D&D 4E LAST CHANCE TO WIN FREE 4e Rulebooks DEADLINE JAN 30th!!! GET ENTRIES IN!!

INTRODUCTION
Power Attack is not all it is cracked up to be. Johnathan Tweet came out and discuss this in his blog and we have discussed it here: http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=212732

As some of you know, in the thread I feel strongly that the current Power Attack is not the fun little feat every fighter and barbarian takes and that it could use a redesign. Some of you agreed, some of you didn't. Well, I thought it would be fun to have a contest with real prizes to find the answers once and for all!

NOTE: THIS IS THE SAME CONTEST I ANNOUNCED BEFORE, IT HAS BEEN STREAMLINED, MORE PRIZES ADDED/ SPREAD OUT AND THE DATE EXTENDED BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAYS. PLEASE READ AS THE CHANGES ARE MADE TO IMPROVE THE CONTEST.

CONTEST ONE: PROVE NATE (NAJO) WRONG

1. Submit a level 20 D&D 3.5 character using only official WOTC published materials. Using a 28 point build for your abilities (as stated on p169 of DMG) and level 20 character wealth (table 5-1 p. 135 of DMG). Include ability increase from level, feats, skills, class features and magic items. Game mechanics not found in the PHB or DMG list the source and page number. The character must have the feat: Power Attack.

Use only official WOTC errata from their website and the complete compendium books. Only material printed in WOTC rulebooks that are official rules are allowed. So that means no Dragon or Dungeon and no Unearthed Arcana.

2. Describe in clear instruction how your character abuses Power Attack. We are looking for controlled and consistant mathematical averages that show how much power your level 20 character has. Ultimately, a high average hit percantage and damage out put against CR 20 monsters is what we are looking for. We want to be left shaking in our boots how hard and reliable your character uses Power Attack.

3. Email your entry along with your enworld name, real name, email, and phone number. You won't be entered into any mailing list and your email will not be sold. Your personal information will not be published.

Send your email to: borderlandsgames@yahoo.com. In the subject put: D&D CONTEST - I WANT TO PROVE NATE WRONG

It will be tested against typical CR 20 threats on our end once your submission is sent. We are looking for effective and creative use of the feat. At the end of January 2008, the top ten submissions will be posted here for the community to pick a winner from through a poll.


CONTEST TWO: I WANT TO PROVE NATE (NAJO) RIGHT

1. Submit your most creative redesign of Power Attack. Rebuild the damn feat from the ground up. The feat needs to stand on its own and interact with the other official WOTC feats. It needs to remain true to its feat description. The feat needs to solve the following issues:
a) It should benefit the character to use in a manner that is straight forward to see.
b) It needs to be balanced
c) It needs to be fun to use.
d) It shouldn't bog down game play with the open ended possibility of calculus being needed to make a descision with it. (if you are prone to do this that is...)

2. Keep the feat streamlined and fun. State what problems you see the current feat having, and then present your solution to fixing it. Show math when needed. Make sure the feat is laid out and written as close to official WOTC material as possible.

3. Email your entry along with your enworld name, real name, email, and phone number. You won't be entered into any mailing list and your email will not be sold. Your personal information will not be published.

Send your email to: borderlandsgames@yahoo.com. In the subject put: D&D CONTEST - I WANT TO PROVE NATE RIGHT

Ok, so here is what we are going to do. We are going to sort through all of the entries between now and the end of next month, then subject them to a barrage of tests online and off to determine the winner. You can only enter each contest once. Borderlands Games Employees and their relatives are unable to participate in this contest. Entries are due by January 31st 2008.

We will post the winners of each contest here on Enworld by February 18th, 2008.

PRIZES

1st PLACE
3 4e Players Handbooks, 1 4e Dungeon Master Guide. 1 4e Monster Manual

2nd PLACE
1 4e Player's Handbook, 1 4e Dungeon Master Guide. 1 4e Monster Manual

3rd PLACE
1 4e Player's Handbook

ABOUT NATE AND BORDERLANDS GAMES
I am the owner of Borderlands Games. We are a family owned game store in Salem, Or. Our website is www.borderlandsgames.com and our ebay store store front is http://stores.ebay.com/Borderlands-Games.

We are a very progressive game store 5100 sq ft, half of which is game play space. We have hosted Magic states twice (150+ people). We hold events for Magic, D&D and Warhammer and other games every week. We lack a webmaster and have a weak website (which I really, really want to change). (On a side note: if any one has the technical skills to help improve our website and tie it to our ebay store, I would love to speak to them, because I hate our website )

If you have any questions, or I missed something let me know.

I can take questions here in the forum if people like.

I have a concern that I would like feedback on. I would like to do the finalists as a poll, but want to prevent unscrupulous voters creating fake accounts to pad the finalist they favor. Is there a way to restrict it as one vote per IP that anyone knows of?

Najo said:

I would like to do the finalists as a poll, but want to prevent unscrupulous voters creating fake accounts to pad the finalist they favor. Is there a way to restrict it as one vote per IP that anyone knows of?

Click to expand...

If you don't mind doing extra work, you could always use the public poll option, then check the join date of every account that voted in the poll and throw out votes from accounts that didn't exist before you posted this thread. That still doesn't solve the problem of people who already have multiple accounts, but at least you won't get newly created multiple accounts.

a few questions

I came up with a build that is made to fight groups of enemies instead of single cr 20 enemies. Would this still be considered in the contest.

Do I have to make a full character or can I stop after the proof of concept. I have gone so far through the parts of the character abusing Power attack but left off other factors that were irrelevant to that end. Should I work on it more before i send it or is that far enough.

I actually made the character and then reread the rules and noticed you didn't allow all 3.5 WotC Material but just the cores, compendiums, and completes. I made my character with the Book of Nine Swords as well. Does that disqualify me? If it does you you still want a copy of the character to Show how it works?

I thought of one more question. You said you would be testing them against cr 20 monsters. What format would they be fighting in. Arena combat, happened across in the dungeon, assaulting their lair? Is there time to cast spells before combat, does the enemy have time to?

amoonlitknight said:

I came up with a build that is made to fight groups of enemies instead of single cr 20 enemies. Would this still be considered in the contest.

Do I have to make a full character or can I stop after the proof of concept. I have gone so far through the parts of the character abusing Power attack but left off other factors that were irrelevant to that end. Should I work on it more before i send it or is that far enough.

I actually made the character and then reread the rules and noticed you didn't allow all 3.5 WotC Material but just the cores, compendiums, and completes. I made my character with the Book of Nine Swords as well. Does that disqualify me? If it does you you still want a copy of the character to Show how it works?

Click to expand...

We are going to be judging how effectively the character uses power attack against CR20 threats. That includes groups as well as single BBEG.

We want you to write up the full character.

You can use ALL ofiicial WOTC published materials. I do not see where it says only the cores, compendiums and completes.

amoonlitknight said:

I thought of one more question. You said you would be testing them against cr 20 monsters. What format would they be fighting in. Arena combat, happened across in the dungeon, assaulting their lair? Is there time to cast spells before combat, does the enemy have time to?

Click to expand...

Obviousily there are so many possible scenarios that you cannot judge them all. At the heart of it, we are looking for

1) effectively getting off power attack (hitting)

2) dealing large amounts of damage as possible.

Take into account effects typical CR 20 encounters have to prevent you hiting, you doing damage or them recovering damage, and their ability to kill you. We will assume you have a typical party of the 3 class roles that would be supporting your character, but your character should operate independant of those characters and function without their help for the purpose of this contest. If you want true strike, you need to have a way to cast it yourself for example.

Please keep questions posted here to keep it bumped. This contest is free so everyone should take a whack at it.

Can we create a creature of pure death, and assume theres a team of 3 clerics healing him. I.E. does only his damage output matter here? can i not buy armour so i can buy a weapon for odd situations (i.e. Ghosts?)

Is 3ed allowed or just 3.5?

Edit: discount the 1st and 2nd questions, you answered then alredy

Are there bonus points for addition uses? Breaking down walls so you don't have to get lost in the maze for example?

To provide a base line, will you stat a character to do damage without, power attack?

Is there a catagory for characters that ain't frenzied berserkers?, as that class certainly makes it worth it (perhaps let frenzied berserkers in, but don't let them win 1st prise?)