Recent content by shadowguidex

I'm ruling that the cleric can use whatever healing words are remaining from the previous encounter, and afterwards he must also rest and cannot continue to utilize this. 4E has gone out of its way to eliminate ridiculous over-inflation of this sort of bookkeeping. It annoyed me on the very...

My group's rounds are much faster, and the overall combat is shorter as well. We completed 3 combat encounters and a skill challenge last week during our normal playing time. In 3E we wouldn't have completed all three combats that quickly. Also, seems like you might be missing some strikers...

I remember a game I dungeon mastered where one of my players was a conjurer/summoner, and managed to get something like 7 elementals into the fight before the end. His final turn took him like 10 minutes to complete. Sure, those summoning ideas can be a cool mechanic, but they just totally bog...

I personally use minions in the same way they are used in action movies. Everybody knows Darth Vader isn't hiding in with the stormtroopers wearing similar white armor. He's the BBEG in the back with the dark black armor and clearly above and beyond the other monsters. I think, that do do...

I love the warlord. I'm just drawn in by its superior tactical choices, and all the cool things I can do to manipulate the battlefield "facts on the ground". Too bad I'm the DM currently, bah! My first character in a game will definitely be a human Warlord.

DMG page 184 has all the tools you need to make the npc. Core Statistics: 1) Type: Fighter would be a soldier. 2) Assign Stats: I'll use normal numbers: Str 18, Con 14, Dex 13, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 10 2) Hit Points (Soldier) = 8+Con+(level*8) = 182 hit points. 3) AC: level+16 = 36 4) Defenses...

Well I guess I'm just going to remove 2xlevel hit points from all insubstantials that I make in the future, that should be a reasonable approximation of the unknown mechanic behind their hit point totals. I tend to adjust monsters to fit my needs most of the time, so I am constantly making...

It's probably a rod like the warlocks rod, worth 12 gold (Arcane Implement - Rod, PHB 222).

Clearly, but what is the exact mechanic that is being utilized to reduce their hp? I don't recognize a specific formula addendum that is influencing this, just the obvious, which is that they have less hp. I want to know how much less I need to account for when making or adjusting...

I've noticed that insubstantial monsters have significantly less hit points than the rules would ordinarily dictate. Examples: a) Ghost - Phantom Warrior (MM 116). Level 5 soldiers (48 hp) with con 12, they should have 52 hp, but they only have 40 - same total as their type minus...

Why exactly would either of the following happen? 1) The DM puts minions with another monster with vastly different AC? This is unlikely to happen unless the minions was way lower in level than the other monster, and likely way lower in level than the fighter. Either way, the minions do not...

1) I don't believe there is any way that you can lose attribute points in 4E. 2) Wearing the armor does not require the 15 Str and Con, only taking the feat. Paladins do not need the feat, they automatically are proficient with that armor type, hence no, you do not need a 15 Str and Con to...

Characters should be aware how closely they came to being hit, or how closely they came to avoiding the attack. When you drive your car and almost hit another car, you know it. I think hiding the numbers from players isn't very constructive or make much sense. The podcast DM annoyed me by...

I always tell my players the monster's AC, and also my attack roll numbers, and I tend to make special note of barely missed ot hit attacks ("The hobgoblin's attack barely passes beyond your shield to nick you..I hit with a 15", "You get your shield up just in time, and barely deflect the...

Feats will state if you can take them multiple times. In the case of the power-swap multiclass feats, the answer is no, you cannot take them more than once.