D&D 4E 4e ask a simple question, get a simple answer

wasteomana · Dec 8, 2015

MwaO said:
That's a 3.5 chart and has nothing to do with 4e other than the initial numbers match up well...

Damage tends to be a "I'm a X CR creature and therefore I should average about Y damage." in 4e, not some random hodgepodge of "Wait, he's wielding a great sword with a 25 strength, but it happens to be Tuesday, so..."

Basically what MWaO said. Monster damage in 4e is not scaled like the other editions even remotely. If you want to see a monster scaling chart check the DM Cheat Sheet from Slyflourish.

For players using a Larger Size of Weapon increases the damage die but it doesn't scale up in a crazy way (The scaling is listed).

Zathris · Dec 8, 2015

masteraleph said:
Awesome advice so far. Didn't notice Howl of Doom at all.

ESA and Fey Step is nice, but the only other striker is a ranged Rogue (there is a Brawler fighter, in terms of someone having a reasonable MBA). And the controller is a Cunning Bard. I figured a bit more damage wouldn't go amiss on a Defender.

Gotcha, so you're also not the only Defender but only one other Striker and the leader is Cha/Int? That really complicates things. Eh, it's basically a 1-off.

masteraleph · Dec 8, 2015

Zathris said:
Gotcha, so you're also not the only Defender but only one other Striker and the leader is Cha/Int? That really complicates things. Eh, it's basically a 1-off.

There's also a no divine/no primal restriction, which certainly doesn't help (I know, I know, but it's a brief interlude on a campaign that's taken us from 1-26). I also considered some sort of Fighter|Battlemind, but this seemed a little more different, and if we do ever get to 30 and start a new campaign, I've been thinking either Swordlock or Paladin|Battlemind, so this was a chance to try one out.

MwaO · Dec 9, 2015

masteraleph said:
There's also a no divine/no primal restriction, which certainly doesn't help (I know, I know, but it's a brief interlude on a campaign that's taken us from 1-26). I also considered some sort of Fighter|Battlemind, but this seemed a little more different, and if we do ever get to 30 and start a new campaign, I've been thinking either Swordlock or Paladin|Battlemind, so this was a chance to try one out.

Battlemind is probably a good choice if you're in a group with another Defender to trigger the Brawler Fighter's mark with Lightning Rush.

I played a Swordmage|Battlemind that involved a lot of teleporting that was fun - it is in my in-play post. It would mark half the battlefield, get to the back rank BBEG, mark him, and then be invisible to him in most combats...

wasteomana · Dec 9, 2015

One question I would have is that your other campaign is 1-26, what level is this one? I've found after playing Battlemind for a little while that playing them pre-lightning rush feels like I'm playing a cripple. If you are playing something that is not divine and not primal at low levels that even more restricts your options to a very small list of things.

masteraleph · Dec 10, 2015

wasteomana said:
One question I would have is that your other campaign is 1-26, what level is this one? I've found after playing Battlemind for a little while that playing them pre-lightning rush feels like I'm playing a cripple. If you are playing something that is not divine and not primal at low levels that even more restricts your options to a very small list of things.

I mentioned above, 13. So Lightning Rush is just fine here. I've been debating a little between the Swordmage|Warlock I had in mind and MwaO's build/idea and think I'm leaning towards the latter- between Lightning Rush and Res Man for Dimensional Vortex, it's possible to have 4 interrupts before ever engaging in using the Aegis. We're starting with 64,000 gp, buy anything, and a Radiant Weapon can do some nice work there, folding in the item bonus (and much of this is probably going to be vs. undead, so Radiant is a big plus).

MwaO · Dec 10, 2015

masteraleph said:
Lightning Rush and Res Man for Dimensional Vortex, it's possible to have 4 interrupts before ever engaging in using the Aegis. We're starting with 64,000 gp, buy anything, and a Radiant Weapon can do some nice work there, folding in the item bonus (and much of this is probably going to be vs. undead, so Radiant is a big plus).

I'd note three things:
Dimensional Vortex and Lightning Rush are both amazing powers. But when you can go invisible to your mark and have 3 shots of Lightning Rush(and have an actual aegis mark to toss around just in case), Dimensional Vortex's value is a bit less.

I'd note that someone who is marked has an effect on them. A Staff of Aversion = +2 item bonus to all defenses against anyone you've marked. Which is roughly the benefit of a heavy shield+more. Leather+18 Int+Staff of Aversion+Elven Chain is a decent defense. Have a familiar capable of swapping items and you can shift items in and out as necessary. An Eladrin can choose to be proficient with a staff implement, even if a Swordmage|Battlemind MC Warlock.

The only reason the build has a Sunblade is because my PC was a Knight of Myth Drannor, an Eladrin Swordmage, one who is entranced by the evil purple light of Caiphon, who is an Evermeet Warlock. Oh, and despite my intent to not actually wield a cold or radiant weapon, he happened to be a worshipper of Selune, meaning he had access to the best damage feat in the game in the form of Silvery Glow.

I'm not actually kidding about what I'm about to say next. I didn't want the blade. But for the life of me as a role-player, I couldn't even imagine how my PC wouldn't be deliriously happy about finding such a weapon. So I took it...

masteraleph · Dec 10, 2015

MwaO said:
I'd note three things:
Dimensional Vortex and Lightning Rush are both amazing powers. But when you can go invisible to your mark and have 3 shots of Lightning Rush(and have an actual aegis mark to toss around just in case), Dimensional Vortex's value is a bit less.

Point. Just not sure what else to do there- could skip Res Man, but Blinding Beacon keys off of CHA, though Blinding is useful.

I'd note that someone who is marked has an effect on them. A Staff of Aversion = +2 item bonus to all defenses against anyone you've marked. Which is roughly the benefit of a heavy shield+more. Leather+18 Int+Staff of Aversion+Elven Chain is a decent defense. Have a familiar capable of swapping items and you can shift items in and out as necessary. An Eladrin can choose to be proficient with a staff implement, even if a Swordmage|Battlemind MC Warlock.

I actually knew that particular trick- the Staff of Aversion I picked up on the WotC forum, in Ren Zhe's post about a Blackstone Guardian Paladin|Battlemind, when folks were trying to figure out how to fix the AC when it switched to a 2-handed weapon (he was MCing Wizard and grabbing Wizard's Wrath to ignore the resistance from petrification, so he was proficient in staffs), and the Sun Elf trick from one of Zathris' many Swordlock posts.

The only reason the build has a Sunblade is because my PC was a Knight of Myth Drannor, an Eladrin Swordmage, one who is entranced by the evil purple light of Caiphon, who is an Evermeet Warlock. Oh, and despite my intent to not actually wield a cold or radiant weapon, he happened to be a worshipper of Selune, meaning he had access to the best damage feat in the game in the form of Silvery Glow.

I'm not actually kidding about what I'm about to say next. I didn't want the blade. But for the life of me as a role-player, I couldn't even imagine how my PC wouldn't be deliriously happy about finding such a weapon. So I took it...

Nice. I considered a Weapon of Summer and Fiery Blood here (since Silvery Glow is an issue for a no-divine thing, even though it doesn't require a divine class), but Radiant Weapon grants the item bonus as well, and the brief adventure is taking place in the Shadowfell, which means if they're vulnerable to anything, it's probably Radiant.