally within 5 squares of you can move his or her speed and make a melee basic attack against the triggering enemy as a free action.
No Action Melee 1 Target: The triggering enemy Trigger: You hit an enemy adjacent to you with an attack. Effect: The target takes 4 extra damage from the triggereing attack and is knocked prone.
Standard Action Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 vs AC (longsword), +8 vs AC (javelin) Hit: 2d8+5 (longsword)/ 2d6+4 (javelin) damage and the target grants combat advantage to your allies until the end of your next turn. Effect: Any ally that hits the target with an attack gained from an action point before the end of your next turn deals 5 extra damage to the target.
Standard Action Melee weapon (Reliable) Target: One creature Attack: +10 vs AC Hit: 2d8+5 (+1d6 vs targets at maximum hit points). As a free action, one ally you can see can make a basic attack against the target with a +2 power bonus to the attack roll.
No Action Close burst 3 Target: You or one ally in burst Trigger: You roll initiative Effect: The target shifts half his or her speed
If something adjacent to Antsy attacks him and hits, he will use [ ]Vengence Is MineShow
Trigger: An enemy hits you Effect: You make a basic attack against the triggering enemy, and one ally within 5 squares of you can move his or her speed and make a melee basic attack against the triggering enemy as a free action. Antsy's Melee Basic AttackShow
Standard Action Melee weapon Target: One creature Attack: +10 vs AC Hit: 1d8+5 (+1d6 vs targets at maximum hit points)
The shifter rushes forward and in a series of quick slashes carves a symbol into the go. It glows red for a moment before exploding and covering the cube in a bath of red flames.
Need:Riardon's Spellbook, Nefertiti's Wild Soul, Marching Order, and confirmation of readiness
As Flint's bastard sword sinks into the cube, the acid suddenly loses all cohesion and melts into a puddle, leaving a wounded Armalia behind on the stone floor. MechanicsShow
Riardon: Closer....
Antsy: Almost....
Flint: Bingo! One dead gelatinous cube.
The hours of rest pass uneventfully, though with the time compression you've already experienced with the Shadowfell's planefall, there's no telling how much time has actually passed.
You do put the rest period to some good use, however. In the small room (who's door you were just opening when the corpses attacked), you find two small metal lockboxes, both which look as shiny as if they had just been forged; probably a side effect of the cube's acid. Each contain 100 silver coins and 10 gold. They also each have one other item: one has a gold medallion, the name "Drystan Keegan" etched on it; the other has a platinum bracelet similarly marked with the name "Ceinwein Keegan."
Furthermore, in exploring the alcoves that were in the other direction, one of you spot an oddly discolored stone in the left-hand one. Pressing it, the wall at the dead end opens up and reveals a dark and dusty passageway. You see nobody else using it during this time; but when you are finally ready and head down it yourself, you see obvious signs that the dust in this passage has been disturbed recently. The walls of the passage show evidence of wear and tear, the mortar and even some of the stonework falling out of place. After a dozen or so rods, the hall ends at an unmarked double door which opens toward you; there are holders for multiple bars to be placed across the entryway, to keep the door from being opened from the other side, but nothing else indicates the door is currently locked.
Actually, to say that time passes uneventfully would be slightly erroneous. Antsy starts hearing the voices of his past company of soldiers, while Armalia starts wondering if the phobic warlord's been right the whole time. Flint starts suspecting the others have significantly better spoils than he's been getting; Riardon, on the other hand, thinks that he can handle anything. Splug was completely unable to get any rest, and it's beginning to show; Nefertiti just can't seem to stop wanting to curl back up and sleep. All but Wil seem affected; only the swordmage doesn't seem to have picked up any new quirks...
Old: Armalia & Splug both roll saves. • Armalia failed to save. But Wrathful is discarded at an extended rest, so it doesn't matter so much. • Splug does save, which is a good thing since Haunted would have stayed with him if he hadn't....
New: • Antsy: Haunted — -4 penalty to All Defenses against Charm or Fear powers; this effect does not get discarded at an extended rest. (Training in Arcana gives a bonus to the save against this effect.) • Armalia: Phobic — -1 penalty to All Defenses. (Training in Intimidate gives a bonus to the save against this effect.) • Flint: Covetous — Cannot flank (or help to flank) an enemy. (Training in Thievery gives a bonus to the save against this effect.) • Nefertiti: Drowsy — Cannot make Opportunity Attacks; this effect does not get discarded at an extended rest. (Training in Perception gives a bonus to the save against this effect.) • Riardon: Delusional — -2 penalty to AC; this effect does not get discarded at an extended rest. (Training in Nature gives a bonus to the save against this effect.) • Wil: Indomitable Spirit — You do not have any despair effects until the next extended rest. • Splug: Insomnia — Healing Surge Value is halved; this effect does not get discarded at an extended rest. (Training in Nature gives a bonus to the save against this effect.)
Other Stuff: • Bravura Presence – When you spend an AP for an attack, declare before the attack roll if you're using this feature (Antsy, LOS). If you hit, you get a free Basic Attack or Move. If you miss, you grant CA until eont. • Shield the Fallen - Bloodied and/or Helpless allies adjacent to Armalia get +2 to saves and to all defenses. • Rune of Protection (when active) - Adjacent to Flint, get Resist 2 All. • Rune of Destruction (when active) - Get +1 to attack when attacking enemy adjacent to Flint.
Despair Deck: • Antsy: Haunted — -4 penalty to All Defenses against Charm or Fear powers; this effect does not get discarded at an extended rest. (Training in Arcana gives a bonus to the save against this effect.) • Armalia: Phobic — -1 penalty to All Defenses. (Training in Intimidate gives a bonus to the save against this effect.) • Flint: Covetous — Cannot flank (or help to flank) an enemy. (Training in Thievery gives a bonus to the save against this effect.) • Nefertiti: Drowsy — Cannot make Opportunity Attacks; this effect does not get discarded at an extended rest. (Training in Perception gives a bonus to the save against this effect.) • Riardon: Delusional — -2 penalty to AC; this effect does not get discarded at an extended rest. (Training in Nature gives a bonus to the save against this effect.) • Wil: Indomitable Spirit — You do not have any despair effects until the next extended rest. • Splug: Insomnia — Healing Surge Value is halved; this effect does not get discarded at an extended rest. (Training in Nature gives a bonus to the save against this effect.)
• 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.
Armalia sat for most of the rest period in a corner, trying like mad to scrub all the acid from the cube off. Her skin was raw from where she'd been wiping it. Maybe Antsy has one of his 'cures' for this....stuff is still burning....
When Riardon suggests they move ahead, a new sensation arises in Armalia: a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Anything could be behind those doors. It was probably dark...and nasty...and smelly... and dusty... and crawling with unspeakable, icky things....
Encounter Powers [_] Action Point [_] Second Wind [_] Dwarven Resilience [_] Minor Resurgence [_] Power Strike
[_] Power Strike
HP: HS: AC: Fort: Ref: Will:
Base 50 18 21 18 13 12
Current 50 18
Temp: 0 hp Surge:12 hp Init: +2 Speed: 5
Resist: none Saves: +5 against poison MBA: +10 vs. AC, 1d12+9 Stances: * Berserker's Charge: +2 Power bonus to both speed & attack when charging * Poised Assault: +1 Power bonus to attack
