D&D 4E 4E Essentials: Dungeon Masters's Kit in Hand

[Majoru Oakheart]

Mearls is worried about his job and thinks that "retro" is the way to make the company a quick buck.

Ditching random tables was one of the BEST things 4e did. They dont and, frankly, cant work in a game does anything more than pay lipservice to balance.

That's not it at all. I found that handing out treasure parcels was the absolute hardest part of DMing. I'd prefer a table to further randomize WHICH magic items I hand out.

I just find it a lot easier as a DM to say "Oh...right, I need treasure at the end of this encounter....Ummm,...(roll), you find 294 gp and a 500 gp gem" than it is to plan everything out in advance.

That's why I was one of the people in the audience when they announced random treasure generation who was clapping.

Randomness can work in a game and still have balance. The key is not to make it TOO random. For instance, if you use the random treasure generator and one group ends up with 244,235 gp and another group ends up with 243,146 gp, the difference is so small as to barely affect the game. If there is too much randomness, however, then it causes problems.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

And also a little bit randomness is more interesting than always the same amount of gold per level...

DM: And you see a light at the end of the tunnel and smell fresh air... the exit of this dungeon.

PC: wait, we have risen from level 2 to 4... we ought to have found 3800gp total. But we only found 2300 gold, and we also didn´t find a level 5 item: my dagger of stabbing... we need to go back and search thoroughly...

PC2: Or we are ambushed right outside... so we need to be careful.

 

[Pickles JG]

That's not it at all. I found that handing out treasure parcels was the absolute hardest part of DMing. I'd prefer a table to further randomize WHICH magic items I hand out.

Me too - I just let players pick am item each time they level. I am supposed to add in any more interesting items - Rares & Artefacts so I may randomise those. As I hate characters being defined by the DM I need PC inptu here really. Mind you potent items are far less character defining than they once were.

 

[Timeboxer]

I asked this in the Rules Compendium thread, but that book had no answer, so I'll ask here:

What are the rules for creating characters higher than level 1, especially with regard to wealth and magic item rarity?

 

[Jools]

A poster in one of the other threads said the RC doesnt have any.

 

[fba827]

I can't speak for their actual reasons, but rolling on tables (or even choosing from tables) has a long and distinguished history, and is much easier to 'get' than the concept of treasure parcels IMO and IMX.

Maybe their market research has shown that this is true more generally too?

Cheers

I agree - that has been my experience as well.

Having the tools/tables there for those that want to use them, great! For those that don't want to use them, no reason you can't just not use them and instead assume roll results or use treasure parcels as originally written.

I myself will probably use them the same way I used them "back in the day" -- for preplanned encounters, I'll pre-roll to have it all sorted out ahead of time. (of course, i should say I already don't do "player wish lists" so as far as the players in my group are concerned, it is random loot anyway )

 

[LostSoul]

Although a bit sad considering its heritage in OD&D/AD&D !

Staff of the Magi: This potent staff contains many spell powers an other functions as well so as to be a walking arsenal in one device. The staff has the following powers which do not drain charges:

+5 bonus to Arcana checks to detect magic
Increase a medium-sized creature to Large, or a small-sized creature to Medium, granting a +2 bonus to damage rolls
Arcane Lock, as the ritual, but with a casting time of 1 standard action and no material components required
Light, as the Wizard Cantrip
+2 to all Defences against Good or Evil creatures

The following powers drain 1 charge per usage:

Invisibility
Knock
Affect Normal Fires
Web
Dispel Magic
Fireball
Lightning Bolt
Freezing Cloud
Wall of Fire
Passwall

These powers drain 2 charges per usage:

Whirlwind
Planar Portal
Conjure Elemental
Telekinesis?

Whirlwind: Close burst 2; +22 vs AC; 3d10+6 lightning and thunder damage.
The staff can be used to conjure 1 elemental of each type per day (Air Elemental, Earth Elemental, Fire Elemental, Water Elemental; MM3).

Property: +2 to Fort, Ref, Will.
Power: Spell Absorption?

 

[rstrube]

WotC Premier Store Release Date?

Hello Everyone,

I apologize in advance if the answer to this question is obvious, but when will the Essentials Dungeon Master's Kit be available in the WotC premier stores.

I know that the official release date is sometime in October, but the official release date for the HotFL is Sep 21st, and I was able to pick it up much earlier from my local game store.

Thanks

 

[thalmin]

Hello Everyone,

I apologize in advance if the answer to this question is obvious, but when will the Essentials Dungeon Master's Kit be available in the WotC premier stores.

I know that the official release date is sometime in October, but the official release date for the HotFL is Sep 21st, and I was able to pick it up much earlier from my local game store.

Thanks

Oct. 8, same as Gamma World.

 

[Jhaelen]

Staff of the Magi: This potent staff contains many spell powers an other functions as well so as to be a walking arsenal in one device. The staff has the following powers which do not drain charges:

+5 bonus to Arcana checks to detect magic
Increase a medium-sized creature to Large, or a small-sized creature to Medium, granting a +2 bonus to damage rolls
Arcane Lock, as the ritual, but with a casting time of 1 standard action and no material components required
Light, as the Wizard Cantrip
+2 to all Defences against Good or Evil creatures

The following powers drain 1 charge per usage:

Invisibility
Knock
Affect Normal Fires
Web
Dispel Magic
Fireball
Lightning Bolt
Freezing Cloud
Wall of Fire
Passwall

These powers drain 2 charges per usage:

Whirlwind
Planar Portal
Conjure Elemental
Telekinesis?

Whirlwind: Close burst 2; +22 vs AC; 3d10+6 lightning and thunder damage.
The staff can be used to conjure 1 elemental of each type per day (Air Elemental, Earth Elemental, Fire Elemental, Water Elemental; MM3).

Property: +2 to Fort, Ref, Will.
Power: Spell Absorption?

Ooh, wow, now, _that's_ more like it!

Is this really from the book?