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

[masteraleph]

Thoughts on confirming critical hits? (Rolling a d20 after the crit, doubles max damage on a hit)

Crits in 4e are pretty well balanced as it is- useful, valuable if you optimize around them, but not overwhelming (again, unless you optimize around them). They're one of those areas that doesn't really need a lot of houseruling. On first blush the houserule might help high [W] single attacks, but I suspect that a triple hitter vs. one high [W] attack still probably benefits more because of the increased odds of scoring a crit.

 

[darkbard]

For a Drow Cleric|Warlord/Assassin with Templar theme (including power swaps at 7 and 9) and starting DEX 18, WIS 18 using a dagger for Sonnlinor's Hammer (as MBA) and RBA, which is better: Versatile Expertise or Ki Focus Expertise?

 

[MwaO]

For a Drow Cleric|Warlord/Assassin with Templar theme (including power swaps at 7 and 9) and starting DEX 18, WIS 18 using a dagger for Sonnlinor's Hammer (as MBA) and RBA, which is better: Versatile Expertise or Ki Focus Expertise?

This is more of a build question, but I'd likely try to go Ki Focus Expertise - I can't use daggers as an implement, so wielding say a +1 Chieftain's Javelin and a +1 Rhythm Blade Dagger and then sticking with a ki focus for all powers is better.

 

[darkbard]

This is more of a build question, but I'd likely try to go Ki Focus Expertise - I can't use daggers as an implement, so wielding say a +1 Chieftain's Javelin and a +1 Rhythm Blade Dagger and then sticking with a ki focus for all powers is better.

Thanks, MwaO! I was looking back over an old build I hadn't revisited in several months and was trying to retrace my thought process (which grows ever more difficult these days!).

 

[WarProgenitor]

is there a cap for skill check bonuses? my dm says +10 is the highest my deception can be even when it should be +11 (cha 18, expertise, lvl 5 pc)(4+4+3)

 

[MwaO]

is there a cap for skill check bonuses? my dm says +10 is the highest my deception can be even when it should be +11 (cha 18, expertise, lvl 5 pc)(4+4+3)

This is a 4e thread, that's 5e.

But there's technically no limit to skill check bonuses in 5e.

 

[Benoz]

I recently built a level 8 Minotaur Warden (Earthstrength).

Ability scores: STR 20, CON 20, DEX 12, INT 10, WIS 12, CHA 8.

Powers:
- At-will: Thorn strike, Weight of Hearth;
- Encounter: Roots of stone, Grasping wind, Rough strike;
- Utility: Invigorating Presence, Treacherous Ice;
- Daily: Form of mountain's thunder, Boiling Cloud.

Feats: Improved defenses, Bludgeon Expertise, Skill power: Endure pain, Vicious advantage, Crippling crush.

Items: Lifefont Armor +2, Maw of the guardian +2 (Warhammer).

---

When not in guardian form, basic attacks with this build deal 1d10 + 7 (str + enh) damage, while slowing powers (thanks to crippling crush) deal 1d10 + 12 (str + con + enh).
When in guardian form, basic attacks (thanks to form effect and weapon property) deal 1d10 + 17 (str + str + con + enh) damage to marked enemies, while slowing powers deal 1d10 + 22 (str + str + con + con + enh) damage to marked enemies.

This means that, while in guardian form, you have at-will damage potential of 1d10 + 22 (Weight of Hearth), and encounter damage potential of 2d10 + 27 (Rough Strike).
In addition to this, you can cluster a lot of enemies around you with Grasping wind, stuck them with Treacherous Ice, mark them and activate Boiling Cloud for additional 5 damage at the start of their turns.

This damage output seems completely broken to me for a defender.
Am i missing anything?

 

[MwaO]

I recently built a level 8 Minotaur Warden (Earthstrength).

Ability scores: STR 20, CON 20, DEX 12, INT 10, WIS 12, CHA 8....This damage output seems completely broken to me for a defender.
Am i missing anything?

You have 1 Guardian form per day? You only have one 'stop shift/charge or shoot' option available to you. Ref/Will are bad, so is initiative.

i.e. if you're a decent striker, you're not a good defender, because you want to save the U6 for another combat. And on the non-Guardian Form combats, you're not going to be doing a lot of damage...

 

[Benoz]

Thank you for the quick reply.

you want to save the U6 for another combat.

Our party started playing d&d 4e roughly two months ago, so we may be doing some mistakes managing encounters.
That said, we normally have two fights per day: an easy one (where only encounter powers are used) and a tough one (where daily powers are necessary to win).

Question 1: is this a total misinterpretation of d&d 4e encounter logic?

---

And on the non-Guardian Form combats, you're not going to be doing a lot of damage...

The striker in our party is a lvl 8 Goliath Barbarian using a gouge, so his basic attacks deal 2d6 + 8 (str + weapon focus + enh). That's very close to the warden's ones. Yet, also in non-Guardian Form, he can pump his damage modifier to +12 with Weight of Hearth. In guardian form he can reach 2d10 +27 with Rough Strike. That seems pretty huge to me.

Even rearranging ability scores to have better NADs and initiative (like STR 20, CON 16, DEX 14, INT 11, WIS 14, CHA 8), Weight of Hearth would deal 1d10 +9 (non-Guardian Form) and Rough Strike would deal 2d10 +18 (Guardian Form). That still seems quite high for a defender.

Question 2: are we missing something on our striker or am i overvaluing a +18 damage modifier at level 8?

 

[masteraleph]

Thank you for the quick reply.



Our party started playing d&d 4e roughly two months ago, so we may be doing some mistakes managing encounters.
That said, we normally have two fights per day: an easy one (where only encounter powers are used) and a tough one (where daily powers are necessary to win).

Question 1: is this a total misinterpretation of d&d 4e encounter logic?

It's not strictly wrong, per se. But 4-5 encounters in a day, especially now that you have 3 Encounter powers and will have 3 Dailies next level, is generally more of the intended average. That also allows you to think about daily resources like Action Points.

---

The striker in our party is a lvl 8 Goliath Barbarian using a gouge, so his basic attacks deal 2d6 + 8 (str + weapon focus + enh). That's very close to the warden's ones. Yet, also in non-Guardian Form, he can pump his damage modifier to +12 with Weight of Hearth. In guardian form he can reach 2d10 +27 with Rough Strike. That seems pretty huge to me.

Even rearranging ability scores to have better NADs and initiative (like STR 20, CON 16, DEX 14, INT 11, WIS 14, CHA 8), Weight of Hearth would deal 1d10 +9 (non-Guardian Form) and Rough Strike would deal 2d10 +18 (Guardian Form). That still seems quite high for a defender.

Question 2: are we missing something on our striker or am i overvaluing a +18 damage modifier at level 8?

Why is the Barbarian using MBAs? I mean, they're fine if he's charging, but Thundering Howl gives him 2 damage instances on an Encounter power, and Howling Strike is going to give him +1d6 vs. an MBA in general. Base optimization on a level 8 Striker should be somewhere around 16 damage per round and a nova that, when you action point, averages ~ 88 damage. Sounds like your Striker is a little low, rather than you being a little high.

I'm also going to toss out an issue that I saw with your build- you only seem to have 2 items. Even if you got +1 versions of those previously, you're still probably an item or two short (standard treasure parcels would give you 4 items every 5 levels plus some gold, and you've now gone through seven levels). That becomes a problem as you level up, and if you don't have a neck item, your defenses are definitely below what's expected.