Insight's D&DXP Blog

[hbarsquared]

As a player, you decide whether you want to take on a Low, Medium, or High Challenge. To resolve this challenge, you make a skill check (DC 11, 15, or 19, respectively). If you succeed, and don't quote me on this, I believe you succeed in whatever it is you're trying to do.

Here is some extrapolation regarding skills...

It would seem really stupid for these DCs to remain static. A 20th level character will automatically have +10 for an untrained skill, and would almost always succeed in any task. Not to mention ability modifiers, trained skills, feats, and higher levels.

So, I'm thinking that these DCs (easy, medium, hard) are actually dependent on the level of the player (and/or the level of whatever the challenge has been "deemed").

Let's say that a Level 1 character wants to run away in a crowd, using Acrobatics and Stealth.

• low DC = 10 + level (11)
• medium DC = 14 + level (15) or low DC + 4
• high DC = 18 + level (19) or low DC + 8

Or, let's say that the DM is pitting a group of Level 10 characters in a negotiation exchange with a prince. The DM rates the challenge at Level 12.

• Low DC = 22
• Medium DC = 26
• High DC = 30

How does that sound?

 

[Insight]

Here is some extrapolation regarding skills...

It would seem really stupid for these DCs to remain static. A 20th level character will automatically have +10 for an untrained skill, and would almost always succeed in any task. Not to mention ability modifiers, trained skills, feats, and higher levels.

So, I'm thinking that these DCs (easy, medium, hard) are actually dependent on the level of the player (and/or the level of whatever the challenge has been "deemed").

Let's say that a Level 1 character wants to run away in a crowd, using Acrobatics and Stealth.

• low DC = 10 + level (11)
• medium DC = 14 + level (15) or low DC + 4
• high DC = 18 + level (19) or low DC + 8

Or, let's say that the DM is pitting a group of Level 10 characters in a negotiation exchange with a prince. The DM rates the challenge at Level 12.

• Low DC = 22
• Medium DC = 26
• High DC = 30

How does that sound?

Sounds fine to me.

It requires some assumptions about the skill system; for example, we don't know how skill bonuses scale. If they scale like SAGA, you get half your level rounded down as a bonus to your skill checks. Thus, adding one to each challenge DC for each character level makes it so that eventually, you have a really hard time even making the 'low' challenge and nearly impossible to make a 'high' challenge.

 

[Insight]

I was wondering if you could clear up another question I had about the death and dying rules: on a failed stabilization check, do you keep losing hit points, or did you just get a death token?

You don't lose HP on a failed death check. But, if you were under an ongoing effect at the time you went down, such as a poison, acid, fire, etc, you get a separate save for that effect. If you fail that save, and the ongoing effect inflicts damage, you would still take damage.

 

[FireLance]

You don't lose HP on a failed death check. But, if you were under an ongoing effect at the time you went down, such as a poison, acid, fire, etc, you get a separate save for that effect. If you fail that save, and the ongoing effect inflicts damage, you would still take damage.

Thanks! Looks like hit point loss from "bleeding" is gone, then.

 

[Insight]

I finally have a chance to post the rest of my thoughts on the 4E mechanics that I saw at D&DXP. Keep in mind all of this is taken from my personal notes taken at the game table and nowhere else.

Bull Rush: This is a basic attack (?) against Fort Defense. Instead of inflicting damage, you can push your target back (1 square?). It does NOT provoke an opportunity attack, but is foiled if you are attacked (and hit I think) for any other reason during the attempt (for example, if you provoke by moving past someone, if the target has a readied action against you, etc).

Charging Clarification: When charging a creature with reach, charging does NOT provoke an opportunity attack, but running away from a creature with reach DOES provoke an opportunity attack. I do not know if this has anything to do with weapon-related reach (which is only reach for the creature's attacks), or if it applies to all creatures with any sort of reach.

Coup de Grace: We asked the DM about how to do a Coup de Grace in 4E. He said it was an auto-hit that did crit damage (your max damage) using a basic attack.

Divine Challenge Paladin Ability: I've heard from several folks that Divine Challenge has already been changed from what we were given at D&DXP. From what I understand, the Paladin now has to "move towards the target" on his action, otherwise the challenge ends. We need to see an official clarification on this.

Dragon Stuff: We ended up fighting a young Black Dragon, and I took notes on what it could do. I'm going to spoiler block this stuff so don't read it if you like to be surprised.

[sblock=Dragon Abilities]This is for a "baby" dragon.

Action Points: The dragon had action points, and could use them just like we could. This may or may not be a function of the dragon (it could also be that certain "boss" monsters might always have action points).
Breath Weapon - Acid: 5 square burst. Attacks vs Reflex (all eligible targets). On hit, 1d12+3 acid damage. Target then takes 5 acid dmg per round and -4 to AC (save ends). Recharge as a minor action (need to roll a 1 on d6 to recharge). Note that the dragon got an immediate breath weapon use when bloodied.
Claw Attacks: +8/+8. Not sure about damage.
Defenses: AC 22, Reflex 21, Will 18 (not sure about Fort).
Frightful Presence: 5 square burst. Attacks vs Will (all eligible targets). On hit, target is stunned for one turn. Target then takes a -2 to all attacks (save ends).[/sblock]

Gnoll: Immediate bite attack when bloodied.

Minions: They seem to do a set amount of damage (1 or 2 pts). In one of our delves, we ran into 5-6 skeleton minions as part of an encounter. They were one-hit wonders (in other words, as soon as anyone hit them, adios).

Rogue Feat - Backstabber: According to one of our DMs, Rogues can pick up a feat called Backstabber that changes the Sneak Attack bonus dice from d6 to d8.

Sneak Attack: Modifies other at-will, encounter, or daily abilities when you have Combat Advantage against someone.

Weapon Stats: We've all seen some attack forms for weapons listed as 1[W], or 2[W], or 1[W]+3. The [W] refers to the base weapon die, whereas the number preceding the [W] means how many dice of that type you roll. Thus, for an attack that does 1[W]+2, and the base weapon die is d6, the attack would do 1d6+2.

 

[Insight]

Thanks! Looks like hit point loss from "bleeding" is gone, then.

Theoretically, a magic weapon (such as maybe a vorpal sword or something) could have a bleed effect, say 2 pts a turn (save ends), which would continue when you go down unless you save against it.

 

[small pumpkin man]

Theoretically, a magic weapon (such as maybe a vorpal sword or something) could have a bleed effect, say 2 pts a turn (save ends), which would continue when you go down unless you save against it.

We have in fact seen monsters with this ability, but I think the poster was talking about the bleeding that goes on when your character is below 0 hp in 3.x.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

We have in fact seen monsters with this ability, but I think the poster was talking about the bleeding that goes on when your character is below 0 hp in 3.x.

They probably got rid of that since of the new Death Mechanics and if you bleed out at a slow damage rate, if you have a high negative HP it doesn't really do much.

 

[Insight]

Observations on Possible Character Mechanics

I took the time to examine closely the character sheets given out at D&DXP, and tried to figure out how some of the numbers were calculated. Keep in mind this is only my own thought process, and some official word I haven't seen could very easily contradict what I have discovered/theorized.

Defenses: I'm working with a theory that Reflex, Fort, and Will Defense work similarly to how those are presented in Star Wars SAGA Edition, with the obvious difference being that D&D has AC whereas SWSE does not. In any event, I believe the Defenses are calculated as 10 + (ability mod) + (1/2 level, rounded down; 0 for these characters) + (class bonus, if any) + (misc mods). Given that, here are the class bonuses for the following classes:

Cleric: Fort +2, Reflex +2, Will +3.
Fighter: Fort +2, Reflex +2, Will +0.
Paladin: Fort +2, Reflex +3, Will +3.
Ranger: Fort +3, Reflex +1, Will +1.
Warlock: Fort +0, Reflex +3, Will +6 (?) - Half-elf might get a +2 bonus to Will Defense, which would make this +4 and more in line with the rest of the other classes.
Wizard: Fort +0, Reflex +3, Will +4.

Note: I do not know how armor and size play into the above numbers.

Healing Surges/Day: I haven't seen how this is calculated, so I'm going with the theory that it's (base number) + (CON mod). Given that, here are the base numbers for the following classes: Cleric - 7, Fighter - 9, Paladin - 10, Ranger - 6, Warlock - 6, Wizard - 6. I'm a little confused as to why the Fighter has 1 less than the Paladin, and why the Cleric has 1 more than the Warlock and Wizard, but I suppose I can see the logic behind both. It could also be that Humans (the Cleric is Human) get a bonus to Healing Surges/Day.

Hit Points: If the formula to calculate Hit Points is (base number) + (CON score) at first level, then these are the base numbers for the following classes: Cleric - 12, Fighter - 15, Paladin - 15, Ranger - 12, Warlock - 12, Wizard - 10.

Trained Skills: It appears that the skill system is going to work almost exactly like Star Wars SAGA Edition. Working along those lines, I calculated how many trained skills the following classes should have as a base: Cleric - 4 (?), Fighter - 4, Paladin - 4, Ranger - 6, Warlock - 4 (?), Wizard - 3. On a few of these, I had to guess. For example, I think that Humans get a free trained skill, so that gives the Cleric a base of 4. Also, the Warlock has a strange bonus to Insight, which leads me to believe it's a trained skill with some sort of racial bonus maybe.

Note: I wanted to calculate AC, but I can't really figure a definitive way this is broken down. What really troubles me here is that the Halfling Paladin may be getting modifiers for his size, and also that the unarmored Wizard appears to have a +5 to AC. My thinking on the Wizard is that his INT mod (+5) somehow modifies his AC when unarmored. Then again, this could be coincidence.

 

[AZRogue]

It's been confirmed that Int does modify AC. Dex is linked with Int, Strength is linked with Con, and Wisdom is linked with Charisma. You use the highest of these scores when determining certain things. Like AC.

Oh, and you get no modifiers at all applied to AC, from ability scores, when in Heavy Armor.