D&D 4E 4e virgin looking for answers

[Obryn]

And Implements? I understand if you are using a ki focus item. But what if you say use an enchanted quarterstaff? If you have, say a +3 flaming quarterstaff. How would that effect your implement power?

Thank you all so far

Are you still talking about monks?

A monk's powers do whatever the power says they do. Same with the other Implement powers. If you have a Flaming quarterstaff, you can change the damage type to fire (it says so in the staff's properties), but you're still rolling whatever dice for damage it says in the power, and you don't get more reach out of it.

-O

 

[Reverend47]

Are you still talking about monks?

A monk's powers do whatever the power says they do. Same with the other Implement powers. If you have a Flaming quarterstaff, you can change the damage type to fire (it says so in the staff's properties), but you're still rolling whatever dice for damage it says in the power, and you don't get more reach out of it.

-O

Yes, I'm still asking about monks and their implements. It says they can use any weapon they are proficient in as an implement but I don't understand how the bonuses of said weapon would transfer over on an implement power.

 

[jimmifett]

IIRC, you can use the special abilites of the ki focus or the flaming staff, but not both at the same time. You could certainly change the damage type to fire, but when you hit, you'd either get the +x bonus from the weapon (meaning you did not use your ki focus, and thus cannot use a power with implement keyword), or use the +x from the ki focus (implement keyword powers). It sounds confusing, but it's not really.


For adding flavor to a character, you can always add Themes from Dragon 399. The fighter has found religion? He can take the Ordained Priest theme (Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page), giving him a spalsh of divine without expending a feat to multiclass. Themes grant an additional encounter power, new features at 1st, 5th, and 10th lvls typically, and allow the player to optionally choose theme specific powers (usually utility powers) throughout heroic tier in place of one of thier normal utility power choices.

You don't have to take a theme during character creation, taking one as the story progresses if you want, but they mostly represent part of your char's background. You can swap out themes during retraining after gaining a level, provided you don't have any feats or powers that require your existing theme.

In my Eberron game, I allow players 1 theme from either Dark Sun if they are generic enough to not be tied to Dark Sun, or from the Dra399 themes.

Dra399 themes:
Alchemist (Arcane/Artificer-ish)
Animal Master (Ranger-ish)
Chevalier (Knight/Paladin-ish)
Explorer (Ranger-ish)
Guardian (Defender-ish)
Guttersnipe (Rogue-ish)
Hospitaler (Divine/Leader-ish)
Mercenary (Fighter/striker-ish)
Noble (Warlord-ish)
Ordained Priest (Divine-ish)
Order Adept (Arcane-ish)
Outlaw (Rogue-ish)
Scholar (Bard-ish)
Seer (Arcane-ish)
Wizard's Apprenctie (Arcane-ish)

 

[OnlineDM]

Monks generate some confusion with their "weapons as implements" from time to time, even for me. Here's how it works:

When you use a Monk power, you'll note that it has the Implement keyword rather than the Weapon keyword. So, if you use your magic staff to make the attack, you're using it as an implement rather than a weapon.

This means that you don't get any benefits that come from using a power with the Weapon keyword, such as your proficiency bonus with the attack or any reach provided by the weapon (the power itself will determine the range with something like Melee 1 or Melee 2 rather than Melee Weapon). You DO get the benefits that would come from using the weapon as an implement, such as any enhancement bonus (+3 to attacks and damage in this case) or properties of the implement as long as they don't specifically say anything about using the item as a weapon (so you can make it Flaming). The weapon's damage die is also totally irrelevant (as Obryn said, the power itself tells you what damage die to use).

And by default, you only use one implement or the other when you attack - either your ki focus or your weapon implement, not both. So if you have a weapon implement that lets you deal fire damage and a ki focus that lets you deal cold damage, your attack can be fiery or chilly, but not both at the same time.

 

[the Jester]

I'm probably the only one, but I absolutely hate themes. They are 4e's worst and most blatant bit of power creep. Ick.

 

[jimmifett]

I'm probably the only one, but I absolutely hate themes. They are 4e's worst and most blatant bit of power creep. Ick.

Like backgrounds, I require some backstory for the selection of themes.

 

[Reverend47]

Where is returned abeir in relation to toril?

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

Where is returned abeir in relation to toril?

It's on Toril (the planet), pretty much where Maztica once was, far to the west of Waterdeep and Baldur's Gate across the Trackless Sea.

 

[Herschel]

Another way to do teh "Character Change" thing is simply Take the Cleric Multiclass, that qualifies you for Cleric Paragon Paths (just be sure the stats line up enough) and then take the Chosen Epic Destiny.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Truthfully at this point between say the Ordained Priest theme (or Hospitaler theme), an MC feat, taking a PP designed for the other class, and an ED designed for the other class, plus a bit of judicious power selection, a little retraining, maybe even a power swap feat or two, you can get a lot of mileage.

Also worth remembering that 4e's powers in particular are pretty refluffable. Many fighter powers can be always be described as 'Tymora comes to my aid' etc. Toss in a couple of genuinely divine things here and there and you certainly make a pretty good 'cleric' in-game.

There are also skill powers and rituals. A reasonably high WIS fighter can easily pick up a Heal skill (it is a fighter class skill) and swap a utility out for a Heal utility. You could also pick up Ritual Caster and be able to raise people from the dead, cure diseases, make a circle of protection, etc. and even create scrolls and items. Brew Potion and you can make heal potions and holy water too.