-
The VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Crash Course in 4th ed.
- Thread starter WSmith
- Start date
Saying yes to things - and more specifically, not having enemies that turn off player's powers - is a specific design decision of 4E. It very much avoids Anti-magic fields, undead being immune to Sneak Attack, enemies that destroy every weapon that touches them, etc.
Now, note that this doesn't mean you have to play it this way. Their advice is to come up with an explanation as to why Spinning Sweep works on an ooze ("you disrupt its consistency and splatter it about, inflicting the same penalties as the prone state until it takes a move action to fully re-form itself"). But if you put in more rigid interpretations, the game won't completely break down.
You just need to be careful - the reason they took such approach is that once you've made a ruling, you could completely undercut one player's character. If they are all about knocking things down, and walk into a dungeon filled with oozes, that's going to be a long and boring adventure for them.
Of course, some players enjoy that style of old-school play. My personal advice is that, if it is the sort of thing that appeals to you and your players, simply use moderation with it, I'm planning to include an enemy immune to Arcane powers in my Epic game, just for the novelty of it. They key is, I will probably have other enemies in that fight that the Sorcerer and Warlock can blast away at.
Feel free to have some encounters that might let particular characters shine - you just want to be careful that the other characters aren't completely deprived of options for long lengths of time. Give them other foes to combat, or simply other things to do - whether traps to disable, or the ability to assist the fight in other ways (cheering on the fighters in the Arena, etc.)
If used properly, it can make for a distinct and memorable encounter or environment. But if used poorly, it can be really frustrating for the characters who get 'turned off.' 4E shies away from such things - which I think is a good call, since it is very easy for less experienced GMs to just stumble across such monsters and throw them at the group without realizing that they are eliminating several characters from the combat. But as long as you approach such a design carefully, I think you can reintroduce those elements to the game without running into the usual pitfalls.
jbear
First Post
You will want to have a look at the revised version of the Stealth rules that came through in the DMG2.
As for building NPCs, well you can build pretty much anything very easily with the Monster Builder. I've used a character made from the character builder for one of my arch villains but it took me ages to decide what he was going to do each turn... or which Interrupt to use... but he was VERY memorable!
As for building NPCs, well you can build pretty much anything very easily with the Monster Builder. I've used a character made from the character builder for one of my arch villains but it took me ages to decide what he was going to do each turn... or which Interrupt to use... but he was VERY memorable!
Last edited:
WSmith
First Post
Just to update everyone there is an issue with my WPN/DCI number that WotC is trying to resolve. Sadly, I won't be running tonight's encounter, 
but I should be go for next week. 
Thanks for all the advice, folks.
I was watching the D&D Robot Chicken videos. One thing came up that made me think to ask. In one situation, a character falls through ice into water. Chris Perkins tells him that he can use one of his encounter powers to aid in his problem. The players says, "you mean the encounter with the water?" Chris says in this room. But that does make me think, if a non "At Will" power is used outside of a clearly obvious encounter, how have you guys done the refresh on that?
Funny enough, I remember some jokes here when 4e had just come out, where a party kept a goblin tied up and would punch him every so often to keep a power's duration from expiring with the intention of not ending the "encounter." I know the DMG says there has to be a legit threat but on the serious side, has anyone ever had issues with durations and using powers outside of a definitive encounter?
but I should be go for next week. Thanks for all the advice, folks.
I was watching the D&D Robot Chicken videos. One thing came up that made me think to ask. In one situation, a character falls through ice into water. Chris Perkins tells him that he can use one of his encounter powers to aid in his problem. The players says, "you mean the encounter with the water?" Chris says in this room. But that does make me think, if a non "At Will" power is used outside of a clearly obvious encounter, how have you guys done the refresh on that?
Funny enough, I remember some jokes here when 4e had just come out, where a party kept a goblin tied up and would punch him every so often to keep a power's duration from expiring with the intention of not ending the "encounter." I know the DMG says there has to be a legit threat but on the serious side, has anyone ever had issues with durations and using powers outside of a definitive encounter?
Piratecat
Sesquipedalian
It's every five minutes (or so) for an encounter power if you aren't in an encounter.
In addition, I think you can spend as many healing surges as you want to heal up if you aren't actually in an encounter. I haven't had any trouble with durations so far. Most out of combat time is fluid, anyways, so it hasn't been an issue.
In addition, I think you can spend as many healing surges as you want to heal up if you aren't actually in an encounter. I haven't had any trouble with durations so far. Most out of combat time is fluid, anyways, so it hasn't been an issue.
awesomeocalypse
First Post
encounters are technically 5 minutes, but I find it more helpful to think of them as scenes. Ifa party stops for a quick breather between fights, thats a scene. It doesn't matter whether its 3 minutes, 5 minutes or 15 minutes, if they aren't sleeping, and nothing is happening except for them resting, it is one scene and one short rest. I know some parties like to take 2 short rests in a row by being very literal about the 5 minutes timeframe, but I've never been a fan of that.
As a lover of AD&D I'll chip in a couple of coppers:
1. The grid is your friend. If it helps, imagine it as pixels in the tv of your mind, but don't let it bother you.
2. Facing is no more. Characters no longer act as if they have isolation neck splints on but actually look around and move like a normal human would.
3. AC and attacks are different, but easy enough to figure out. Everyone now has a saving throw of 10 (without modifiers) but there's attacks rolls for everything now.
4. Scale armor is beautiful, and it no longer sucks.
1. The grid is your friend. If it helps, imagine it as pixels in the tv of your mind, but don't let it bother you.
2. Facing is no more. Characters no longer act as if they have isolation neck splints on but actually look around and move like a normal human would.
3. AC and attacks are different, but easy enough to figure out. Everyone now has a saving throw of 10 (without modifiers) but there's attacks rolls for everything now.
4. Scale armor is beautiful, and it no longer sucks.
WSmith
First Post
I was kind of leaning towards that in my mind. Like when the Fellowship gets out of Moria and rests and weeps on the rocks. That begins a "short rest" in game terms.
WSmith
First Post
P'cat, I am thinking that it will flow nicely. Thanks.
Herschel, good tips, especially about the grind.
I am reading the skill challenge section in the DMG booklet of the intro set. Seems a little weird but I understand it.
Another thing I am stumbling on... "determine your XP budget." Wha? Multiply the number of characters in the party by the XP value of a monster of the encounter's level." Am I reading this wrong cause I thought you determine the level and XP available before you choose the monster.
Herschel, good tips, especially about the grind.
I am reading the skill challenge section in the DMG booklet of the intro set. Seems a little weird but I understand it.
Another thing I am stumbling on... "determine your XP budget." Wha? Multiply the number of characters in the party by the XP value of a monster of the encounter's level." Am I reading this wrong cause I thought you determine the level and XP available before you choose the monster.
RedBeardJim
First Post
Right, but all standard monsters of a given level are worth the same number of XP. A level 1 (non-minion) kobold is worth 100 XP; so is a level 1 goblin, or a level 1 beetle, or....etc. So if you're crafting a level 3 encounter for a party of 4 characters, the guideline is to use (4 * 150)=600 XP worth of challenges, however you want to divvy that up in monsters, traps, hazards, etc.
