Downloads and KotS?

[DimitriX]

I've been looking through the demo copy of the H1 KotS at my game store. I was wondering if there will be an option to download pdfs of the characters in the adventure? It will make it easier for me to print out and pass out to my players rather than make photocopies.

I remember hearing someplace that all 4e products will have a code that you can use to go online and access the book and download extras. But, I didn't know if this was going to be the case with this first adventure or if we would have to wait until DDI was ready (which would kind of be irrelevant once the core books come out because my players will make their own characters).

 

[Nikosandros]

I remember hearing someplace that all 4e products will have a code that you can use to go online and access the book and download extras.

This idea was indeed floating around, but I believe that WotC has canned it.

 

[Shado]

There'll likely be official pdf downloads of the KotS characters by the 20th. There are already scans of the sheet online, approved by WotC. With just those scans, it's fairly easy to print out copies. (Correct orientation with Picasa, or similar program.)

The approved existence of the scans, and obvious need for errata leads me to believe that there'll be officially errated versions in time for the product launch. (Fighter and Cleric don't have armor check penalties. Cleric missing Half-elven racial abilities. Possibly other errors, but can't confirm.)

EDIT: Took out mis-information. See post below.

 

[Ebon Shar]

There'll likely be official pdf downloads of the KotS characters by the 20th. There are already scans of the sheet online, approved by WotC. With just those scans, it's fairly easy to print out copies. (Correct orientation with Picasa, or similar program.)

The approved existence of the scans, and obvious need for errata leads me to believe that there'll be officially errated versions in time for the product launch. (Fighter and Cleric don't have armor check penalties. DEX to damage on basic, thrown, ranged attacks. (Should be STR.) Cleric missing Half-elven racial abilities. Possibly other errors, but can't confirm.)

Wow! I cannot believe that WOTC would be so sloppy with their 4E premiere product! This product will make or break the game for many, many gamers and this level of ineptitude is staggering. Hell, where are the editors?

 

[Dr. Halflight]

Wow! I cannot believe that WOTC would be so sloppy with their 4E premiere product! This product will make or break the game for many, many gamers and this level of ineptitude is staggering. Hell, where are the editors?

Well I don't know if this true in this case, when I worked in the pre-press industry, the error isn't necessarily WotC's fault. The wrong file could have been printed.

That said, IMHO, many people will overlook or buy this product after the Core books launch. In my store I have like 3 preorders on Keep & like 25-30 on Core books. Your average D&D buyer in my stores doesn't hang out here or isn't necessarliy keeping up to date on a new edition. And a great many people found about 4E because of Gary's passing, unfortunately. But thats all just MHO.

 

[Ghaerdon Fain]

Wow! I cannot believe that WOTC would be so sloppy with their 4E premiere product! This product will make or break the game for many, many gamers and this level of ineptitude is staggering. Hell, where are the editors?

God I love this game, but wow, Wizards' standards are way down. This is the first look 4E, in many ways geared to be the face of it for the majority of gamers and potetial gamers, and yet it seems already to be poor as a module at best. I'm starting to wonder about sticking it out with 3.5... maybe even going back farther.

 

[Chowder]

(Fighter and Cleric don't have armor check penalties. DEX to damage on basic, thrown, ranged attacks. (Should be STR.) Cleric missing Half-elven racial abilities. Possibly other errors, but can't confirm.)

This is disturbing. If they can't get the very first characters printed in the very first 4E product right, their editing is pretty sloppy. This bodes ill for the core rulebooks...

I'm particularly surprised by the fact that it's the characters that are wrong. Isn't the DDI character editor supposed to be operational now? Wouldn't they put the characters through that character editor to make sure that the stats are valid? (Perhaps they did use the DDI editor, and the problem is that it doesn't work?)

-Chowder

 

[Jasperak]

I guess I must be in the minority because any chance of me buying into 4e will depend on the type of game WOTC is pushing. Its one thing to read the rule books, but to see the game in action, that is what I am looking for. I look at it like chess; rules that fit on a single piece of paper, but very complex in application. I hope for the reverse for 4e.

 

[malraux]

(Fighter and Cleric don't have armor check penalties. DEX to damage on basic, thrown, ranged attacks. (Should be STR.) Cleric missing Half-elven racial abilities. Possibly other errors, but can't confirm.)

Not to be to pedantic, but are you sure on all that. I was pretty sure that dex added to damage on dex based attacks, for example, because it seems to match the DDXP characters (the wizard does 1d4+2 on thrown dagger attacks).

edit: unless STR is better, apparently. No idea if that applies to the KotS pregens.

 

[Shado]

Not to be to pedantic, but are you sure on all that. I was pretty sure that dex added to damage on dex based attacks, for example, because it seems to match the DDXP characters (the wizard does 1d4+2 on thrown dagger attacks).

edit: unless STR is better, apparently. No idea if that applies to the KotS pregens.

Hmmm, looks like I was wrong ...

Heavy Thrown: You hurl a thrown weapon from your hand, rather than using it to loose a projectile. A ranged basic attack with a heavy thrown weapon uses your Strength instead of your Dexterity for the attack and damage rolls.

Seems pretty clear there that DEX is indeed added to thrown weapon damage. I think I glanced at that note in the weapons article, and somehow mis-remembered what it said.

Still, despite that, there are multiple errors. Particularly with the Cleric.