+1
WotC is making the right move on this one. They'd never hear the end of it if they upped the already steep price on the MM, especially after pre-orders have started coming in. Beyond which, it shows yet again that they're trying to (re)build goodwill among customers whenever possible. They...
For those who are interested, there's a similar document for Murder in Baldur's Gate, though it's not as useful (IMO) as the one for Legacy of the Crystal Shard. Either way, the same caveats apply as above.
http://media.wizards.com/downloads/dnd/MinBG_Statistics.pdf
It looks like we're getting even more than Mearls had initially promised for Basic's debut. In fact, combined with the Starter Set and/or the last playtest packet, it looks like more than enough to get through until the PHB comes out (8 Aug at WPN stores) - at least for people like me who don't...
That's entirely possible. Mearls didn't address any other connection(s) between CRs and XP budgets in the interview, so we'll have to see what we can glean from additional monster spoilers.
It's definitely not as clear as it could be. I read it as Mearls saying that SW isn't going to be modded directly but that, like all character abilities, it could, in theory, be affected by changes to the core healing system. Either way, we obviously don't have the full details, and it may be as...
That's definitely a sensible way for the pieces to come together. A single hobgoblin vs. 2 1st-level PCs, for example, wouldn't be able to make use of Martial Advantage because he'd have no allies.
The relevant Twitter exchange is below . . .
Sword_of_Spirit June 26
mikemearls yusakuasano I think part of what people are wondering is if the alternative modules somehow affect second wind?
Mike Mearls
Sword_of_Spirit yusakuasano No - in general, mods affect the core system in ways that...
Assuming they don't already plan to, I'm betting Trevor would post them after the Starter Set releases should enough people ask for them. It's hardly the same, for example, as expecting the entire DM's guide or adventure for free, so I'd be surprised if it creates any problems from WotC's point...
For whatever reason, they seem to want greater granularity when categorizing low-level threats - i.e. a CR 1/2 monster is relatively easier than a CR 1 and relatively harder than a CR 1/4. At minimum, they have some reason for thinking the CR system benefits from having fractions below 1. Either...
According to the last playtest packet (14 Oct 2013), an average encounter for four 1st-level characters should be 80 XP, but given the changes in monsters' XP values - Hobgoblins are listed as 20 XP in the same packet - I suspect that budget numbers will have increased substantially.
Based on Mike Mearls's latest comments about CRs (Table Topping interview, 23:30 min. and onward), XP budgets determine the number of creatures in a given encounter. Adding up CRs is not a substitute for that budget calculation because CRs tell you only whether monsters are "moderate to...
Thanks, Plaguescarred, for posting this link. I've never been big into the Realms - though, to be clear, I don't actively dislike it - but the more I hear about Tyranny of Dragons, the more tempted I am to pick these up at some point. Either way, the interview offers lots of fun...