tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542288088513943439.post4864317217023320330..comments2013-08-21T13:57:01.972-06:00Comments on D&D 4th edition - Addicts' thoughts and opinions: More on ToolsCrwthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040674620903529496noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542288088513943439.post-40567816371037793802013-03-18T01:26:32.564-06:002013-03-18T01:26:32.564-06:00Agreed, death is still very valid. In one instance...Agreed, death is still very valid. In one instance I remember that ghouls dropped from the roof and were going to gank the wizard in the group. The dragonborn warden jumped in to save him and marked them all. The wizard used both his standard and move action to flee. The dragon born died. <br /><br />It could have been avoided had the wizard attacked one of the ghouls, but human error was in play. If foolish mistakes are made, and little support from the team is there, someone will most likely die.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542288088513943439.post-63243659051433350552009-08-29T17:50:50.375-06:002009-08-29T17:50:50.375-06:00@Griff
Death in 4e is most definitely still a fac...@Griff <br />Death in 4e is most definitely still a factor. The first encounter my group ever had was against two kobold slingers, six kobold minions, and two kobold dragonshields.<br /><br />The paladin dropped in the first round of combat, having failed initiative against the kobolds. They swarmed the character, and after their first slinger friend glued him to the spot, and the second lit him aflame the minions rolled in, attacked, and then shifted out of range. The dragonshields set up a blocking maneuver so the rest of the pcs couldn't get within 5 squares of him (and thus the cleric couldn't heal).<br /><br />As long as the opponents work well together, and the terrain is used well, combat is every bit as lethal as older editions.Francis Boushohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14252134664272241020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542288088513943439.post-3441744902938668732009-08-27T10:41:50.079-06:002009-08-27T10:41:50.079-06:00@Francis, that's an excellent point as support...@Francis, that's an excellent point as support costs for outdated systems is a real issue. <br /><br />But... if 5th edition is all digital, then 6th edition has a ready made excuse for forcing everyone to update. Or buy up every 5E pdf they can before those servers are taken offline.<br /><br />@Alex, I actually wrote up a dirty Monk hybrid. I haven't done much with it since the initial write-up since my current character refuses to die (is death still a factor in 4E?). I wonder if I should post it here...Griffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854226755305203275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542288088513943439.post-32011305769745656962009-08-27T00:55:20.861-06:002009-08-27T00:55:20.861-06:00I don't think they're trying to phase out ...I don't think they're trying to phase out print, but to be perfectly honest I don't think they're going to lose sleep over the digital customer who never buys a single non-core book.<br /><br />That's recurring income, man. That's the dream. That's the goal. That's the shiny brass ring. That's the thing that has eluded the book industry for time immemorial. This is why it seems like no one has yet figured out how to make a real profit, as corporations reckon things, off a hobby where people spend upwards of $300 for the privilege of pretending to be elves in somebody's basement: the company gets your money once and then you never need them again.<br /><br />They have the books for flavor, the online content for ease of access. As long as each side has its pros and cons, there will be a lot of people who choose to go each route and more than a few who go both.<br /><br />Anyway, as for the main topic of the post: hybrid builds = fun. I have a mystic monk character who's a Cleric/Wizard hybrid using Staff of Defense via Hybrid Talent plus Staff Fighting feat and Two Weapon Defense to get a nice AC boost just for picking up a walking stick... Magic Missile + Reaper's Touch + Wizard's Fury = Flurry of Blows! All the Cleric melee powers work nicely for staff strikes, and there are ample defensive interrupts on both classes and Wizard utilities for things like jumping and climbing... there are so many choices for a Wuxia/Wire-Fu charater using those two classes that it's actually hard to pick which ones I want the most.<br /><br />I also like the mix of Paladin and Avenger to get a character who's the ultimate solo dueler/boss-killer. Divine Challenge plus Oath of Enmity - although this is one case where I think multiclassing beats Hybrid, because the once per encounter multiclass Oath can be used with Paladin powers while the full strength Oath the hybrid gets only works with Avenger powers. But if you've got Radiant Touch, Abjure Undead, and Demonbane and Devilbane (and the new paragon feat from the Bahamut article, Dragonbane), you've got some excellent single target encounter attacks that can target about half the Monster Manual.<br /><br />My pride and joy themed character is my "wolfpack" character, Hybrid Shaman/Ranger with Beast Mastery Hybrid Talent, and multiclass Initiate Druid. :)<br /><br />I really can't wait for the Hybrid/Multiclass Monk and Hybrid Artificer rules to come out... soooo many concepts that those will open up. <br /><br />I had the brainwave yesterday that Artificer with Longbow proficiency rather than Prescient Bard is the best way to make an arcane archer... you can pretty much pick Artificer powers that are nothing but channeling spells and elements through a weapon, and they work as well with a bow as with anything else. But if the Artificer could be blended with a Ranger or Prescient Bard, you could focus more on the archery and leave more of the Artificer baggage behind.Alexandra Erinhttp://www.grownupgametable.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542288088513943439.post-51643738755567265182009-08-26T21:05:53.831-06:002009-08-26T21:05:53.831-06:00I like my fluff, so I'll still be buying the p...I like my fluff, so I'll still be buying the physical books. That having been said Bill Slavicsek said they were working on a new pdf solution (whatever that may mean) so maybe I'll go digital.<br /><br />Here is my major gripe with the idea of subscription over books. When 5th edition inevitably comes out, the cost of maintaining the old 4e tools will eventually become a problem for WotC, essentially bleeding them of their capital. They will someday have to drop the subscription based tech, and then there will be no way to acquire the material without buying hard copies.Francis Boushohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14252134664272241020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542288088513943439.post-14694348813621000612009-08-26T20:00:36.334-06:002009-08-26T20:00:36.334-06:00Or maybe people who enjoy D&D may not have com...Or maybe people who enjoy D&D may not have computers?Hrimgrimnirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04040336935124282000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542288088513943439.post-18582149743847539252009-08-26T14:47:22.041-06:002009-08-26T14:47:22.041-06:00They would have to start supplying all of the flav...They would have to start supplying all of the flavour text in digital form, then; while I have access to the stats of monsters and the class layouts in a Player's Handbook, I don't get the paragraphs of descriptions about playing the game, etc. The DM's Guide is a better example - very little of its content is something that fits into a Compendium or Builder.<br /><br />Perhaps they are, though... I really don't know what the business model for a full digital library is like... how many people would not be willing to move that direction (and would move on to Pathfinder)...Crwthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00040674620903529496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542288088513943439.post-32058122198214753922009-08-26T09:30:21.110-06:002009-08-26T09:30:21.110-06:00Or... and this is just a shot in the dark...
WotC...Or... and this is just a shot in the dark...<br /><br />WotC is aiming to discontinue hardcopy prints in their entirety.<br /><br />Make everything digital and subscriber based.<br /><br />Just a thought.Griffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854226755305203275noreply@blogger.com