D&D 4E Needing a crash course in 4e to DM

[Notmousse]

Ok, I need to grasp 4e in about 2 weeks. I'm still on 3.5 myself, but have opted to run a 4e module for... reasons.

What're the big differences, are minis strongly suggested, these kinds of questions I need answered.

Also need information on LFR and how that modifies straight 4e.

 

[ac_noj]

So you know how to DM but are new to 4th Ed?

If you're running a pre-made you should be able to get by with the bare minimum:
In the PHB read:
Generating Ability Scores page 17.
Alignments page 19.
Read Powers pages 54 to 59.
Combat chapter 9 page 264 onwards.

In the DMG read (but keep the errata handy because a lot has changed):
Page 42, the king of pages.
Disease page 49 and 50.
Skill Challenges page 72 onward.

Make sure your players read the same stuff in the PHB and their characters at least up to the level 1 powers.

 

[Evil DM]

What is LFR?

Cheers, Evil DM.

P.S.:

I think a crash course for you depends on your 3.5 experience.

First of all what I appreciate as an advice: Forget all you know about 3.5!!

Then.

Most of the basics remain the same: Roll a d20, add modifiers and achieve a high result.
Where the basis for every modifier is half your level (rounde down!).

Second. You do not have saving throws how you know them back in 3rd edition. A saving throw is now a simple d20 roll.
The old saving throws have become fixed stats called defenses (like AC).

Third. Full Attacks do not exist anymore. All the attacks including multiple attacks depend on your chosen powers.

These are some changes which come to my mind spontanously.

 

[Crazydwarf]

I'm too new to the system myself to give any substansial advice but I'd recommend the use of minis.
Combat seems very centered around movement and strategy, terrain and such so they are very handy to keep track of things.

That said you can make due with anything to use as simple markers, like differently colored shirtbuttons or whatever, there is no need to go all warhammer on it.

 

[ac_noj]

That said you can make due with anything to use as simple markers, like differently colored shirtbuttons or whatever, there is no need to go all warhammer on it.

I paste pictures of the monsters into a grid in Excel and print that, then cut them out. Works like a charm so long as nobody turns the fan on.

 

[defendi]

If you aren't using pregens, I'd see about making power cards for people. They make the game SO much smoother.

 

[Rechan]

Diagnial movements are 1 move, instead of counting as 2.

A 5' step is called a Shift.

Everyone has abilities, which you could consider "spells". All abilities are either: Usable all the time, usable once per fight, or usable once per day. The "Usable all the time" powers, called At-Wills, are better than just a basic attack ("I swing my sword"). For instance, Cleave is an At-Will ability that attacks one foe, and does Str mod damage to an adjacent foe - you can do this all day long.

In most cases, very few things impose a negative - usually they offer a bonus to the attacker. For instance, Combat Advantage (the 4e term for being flat footed) gives a flat +2 bonus (and allows rogues to sneak attack). No loss of dex penalty.

Grapple is just called Grab, and all it does is render someone unable to run away. It's a simple x vs. y attack, and to escape you use skills vs. defenses.

Fights are not 4 Pcs vs 1 monster. They are 4 Pcs vs. 4 monsters. To build an encounter, you take a flat xp sum, and add monsters until you get to your desired total. (For instance, 4 level 1 PCs = 400xp encounter. That equals 4 level 1 monsters, 3 second level monsters, two fifth level monsters, and so on).

 

[Bodhiwolff]

I actually wrote up a document, based primarily on copying the "how to play" section in the official 4E module "Keep on the Shadowfell", which I titled "Learn how to play D&D in 8 pages of 12-point font". The majority of it is copied directly, but I did add a few things which I felt were too important not to have new players (or new DM's) glance at before playing.

They read like boardgame rules -- dense, but clean. It is all there, but without much fluff. (unless the original WotC document included some fluff)

I e-mailed it to my friends, who are complete newbies to D&D, and had them read through it. After reading it a few times, they know enough to play. If they have it memorized, they probably won't have to crack a book unless they do something out of the ordinary or odd.

I'd be willing to send you the document, if you want to read it, and that should get you up to speed on 4E.

////////////

The main points --

- a combat grid is required, but whatever representation you use is up to you (miniatures, wooden discs with erase-able surface, printed cardboard standup miniatures, etc.)
- You get 3 actions a turn, in any order -- a standard action, a move action, and a minor action. You can give up your standard action for a move or a minor, and you can give up your move for a minor.
- you get 3 types of powers -- "at will " (use whenever you need them), "encounter" (use once an encounter), and "daily"(use once a day). The most useful tool I've seen is to use "Power Cards" and have these powers printed off on the cards with erase-able calcations pre-figured, and all information for a power written out (saving you all sorts of time in calculation, or looking up rules). These simplify book-keeping, speed up play, and keep things organized.
- Combat encounters are larger (often encompassing areas larger than one room, and even more than one "group" of monsters) and thus take a little longer. The game is also more tactical, and thus players can get trapped in "Analysis Paralysis" if they're not used to tactical miniatures games.
- Your default melee attack, and a lot of your old-school defaults, are things of the past. In a way, a new player is actually going to have an easier time of it, because they're not going to make certain assumptions about the way things work.

As for the "Living Forgotten Realms" document (which I assume is what you're referring to by LFR) it is a straight-up add-on to the basic 4E system, giving you minor bonus material you can insert depending on your starting city, etc. It also gives you enough information to start a (basic) version of a new class (the swordmage) and a new species. It is a completely playable document, and is as useable as anything in the basic books.

I've found the system remarkably clean, straightforward, and intriguing. I gave up on D&D years ago in favour of other systems, but this system intrigued me enough to get me excited, and even got my wife excited.

 

[coldpheasant]

It only takes a few hours to read the important parts of the PHB. Read about character creation, combat, and healing. Read through the class features of all the classes if you have the time and read all of their level one powers. Make a character or two.

At that point you should be able to help your players make level one characters and run the sample adventure in the DMG. If none of your players have a copy of 4th edition PHB, then this it's going to be slow and painful even at that level of preparation.

 

[Bodhiwolff]

Another alternative ...

Wizards of the coast has some podcasts listed where the guys who write the cartoons "Penny Arcade" and "PvP" are taught how to play D&D by WotC official DM's. Funny, and educational!

They are are all new to 4th edition, and one of them is a complete newbie to D&D.

There are 8 half-hour podcasts, and the DM changes halfway through.

The DMs walk them through the character description, the skills, the powers, and get them right into playing.

The interesting thing is that they have a real "learn by doing" feel to them -- which means that as the day progresses, they players complain that they weren't told everything at the beginning, but what can you do ... -- and it works surprisingly well.

Warning -- adult language. These boyos enjoy venting their frustration by using colourful language.

So if you have some work to do on the computer, you can listen to some players be taught how to play D&D, and learn how to play as you follow along.

The first podcast can be found here ...
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drfe/20080530

And the entire list of contents is here ...
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drarch/features