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I just received the RPGA adventure "Return to the Moathouse" (by Mike Mearls), which I ´m going to DM at a local event... and there IS playable SWORDMAGE character, AND a half-orc NPC...
< Ok, the half-orc NPC is useless, as a fountain of information, as it is also a "half-elemental" creature, and don´t have no identifiable "orkish" features - but still, it means that they don´t totally give up in the half-orc race "because it implies a very bad backstory" >
Anyway, here are the SWORDMAGE powers (it´s a 5th level character):
At-Will Powers:
Aegis of Shielding
Swordmage Feature
You create an arcane link between you and a foe, allowing you to instantly
respond to its attacks with a counterassault.
At-Will ✦ Arcane, Teleportation
Minor Action Close burst 2
Target: One creature in burst
Effect: You mark the target. The target remains marked until you use
this power against another target. If you mark other creatures using
other powers, the target is still marked. A creature can be subject to
only one mark at a time. A new mark supersedes a mark that was
already in place.
If your marked target makes an attack that doesn’t include you
as a target, it takes a ---2 penalty to attack rolls. If that attack hits and the attacker is within 10 squares of you, you can use an immediate
interrupt to reduce the damage dealt by that attack to any one
creature by 9 points.
Booming Blade
Swordmage Attack 1
A field of sound punishes your enemy, and it becomes louder if your enemy
tries to escape.
At-Will ✦ Arcane, Thunder, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: +9 vs. AC
Hit: 1d8 + 5 damage, and if the target is adjacent to you at the start
of its turn and moves away, it takes 1d6 + 4 thunder damage.
Sword Burst
Swordmage Attack 1
A sweep of your sword blasts those around you with force.
At-Will ✦ Arcane, Force, Implement
Standard Action Close burst 1
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: +6 vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d6 + 4 force damage.
Encounter Powers:
Chilling Blow
Swordmage Attack 1
Your blade rips into your foe and cold pulses from the wound, enveloping
your enemy’s body in a crust of frost.
Encounter ✦ Arcane, Cold, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: +9 vs. AC
Hit: 1d8 + 5 cold damage, and the target takes 4 cold damage each
time it attacks until the start of your next turn.
Corrosive Ruin
Swordmage Attack 3
You spin your blade in a tight circle in front of you, assailing foes with a
spray of flesh-melting acid.
Encounter ✦ Acid, Arcane, Weapon
Standard Action Close blast 3
Target: Each creature in blast
Attack: +9 vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d8 + 5 acid damage.
Dimensional Warp
Swordmage Utility 2
You reach out with arcane power, and two of your nearby allies suddenly
wink out and reappear in each other’s places.
Encounter ✦ Arcane, Teleportation
Minor Action Close burst 3
Targets: You and one ally in burst or two allies in burst
Effect: Each target teleports into the other’s space. Both targets
must occupy the same size space, or the power fails.
Daily Powers:
Frost Backlash
Swordmage Attack 1
As your enemy swings for the kill, your warding suddenly turns to ice and
lashes out at your foe with the fury of winter.
Daily ✦ Arcane, Cold, Weapon
Immediate Interrupt Melee weapon
Trigger: An adjacent creature hits you
Target: The creature that hit you
Attack: +9 vs. Reflex
Hit: 3d8 + 5 cold damage.
Miss: Half damage.
Lingering Lightning
Swordmage Attack 5
Tendrils of bluish white lightning course from your blade to electrocute
your enemies.
Daily ✦ Arcane, Lightning, Weapon
Standard Action Ranged 5
Target: One, two, or three creatures
Attack: +9 vs. Reflex, one attack per target
Hit: 1d8 + 5 damage, and ongoing 5 lightning damage (save ends).
Miss: Half damage, and no ongoing damage
Interesting. Frost Backlash is very good. Its a level 1 daily that appears to do 3[W]+stat, uses weapon bonuses to attack a defense, and functions as an immediate interrupt.
Interesting. Could you tell me what the characters name is? And what her attributes are and weapon (that way we can try and deduce her primary and secondary attributes).
Excellent, excellent, I plan to play a swordmage in an upcoming Forgotten Realms campaign, any information is great. Which ability score does the swordmage seem to use for its powers?
__________________ P A L L A D I O N S T R A T E G Y . I N T E G R I T Y . V I S I O N A R Y
, it means that they don´t totally give up in the half-orc race "because it implies a very bad backstory"
That's a lame excuse. In one setting I used, half-orcs in one region were commonly the result of human settlers taking orcish wives - because life there was so harsh that human brides weren't readily available, while orcish ones apreciated the gentler treatment they got from human husbands. Of course, orcs were more like neanderthals than monsters in that setting. Contrarily, half-elves, called 'changelings,' were commonly believed to be hateful fey left in place of babies stolen by elves. A backstory is only as bad as you want it to be. You are just making it up, afterall.
1) Yes, the Moathouse in the adventure IS the ToEE moathouse - some a Beatiful cleric even makes a special appearance...
2) The Swordmage is a Dwarf, with the following attributes:
STR 12
CON 19
DEX 10
INT 17
WIS 14
CHA 08
2)The basic attack:
+1 longsword / +7 vs. AC / 1d8+3
Note: have Wapon Focus:Longsword feat, already added to above number
3)AND there is a class feature: Swordmage Warding (INT bounus to AC, iwith one hand free; if rendered unconscious, shield fades and can be restored after a short rest)
+7: +2 (level), +3 (longsword prof), +1 (enh), +1 (stat). So, that's still based on Str.
Let's look at powers.
Booming Blade is +9 vs AC. I'd expect the extra +2 is from stat bonus, so that points at Int.
Sword Burst (+6 vs Ref) has Implement instead of Weapon, so it loses the +3 longsword prof bonus. Again, points at Int.
Chilling Blow & Corrosive Ruin are also +9, as are Frost Backlash and Lingering Lightning; all-in-all, a persuasive case for Int being the primary attack stat for at least this particular Swordmage build. High Con is due to being a dwarf; looks like the character put 16 in each of Int and Con (and has put the level 4 +1 to two stats in 'em as well).
__________________ The Evil DM's Motto:
"I don't kill characters. A dead character can't suffer any more...."
Taking a stab at deconstructing (Intelligence and Constitution seem to be key stats):
At-Will Powers:
Aegis of Shielding
Swordmage Feature
You create an arcane link between you and a foe, allowing you to instantly
respond to its attacks with a counterassault.
At-Will ✦ Arcane, Teleportation
Minor Action Close burst 2
Target: One creature in burst
Effect: You mark the target. The target remains marked until you use
this power against another target. If you mark other creatures using
other powers, the target is still marked. A creature can be subject to
only one mark at a time. A new mark supersedes a mark that was
already in place.
If your marked target makes an attack that doesn’t include you
as a target, it takes a ---2 penalty to attack rolls. If that attack hits and the attacker is within 10 squares of you, you can use an immediate
interrupt to reduce the damage dealt by that attack to any one
creature by 6+Int points.
Booming Blade
Swordmage Attack 1
A field of sound punishes your enemy, and it becomes louder if your enemy
tries to escape.
At-Will ✦ Arcane, Thunder, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Intelligence damage, and if the target is adjacent to you at the start
of its turn and moves away, it takes 1d6 + Constitution thunder damage.
Sword Burst
Swordmage Attack 1
A sweep of your sword blasts those around you with force.
At-Will ✦ Arcane, Force, Implement
Standard Action Close burst 1
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d6 + Intelligence force damage.
Encounter Powers:
Chilling Blow
Swordmage Attack 1
Your blade rips into your foe and cold pulses from the wound, enveloping
your enemy’s body in a crust of frost.
Encounter ✦ Arcane, Cold, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Intelligence cold damage, and the target takes cold damage equal to your Constitution bonus each
time it attacks until the start of your next turn.
Corrosive Ruin
Swordmage Attack 3
You spin your blade in a tight circle in front of you, assailing foes with a
spray of flesh-melting acid.
Encounter ✦ Acid, Arcane, Weapon
Standard Action Close blast 3
Target: Each creature in blast
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d8 + Intelligence acid damage.
Dimensional Warp
Swordmage Utility 2
You reach out with arcane power, and two of your nearby allies suddenly
wink out and reappear in each other’s places.
Encounter ✦ Arcane, Teleportation
Minor Action Close burst 3
Targets: You and one ally in burst or two allies in burst
Effect: Each target teleports into the other’s space. Both targets
must occupy the same size space, or the power fails.
Daily Powers:
Frost Backlash
Swordmage Attack 1
As your enemy swings for the kill, your warding suddenly turns to ice and
lashes out at your foe with the fury of winter.
Daily ✦ Arcane, Cold, Weapon
Immediate Interrupt Melee weapon
Trigger: An adjacent creature hits you
Target: The creature that hit you
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 3[W] + Intelligence cold damage.
Miss: Half damage.
Lingering Lightning
Swordmage Attack 5
Tendrils of bluish white lightning course from your blade to electrocute
your enemies.
Daily ✦ Arcane, Lightning, Weapon
Standard Action Ranged 5
Target: One, two, or three creatures
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex, one attack per target
Hit: 1[W] + Intelligence damage, and ongoing 5 lightning damage (save ends).
Miss: Half damage, and no ongoing damage
__________________ Warning: This post may contain sarcasm.
1)
...
3)AND there is a class feature: Swordmage Warding (INT bounus to AC, iwith one hand free; if rendered unconscious, shield fades and can be restored after a short rest)
*That* won't be in the final version (or if it is, all the other defenders just became obsolete).
I wouldn't expect the above Marking mechanic to make it into the final version either, the amount of damage mitigated is absurdly high.
If you have read Swordmage by Richard Baker, you can see a few of these abilities described, teleportation and magical shielding come to mind. It also includes the concept of encounter vs. daily powers. The main character sure does not act like his main ability score is Intelligence though...
__________________ P A L L A D I O N S T R A T E G Y . I N T E G R I T Y . V I S I O N A R Y
I just received the RPGA adventure "Return to the Moathouse" (by Mike Mearls), which I ´m going to DM at a local event... and there IS playable SWORDMAGE character, AND a half-orc NPC...
< Ok, the half-orc NPC is useless, as a fountain of information, as it is also a "half-elemental" creature, and don´t have no identifiable "orkish" features - but still, it means that they don´t totally give up in the half-orc race "because it implies a very bad backstory" >
...
ENJOY!
DM_from_Brazil
First of all... thank you for sharing.
Second of all... how'd you get so lucky??? I can't seem to be able to download that particular event? Are you at Origins, perhaps? Or are you just exceptionally awesome?
EDIT: NM. I just noticed the convention release date was different from the retail date.
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