I also have the books [merged] (info on upcomming Power sources and more)

[Mal Malenkirk]

Originally Posted by Stalker0

Other than for certain classes that rely on it, does intelligence give any secondary benefits?

We know it adds to AC, and to int based skills, but does it do anything else? Any cool feats that make having a high int useful?

''Aside from bonus to AC, reflex and several skills, what has a high intelligence ever done for us?''

[Rechan]

MM

I didn't see any recycled art when I was flicking through it.

Most monsters get 1 page, 2 versions of the monster each. Very little fluff for standard monsters. Though there are a lot that get several pages; Hags, Harpies, Humans, etc get two pages or more.

There's no apendix for typical animals; they're interspersed with the normal monsters. There's a dire version, and either a Paragon version (a Feywild boar) or a normal version (wolf, cave bear)

Dragons get 4 age categories: Young, Adult, Elder, Ancient. The various dragon roles are: Black (Lurker), Blue (Artillery) Green (Controller) Red (Soldier) White (Brute)

The Needlefang drake's stats seem correct. No change to the Zombie minion either.

Destrachan is in. Yaun-ti are paragon-level foes. Galeb Duhr are in - weren't these in 2e? Same with Helmet Horror. We have dragonspawn from the MMV; odd. Purple Worms: Solo soldier. Battlebriar (MMIV or V).


DMG

Templates:

Battle Champion
Bodyguard
Death Knight
Death Master
Demonic Acolyte
Devastator
Feyborn
Frost Adept
Lich
Mummy Lord
Mummy Champion
Savage Berzerker
Scion of Flame
Shadowborn Stalker
Vampire Lord

There's a template for every PC class.

Templates are very small. The layout is thus:

Name: Elite Role (And possibly Role2)
Defense increases
Action Point 1
Hit points per level
Ability/Power.

That's it.

There are two pages on Monster Design Steps. In this section, there are three tables:

Monster Stats By Role. It looks something like this:

Roles (Brute ARtillery Bla bla) 
Init Bonus 
Hit Points 
AC 
Attack vs. AC 
Attacks vs. Other Defenses* *Reduce attack bonus by two for attacks that target multiple opponents

Next is a table for Normal Damage by Level:

Level          Low         Medium       High 
1-3                   1d6+3         1d10+3      2d6+3

There's a note like how artillery and controller monsters that effect mulitple opponents should use the low, while low accuracy powers like brutes and lurkers should use the high.

There is a third table, Limited Damage By Level. These are for powers that a monster may use only once in a fight.

Rules for Creating New Elites and Solos fit into this dynamic, etc.

Three pages on creating NPCs. Six pages on creating house rules.

Traps and Hazards: 9 pages. There are a few one-shot traps (Pit trap, glyph of warding, etc). I only saw one solo trap (the soul gem), but I didn't read through any to see if they are elite-makin'.

Terrain: There's a lot of stuff here. Break DCs for doors, how much HP objects have, etc. There's notes on Difficult Terrain, Obscuring Terain, Hindering Terrain, Challenging Terrain (Takes a successful skill check to get through), etc. There's also fantastical terrain (remember the mushrooms that did clouds of poison damage? Those are here, along with a lot of other stuff).

[ForbidenMaster]

How many healing surges do monsters have?

[The Little Raven]

Originally Posted by Rechan

I didn't see any recycled art when I was flicking through it.

Check the Vampire stuff, including the template in the DMG. We've heard the vampire art was recycled from 3rd.

[baberg]

Originally Posted by ForbidenMaster

How many healing surges do monsters have?

Heroic Tier: 1
Paragon Tier: 2
Epic Tier: 3

Also, just read one of the Thief Epic Destiny abilities: at level 30 he can force the DM to change any d20 he just rolled to a 1, with no rerolls possible.

DM: And Orcus critically hits you for 132 damage
Rogue: No, he fumbled.
DM: BLAST!

[Jack of Tales]

I think its very interesting that so many people managed to obtain the books today and from different sources. I've seen a game store, barnes and nobles, amazon and buy.com quoted as places the books were gotten from. How come, even though many places have received the books PRIOR to today has it come to be released by so many sources? Thoughts?

[Rechan]

Heroic Tier: 1
Paragon Tier: 2
Epic Tier: 3

Where'd you find that, btw?

HAHAHAHHA.

The book specifically says that powers that heal you when you attack only work on legitimate threats; characters carrying a bag of rats to hit them for healing does not work.

There's a section on combat in different types of environments and circumstances: Mounted combat, aquatic combat, flying combat, etc.

[Charwoman Gene]

Originally Posted by Jack of Tales

Thoughts?

Many people posting got their books by downloading material available in a way which violates US copyright law.

[baberg]

Originally Posted by Rechan

Where'd you find that, btw?

Page 7 of the MM. You probably skipped it because it's in the description of "how to read the stat block" but right at the end it says they don't mention Healing Surges because they're rarely used, but gives those values.

[jedrious]

Originally Posted by Rechan

Where'd you find that, btw?

HAHAHAHHA.

The book specifically says that powers that heal you when you attack only work on legitimate threats; characters carrying a bag of rats to hit them for healing does not work.

There's a section on combat in different types of environments and circumstances: Mounted combat, aquatic combat, flying combat, etc.

MM pg 7 Bottom of right hand column

[jedrious]

Originally Posted by Charwoman Gene

Many people posting got their books by downloading material available in a way which violates US copyright law.

and those of us that didn't take great offense to the implication that we did

[jaldaen]

Here's another question: Are there any stance-based attack powers? Or are all stances utility powers?

[The Little Raven]

Originally Posted by Charwoman Gene

Many people posting got their books by downloading material available in a way which violates US copyright law.

And is simply disrespectful towards the team of people that developed it with the intention of it releasing on a particular date in a particular format. But then again, I'm not surprised, as John Gabriel's Greater Internet F-ckwad Theory usually holds true.

[Rechan]

Originally Posted by baberg

Page 7 of the MM. You probably skipped it because it's in the description of "how to read the stat block" but right at the end it says they don't mention Healing Surges because they're rarely used, but gives those values.

Here I was thinking it was in the NPC section in the DMG. Thanks.

[Wormwood]

Originally Posted by Mourn

And is simply disrespectful towards the team of people that developed it with the intention of it releasing on a particular date in a particular format.

True enough.

So true, in fact, that I'll be taking a break from this site until I pick up my own books in June (at Emerald City---my kick-ass FLGS!)

Later all!

[keterys]

Originally Posted by Wormwood

True enough.

So true, in fact, that I'll be taking a break from this site until I pick up my own books in June (at Emerald City---my kick-ass FLGS!)

Later all!

Not sure there's much point to _that_ - you're doing no wrong, there's still plenty of good discussion, etc.

But, whatever makes you happy I guess.

[zero skill LPB]

A couple of skill questions, if I may.

(1) How many trained skills does a Fighter get? is it 3 (as per KotS) or 4 (as per DDXP)?

(2) Trained confers +5, right?

((Trying to fix all the errors on the KotS characters before playing tomorrow, doncha know... ))

[Kobold Avenger]

I got some more questions on top of my other ones.

1) What can some of the really powerful magical implements do beyond giving bonuses to attack and damage and adding to criticals?

2) Are the Staff of Power or Staff of the Magi now implements?

3) What are the variants of Dwarves, Elves, Eladrin, Humans, Halflings, Dragonborn and Tieflings in the Monster Manual? And do they get things that make them very different from a PC with class levels?

4) Are there Affiliations in the core book? Do they give bonuses and special abilities depending on affiliation score?

[Rechan]

Originally Posted by zero skill LPB

A couple of skill questions, if I may.

(1) How many trained skills does a Fighter get? is it 3 (as per KotS) or 4 (as per DDXP)?

Three.

[jackston2]

Somebody post some mundane items, you know, just some little trinkets for the players to buy wile playing shadowfell.