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Kill Bargle, again!

Ah, Bargle. You’re a bad, bad rogue wizard who well deserves your title as “First Wizard killed by every adventuring party”. He’s been the posterboy for what happens when magic-users turn to evil since 1983.

I think it’s time to dust him down and kick his ass one more time, don’t you? Let’s bring Bargle and the iconic Red Box first adventure into the Fourth Edition era for a trip down memory lane one more time. Bargle also featured in Dungeon #150 where his entire lair was detailed in full for Third Edition. For this little post though, I’m going right back to the source.

Thankfully, 90% of the work has already been done for us by this terrific retrospective by Bart Carroll back in October. Not only does it contain the full adventure from the 1983 boxed set all pdf’d up and ready to play, but there’s also full stats for Bargle himself as a 3rd level Controller. It includes the adventure from the 1977 set too as a downloadable pdf, though I’ll leave that one for you to convert.

Convert. Good word that. When it comes to running this adventure (or any designed for a prior edition, for that matter) there’s two choices: Do, or Don’t. Going the “Don’t” route is easiest. Play the adventure as-is replacing the monsters with their 4e equivalents along the way as you play. Need 10 kobolds in a room – just stick a bunch of Minions in there with a couple of Slingers for variety, and you’re done. Where there’s a difference in level between a critter in the original and the Monster Manual version, just use the easy Monster Advancement rules and add salt to taste.

That’s the route we took when I ran my players through The Haunted Keep from the 1981 Moldvay edition, and it’s a great solution when you’re short on time. The alternative is to look at the adventure through Fourth Edition eyes and turn those room-by-room encounters (lower case) into larger, more dynamic 4e Encounters (upper case). Add Quests and Skill Challenges, and….. tell you what, why I don’t I just show you?

A bounty has been placed on Bargle’s head, and your worthy band of adventurers have been sent in to bring him to justice once and for all. Before they set out on their journey, spend a bit of time establishing their main goal (Capture Bargle!) and role-play them through some potential side objectives too. If they achieve those, the party gains Minor Quest XP as well. I like offering conflicting Minor Quests to add a little friction to the adventure, as well as a couple tailored for the individual characters. For example, if one member of the party has suffered directly at the hands of evil and he’s eager for revenge, I might give him the Minor Quest of killing Bargle (the bounty is good if he’s returned dead or alive), while the Paladin wants to ensure he’s brought back alive to face a fair trial. The party’s Wizards wants to find Bargle’s precious spellbook while the Fighter wants to recover his sister’s stolen enchanted cape. The Dwarf on the other hand just wants to delve deeper – finding Bargle is just an excuse for him to explore the underdark further.

With all that in mind, jot down your Major and Minor Quest goals. Something like this:

Major Quest: Capture Bargle, 500XP
Minor Quest: Kill Bargle! 100XP
Minor Quest: Make sure Bargle returns alive, 100XP
Minor Quest: Find Bargle’s spellbook, 100XP
Minor Quest: Recover Quailin’s Enchanted Cape, 100XP
Minor Quest: Find a deeper route into the Underdark, 100XP

From there, it’s a case of grabbing the map and blocking out Encounter Zones. This uses the same technique I used for 4e’ifying the first part of B2 Keep on the Borderlands. Find existing encounters that would work well if grouped together and you’ll find dynamics which bring the whole thing alive.

It’s worth mentioning that this is one trap-heavy level. Perhaps this speaks something of Bargle’s mischievous nature. Either that or the Kobolds are running evening classes. Whichever it is, when it comes to building Level Two I suggest running with it. Make it a trap-filled funhouse where the environment is just as deadly as the monsters it contains.

Here’s what I ended up with for level one after about 30 minutes’ work. I’ve excluded the XP cost for the traps from the encounters as they’re best treated as seperately from the combats. Unless your players manage to trigger them in the midst of battle, of course :D Feel free to come up with mechanics for the traps yourself. Hey, I ain’t doing all the work.

1. The Courtyard and Entrance
Young Carrion Crawler, 6 Kobold Minions, 2 Kobold Slingers, 500XP

The PC’s movements attract the attention of the Carrior Crawler as they approach the door. One round later half of the kobolds hiding in the shade rush forward to try to close the door, leaving the PCs stuck between two foes. The rest of the kobolds pelt the Heroes from a distance. All of the kobolds keep well away from the carrior crawler – it’s eaten quite enough of their number already – but if the Heroes can push them into it’s reach it is just as likely to attack them as it is the PCs.

2. Rooms 22 and 28
3 Shadowhunter Bats, 450XP

A simple two-room encounter where not one but three bats fly from out form the chimney to harass the Heroes. They will target any PC holding a lightsource first. Drop it, and they’ll target at random.

3. Rooms 24, 26, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38
Falling Timber Trap, Sneezing Bed Trap, 5 Zombies, 5 Kobold Minions, 750XP

This is looks like one very tough encounter, but it’s spread over a large area and the Kobolds won’t venture beyond Rooms 37 and 38 until the Zombies are defeated. The Sneezing Bed (love that!) in Room 26 grants a free Healing Surge (and cures Yellow Mold fever) to anyone who spends a Short Rest laying on it. If they’re tickled though (yeah, right) the trap triggers.

4. Rooms 25, 30, 31 and 32
Eternal Slumber Trap, 2 Kobold Skirmishers, 1 Kobold Dragonshield, 1 Kobold Minion, False Falling Log Trap, Spinning Statue Trap, 350XP

The Kobolds know about the traps, and the harpies close by. That’s why they carry earplugs. If the Heroes manage to befriend the Kobolds (Skill Challenge!) they’ll warn them about both and even hand over some slightly used earplugs encrusted with Kobold earwax. Ewwwwww.

5. Rooms 27, 33 and 39
2 Starving Harpies, Yellow Mold Trap, 4 Giant Rats, 1 Dire Rat, 500XP

The Starving Harpies are, well…. starving. Between the Yellow Mold and filth fever from the rats they’re feeling very unwell indeed. The mangy look isn’t good, but it’s the sore throat that’s killing them. I’ve reduced the range and potency of their Alluring Song (which frankly ain’t that alluring right now) and Deadly Cough….. uhhh, Deadly Screech accordingly. If the Heroes could find a way to cure them, they’ll happily depart for pastures new. They’ve had quite enough of this foresaken place.

And that, my people, is how you do it.

Now, it’s your turn for level two, and level three where our heroes finally confront Bargle himself.

And probably kill him. Again.

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Posted 06 February 2010 † greywulf § RPG ‡ Comments (4) ° Also tagged: ,

Is it September yet?

How about now? No? September really cannot come quickly enough for me, and all because of three little words: RED BOX D&D! Folks, all memory of what Wizards of the Coast are releasing between now and then has gone from my little brain. This is the single biggest, most significant role-playing release of the year. And I’ll tell you why.

Just look at it. Just look.

This, my friends, is what the D&D Starter Kit should have been. This is the first few levels of D&D, in full, including character generation.  To be fair, there’s nothing wrong with what the Starter Kit included – the 64 page Dungeon Master’s Book is particularly excellent, and all you need for 1st-5th level DM’ing.  But  the lack of character generation was a pretty major failing in an otherwise brilliant product.

From what I understand, Red Box fixes that, and more.

This is Old School, capitalized and in italics for emphasis. There’s just four races – human, elf, dwarf and halfling – and four classes – fighter, rogue, cleric and wizard. There’s a solo adventure in the 32 page Player’s Book, and an adventure in the 64 page Dungeon Master’s Book. There’s dice in the box. I’ll say that again there are dice in the box! You do have to bring your own wax crayon, though, but I’ll forgive them that. Here’s the full product info.

I’ve been banging the “Fourth Edition is old school really” drum for a long, long time now, and this is exactly what I’ve been talking about. I know there will be some die-hard 4e critics out there who will claim that just because it’s dressed up to look like old school doesn’t make it old school, and I’ve just two words for you: You’re Wrong. Look at that box! Look at that Dungeons & Dragons font! Just look at it! This is Wizards of the Coast listening to their customers, and responding. From what I understand of the DDXP announcement, there was barely a mention of D&D Initiative at all around this product other than a mumbled “maybe later”. This is pen-and-paper gaming at it’s finest, with no computer needed.1

I really hope they don’t screw this one up.

Finally, this is a copy of D&D that parents will buy for their kids. That’s something which the game (the whole industry, in fact) has been missing for almost 30 years. Pretty much since the first D&D Red Box, in fact. It’s a complete game that doesn’t need three books just to frickin’ play the game and comes with everything you need to get little minds (and older, bigger minds for that matter) hooked on the game we know and love. Hasbro needs to get this in every toystore in the land with a giant cardboard cutout dragon pointing to it saying “YOU NEED THIS!”. At the risk of sounding apocalyptic, if they don’t do this, the hobby won’t last another generation.

Think I’m being overly dramatic? Then ask yourself this question: how many kids do you know playing D&D, right now? How many gamer groups welcome teenagers into their midst? How many teenagers would spend $100 on the PHB, DMG and MM instead of a shedload of console games? Some, certainly, and I’m sure that folks out there will attest that there’s a bunch o’kids gaming with them regularly, or they’re running games with their own children on a regular basis. But I’ll wager it’s not enough to support an entire hobby financially. Mainly, that’s a problem caused by the culture the majority of us live in where Adults and Kids are being increasingly segregated by media-fueled paranoia about pedophiles living under your bed and other ridiculousness. Yes, pedophiles exist, but to treat every stranger like they are one is a terrible, terrible thing. That’s a whole ‘nuther topic I’m not going to go into though.

The point is this: for whatever reason, kids need to discover the magic of D&D for themselves. Just like we did, in fact.

And it starts with opening a Red Box.

Is it September yet?

  1. Not, of course, that you need a comuter to play D&D at all. But they’ve been pushing the Initiative subscriber model so much it’s become an ingrained belief. ↩
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Posted 03 February 2010 † greywulf § Opinion § RPG ‡ Comments (29) ° Also tagged: ,

Race du Jour: Caitlin

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

  1. Yes, I know this isn’t technically an anthro race, but run with me on this, ok? :D ↩
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Posted 31 January 2010 † greywulf § Character du jour § RPG ‡ Comments (4) ° Also tagged: ,

Beyond the battle: A non-combat guide to using 4e Powers

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!

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Posted 30 January 2010 † greywulf § RPG ‡ Comments (11) ° Also tagged: ,

Endday Interlude: Epic is a state of mind

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.

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Posted 28 January 2010 † greywulf § RPG ‡ Comments (5) ° Also tagged: , ,

How to Survive as a 1st level Character

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!

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 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!

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Posted 25 January 2010 † greywulf § RPG ‡ Comments (20) ° Also tagged: ,

How to kill a 1st level character

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!

  1. Your home is at risk if you do not keep up repayments, however ↩
  2. Best to kill the Cleric before he kills you, I say. Just to be sure. ↩
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Posted 21 January 2010 † greywulf § RPG ‡ Comments (16) ° Also tagged: , , ,

Fourth Edition D&D Long Term Test: Powers

“The Weapon rules are stupid. I mean, all the weapons are the same – there’s a hit roll and they do damage. And the rules how many times a day you can use them are just too vague. Where’s the realism in that? This game sucks!”

Of course, I don’t think there’s many people out there who would complain about how weapons work (ok, this is the internet – there’s probably a few) but replace the word “Weapon” with “Powers” and you’ve got an all too common complaint about Fourth Edition D&D.

And it still doesn’t make sense.

But first, let’s take a look at what a Power (in 4e terms) is, what it means to have them and break down a little more about How Powers Work for the benefit of those folks who haven’t yet played the game, but have heard all these terrible things about how they’ve Ruined The Game ™.

At it’s most basic, a Power is nothing more than a special ability which your character can use in combat. Just like a weapon or item of equipment a cunning player could probably find a cool use for a Power outside of combat too – we’ve all seen Fighters try to prise open doors with their Longsword and Quarterstaffs used to test for traps – and some (mainly Utility Powers) are explicitly designed for out-of-combat use, but the majority of them are direct combat effects.

Every Power can be used At-Will, once per Encounter or once per Day, with the bang for your buck rising as the frequency of use drops. This is one of those bones of contention of the system, especially among gamers who haven’t played it. Seriously guys, it really does play better than it reads and it’s an elegant enough solution that requires next to zero in play book-keeping. The alternative would have been some kind of memorization or spell point system that would have just bogged the game down. Especially at lower levels where you have few Encounter and Daily Powers there’s the tactical lure of knowing when to use your big guns and when to hold them back for later. I’m sure a kind GM would let you burn a couple of Encounter Powers and an Action Point to get another use of a Daily Power if you really, really needed it. I would.

All characters have at least two At-Will Powers. These are your meat-and-potato attacks and tricks which you can use as often as you want. Make sure that the two (or more) you choose are mechanically different. The ideal is to have one Power which affects a number of foes and one which targets a single foe for more damage, but that entirely depends on your character concept and whether multi-attack Powers are available. If you’re just using the PHB the Warlord seriously lacks an At-Will which targets multiple foes, but they do have access to Commander’s Strike which makes up for that. The Wizard is king of the At-Will hill with a Human Wizard having access to no less than Seven (7 – count ‘em!) At-Will Powers. Four of those are Cantrips which are a whole ton of fun to use both in combat and out. That’s a topic for a whole ‘nuther blogpost though.

Powers that are usable per Encounter can be used just once in a single combat encounter – or once every five minutes, if you read the rules carefully. These are abilities that are slightly greater in effect than your At-wills, but the opportunity to use them doesn’t come around that often. If you’re a Fighter or other Martial type, think of these as the attacks which require just the right opening to pull off. For a spellcaster these are the Spells which demand more effort to cast or need components that you can easily replenish between battles (a hunk of grass or a prepared paste, for example). However it works, there’s a limit on the frequency of use. As your character rises in level they gain more per Encounter Powers – either they learn new attacks and new openings, or gain mastery of new mystic arts.

Per Encounter Powers are replenished after every short rest – about five minutes. There’s nothing in the rules to stop an Eladrin using Fey Step (for example) a total of 240 times per day (12 per hour for 20 hours a day, taking into account 4 hours in a Trance)  so we’ve House Ruled a limit of using each per Encounter Power 4 + CON Bonus times per day before becoming Weakened with an Endurance roll staving off the effect beyond that. This has only come up once in-game. And yes, it was Fey Step.

Daily Powers are much like per Encounter Powers except…. you’re ahead of me, right? Daily Powers are your mighty strikes. These are the openings which rarely come up in combat so you take ‘em when you see them, and the Spells which take time to prepare or demand much of the caster. I’ve had a Wizard player who told me three rounds before that he was beginning to cast Ice Storm. That’s uber-cool as it meant we could describe the chill forming in the area well before the Spell took effect. It’s the little things like that which make the game, I swear – no rules needed.

Daily Powers are regained after every extended rest. This normally means “at the end of the day” (hence the name Daily) but it doesn’t have to. There’s nothing to stop the players from going two or three days without taking a rest (though they’re likely to suffer exhaustion), or taking things steady and resting up after an intense battle so long as they take no more than one every 12 hours. As GM, you set the pace not the rules or passing of the sun. Players are usually tempted to stop as soon as they’re used all their Daily Powers. That makes sense as this is the point when their characters will be exhausted from the battle – but it’s fun to sometimes launch an enemy attack right at that point when they’re at their weakest. Toss ‘em an Action Point if they survive, and don’t do it too often or They Will Hurt You. I know.

That’s all well and good, but what are Powers?

The word itself is an overused generic term which means “any cool stuff your character can do which the others can’t”. It’s the signature moves which make Your Hero stand out from the crowd. For the Fighter, it’s his combat training which lets him fight mano-a-mano in ways that make your eyes bleed. For the Rogue, it’s his dazzling dexterity and ruthlessness. For the Ranger, it’s his skill with paired blades or bow. And for the Wizard, it’s his Spells. With the notable exception of Rituals, all of a character’s special abilities are represented by a Power block of some kind of other.

That’s not to say that Powers are all that a character can do, whether in battle or no. As with Third Edition D&D your character has his skills, feats and attributes too, all of which play just as important a part in defining who your character is. Yes, the Power system takes up a heck of a lot of pages in the PHB. Yes, that book is written in such a way that makes it sound like this is a combat-heavy boardgame and not a role-playing game at all. Yes, the PHB is far from being the best advocate for Fourth Edition D&D. But this IS a great game. Don’t be fooled by the layout of the PHB!

So Powers come in many forms, from the mighty Cleaving sword swing of a Fighter to the classic Fireball of the Wizard, but they’re all mechanically quite similar. The majority of Powers do Two Things on a successful hit. Usually, they do a certain degree of damage, and some other mechanical effect – Pushing or Shifting the foe, ongoing damage, stun or weakening him or a secondary effect on additional foes. Some Powers just do a straight ton of damage on a single hit with the Rogue’s Assassin’s Point attack (a 29th level Daily which does 7 x weapon damage, grants Combat Advantage and doubles Sneak and Critical damage) being close to king of that particular hill.

The thing though that mechanically similar is not the same as the same. Just as two weapons – a Short Sword and Handaxe, say, can have similar weapon stats, two Powers can feel very different in play and – more importantly – in the mind’s eye. A Fighter’s Sure Strike (At-will, Str +2 vs. AC for 1[W] damage) might be mechanically similar to a Ranger’s Careful Attack (At-will, Str or Dex +2 vs. AC for 1[W] damage) but a Ranger has to be wielding two weapons or a ranged weapon to use theirs whereas a Fighter can use any melee weapon at all. A Sure Strike with a Greataxe is a very different thing to a Careful Attack with paired shortswords or longbow! They are both attacks which trade damage potential for accuracy, but the imagination plays each one out differently.

For all that Wizards’ claimed 4e was an exception-based system, it isn’t. There’s a finite (though growing with each new supplement) list of effects a Power could have, and each Power uses a combination of them to simulate the move or spell. In some ways this means 4e D&D is more like the Mutants & Masterminds system but with the “build your own Superpower” work already done for you. Each Power is a pre-constructed attack, move or spell with the limits and controls already in place. Just add them to your character sheet, and away you go.

Does this mean that Fourth Edition D&D is closer to the world of video games that it is the works of Gygax and Arneson? If you want it to be, yes. But if you don’t want it to be, no. What a Power looks like and how it works is entirely up to you and your DM. If you want your Fighter to leap in the air and shout “HADOUKEN” every time he uses Griffon’s Wrath then go for it. At least until the other players start lobbing dice at you :D Alternatively it could be an elegant swiping move which cuts several armour straps exposing your foe’s flank. Or a blow which leaves an arm hanging useless and hanging by his side. Or any other effect. The mechanics are writ – but how you interpret them is up to you.

So, in short: Powers are combat-based special abilities (though a cunning player will find out-of-combat uses too) that are usable At-Will, once per Encounter or Daily. There are mechanical similarities between many of them, though in actual play the differences and an injection of imagination makes them all unique. What’s not to love?

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Posted 19 January 2010 † greywulf § RPG ‡ Comments (16) ° Also tagged: ,

Endday Session Eight: Fly me, I’m demonic

In game time it’s the 8th of September, barely a week since the Unnatural Storm on the 405 and the beginning of the Endday Campaign. Our Heroes have fought Rupture Demons in ’60s Vietnam, battled Neldrazu made of snow in an abandoned junkyard, conversed with a dying angel and confronted Runespiral Demons in LAX. It’s been quite a week, all told.

Now, they’re on their way to Chicago to confront none other than Jack Frost himself, demon lord of winter who has set up his own private hell-on-earth in the Windy City.

But first they need to get there, and that means a return to Los Angeles Airport. Unlike their previous fog-bound visit it’s a bright clear day and there is little evidence of their previous adventure – just a cordoned-off door awaiting repair and a few scorchmarks on the runway. Human nature has kicked into overdrive and wiped clean the evidence of anything it doesn’t fully understand.

Departure is quick and efficient (hey, this is fantasy, right?) and Oscar, Annette, Daniel & Caroline are soon cruising at 30,000 feet sipping cocktails – Daniel has generously paid for 1st class tickets for them all. Hey, it’s not every day you set off to save the world.

That’s when IT happens.

IT, in this case, begins with turbulence. Bad turbulence – the kind which makes those little yellow masks fall down like underfed jellyfish. The kind which make you think you’ve boarded a rollercoaster and not an aeroplane. The kind which makes you look out of the window and see a completely otherworldly vision of a grey and torn landscape filled with unnatural spires and a blasted orange sunless sky. Yes, that kind.

Dude, this isn’t even Oz any more.

There’s a thump on the outside of the plane, then another. And another. Then a smash from the front and the sudden swift rush of air. Panic, predictably enough, ensues. Our Heroes valiantly make for the front of the plane – no mean feat in itself. It’s a level 1 (4 before 3) Skill Challenge to get there which demands a subtle mix of Athletics (leap the drinks trolley), Perception (find a path through the crowd), Insight (convincing the Shouting Man to get back in his seat), Intimidate (forcing the Angry Woman outta the way) and Heal (calming the Hyperventilating Man and fixing his mask) to get there.

They make it (just!) and open the cabin door to find themselves staring face-to-face with five Vrocks who are merrily chowing down on what’s left of the Captain, Co-pilot and a Stewardess. Oh, and the plane is plummeting to the ground. Nice.

Vrocks are normally Level 13 but I’ve dropped ‘em to 8th Level and one at 10th as the bigger, slightly smarter leader. Does this make them Vrocklings or Vrockettes? I dunno. Either way it’s a fairer challenge for my humble 8th level Heroes. Or it would be, if they weren’t about to die a fiery death in an aeroplane hurtling toward hell itself.

But I digress.

“Can anyone fly a plane?

[...]

Does anybody want to learn really really quickly?!?”

In the close confines of a plane at least the Vrocks can’t use their Flyby attack, which is handy. Unfortunately they can use their Spores of Madness which affects the closest two rows of seats – and Oscar. The chaotic swell of people blocks the other heroes’ path as one of the Vrocks grabs Oscar in his beak and flies out of the plane. He’s last seen when one small speck on the horizon (the Vrock) drops another tiny speck (Oscar). Does being dropped thousands of feet onto the plane of Hell count as a Very Messy Death? Why, I think it does.

What can I say? There were a lot of poor rolls. At least the Vrock (which Oscar had at least managed to seriously injure) didn’t return to the fray. Four Vrocks remain and Annette is cursing herself for not taking Spectral Ram as her 7th level Spell. That does decent damage, knocks the foe back 3 squares and sends them prone – a perfect Spell for those times when you’re stuck on a crashing plane with demons and you need to get them outta there, quick. Alas, she took Fire Burst which isn’t nearly so good at the whole Pushing thing.

Things are not looking good for Our Heroes. They’re doing (and taking) damage, but nothing they try is able to get those motherfreakin’ demons off their motherfrerakin’ plane.

That’s when Daniel strikes one for the Home Team. “If this was Mutants & Masterminds I could spend a Hero Point to gain a one-off use of a Power. Can I do the same with an Action Point?” he asks. “Don’t see why not.” I reply, figuring they need all the help they can get, and it’s a great use of an Action Point. I’m all for that.

“Mob Mentality! I’m going to sway this crowd of passengers to work with us and force these Vrocks off the plane together!”

Oh yeah.

Mob Mentality is a Very Cool Power indeed. Page 120 of the PHB. Look it up. That’s 50 square feet of crowd control right there, and in the tight confines of an aeroplane that’s an awful lot of passengers. I grant them a DC10 Intimidate check to help Heroes giving them a roughly +20 on their Intimidate rolls, each. The passengers are right behind the heroes all the way, and the Vrocks…. well, they know when their food supply is about to turn ugly. They fly out of the cockpit window with their demonic tails between their legs.

There is still the matter of the crashing plane though.

They are now at 6,000 feet and cabin pressure is critical, calling for Endurance checks all round. I figure Pilot is an INT-based skill so Daniel and Annette take the controls while Caroline tells the passengers that the “terrorists” (non-heroes can’t see demons, remember) have been dealt with and they’re to return to their seats.

How do you stop a crashing plane? Page 42 of the DMG is your friend. A DC19 skill check should do it. Annette is at the controls with Daniel using Aid Another to lend a hand. He makes the DC10 check and Annette rolls a total of 26! The plane stabilizes, blue skies appear and they’re back flying over normal land once more.

Phew.

The radio crackles to life and Our Heroes are successfully talked through landing procedure on a remote airstrip where they are later shuttled into Chicago by bus – all local air traffic is suspended due to intense cold weather.

But more about that, next session.

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Posted 18 January 2010 † greywulf § RPG ‡ Comments (8) ° Also tagged: , , ,

Fourth Edition D&D Long Term Test: But is it D&D?

One of the most frequent complaints against Fourth Edition D&D has been that it’s…. well, not D&D at all. Barely a week goes by that someone out there posts it as a comment on this or some other blog and to be honest, I wish they’d just stop. Enough already!

It’s not smart. It’s not clever. And it’s not true.

Yes, of course 4e D&D is Dungeons & Dragons. It has all the hallmarks of the D&D brand – class-based character progression, hit points, Armour Class and to-hit rolls, Orcs, Otyughs, Mind Flayers, magic and all the things that make D&D what it is. Yes, including Dungeons, and Dragons. Heck, it even says D&D on the cover.

The question though is whether it’s a version of D&D you want to play. I like it (though didn’t initially, I’ll confess) and whether you do too is entirely up to you, and that’s cool. Y’see one of the strengths of D&D as a whole is that there are many different editions of the game out there (about 11, by my count) and they all play slightly differently. From the purity of the original White Box set to the complexity of 2nd Edition AD&D and the Power system of 4e D&D they all have their strengths, and their supporters.

I’m pretty sure that when 2e AD&D came out there were detractors who claimed it wasn’t D&D any more – the lack of an ubiquitous internet made it difficult for them to be heard so vocally back then. I certainly remember the slavering hordes at the gate who hated Third Edition when that came out. I suspect that the majority of folks who claim that 4e isn’t D&D are people who got into game with Third Edition. 3e is “their” edition of D&D, and all others are clearly inferior. At the risk of sounding superior (I ain’t!), we gamers who have been around the block since the earliest days of Classic D&D know better. Or if we didn’t, we should.

Just as no one would claim that 2nd Edition AD&D “wasn’t D&D” now, it’s dumb to say the same thing about Fourth Edition. Dude, it’s all D&D. Embrace the choice!

But back to 4e. Leaving the Powers system to one side for the minute (don’t worry – we’ll get to it soon enough), Fourth Edition is one of the most streamlined versions of D&D ever made. The races are well put together, the classes are distinct and flavour-filled and there’s no class which is stronger or weaker than all the rest. The skill system “just works” and multi-classing at last differentiates between a Fighter/Rogue and a Rogue/Fighter – the two are completely different whereas in Third Edition the only difference was the number of skill points at first level. Only a fool would take Fighter as their 1st level class and bolt Rogue on afterwards. Now, you can pick the base class according to concept and style.

I’ve said it before – without the Powers system, 4e D&D is an utterly brilliant role-playing engine. It’s lean, sleak and gorgeously put together. Add the Powers system in, and it’s kickass when it comes to combat too.

Y’know what – I’ve said enough for now, so I’ll talk about Powers, next time.

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Posted 16 January 2010 † greywulf § RPG ‡ Comments (19) ° Also tagged: ,