Armalia starts to really panick when she discovers that she still can't move. No matter how hard she tries to lift her legs, they aren't responding. Overwhelmed with fear and anger, she hurls her axe at the closest target, taking out some of her feelings on it.
Encounter Powers [_] Action Point [_] Second Wind [_] Dwarven Resilience [_] Minor Resurgence [X] Power Strike
[_] Power Strike
HP: HS: AC: Fort: Ref: Will:
Base 50 18 21 18 13 12
Current 39 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
Taking a moment to stretch like a cat in the sun, Nef shakes her head, mumbling incoherent sleepy talk before jogging forward and unleashing a spider. "Hurry little fella, I don't know much longer I'll be awake."
Next Up: Riardon, Antsy, Splug, Flint, Wil, Armalia, Nefertiti
The clay scout tries, this time, to probe Flint's mind. Getting nothing once more, it flits clumsily through the air, flying over the stairs which ease downward to the right.
Two of the zombie soldiers focus, primarily, on Wil; one manages to strike him solidly with a decent-conditioned sword. The third comes around on the left, and tries to catch Splug by surprise; the goblin manages to parry with his equipment.
Nefertiti: Hits Zombie 1. No follow-up attacks, sorry; if there had been, Zombie 14 was in range from Soldier 2, though, as was the Clay Scout, so you were correct as far as you'd gone, and it could have continued in theory.
Fight/Flight: Not yet.
Clay Scout: Standard: Mind Touch @ Flint — 7 vs Will (forgot the extra +4 for Guard Object and the -2 for Aegis) misses. Move: Fly to (AY,7,1) End of Turn: Save vs Aegis Fails
Zombie Soldier 1: Move: Walk to (BA,11) Standard: Longsword @ Wil — 8 vs AC misses End: Save vs Aegis fails
Zombie Soldier 2: Move: Walk to (AW,16) Standard: Longsword @ Splug — 7 vs AC (forgot mark) misses End: Save vs Aegis fails
Zombie Soldier 3: Move: Shift to (AZ,13) Standard: Longsword @ Wil — 27 vs AC crits for 13 hp damage. End: Save vs Aegis fails
Zombie Rotter 13: Move: Walk to (BE,13) Standard: Charge @ Wil — move to (BA,12), Slam (22 vs AC) misses.
Zombie Rotter 14: Move: Walk to (BD,15) Standard: Charge @ Wil — move to (BA,13), Slam (18 vs AC) misses
Zombie Rotter 15: Move + Standard: Doublemove (walk) to (BA,17)
Zombie Rotter 16: Move + Standard: Doublemove (walk) to (BC,16)
Zombie Rotter 17: Move + Standard: Doublemove (walk) to (BD,15)
Zombie Rotter 18: Move + Standard: Doublemove (walk) to (BH,19)
Zombie Rotter 19: Move + Standard: Doublemove (walk) to (BD,13)
Zombie Rotter 20: Move + Standard: Doublemove (walk) to (BJ,17)
Map Notes:• Illumination: At least some of you have sunrods lit, plus Antsy's shield. Darkness otherwise. • Ceiling: 10 foot high • Stairs: In this area, the stairs are not steep, so no penalty for movement. The lower area of the room (Rank 7 and left-ward from there) is down 1 elevation from the rest of the room (ie, -1 instead of 0).
(25) Clay Scout (small natural animate, construct, homunculus, lurker): Immune to poison & disease; Limited Invisibility (trait) to Dazed creatures; Guard Object (trait) makes it more accurate to those adjacent to (or holding) whatever it is guarding; Bite (standard) does some damage and slows its target; Mind Touch (standard) does some damage and dazes its target; Redirect (imm. interrupt; recharge or when bloodied) re-targets ranged or melee attacks to adjacent creatures.
(20) Zombie (medium natural animate, undead, brute): Immune to poison & disease; Resist necrotic pretty well; Vulnerable to some radiant; Zombie Weakness makes it susceptible to critical hits; Slam does a bit of damage; Zombie Grab does a good job of immobiizing enemies
(20) Zombie Soldier (medium natural animate, undead, brute): Immune to poison & disease; Resist necrotic pretty well; Vulnerable to some radiant; Zombie Weakness makes it susceptible to critical hits; Defender of Undeath (aura 1) interferes with adjacent enemy attacks; Shield the Undead (aura 1) shields undead adjacent to it; Longsword (standard) does some damage; Protective Strike (imm. interrupt) helps to defend its allies; Deathless Hunger (null) potentially keeps alive a little longer.
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.
Riardon moves up to Wil and winks. He then raises his orb and calls out, "Back foul undead creatures!" A wave of energy envelops the zombies causing two of them to explode and three more to stumble backwards.
Noticing the clay scout fly off on its own, Wil's Aegis flickering about its wings, Flint's expression gives way to a feral grin. He shouts to the rest,
"The flying sack is mine! Leave 'im to me, or likely you'll be hittin' me in the backside!"
The runesmith's battle frenzy drives any thoughts of useful runes from his mind, and instead he charges straight at the creature, bastard sword raised and howling.
Standard: Charge Clay Scout to X:8 Atk: (1d20+9+1=13) vs AC Hit: ( 1d10+5+2+4=15) (with +2 from shifting and +4 from Clay Scout miss - Defiant Word) dmg.
The panic that Armalia is feeling starts making her chest feel tight and constricted. She gasps in air, having never felt this way in her entire life. Eyes wide, she lashes out again, hurling her axe at the next corpse she sees. The axe slices bits of dead flesh off and rebounds into her hand. This small victory gives her the impetus she needs to finally force the paralysis off of her. That, and the fact that she knew that the warlord would convince the others to leave her behind if she didn't get moving, and she really didn't want to be stuck here in the dark, alone, with those...things.
Encounter Powers [_] Action Point [_] Second Wind [_] Dwarven Resilience [_] Minor Resurgence [X] Power Strike
[_] Power Strike
HP: HS: AC: Fort: Ref: Will:
Base 50 18 21 18 13 12
Current 39 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
Robere's ghost whispers in Antsy's mind, reminding the warlord of the time he served everyone foul-smelling potatoes and they all spent the week in their own latrines, yelling curses back and forth. Antsy sees the panicked look on the dwarf's face and does what he can to assuage her fear. "Relax, Armie. It's probably just botulism. The odds of permanent liver damage is less than 80%."
Antsy sees Splug being pressed by another zombie and hustles over to shore up the flank. "Alright Splug, lock shields!" The goblin slides next to the warlord and the two get tangled up. Antsy realizes that he's holding his shield on the wrong side for this to work right. Splug recognizes that faster and launches an attack to keep the zombie busy. His probing spear slices past the undead's defenses but Splug is so tired he doesn't put any thrust behind it and barely scratches the creature before his spear is knocked away. MechanicsShow
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 [X]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)
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
Arcana +10, History +10, Endurance +8, Insight +7, Athletics +6, Religion +5, Acrobatics +2, Dungeoneering +2, Heal +2, Nature +2, Perception +2, Stealth +2, Thievery +2, Bluff +0, Diplomacy +0, Intimidate +0, Streetwise +0 Adventurer's Scion: Wil can reroll a monster knowledge check but must take the result of the second roll.
Minor Action, Close burst 2 Target One creature in burst Effect Wil marks the target. The target remains marked until he uses this power against another target. If he marks other creatures using other powers, the target is still marked. A creature can be subject to only one mark at a time. A new mark supersedes a mark that was already in place.
If the marked target makes an attack that doesn’t include Wil as a target, it takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls. If that attack hits and the marked target is within 10 squares of Wil, he can use an immediate interrupt to reduce the damage dealt by that attack to any one creature by 7.
Standard Action, Longsword +10 vs. AC Target One creature Hit 1d8+5 damage, and if the target is adjacent to Wil at the start of his next turn and moves away during that turn, it takes 1d6+2 thunder damage. Critical +1d6 damage
Standard Action, Longsword, Ranged 3 +7 vs. Fortitude Target One creature Hit 1d6+5 lightning damage, and Wil pulls the target to the nearest unoccupied space adjacent to him. Critical +1d6 damage Special If Wil cannot pull the target to an adjacent square, this power fails and deals no damage.
Free Action Effect Wil can use this power when making a Strength attack, Strength check or Strength-based skill check. He may use his Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma modifier in place of his Strength modifier to determine the result of the roll.
Minor Action, Close burst 3 Target: Wil and one of his allies in the burst or two allies in the burst. Effect: Each target teleports into the other's space. Both targets must occupy the same size space, or the power fails.
Immediate Interupt, Ranged 10 +7 vs. Will Trigger: An enemy hits one of Wil's allies with a melee attack. Target: The triggering enemy Hit: Wil teleports the target 5 squares. The target then makes its melee attack against a creature Wil chooses. This attack deals an extra 2 damage on a hit. If no creatures are within range of the target, the attack is expended.
Minor Action, Burst 10 Target One enemy in burst Effect The target receives the Mark of the Raven Queen until the end of the encounter. During Wil's turn, one damage die against that target may be rerolled; if part of an area or close attack with multiple targets, this reroll only affects damage to the target with the mark of the Raven Queen. []Raven Queen's Shroud JauntShow
Minor Action Effect Wil teleports adjacent to the target bearing the mark of the Raven Queen.
Standard Action, Personal Effect Wil spends a healing surge to regain hit points and gains a +2 bonus to all defenses until the start of his next turn.
Standard Action, Longsword, Close burst 1 +10 vs. AC Target Each enemy in burst Hit 1d8+5 damage, and the target is marked until the end of Wil's next turn. Until the mark ends, if the target makes an attack that does not include Wil as a target, it takes 4 force damage after the attack is resolved. Additionally, if a target marked by this power hits a creature within 10 squares of Wil with an attack that does not include him as a target, he can use an immediate interrupt to reduce the damage dealt by that attack to any single creature by 2. Critical +1d6 damage
Free Action, Personal Trigger: Wil succeeds on a monster knowledge check against a monster that he can see or hear. Effect: If Wil's check result meets or exceeds the hard DC for the monster's level, he gains a +4 power bonus to all defenses against the monster's attacks until the end of his next turn. Additionally, until the end of his next turn, he gains a +4 power bonus to damage rolls against the target, but not when he deals damage that the target resists. If Wil's check result does not meet or exceed the hard DC, his attacks against the target deal only half damage until the end of his next turn.
Standard Action, Longsword, Close Burst 2 +7 vs. Will Target Each enemy in burst Hit 1d8+5 psychic damage, and the target cannot make opportunity attacks or shift (save ends). Critical +1d6 damage Miss Half damage, and until the end of Wil's next turn, the target cannot make opportunity attacks or shift.
Nefertiti sets one of her spiders down and lethargically points in the direction of the zombies but her spider simply curls up in a little ball and waits until it dissipates. "Great," she mutters, "even my magic is tired..."
Next Up: Riardon, Antsy, Splug, Flint, Wil, Armalia, Nefertiti
The zombie hordes rush forth! Riardon takes a pummeling from repeated attacks, in spite of Wil's shielding magic. A few try to make their way through Antsy and Splug, but most head the other way, trying to overrun the arcanists.
Riardon: Triggers an attack from the Zombie Soldier. Then, 3 pushes and 2 kills. • Zombie Soldier 1: (Immediate Interrupt) Protective Strike @ Riardon — 6 vs AC (forgot mark penalty) misses.
Flint: Hits & kills.
Armalia: Hits & Bloodies.
Antsy: Misses
Splug: Hits
Wil: Hits & Bloodies
Nefertiti: Misses
Fight/Flight: Nyet
Zombie Soldier 1: Move: Shift to (BA,10) Standard: Longsword @ Riardon — 18 vs AC (forgot mark penalty) hits for 7 hp damage, reduced to 0 by Wil. End: Save vs Aegis succeeds
Zombie Soldier 2: Move: Shift to (AV,17) Standard: Longsword @ Splug — 14 vs AC (forgot mark penalty) misses End: Save vs Aegis succeeds
Map Notes:• Illumination: At least some of you have sunrods lit, plus Antsy's shield. Darkness otherwise. • Ceiling: 10 foot high • Stairs: In this area, the stairs are not steep, so no penalty for movement. The lower area of the room (Rank 7 and left-ward from there) is down 1 elevation from the rest of the room (ie, -1 instead of 0).
(25) Clay Scout (small natural animate, construct, homunculus, lurker): Immune to poison & disease; Limited Invisibility (trait) to Dazed creatures; Guard Object (trait) makes it more accurate to those adjacent to (or holding) whatever it is guarding; Bite (standard) does some damage and slows its target; Mind Touch (standard) does some damage and dazes its target; Redirect (imm. interrupt; recharge or when bloodied) re-targets ranged or melee attacks to adjacent creatures.
(20) Zombie (medium natural animate, undead, brute): Immune to poison & disease; Resist necrotic pretty well; Vulnerable to some radiant; Zombie Weakness makes it susceptible to critical hits; Slam does a bit of damage; Zombie Grab does a good job of immobiizing enemies
(20) Zombie Soldier (medium natural animate, undead, brute): Immune to poison & disease; Resist necrotic pretty well; Vulnerable to some radiant; Zombie Weakness makes it susceptible to critical hits; Defender of Undeath (aura 1) interferes with adjacent enemy attacks; Shield the Undead (aura 1) shields undead adjacent to it; Longsword (standard) does some damage; Protective Strike (imm. interrupt) helps to defend its allies; Deathless Hunger (null) potentially keeps alive a little longer.
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.
or when bloodied) re-targets ranged or melee attacks to adjacent creatures.
