Archive for January, 2010
Race du Jour: Caitlin
Jan 31st
Legends tell of a long forgotten empire which worshipped the great Cat Goddess Bast. Under her guidance no feline could be harmed in any way, and they roamed free through the winding twisting alleyways of the city.
It so happened that a small family of Halflings lived in the city proper. They were hard-working, honest and canny merchants, and as a result became very wealthy – and unpopular among their peers. Before long a number of them united in their jealousy and fabricated charges of Cat Murder, that most heinous of crimes, against the head of their house, Tobias Caitlin.
Alone in his cell, scared for his life and that of his whole family he prayed to Bast herself, knowing that she would see the untruths of these accusations. He was a good man, as kind to cats as to any creature, and faithfully left a saucer of milk by the door each night as tribute.
The next morning when the jailers came to collect old Tobias from his cell for execution, he had changed. Furry cat-like ears replaced his own, and a long agile tail traced an S in the air. From the other cells the rest of his family were found to share the same Gifts of Bast. All of their accusers had mysteriously died overnight, having choked on hairballs.
The Caitlins were immediately released, their property returned and added to with that of their accusers. No one ever bothered them again.
Caitlins are an offshoot of the Halfling Race that have gained several catlike traits due to their origin. Caitlins and Halflings occasionally intermarry, and the offspring is always a Caitlin. Many share the Halfling’s innate curiousity, though boosted to feline levels. An open window is as inviting as a glass of milk to a Caitlin, and they can be randomly affectionate or uncaring on a whim. Some Caitlins become extremely lazy, particularly if they find a good spot in the sun or a mound of plump cushions. On the other hand, many Caitlins have found a good trade as Assassins – though they do have a bad habit of playing with their targets first.
Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma
Size: Small
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Low-light
Languages: Common, choice of one other
Skill Bonus: +2 Acrobatics, +2 Stealth
Halfling Heritage: You can take feats that have halfling as a prerequisite as long as you meet any other requirements
Nimble Reaction: +2 racial bonus at AC against opportinuty attacks
Playful Pounce: You gain Playful Pounce as an encounter power
| Playful Pounce |
| You are a cat. They are mice. You do the math. |
| Immediate reaction, when a bloodied enemy within 5 squares shifts, Weapon |
| The Caitlin shifts to the nearest square adjacent to the enemy and makes a basic attack against it. |
Almost all Caitlin Clerics worship Bast as the goddess of their ancestors. It’s quite likely that Bast has long since forgotten her random act of generosity. Cats are like that.
| Deity | Alignment | Areas of Influence |
| Bast | Unaligned | Cats, laziness and curiosity |
Notes: The world needs more Anthropomorphic Races, don’t you think?1
- Yes, I know this isn’t technically an anthro race, but run with me on this, ok? :D ↩
Beyond the battle: A non-combat guide to using 4e Powers
Jan 30th
The Powers system is without doubt the single biggest change to the game that Fourth Edition brought to the D&D genre. By design these are abilities which give your character cool things to do in combat beyond just saying “I hit him” for the thousandth time. As with anything designed for warfare though many (if not all) Powers can also be useful outside combat too. Just like a Fighter using his Longsword to pry open a door or a Wizard using his trusty Staff to check for traps, it’s the imaginitive use for your Powers that help to bring them, and the game itself, alive.
From the keyboard of myself and Randall from Initiative or What, here’s a primer showing how to use Powers beyond the turn-by-turn world of the combat round. We’ll look at the mechanics of using them away from the battlemat as well as suggest cool and cunning uses for the first and second level Powers from each class of the Player’s Handbook. Hopefully this should spark ideas how your character could use their Powers in imaginitive and unusual ways too. If you think of any, we’d love to hear from you in the comments!
But first, a word about frequency. Powers come in three flavours: At-will, per Encounter and Daily. At-will Powers can be used as often as you want, and never run out. Daily Powers are usable just once between an Extended Rest so if you use it outside combat, it’s gone for the day.
Powers which are usable once Per Encounter can only be used once between Short Rests. Remember that 4e D&D describes only the mechanical effects – it’s up to you and your GM to provide the in-game explanations and rationales. Perhaps they are more exhausting to use than your At-wills, require a little more preparation to set up or need easily replaceable spell components. A Wizard in one of our Delves used the short rests to memorize his Encounter Spells, and his extended rests to memorize and prepare the complex components for his Daily Spells. Yes folks – spell memorization in 4e D&D! Who’d have thunk it?
When it comes to using the Encounter Power outside combat, the main thing to be aware of is that if initiative is rolled within 5 minutes of their use, you can’t use that Encounter Power during the battle – you’ve simply not had time to rest and recover the use of the Power. Likewise for Daily Powers – until you’ve had a good night’s sleep, they’re gone so it’s a brave (or desperate!) adventurer who uses a Daily Power in a non-combat situation.
Any Power that can target a creature can also target an object, subject to the GM’s discretion (PHB 57). While it doesn’t make sense for a hero to be able to mind control a door, most Powers can be used to affect objects, walls and the surroundings. In general, if a Power targets Will, it’s not going to work against an inanimate object.
If the Power’s target is listed as “ally” or “allies” then this means that the target must be willing. No matter how hard he tries, a Cleric won’t be able to heal a stone wall! (Though if he could somehow communicate with it first……) Take each suggested use of a Power on it’s own merit – if it makes sense and is Suitably Heroic, allow it.
Many Powers create effects that last until the end of the Encounter, or can be sustained so long as the caster spends a Minor Action maintaining them. Out of combat, these effects last 5 minutes at most (PHB 278), or until the caster takes a rest. This means many Powers are great for short-term game effects – it’s HOW you use them that counts!
Enough with the rules. Here are some suggested uses for the Cleric, Paladin, Rogue and Warlord 1st level and the 2nd level Utility Powers. You’ll find uses for the Fighter, Ranger, Warlock and Wizard over on Initiative or What. The rest, as they say, is up to you.
Cleric Prayers
| Lance of Faith |
| Single out a sinner in a crowd, bathing them in light |
| Priest’s Shield |
| Protect a victim from assault |
| Righteous Brand |
| Temporarily brand a prisoner for transfer |
| Sacred Flame |
| Draw health from a willing subject to save an ally |
| Cause Fear |
| Make a fool run from certain danger, or dishearten the leader of a mob |
| Divine Glow |
| Signal the beginning of a ceremony by filling the congregation with holy light |
| Healing Strike |
| Draw healing energy from a willing sacrifice to heal another |
| Wrathful Thunder |
| Punish an unrepentant sinner |
| Avenging Flame |
| Holy cow barbeque! |
| Beacon of Hope |
| Bless the faithful and punish the doubters – all in one swoop |
| Cascade of Light |
| Cast on a novice priest to test their mettle and open them up to their deity’s wishes |
| Guardian of Faith |
| Summon a holy ancestor for advice. Grants a bonus to Religion and Insight checks equal to the caster’s Wisdom bonus. |
| Bless |
| Sends congregation away to ther toil. Grants a +1 bonus to skill checks for 1 hour |
| Cure Light Wounds |
| Heal wounded animals and people. Essential for the non-combat working Cleric! |
| Divine Aid |
| Assist in curing a long-term illness |
| Sanctuary |
| Provide a safe zone for trade negotiations |
| Shield of Faith |
| Embolden your allies the eve before battle |
Paladin Prayers
| Bolstering Strike |
| Push the limits of your endurance during training, drawing on inner reserves from your faith |
| Enfeebling Strike |
| Train your squire to anticipate attacks while using wooden swords (1d3 damage) |
| Holy Strike |
| Find the weak point in a door before bursting it open |
| Valiant Strike |
| Grab a pair of foes and smash them into a treasure chest |
| Fearsome Smite |
| Outsmart someone chasing you; they take a penalty to their Athletics equal to your Wisdom bonus |
| Piercing Smite |
| Corner a small gang of thugs, keeping close guard over them all with your imposing glare |
| Radiant Smite |
| Cause your weapon to glow faintly, suffient to provide illumination in a 5′ radius |
| Shielding Smite |
| Create a Shield to protect someone from falling rocks – or to craddle a baby |
| On Pain of Death |
| Prevent aggressive action from a captive. Or to torture one (not that a Paladin would ever do such a thing). |
| Paladin’s Judgement |
| Literally take a pound of flesh from the guilty, bestowing recompence to the victim |
| Radiant Delerium |
| Illuminate a 5′ square area such as a window or archway |
| Astral Speech |
| Negotiate a treaty or safe passage |
| Martyr’s Blessing |
| Heroic last-minute sacrifice, saving a friend from certain death at the cost of your own life |
| Sacred Circle |
| Create a small sanctuary of peace, a calm in the eye of a storm |
Rogue Exploits
| Deft Strike |
| Roof run and fire a grappling hook |
| Piercing Strike |
| Knife-throwing act and other tricks of hand-eye coordination |
| Riposte Strike |
| Hold a foe with a blade on the nape of their neck. One false move….. |
| Sly Flourish |
| Sign your initial on a door or somone’s chest with the tip of your blade |
| Dazing Strike |
| Punch out a mad dog! |
| King’s Castle |
| Swing an ally to safety |
| Positioning Strike |
| Force open a barred door |
| Tortuous Strike |
| Street boxing match – and probably throw the match too! |
| Blinding Barrage |
| Escape from the law by throwing sand in their eyes |
| Easy Target |
| Knock out a drunk |
| Trick Strike |
| Force back a heavy barrel or stone block |
| Fleeting Ghost |
| Pass silently by guards and their dogs – or back home after a night drinking :D |
| Great Leap |
| Leap the moat/pit trap/alleyway |
| Master of Deceit |
| Persuade the judge you’re innocent, honest |
| Quick Fingers |
| Pick pockets while running through a crowd |
| Tumble |
| Escape through the legs of the closing thugs |
Warlord Exploits
| Commander’s Strike |
| Order a soldier to whip a prisoner or punish a subordinate. Not recommended unless you’re a harsh taskmaster |
| Furious Smash |
| Motivate a warband through a show of force |
| Viper’s Strike |
| Trip a fleeing suspect |
| Wolf Pack Tactics |
| Close in on a target (be it foe or frightened innocent) |
| Guarding Attack |
| Shield an ally while he’s fleeing |
| Hammer and Anvil |
| Team up and smash down the door! |
| Leaf on the Wind |
| Rescue a captive from a foe’s clutches |
| Warlord’s Favour |
| Trick a guard into opening themselves up to a surprise attack |
| Bastion of Defense |
| Order a change to a defensive formation while marching |
| Lead the Attack |
| Alert your allies to prepare for battle! |
| Pin the Foe |
| Hold down a struggling prisoner |
| White Raven Onslaught |
| Order your troops to pan out and search for survivors |
| Aid the Injured |
| Share war stories with an old comrade |
| Crescendo of Violence |
| Cheer on a wrestling match! |
| Knight’s Move |
| Help another escape an angry mob |
| Shake it Off |
| Encourage an ally to suck it up, soldier! |
Find more suggested non-combat uses for Powers over on Initiative or What. See you there!
So you’ve got the free Base Figures. Now what?
Jan 29th
Just in case you didn’t get the memo, the generous people at DAZ3D have released all of their Base Figures (yes, all of them) for free. That has put the 3D rendering community into feeding frenzy mode with all and sundry stuffing their hard drives to the gills with everything from the very first Aiko to the latest and greatest FREAK 4 figure.
Then they’ve scratched their heads wondering what to do with all these terrific figures. After all, these are just the figures – there’s next to no hair, no clothes and many don’t even include a set of morphs or textures worth writing home about. So, just what can you do with a runtime folder full of just the base figures?
Use them, of course!
The Girl, bare. Cute as a button she is too.
The easiest way to use the figures straight out of the body is as figure studies. Get to know how the models pose and the strengths of each one. Every model is different. Michael 3, for example, is far more chiseled than Michael 4′s more rounded features, and the original Aiko is much more toon-like than the later Aiko 3 and Aiko 4 models. The Reduced Resolution figures are well worth the price of download (free!) as they’re ideally suited if you want to add a crowd scene or bunch o’folks in the background.
Ten Michael 3 RR figures in one scene and my little netbook didn’t even break into a sweat.
The Reduced Resolution figures also come with equally reduced resolution textures, and they work with any figure of the same Generation – so you can use the Michael 3 RR texture on FREAK or Michael 3 himself too. It’s not a great texture, but it’s good enough to get started.
Michael 4 base. A surprisingly great texture, by default.
The newer Fourth Generation figures (Michael 4, FREAK 4, Hiro 4, Victoria 4, Aiko 4, Girl 4 and She-Freak 4) are the current, and best, models out there but that quality comes at a price. These are all memory intensive figures to use. The earlier generation figures are much lighter to use, both in terms of loading and render time. For complex renders, I sometimes use Victoria 2 and Michael 2 as stand-in figures while I set up the scene, then replace them with their Fourth Generation counterparts when I’m ready to roll.
Stephanie 3, sunset and Gold Shader. Done.
The huge advantage of using an earlier figure is that there’s a wealth of free (and paid) content out there for them. I’d guess V3 has fifty times the number off outfits than V4, and Aiko 3 is easily the best supported Anime figure on the market. I’ll be looking at free resources for the older figures another time. Until then, I suggest taking a look at using Shaders to colour and texture the Base Figure directly. This is something I’ve already covered (here and here) – why not give it a try?
She-Freak 4. As deadly as she is beautiful.
Thanks to DAZ Studio’s Morph Follower, it shouldn’t be too difficult to make your existing clothing fit (provided it’s of the same Generation), and solutions exist to convert any clothing or hair to any figure. FREAK 4 sure looks funny in a dress.
But that’s not all. DAZ3D have also issued a $5 voucher for everyone. It’s valid until 1st February so be quick! The code is SPREADTHEWORD5 - just add it in the My Account page and it’s yours. You can read more about this offer over on the DAZ Forums. Until the end of the month there’s a huge dicount on 2nd, 3rd and 4th Generation clothing bundles so you could even use it to pick up a whole load of clothes for free!
A pair of Victoria 3s all set for a disco face-off thanks to the V3 SP Clothing Pack. Oh yeah.
The David Clothing Bundle, Hiro Clothing Bundle, Chic Boutique, v3 SP Clothing Pack, David Clothing Pack, V3 High Fantasy Character Clothing Bundle, M3 High Fantasy Character Clothing Bundle and 4 in1 Hair Bundle are all currently only $3.48 each – that $5 more than covers any one of them. Heck, the Modern Desert Soldier Bundle is only $5.23 so you could pick up a full set of army dress for David, Michael 3 & FREAK for just 23 cents! Bargain? Oh yes! Grab all the links to these packs and more on the Generation 3 Bundles page – but be quick!
Next time, let’s take a look at just one of the figures – Hiro 3. Till then!
You and whose army?
Jan 28th
It’s the little monsters you need to watch out for. Especially if they’re backed up by a horde of big monsters.
Endday Interlude: Epic is a state of mind
Jan 28th
So far, our D&D Endday Campaign has been anything but D&D. We’ve had timeslips into Vietnam, out of control planes on a collision course with Hell, Angels pinned to the ceiling of unassuming bookstores and much, much more. The closest we’ve come to a classic Dungeon crawl involved playing hide-and-seek with a Neldrazu in an abandoned junkyard. And we’ve not even left Heroic Tier yet. Just imagine what’s waiting for them up the road……..
One of the things I wanted do to with this campaign was throw away the concept of “start small, get bigger”. Instead, I wanted to start big, then get frickin’ HUGE! I have massive scenes in my mind for what’s coming up in Endday. The entire of Chicago covered in ice is just the beginning and I’m expecting one heck of a battle up the side of a frozen Willis Tower in a few sessions time!
But enough of that. Let me ask you a question.
As a DM, what is your special effects budget?
$10? $10 thousand? A hundred million? Dude, James Cameron has nothing on you – your budget is unlimited! You can drop earthquakes at will, blow whole planets up, turn children into slime critters and back, summon a horde of crawling ghosts that appear through the dungeon walls (Goblin Cutter. Add Resist:Insubstantial. Done.) and more. If you can think it, you can do it – without needing a gazillion green screens, stuntmen, supercomputers and CGI specialists along the way.
That’s not to say you should use all of your infinite special effects budget all the time, of course. Any movie director knows that you need a calm before every storm and you have to include the low-key scenes to give the action scenes more impact. A movie that’s just all-action, all the time is just mush. If you want proof, go watch any Van Damme movie. See what I mean? Mush. Now watch any Die Hard movie. They’re not exactly the heights of cinematic excellence, but they are 100 times better because there are gaps in the action, slower sections which serve to counterpoint the action sequences.
A great game session (or series of sessions) should be like that. Mix high action with dialog and (dare I say it?) solid role-playing, and you’re onto a winning combination. Then turn the volume on your special effects up to ten. At least.
Here’s a quick example. Let’s say you’re running a classic dungeon crawl. The heroes have defeated the Evil Sorcerer. They take a breath then pick the Enormous Ruby of Quib from the ornate stand. They have reached their goal. Do you stop there and call that the end of the adventure? NO!
“The entire room – no, the entire dungeon – starts to shake. The ceiling begins to cave in and the walls buckle under the weight of the three dungeon levels above you. What do you do?”
Cue tense last minute Skill Challenge (and the music from Indiana Jones) as our heroes try to escape a collapsing dungeon! Let them use Acrobatics, Athletics, Dungeoneering, Intimidate (Perhaps against each other – “Get outta my way, Gnome!”) and any other skill they can come up with a use for as they flee. Knock off a healing surge for every failed check (hey, being hit by a dungeon HURTS!) and award them XP if they make it out alive. If not….. well, the dungeon claimed it’s last victims. That’s something, I guess.
Epic? Oh yes.
That, my friend, is what I am talking about.
Building up Speed
Jan 26th
DAZ Studio, no postwork. Clickee biggie.
Speed built in LEGO. Geddit?
This was fun to put together. Love that LEGO helicopter!
How to Survive as a 1st level Character
Jan 25th
So your GM has turned up the heat. Now it’s your turn. Here’s a handful of hints and tips that should prevent your hero becoming a weeping heap o’crud on the floor no matter what the GM throws at you. Old hands will no doubt be chuckling at the obviousness of some of these scribblings, but hopefully you too will pick up something along the way. Read on!
Teamwork
An old motivational speaker I once worked with used to say “there is no F in team” and he’s right – all too often in D&D there’s no effin’ team at all. Each player sees their character front and centre, with those “other guys” as little more than shadowy figures at the edge of their vision. Get to know your team, and know them well.
It may help to keep a mini-statblock for the rest of the party on your character sheet. This will remind you of their relative strengths both in and out of combat. If the players need incentive to do this, the GM could award Minor Quest XP to the character who puts it together for the group. It doesn’t need to be complex – something like this, perhaps:
Abbas, Human Warlord-1, Battleaxe, Trained: Athletics, Diplomacy, Endurance, Heal, Intimidate
Bjorda, Eladrin Bard-1, Quarterstaff, Trained: Arcana, Dungeoneering, History, Perception, Streetwise
Connor, Half-Elf Rogue/Wizard-1, Daggers & Hand Crossbow, Trained: Arcana, Acrobatics, Athletics, Bluff, Perception, Stealth, Thievery
Ducartes, Gnome Fey Pact Warlock-1, Club, Trained: History, Insight, Intimidate, Religion
This is of immediate use when it comes to Skill Challenges as players can suggest uses for each others’ Trained skills, making sure that the team uses the right person for the job every time. “Ducartes, can you tell if he’s lying?” is a much better thing for Connor’s player to say than “I roll Insight to see if he’s telling the truth.” as Ducartes is trained in Insight, and Connor isn’t – and you’ve got that information right on your crib sheet.
It goes beyond the simple mechanics of the game, of course. Abbas is now “that Warlord with a Battleaxe who is good at Diplomacy” instead of just being “Steve’s Character”. Add more information as you needs (“… allergic to Goblins. They make him sneeze.”) to personalize the characters further.
Aid Another
I know I keep on banging the Aid Another drum but it really is one of the most important yet neglected rules in the game. Make a DC10 check, and someone else gets a +2 on their next roll. It’s as mechanically simple as it is elegant, and is a terrific way to help the next guy ensure his big-hitting Daily Attack Power doesn’t miss.
That’s another common complaint (and myth) about 4e D&D – the game isn’t fun because missing with a Daily Power sucks. Yes it does, but if it misses that’s because you’re doing it wrong (unless you roll really, really badly). These are your big showpiece attacks, so do all you can to make sure they don’t miss! Ask another player to use Aid Another on their turn to set you up for the attack – or better yet, move into position to Flank then roll Aid Another. In role-playing terms the other guy is distracting and harrying the poor victim so you’re set up to sucker punch him. This gives you a total +4 on your attack roll. If you miss with those odds, it’s time to microwave your dice.
Aid Another is also great to use in Skill Challenges too. In the crib sheet above both Connor and Bjorda are trained in Arcana. If one makes a check to Aid Another (“I’m helping Connor in the Tower Library.”) it’s more likely their check will crest over the next DC value to reveal deeper information. It’s better for one person to beat DC25 than two guys beat DC20 and get the same information twice. Teamwork at work.
Prone, Dazed, Immobilized and more
It’s a fact that 8 out of 10 adventurers hate the Dazed condition in 4e D&D. Yet 9 out of 10 adventurers don’t use it against their foes effectively, if at all. Whenever a monster Dazes you it’s effectively saying “I am better at fighting than you. You suck.” and you know what – he’s not wrong.
Every class has Powers which will put a foe at a disadvantage. The trick is to know when to use them, and press that advantage as soon as you have it. Don’t leave a Dazed or Prone monster just laying there – hit him, hard! Yes folks, it’s ok to kick a monster when he’s down. You heard it here first.
Know what the conditions mean, and you’re halfway there. Here’s a quick summary. A * means it grants Combat Advantage, giving a +2 to anyone who attacks you and setting them up for a Roguely Sneak Attack smackdown:
Blinded*: Can’t see, -10 to Perception, can’t Flank
Dazed*: Can only take one action, can’t Flank
Deafened: Can’t hear, -10 to Perception
Dominated*: Dazed & controlled by another. At-will attacks only
Dying*: Make a death save each round
Helpless*: Can be coup de grace’d
Immobilized: Can’t move (suggested House Rule: and can’t teleport either)
Marked: -2 to attack anyone other than the marker
Petrified: Resist 20, cannot take actions
Prone*: CA against melee attacks only, can’t move, +2 defenses vs Range, -2 to attack
Restrained*: Can’t move, can’t be forced to move, -2 to attack
Slowed: Speed 2
Stunned*: Can’t take actions, can’t Flank
Surprised*: Can’t take actions, can’t flank
Unconscious*: Helpless, -5 to all defenses, can’t take actions, can’t Flank, fall prone
Weakened: Attacks deal half damage
There’s quite a few, but the ones you really need to know are Dazed, Marked, Prone, Surprised and Weakened. As a team, if you can aim to get at least one of those against a foe each round the battle will be won before it’s even begun.
Surprise!
Getting that all important Surprise Round is a great way to start a battle. That’s partly in the hands of the GM – we GMs do like a good ambush!. If you make sure that the PC with the highest Perception score is up front (and the one with second highest at the back) and they’re actively watching and scouting ahead for monsters, there’s a good chance that you’ll hear them before they hear you. Having an Elf in the party helps by giving the entire group a +1 on their Perception checks. I think he hands round contact lenses or something. I dunno.
While on the subject of things Elvish – a Drow Rogue makes a great forward scout with his +2 DEX and Stealth bonus, not to mention Darkvision. Take Occuption:Criminal to get a further +2 to Stealth and take Distant Advantage as your Feat. Flanking Sneak Attack with a Crossbow from 50′ away? Yes please! A DEX 20 Drow Rogue built like with would have +14 Stealth, more than enough to approach most monsters undetected even at full speed. This is a Rogue who could come into firing range of a bunch of Orcs, Sneak Attack one of them with his crossbow using Surprise Round Combat Advantage then lure them back into an ambush set by the rest of the party – where they get Surprise Combat Advantage too! When the battle is on he moves to get Flanking from a distance and picks off targets from the shadows while the melee-fighters set him up for the kill.
Teamwork, even from a Drow. Wow drow, wow.
Training together
Planning your tactics in advance is a great way to find killer Power combinations between the team members. Once you’ve found that deadly combination of attacks it’s a part of your repertoire which you can use again and again. I recommend that GMs award Minor Quest XP for parties who think about such things and set aside downtime for their heroes to train together.
Top of the heap when it comes to teamwork Powers has to be the Warlord’s Commander’s Strike At-will Power. This grants another member of the team a free basic attack on the Warlord’s turn, with additional damage equal to your INT bonus – and it’s an At-Will. This effectively means that the Warlord can stand at a safe distance from the action and order his “troops” into battle. Build an INT 20 Warlord and pair him with a heavy hitter such as a Greataxe-wielding Barbarian, and you’ve a pretty unstoppable combination using Commander’s Strike alone.
Alternatively, pair him with a Rogue and use Wolf Pack Tactics to help him get into position then burn an Action Point to use Commander’s Strike and give him a basic attack plus Sneak Attack damage this round, and he’s also set up to do Sneak Attack damage on the next too. Nasty.
I’ve already seen three Half-Elves who took Commander’s Strike as their Dilettante Power just so they could use it once per Encounter. Sometimes, that’s enough to turn the tide of battle in the heroes’ favour.
When it comes to the other classes, there’s always something you can do to help another hero. When it comes to a Wizard’s Spells, Chill Strike is a great choice as it leaves the poor victim dazed for a round. That should be the signal for the rest of the team to target that one creature and hit it with everything they’ve got – then burn an Action Point and hit him again just as hard. For example, that Wizard could cast Chill Strike then spend an Action Point to cast Horrid Whispers. That’s one monster who is Dazed, Slowed, at -2 to attack and Prone. And that’s before the other heroes close in to take him apart.
This is just one way to take down that pesky Elite or Solo monster who Just Won’t Die. A little planning goes a long way, and it sure beats the heroes attacking poorly at random and letting the battle drag on. I’ll say it again: if combat is taking a long time, you’re doing it wrong. Think tactically, look out for each other, find killer attack combinations and unite to bring down the big monsters and the battle will be won in double quick time.
Till next time!
Teamwork
An old motivational speaker I once worked with used to say “there is no F in team” and he’s right – all too often in D&D there’s no effin’ team at all. Each player sees their character front and centre, with those “other guys” as little more than shadowy figures at the edge of their vision. Get to know your team, and know them well.
It may help to keep a mini-statblock for the rest of the party on your character sheet. This will remind you of their relative strengths both in and out of combat. If the players need incentive to do this, the GM could award Minor Quest XP to the character who puts it together for the group. It doesn’t need to be complex – something like this, perhaps:
Abbas, Human Warlord-1, Battleaxe, Trained: Athletics, Diplomacy, Endurance, Heal, Intimidate
Bjorda, Eladrin Bard-1, Quarterstaff, Trained: Arcana, Dungeoneering, History, Perception, Streetwise
Connor, Half-Elf Rogue/Wizard-1, Daggers & Hand Crossbow, Trained: Arcana, Acrobatics, Athletics, Bluff, Perception, Stealth, Thievery
Ducartes, Gnome Fey Pact Warlock-1, Club, Trained: History, Insight, Intimidate, Religion
This is of immediate use when it comes to Skill Challenges as players can suggest uses for each others’ Trained skills, making sure that the team uses the right person for the job every time. “Ducartes, can you tell if he’s lying?” is a much better thing for Connor’s player to say than “I roll Insight to see if he’s telling the truth.” as Ducartes is trained in Insight, and Connor isn’t – and you’ve got that information right on your crib sheet.
It goes beyond the simple mechanics of the game, of course. Abbas is now “that Warlord with a Battleaxe who is good at Diplomacy” instead of just being “Steve’s Character”. Add more information as you needs (“… allergic to Goblins. They make him sneeze.”) to personalize the characters further.
Aid Another
I know I keep on banging the Aid Another drum but it really is one of the most important yet neglected rules in the game. Make a DC10 check, and someone else gets a +2 on their next roll. It’s as mechanically simple as it is elegant, and is a terrific way to help the next guy ensure his big-hitting Daily Attack Power doesn’t miss.
That’s another common complaint (and myth) about 4e D&D – the game isn’t fun because missing with a Daily Power sucks. Yes it does, but if it misses that’s because you’re doing it wrong (unless you roll really, really badly). These are your big showpiece attacks, so do all you can to make sure they don’t miss! Ask another player to use Aid Another on their turn to set you up for the attack – or better yet, move into position to Flank then roll Aid Another. In role-playing terms the other guy is distracting and harrying the poor victim so you’re set up to sucker punch him. This gives you a total +4 on your attack roll. If you miss with those odds, it’s time to microwave your dice.
Aid Another is also great to use in Skill Challenges too. In the crib sheet above both Connor and Bjorda are trained in Arcana. If one makes a check to Aid Another (“I’m helping Connor in the Tower Library.”) it’s more likely their check will crest over the next DC value to reveal deeper information. It’s better for one person to beat DC25 than two guys beat DC20 and get the same information twice. Teamwork at work.
Prone, Dazed and Immobilized – use ‘em!
It’s a fact that 8 out of 10 adventurers hate the Dazed condition in 4e D&D. Yet 9 out of 10 adventurers don’t use it against their foes effectively, if at all. Whenever a monster Dazes you it’s effectively saying “I am better at fighting than you. You suck.” and you know what – he’s not wrong.
Every class has Powers which will put a foe at a disadvantage. The trick is to know when to use them, and press that advantage as soon as you have it. Don’t leave a Dazed or Prone monster just laying there – hit him, hard! Yes folks, it’s ok to kick a monster when he’s down. You heard it here first.
Know what the conditions mean, and you’re halfway there. Here’s a quick summary. A * means it grants Combat Advantage, giving a +2 to anyone who attacks you and setting them up for a Roguely Sneak Attack smackdown:
Blinded*: Can’t see, -10 to Perception, can’t Flank
Dazed*: Can only take one action, can’t Flank
Deafened: Can’t hear, -10 to Perception
Dominated*: Dazed & controlled by another. At-will attacks only
Dying*: Make a death save each round
Helpless*: Can be coup de grace’d
Immobilized: Can’t move (suggested House Rule: and can’t teleport either)
Marked: -2 to attack anyone other than the marker
Petrified: Resist 20, cannot take actions
Prone*: CA against melee attacks only, can’t move, +2 defenses vs Range, -2 to attack
Restrained*: Can’t move, can’t be forced to move, -2 to attack
Slowed: Speed 2
Stunned*: Can’t take actions, can’t Flank
Surprised*: Can’t take actions, can’t flank
Unconscious*: Helpless, -5 to all defenses, can’t take actions, can’t Flank, fall prone
Weakened: Attacks deal half damage
There’s quite a few, but the ones you really need to know are Dazed, Marked, Prone, Surprised and Weakened. As a team, if you can aim to get at least one of those against a foe each round the battle will be won before it’s even begun.
Surprise!
Getting that all important Surprise Round is a great way to start a battle. That’s partly in the hands of the GM – we GMs do like a good ambush!. If you make sure that the PC with the highest Perception score is up front (and the one with second highest at the back) and they’re actively watching and scouting ahead for monsters, there’s a good chance that you’ll hear them before they hear you. Having an Elf in the party helps by giving the entire group a +1 on their Perception checks. I think he hands round contact lenses or something. I dunno.
While on the subject of things Elvish – a Drow Rogue makes a great forward scout with his +2 DEX and Stealth bonus, not to mention Darkvision. Take Occuption:Criminal to get a further +2 to Stealth and take Distant Advantage as your Feat. Flanking Sneak Attack with a Crossbow from 50′ away? Yes please! A DEX 20 Elven Rogue built like with would have +14 Stealth, more than enough to approach most monsters undetected even at full speed. This is a Rogue who could come into firing range of a bunch of Orcs, Sneak Attack one of them with his crossbow using Surprise Round Combat Advantage then lure them back into an ambush set be the rest of the party – where they get Surprise Combat Advantage too! When the battle is on he moves to get Flanking from a distance and picks off targets from the shadows while the melee-fighters set him up for the kill.
Teamwork, even from a Drow. Wow drow, wow.
Training together
Planning your tactics in advance is a great way to find killer Power combinations between the team members. Once you’ve found that deadly combination of attacks it’s a part of your repertoire which you can use again and again. I recommend that GMs award Minor Quest XP for parties who think about such things and set aside downtime for their heroes to train together.
Top of the heap when it comes to teamwork Powers has to be the Warlord’s Commander’s Strike At-will Power. This grants another member of the team a free basic attack on the Warlord’s turn, with additional equal to your INT bonus – and it’s an At-Will. This effectively means that the Warlord can stand at a safe distance from the action and order his “troops” into battle. Build an INT 20 Warlord and pair him with a heavy hitter such as a Greataxe-wielding Barbarian, and you’ve a pretty unstoppable combination using Commander’s Strike alone.
Alternatively, pair him with a Rogue and use Wolf Pack Tactics to help him get into position then burn an Action Point to use Commander’s Strike and give him a basic attack plus Sneak Attack damage this round, and he’s also set up to do Sneak Attack damage on the next too. Nasty.
I’ve already seen three Half-Elves who took Commander’s Strike as their Dilettante Power just so they could use it once per Encounter. Sometimes, that’s enough to turn the tide of battle in the heroes’ favour.
When it comes to the other classes, there’s always something you can do to help another hero. When it comes to a Wizard’s Spells, Chill Strike is a great choice as it leaves the poor victim dazed for a round. That should be the signal for the rest of the team to target that one creature and hit it with everything they’ve got – then burn an Action Point and hit him again just as hard. For example, that Wizard could cast Chill Strike then spend an Action Point cast Horrid Whispers. That’s one monster who is Dazed, Slowed, at -2 to attack and Prone. And that’s before the other heroes close in to take him apart.
This is just one way to take down that pesky Elite or Solo monster who Just Won’t Die. A little planning goes a long way, and it sure beats the heroes attacking poorly at random and letting the battle drag on. I’ll say it again: if combat is taking a long time, you’re doing it wrong. Think tactically, look out for each other, find killer attack combinations and unite to bring down the big monsters and the battle will be won in double quick time.
Till next time!
Christmas comes early to Mordor
Jan 22nd
How to kill a 1st level character
Jan 21st
The gnarled gnoll stood up, a twisted stave supporting his aged, hairy frame. “Quiet!” he roared. “I call this meeting of the Adventurer Flayer’s Guild to order! We face a new threat, and need new ways to defeat it. The surface dwelling heroes are braver, tougher and harder to kill than ever before. What,” he pointed to the gathered assortment of monsters, goblinoids and undead with the end of his staff, “are we going to do about it?”
There’s no doubt about it – 1st level characters in Fourth Edition D&D are tough. Even the traditionally weedy Wizard has more Hit Points than your average Third Edition 1st level Fighter, and probably the pecs to match. Must be a result of carrying that hefty Ritual Book around all the time.
The goal with this post isn’t to show just how wicked and confrontational a GM can be (honest), but instead to give you ideas how to make your players sweat so that they, in turn, have to up their game. Running a walkthrough adventure where the PCs complete it entirely unscathed is unsatisfying for both sides of the table. Up the evil and make ‘em work for their XP! While I’m focusing on 1st level characters here, the advice should scale upwards as the heroes gain levels. If, of course, they survive that long.
By the rules, all characters begin with at least 10 plus their Constitution score in hit points, depending on their class. They also have a number of Healing Surges which serve to replenish this hit point total when they’re healed, use Second Wind, tie their shoe laces or stand somewhere in the rough vicinity of a passing Cleric. Ok, I’m exaggerating a tad, but the the thing is that a Hero’s Hit Points are just as likely to go up as well as down over time 1.
Even if you do get them down to 0 hp, the heroes are far from dead. They are on the floor crying like a little girl (ok they’re unconscious, though the former is a more pleasing mental image) but far from ready to meet their Maker. Unless they’re Warforged, in which case their Maker may well be another party member.
There are two ways to make a PC really dead:
1) Get them down to negative hit points equal to their bloodied value.
2) Fail three death saves.
Number one is the easy route. Target a single hero with all you’ve got for a few rounds, use your Lucky Dice (you know the ones) and you’ll have Hero Pate in no time. That’ll wipe the smile off the Fighter’s smug face. Mark my monsters will you? Want me to hit you instead of the rest of the party? Well ok, you asked for it. Don’t blame me.
Oh, sorry. I channelled my Evil DM side there for a moment. Ahem.
A cunning route to take is to isolate one of the party before you knock nine bells out of him. Have one PC fall down a Pit Trap for d10 damage onto a freakin’ Rat Swarm. That leaves them prone (+2 to be hit, but -2 to fight back) and it’s a move action next turn to stand up, but because their space is also occupied by the rats they need to Shift first and they’re still stuck in the pit with the swarm. Until they can get out of the trap they’re in the Rat’s Swarm Attack aura which is a 1d6+3 attack and 3 ongoing damage (DMG87 + PHB292 + MM219. Look it up.) at the start of the hero’s turn. Oh, and the Rat Swarm gets the same attack on it’s turn too. A couple of rounds of that and some good (I use the term “good” loosely) rolls and even your toughest hero will be begging the other players to put him out of his misery. Or pass down a rope.
It breaks down like this:
Round 1: Fall, d10 damage. Rats attack, d6+3 damage & 3 ongoing
Round 2: 3 plus Aura, d6+3 & another 3 ongoing. Rats attack, d6+3 & another 3 ongoing
That’s a potential of d10+3d6+12 damage and nine ongoing. Your 32hp Fighter is down to just 4 hit points with average damage, and at worst is at -8, unconscious and one more Aura attack away from being rat chow. The Rat Swarm has 36 hit points so it doesn’t matter much what the victim does to them – they’ll get him well before he gets them.
EDIT: As spotted by F1337 Command, ongoing damage of the same type doesn’t stack. I missed that, my bad. Make them flaming rats or add spikes as well.
I did that particular nastiness against my group and the already injured Warlord fell in. In a single round he was down to 2hp and the next Aura took him down to negative hit points, unconscious and lost in a sea of Rats. That’s one heck of an ignoble way to die. I was so proud.
Killing a PC by having them eaten alive by rats in a pit trap – go on, tell me that’s not old school :D
Close blasts and area attacks are good if you want to share the pain around, but if you want to really bring on the hurt it’s the single-foe attacks you need to use. They’re typically higher damage than their area effect counterparts, and to make sure they don’t miss remember that monsters can use Aid Another and Flanking rules too – and minions are great for this. Rather than rolling two attacks that are bound to miss your well-armoured high stat hero, position a minion opposite their none minion counterpart and roll Aid Another (DC10) instead. This gives the heavy hitting monster a total of +4 to hit (+2 from Combat Advantage gained from flanking, +2 from Aid Another). That’s worth far more than a paltry 4 or 5 points of damage and shows the players that Monsters Know Teamwork Too.
This only works if you’re using monsters who are likely to fight intelligently and co-operatively – or using Zombies, who are notorious for grabbing foes while the rest of their fellows eat braaaaaiiiiins. The Zombie Grab attack (MM274) is tailor made for this – +4 vs Reflex and you’re grabbed and at -5 to escape. That means you’re immobilized and it’s only a minor action to sustain the grab so the holding Zombie gets an attack his turn. Add another Zombie drawn by the captive victim standing opposite for Flanking Combat Advantage. And another two opposite each other, and another two…… soon, that poor victim could be surrounded by flesh-eating Zombie and be really wishing he had a chainsaw right now. Down he goes – unless the other PCs react quickly enough to help out while they still can.
The second way to kill a PC is for them to fail three death saving throws after they’ve hit zero hp or below. This involves the player rolling 1-9 three times on a d20 as their hero slowly fades toward death. They don’t have to be consecutive turns but if your hero rolls a 20 (or more) and have at least one healing surge left they can spend it to recover back to their surge value in hit points. Effectively they’ve been to death’s door, decided they don’t like what’s through it and returned with a strong will to survive. If they don’t have any surges left then as with if they roll 10-19, they’re still unconscious but no closer to death.
I have never seen this happen in play as it depends too much on an encounter continuing round-by-round long enough for the hero to slip away without help. It’s a rare and callous group who won’t do everything in their power to help a fallen comrade – unless they’re somehow prevented from doing so, of course. Again, divide and conquer is the key. Cages rising from the floor or terrain that requires an Athletics check to cross safely are both good ways of stopping or delaying the other players while the poor victim fades away.
In some ways hit points in 4e work more like adrenalin – they represent the heroes’ energy and strength of will to carry on as much as they do physical damage. As I’ve said before Healing Surges are the new Hit Points as these more truly represent raw bodily punishment. When those drop to zero, the PC is really in trouble! That means anything which reduces their number of remaining Surges brings them closer to death – and that includes Healing! Put it that way, and a Cleric is just as deadly as a Wight.2 Be over-eager to spend your Healing Surges during Short Rests or call on the Cleric’s services too much and you might end up being too short of them just when you need ‘em.
After an Extended Rest the heroes regain all their Healing Surges and hit points and are back to fine fighting form. It might not be realistic, but it is movie-istic. Just like Van Damme, Stallone and Bruce Willis, after a good night’s sleep and a fresh pot o’coffee your heroes are ready to give and take all the punishment all over again, no matter how many cuts and bruises they’ve gained along the way. If the GM can interrupt their Extended Rest so they don’t gain the benefit of a great night’s sleep you’ve got them on the ropes already. The most evil cursed item a GM could bestow is one which gives the poor hero traumatic nightmares so they never get the sleep they so desperately need. Role-playing hooks that have a direct mechanical impact in the game? You bet!
They might survive 4 encounters without downtime, but how about 6, 8 or 10? Eventually, their lack of healing surges will take its toll.
Unless, of course, they’ve upped their game too……..
Good gaming!
Untitled soldier
Jan 21st
I can’t think of a decent title at all today. Can you?
“Oh crap my cape is on fire”, perhaps.
