News

Friday, March 14, 2008

First off, some potentially scary news. Please let it not suck.

I recieved an invite to the beta of PBwiki 2.0, so I started a seperate one for my GM notes and personal thoughts. I decided to try something different, so this stream of consciousness thing arose from that. Do comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject of...

GOBLINS IN PLATEMAIL!!!

not by the author of Chicks in Chainmail

If goblins more platemail, they'd be AC 21. Pretty sweet.

Considering 1st level PCs only have like +5 AB on average, it'd be pulling teeth to hit em. (16 or higher).

The minmaxed fighters with MW weapons and WF would have +7 about.

Anyway, it wouldn't make sense to equip run of the mill gobs with heavy, expensive plate mail.

It weighs 25 pounds for a Gob and costs 1500 gp. Think goblin boss is gonna shell out?

Well of course not! Not for his grunts anyway. What kind of goblin buys from stores anyway? They'd more likely steal it or make it.

Stealing it: Small Sized Plate? From who? Halfling knights? Gnome caveliers? Those can't come along too often. Even when they do, they'd still have to kill the dude WEARING the armor. +2 AB vs a conservative 19 AC? Good luck, Gobby!

Make it: I'm sure the goblins are excellent craftspeople. Dedicated to tasks like mining and smelting and forging. Yeah right. They'd get slaves to do it. Those slaves wouldn't produce top quality goods (so no MW) and would likely try to make it flawed in some way. Plus, they'd have to capture an Expert with Craft (Armor Smithing) at around +8 to reliably make those DC 18 checks (and not get whipped to death for being slow). It's therefore take at least a level 5 Expert.

Yes. Let's give a dude with 5d6 HP (plus probrably a decent CON bonus) a hammer and tell him to make you some armor. BAM! Dead goblin!

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

RIP - Ernest Gary Gygax (1938 - 2008)

Dueling Analogs
Order of the Stick
Penny Arcade

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Aggro management in D&D? Please! link

Here's an excerpt from an alternate universe... other time... other space... in which I run 4e... to show how I'd handle the use of the Marked condition:

Me: The gnoll swings his axe at player1's warlock.

P2: He's marked. If he's not attacking me he takes damage.

Me: Who are you to say who he attacks, beep-hole? Why should he target the dwarf with a billion AC and HP that he knows he has no chance of hitting when there's a ripe target spewing acid on him every turn? He's hitting the warlock, so get over it!

P2: Fine. He takes damage though.

Me: The crap he does. Maybe you should take damage for not attacking who I want you to! BBftH! 90 damage!

P2: I'm at -32. Just wait til I roll a 20.

Me: Is that so? Take 90 more, douche.

P3: How'd that gnoll survive four acid blasts anyway?

Me: He has class levels. Deal with it! Oh, and his buddies rolled 20 on their recovery check. They're up again.

You see, being restricted as a GM would make me far more heavy handed, even moreso than in the second campaign. Know this: I decide the rules, not the books. While I run with most of the rules in 3e, it would not be so in 4e. In that, I'd dispense with story and would feel it was my goal to get a TPK every session. It would be the only way I'd derive satisfaction from it. In other words, it'd be like Hack Master: GM vs PCs.

Part 2

Primer from the D&D Experience.

New to me:

•  Running is +2 squares flat
• Saving throws are no longer Fort/Ref/Will (those're defences) but a flat roll of 10 or higher to end an effect.
• Durations last until you save or the encounter ends. "That viper's poison would've had me if we hadn't killed it so fast!"
• Reach only counts on your turn.
• Charging is all good

The saving throw thing really sticks in my craw. You have a base 55% chance of shaking off an effect every round. While the mods it mentions may address this, I don't see why they couldn't just keep the saves the way they are and avoid the issue entirely. I always thought they worked great. It seems like this was shoehorned in so as to keep the term saving throw around, but in a really weak way. That sacred cow may still be around, but it's a zombie now.

- Adam

As a response, I would like to say the idea of "marked" and "bloodied" creatures sounds awesome and I completely disagree with Adam.

As far as saving throws go, I'm fairly interested in how exactly this will pan out. The 55% chance sounds a bit ridiculous, but perhaps it will change to 15 or higher or some such for particularly intense attacks/abilities. After all the information contained in that link did contain the ominous "some powers grant modifications to saving throws as well"; though, that may only be referring to making them easier. We shall see, I suppose.

- Will

For the Record, I'm fine with bloodied. It's the marked thing that doesn't vibe with me. I mean, the fighter challenges the bugbear and knocks the rangers mark off him. What is the possible explanation for that? Yes I really am asking. The point I was making originally was that I can deal with stupid player actions on individual bases, but if the stupid is hardwired into the system, the gloves are off... and there is lightning shooting from my hands!

Also, this kind of thing should be kept to the comments in the future.

- Adam

EN World 4e Info

Primer from the D&D Experience.

DnD Insider Usernames

Will - Shadowsnipe

Adam - Axcalibar

Clifton - Butcher_Jackson

Coming Soon

LN Oath Enforement Dude... a Metallic Dragon similar to Bahamut?

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