Recent content by WalterKovacs

They do point out in the video, the initial book will not just have the core, but a lot of modular elements right out of the gate. [Adding tactical grid combat, probably some variations on critical hits and fumbles, different rules for dropping below 0 hp, stuff involving death by massive damage...

The ability score/modifier still has some place (although is has been diminished). The odd scores still have a spot because of the point buy system and the level advancement system (plus some stat requirement feats which try to make odd stats palatable). The HP using Constitution stat is new...

Most of the flat bonus feats (improved init, the weapon/implement expertise feats, durable, toughness, improved defences or the individual ones, stat boosters, etc) are good in that they are mostly take it and forget it, feats, instead of adding something you have to remember (although most...

Nothing at all. However, using the Rage does, in turn, turn on the Fury class feature as well. They probably won't be taking the old primal at-wills that have rage riders, instead taking at-wills that are usable both before and after being in a fury mode. The difference though is that...

The 1d8 per tier is comparable to other striker features (executioner, ranger or warlock if they take a feat), and they still have the no weapon restriction (if you do go with a one handed weapon, you have the option to get a damage boost to make up for the loss a bit). The striker 'switch' goes...

The Berseker (assuming they run with all primal encouner/dailies so they are 'constantly' in a fury) vs. a normal barbarian is only going to come down to at-will damage, and a few class feature things. The encounter powers and dailies are basically a wash other than factoring in Rampage and...

The arid barbarian starts a bit ahead of the curve in terms of AC, and if they go with added bonuses of hafted defense and/or defensive weapon (which is trading off from your biggest possible weapon shtick) you can get a bit farther ahead. However, it should be pointed out that, in the case of...

It is possible, just like with the bladesinger, to just go with strength for your MBA's instead (especially if you want a two handed weapon). With most of the powers, you could also go Dex + Cha and go with RBA's with a bow. You still probably want charisma anyway as nearly all the riders that...

Martial Practices should probably be given as a bonus feat to some martial characters, just like they give ritual caster as a bonus class feature.

On the new class features: The O-bard can take a feat to swap majestic word for Skald's aura, old druids can spend a feat to swap a daily power for a use of summon nature's ally, while a new druid can spend a feat to get wild shape and can trade a use of summon nature's ally for a daily power...

With at-will selection, it's very much an all or nothing thing, but the dailies and encounters don't interfere so that's something at least. The big thing for an O-bard is dealing with the issue of getting a basic attack with a weapon ... which would probably mean something like going half-elf...

He doesn't get that. They still get Song of Rest and the +1 to untrained skills, but they lose the multiclass versatility by going down the Skald path (so, the alternative would be going normal bard and swapping into skald aura via the feat). The skald stuff is very interesting as there are a...

Personally: A lot of my encounters start off poorly for the PCs, and may spend a number of turns unconcious. I don't go for coup de gras, but generally the PCs go out of their way to avoid them anyway (they rarely leave an ally unconcious for more than a turn, so they aren't gaming the no cdg...

This is of course in the games where DMs allow all backgrounds. Many do not allow the backgrounds from Scales of War and the original Forgotten Realms book since they are purely better than newer backgrounds. For those that don't get backgrounds (or those backgrounds) they have to take the...

The article doesn't 'rewrite' the monk class, it adds to it. As such, a feat to modify things is the way it goes about dealing with that particular problem (and adds some extra stuff, like the expertise feats do, to make it less of a feat tax). In terms of the sneak attack feat ... a rapier...