Questions about 4th edition

[dranizz]

Hi!

I am just beginning to read the 4th edition player's handbook. Currently, the people I am playing with are not willing to change edition. We are playing V3.5.

I have 4 questions about new rules...

1. What is the Wizards Spellbook actually. Honestly, I don't get it. Does it means that at lvl 4, you have 4 dayly or utility spells, but that you can only cast and prepare 2 per day.

2. What does it changes that the Wizard do fire, cold or psychic damage. Is it only related to resistance? Or is it mentionned in the DM's book?

3. What if a figther wants to figth with dual-wield weapons. Does he get any penalities or he just can't figth with both hands (only the main-hand).

4. Related to #2. For the Ranger, does it gives him an extra attack with dual-wield? Like if only do a basic melee attack with mainhand and offhand.


Hey thanks for your answers, gonna help me alot.

 

[jeffh]

Hi!

I am just beginning to read the 4th edition player's handbook. Currently, the people I am playing with are not willing to change edition. We are playing V3.5.

I have 4 questions about new rules...

1. What is the Wizards Spellbook actually. Honestly, I don't get it. Does it means that at lvl 4, you have 4 dayly or utility spells, but that you can only cast and prepare 2 per day.

2. What does it changes that the Wizard do fire, cold or psychic damage. Is it only related to resistance? Or is it mentionned in the DM's book?

3. What if a figther wants to figth with dual-wield weapons. Does he get any penalities or he just can't figth with both hands (only the main-hand).

4. Related to #2. For the Ranger, does it gives him an extra attack with dual-wield? Like if only do a basic melee attack with mainhand and offhand.


Hey thanks for your answers, gonna help me alot.

1. Almost. He can prepare and cast one of each type and level available to him. So, for example, he will have two level 2 utility spells in his book (say, Shield and Expeditious Retreat), but each day he will have to choose one of them to prepare and, thus, be able to actually use. (The difference between that and what you said is that he could not choose to prepare both of these and not prepare one of his level 1 attack dailies.)

2. Not sure what the question is. These are just damage types; some creatures are more resistant, more vulnerable, or immune to some damage types, and occasionally a creature or monster might specify some other effect from a certain type of damage. That's about it. For most creatures (say, humans and goblins) taking fire damage doesn't work any differently from taking the typeless damage that weapons do.

3. Neither. He can choose, each time he makes an attack, to use either weapon. Apart from not being able to use a shield, he suffers no penalties nor any other bonuses for this, though certain Feats change this. He cannot use both in the same round, unless he has a power that specifies otherwise.

4. No, although if the player has any brains at all, his (or her) Ranger has Twin Strike, which does allow him to use both weapons in the same round.

 

[Gloombunny]

1) At each level where a wizard gets to learn a daily or utility power, he instead learns two powers of that level and puts them in his spellbook. Each day he chooses one power from each of those pairs and can use that power but not the other.

2) The different damage types have no effect other than resistances and vulnerabilities, except one: psychic, necrotic, and poison damage don't affect objects.

3) You can wield a weapon in each hand, and whenever you make an attack you choose which one to attack with. You don't get to make any extra attacks.

4) Rangers have powers that let them make an attack with each weapon, or sometimes more than one attack per weapon. Except when using those powers, they don't get to make extra attacks either.

 

[abyssaldeath]

First I suggest reading the PHB from cover to cover and throw out everything you know about 3.5. It will just confuse you as it has a lot of us.

As to your questions though.

1: Everyone has a set number of powers they can use based on level. Wizard can put 2 spells in there spell book everytime they learn new powers. They memorize one of those spells each day. So a first level wizard will have 2 daily spell in there spell book, but will only be able to memorize an cast 1. Basically the spell book gives wizards flexability the other classes don't have.

2: Fire, cold and other keywords are for resistance and vulnerablity. There are also feats that are used with those keywords.

3: Two-weapon fighting is done with powers. Rangers are the only ones that get to attack with both weapons at the same time. They can get an at-wiil attack called twin-strike and many other encounter and daily powers. There are feats that give bonuses to damage and defense for using two weapons also.

4: see #3. Basic attacks are always with a single weapon. There is an epic feat that lets you use you attack with your off-hand weapon for OA attacks I believe.

 

[dranizz]

ok! So the Wizard can have much more dayly or utility power at his disposition.

So at level 6, he will have 8 spells in his Spellbook, he can prepare 4 (1 from each pair) and Cast only those 4. Am I correct?


But the only thing I found a bit strange, is that he can't learn the same spell more than once. Imagine you know that tomorrow you'll have to figth an army. Normally, I would memorize 3 or 4 Fireballs to figth them.


Now I understand what people say about forgetting everything you know about V3.5 But that will take some time.

 

[abyssaldeath]

You are correct.

I think that rule is there for balance. It keeps you from picking the most powerful spell every time and helps make sure you keep yourself flexible. Most of the wizard spell are area spells so you would be severely limiting yourself if you choose to pick the same spell over and over.

 

[ValhallaGH]

ok! So the Wizard can have much more dayly or utility power at his disposition.

So at level 6, he will have 8 spells in his Spellbook, he can prepare 4 (1 from each pair) and Cast only those 4. Am I correct?


But the only thing I found a bit strange, is that he can't learn the same spell more than once. Imagine you know that tomorrow you'll have to figth an army. Normally, I would memorize 3 or 4 Fireballs to figth them.


Now I understand what people say about forgetting everything you know about V3.5 But that will take some time.

The trick with the Wizard's spellbook is that it's Vancian magic done like Vance has it, instead of like 3.x has it. A few powerful spells that take up so much mental resource that you can only know a few of them at a time, and you cannot contain them for more than one use without the restoration of sleep.
The benefit is that you have the flexibility to choose which potent spells you learn, and that your spells are always useful, even your level 1 spells.
On the other hand, you have mastered lesser spells to the point that you don't even need to think about their usage. You can use them either an unlimited amount or with only a few minutes to regain your focus. As you'd expect, these spells are less potent but they aren't useless.

So instead of 3 or 4 fireballs you have an unlimited supply of Scorching Bursts to engulf your foes in columns of fire. You've also got a Flaming Sphere that immolates all near it, a ravening Fireball, an exploding Fire Burst, and a Fire Shroud to consume and drive back nearby foes.

Wizards don't deal a ton of damage (though they deal a great deal of damage); their real strength is in how they control the battlefield, channelling and hampering the enemy while also dealing a nasty amount of damage to a lot of targets at once.

 

[AkaKageWarrior]

The trick with the Wizard's spellbook is that it's Vancian magic done like Vance has it, instead of like 3.x has it. A few powerful spells that take up so much mental resource that you can only know a few of them at a time, and you cannot contain them for more than one use without the restoration of sleep.
The benefit is that you have the flexibility to choose which potent spells you learn, and that your spells are always useful, even your level 1 spells.
On the other hand, you have mastered lesser spells to the point that you don't even need to think about their usage. You can use them either an unlimited amount or with only a few minutes to regain your focus. As you'd expect, these spells are less potent but they aren't useless.

So instead of 3 or 4 fireballs you have an unlimited supply of Scorching Bursts to engulf your foes in columns of fire. You've also got a Flaming Sphere that immolates all near it, a ravening Fireball, an exploding Fire Burst, and a Fire Shroud to consume and drive back nearby foes.

Wizards don't deal a ton of damage (though they deal a great deal of damage); their real strength is in how they control the battlefield, channelling and hampering the enemy while also dealing a nasty amount of damage to a lot of targets at once.

This. This. And this.

for those who think now: OMFG, the wizard is powerless now!
No, not true.
He lost some firepower, but got more hp, cantrips, at-wills, can wear armor (costs feats, okay, but it's worth it).

AKW

 

[Lord Sessadore]

The posts above pretty much cover it, I won't bother repeating them. Any other questions you have?

 

[dranizz]

Nope, no more questions for now.

Thanks all!

Now, all I need to do is convince my friends to play the new Edition... That's the hardest thing to do right now...