Some PC designs bouncing in my head...

[Dannyalcatraz]

That's definitely the angle I'd take. All those delicious temporary HPs, just waiting for you to grab... You can snag better armor with a few feats; you can only get a pact boon with Hybrid Talent. YMMV, of course!

As far as I can tell, you can take Hybrid Talent more than once, right? If so, I'll probably take it more than once, given the benefits gained by Battleminds and Warlocks.

If Hybrid Talent is a one-time only Feat, I'll have to think very carefully.

But you're right about free HP being a nice enticement, esp. since there is a Feat which boosts this ability...and that Warforged ability that ALSO grants temporary HP as well. That DOES fit nicely with the general resiliency of Hellboy...

I wouldn't worry about it. A basic melee attack is important, since you can use it with a charge or with an opportunity attack, and there are a ton of powers which enable you to make extra ones. A basic ranged attack generally is not, unless there's a Warlord in the party who has taken powers to let you use them.

Yeah...but it does do nice damage (better than Hellish Rebuke, as I recall), based on Con, and...and...I still don't know what a base ranged attack does! I can't make a final decision until I figure out that detail. ('Cause I'm a nutter.)

That's a good point, and Battleminds are actually pretty cool. I was just shocked because psionic hybrids and muticlassers are a hairy area of the rules.

Well, this isn't my first rodeo, as they say!

For about a day, I did have a touch of difficulty with the issue about PP being based on the number of augmentable at-will attacks, since the example in the book said a PC with Iron Fist (an augmentable at-will attack) had no PP at first level.

Then I sussed out that they meant that you only counted the number of augmentable at-will attacks that the PC (here, a Battlemind) takes in place of encounter powers...

Which was the deciding factor in why he took Bull's Strength at 1st level as well. He's starting off with PP to augment his at-wills. Now, if I can just find a way to boost PP or their rate of recovery...

 

[Obryn]

As far as I can tell, you can take Hybrid Talent more than once, right? If so, I'll probably take it more than once, given the benefits gained by Battleminds and Warlocks.

If Hybrid Talent is a one-time only Feat, I'll have to think very carefully.

It is; in general, you can only take any given feat once. The only way to get a second one is to take the Hybrid Paragon Path.

Yeah...but it does do nice damage (better than Hellish Rebuke, as I recall), based on Con, and...and...I still don't know what a base ranged attack does! I can't make a final decision until I figure out that detail. ('Cause I'm a nutter.)

Its base damage is only about an average of 2 points lower, but if you take any damage at all - which is a pretty safe bet - it does quite a lot more. Remember that all the same modifiers affect the Hellish Rebuke's effect, and those static modifiers will far outweigh the difference between a d6 and a d10.

Really, Ranged Basic Attacks are no different from a regular Ranged Attack. There are a handful of items, Leader powers, and feats which specifically enhance them, but otherwise, they're kind of irrelevant. Melee Basic Attacks are very important, but the Ranged ones aren't so much. I've been playing since the game came out, and can't remember it ever mattering for us.

-O

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

It is; in general, you can only take any given feat once. The only way to get a second one is to take the Hybrid Paragon Path.

OK, just so I'm perfectly 100% clear: unless a feat says otherwise, I can only select it once. Thus, Hybrid Talent is a feat my PC can only take once, correct?

Its base damage is only about an average of 2 points lower, but if you take any damage at all - which is a pretty safe bet - it does quite a lot more. Remember that all the same modifiers affect the Hellish Rebuke's effect, and those static modifiers will far outweigh the difference between a d6 and a d10.

Well, it does change the comparison from 1d6 (avg 3.5) vs 1d10 (avg 5.5) to 2d6 (avg 7) vs 1d10 (avg 5.5)...although that 2d6 depends upon an additional variable...kind of like calculating the value of crit damage.

Really, Ranged Basic Attacks are no different from a regular Ranged Attack. There are a handful of items, Leader powers, and feats which specifically enhance them, but otherwise, they're kind of irrelevant.

At this point, I haven't seen anything in the selections I've made or am considering for the PC that falls into that category, so Hellish Rebuke is pulling ahead.

Is my memory playing tricks on me, or is there a way to boost the damage from Hellish Rebuke?

 

[Obryn]

OK, just so I'm perfectly 100% clear: unless a feat says otherwise, I can only select it once. Thus, Hybrid Talent is a feat my PC can only take once, correct?

Correct. So you can take a feat like Weapon Focus or Expertise more than once, but not Hybrid Talent. The only way to get it twice, as I mentioned before, is Hybrid Paragon.

Well, it does change the comparison from 1d6 (avg 3.5) vs 1d10 (avg 5.5) to 2d6 (avg 7) vs 1d10 (avg 5.5)...although that 2d6 depends upon an additional variable...kind of like calculating the value of crit damage.

It's more than that, though... For most powers, your static and ability score modifiers will outweigh the dice, insofar as damage goes. So with this one, you're more comparing (for example) 1d10+5 vs. 2d6+10. As you get higher level, your damage modifiers will get pretty huge and far outweigh the dice themselves; the difference between even 1d10 and 1d6 becomes barely relevant.

At this point, I haven't seen anything in the selections I've made or am considering for the PC that falls into that category, so Hellish Rebuke is pulling ahead.

Is my memory playing tricks on me, or is there a way to boost the damage from Hellish Rebuke?

It's fire damage, so anything that modifies fire damage will modify it, as well. There's some good feat support for fire, and something like the Ashen Rod (a superior implement from PHB3) is kinda awesome for it. (Sadly, on the down side, fire is a common resistance, but that's what your fists are for, eh?)

-O

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

For most powers, your static and ability score modifiers will outweigh the dice, insofar as damage goes. So with this one, you're more comparing (for example) 1d10+5 vs. 2d6+10. As you get higher level, your damage modifiers will get pretty huge and far outweigh the dice themselves; the difference between even 1d10 and 1d6 becomes barely relevant.

I don't have the books in front of me at this moment- where are you getting the +5 & +10 to modify the damage rolls?

It's fire damage, so anything that modifies fire damage will modify it, as well. There's some good feat support for fire, and something like the Ashen Rod (a superior implement from PHB3) is kinda awesome for it. (Sadly, on the down side, fire is a common resistance, but that's what your fists are for, eh?)

And hopefully, anything that's resistant to my fists- well, not fists since this isn't an unarmed combatant build anymore ()- won't be too resistant to fire.

OTOH, that could be a reason to go for Eldritch Blast, since it isn't a Fire power. Of course, neither are certain Battlemind powers.

Decisions, decisions.

 

[Obryn]

I don't have the books in front of me at this moment- where are you getting the +5 & +10 to modify the damage rolls?

The +5 is pulled straight from my ass, and the +10 is double the +5 At Heroic it will start at +4, but probably get to +7 to +9. At paragon and epic, it will keep increasing more.

And hopefully, anything that's resistant to my fists- well, not fists since this isn't an unarmed combatant build anymore ()- won't be too resistant to fire.

OTOH, that could be a reason to go for Eldritch Blast, since it isn't a Fire power. Of course, neither are certain Battlemind powers.

Decisions, decisions.

With only about 1 exception that I can think of, nothing is resistant to weapon damage without being resistant to everything else, too.

-O

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

The +5 is pulled straight from my ass, and the +10 is double the +5 At Heroic it will start at +4, but probably get to +7 to +9. At paragon and epic, it will keep increasing more.

OK...where do THOSE mods come from? I can only recall the damage being dice based- I don't recall any add-ons.

 

[Obryn]

OK...where do THOSE mods come from? I can only recall the damage being dice based- I don't recall any add-ons.

For Hellish Rebuke, it'll be 1d6 + Con Bonus + "Static Mods"

Static Mods include bonuses for magic items and feats, mainly. They can really add up over time.

As a general rule, any time you roll a damage die, you add the static mods. You only add the attribute modifier if the power specifically says so. Hellish Rebuke says 1d6 + Con on both the effect and the rider, so the static mods will apply to both.

The +4 is what I'm assuming your Constitution Modifier would be. It increases based on expected gains in damage from magic items and the like.

-O

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I suspected it might be some kind of Stat mod, but didn't notice that they might apply to the HR rider as well.

HR is beginning to look like the way to go, which, of course, means I really have to evaluate my Hybrid Talent options carefully.

 

[Obryn]

I suspected it might be some kind of Stat mod, but didn't notice that they might apply to the HR rider as well.

HR is beginning to look like the way to go, which, of course, means I really have to evaluate my Hybrid Talent options carefully.

My advice is to snag the Pact Boon. YMMV.

-O