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I've suggested this before in other threads. In my house rules, I allow using an action point to re-roll an attack as well as taking an extra action. This lets you hit more reliably with "big" powers, which goes a long way towards speeding up combat. I use the same rule for PCs and monsters. I...

I think the DM could handle this by giving the PC a small bonus (skill bonus or reduced costs) for clever RP that fits the ritual. No need to preplan them in advance. I've largely dropped formal magic rituals from my game entirely. A ritual caster can attempt whatever they want in the form of a...

I agree that good tactics should be rewarded. If the monster is pushed back, the friend is out of range and no longer affected by the blast. The combat challenge trigger is when the attack is made, so the interrupt occurs before the attack. I would rule, however, that the monster can position...

The best way to fix problems like this is to add a feat or power that models what you want. This way you are adding to the rules rather than changing them. For example, the aforementioned Dragon Magazine feat, or a feat that would add the staff to the mace group for the purpose of power and...

That's a good point. I still wouldn't take it if I were playing a wizard, but I can imagine someone would. It doesn't seem unbalanced to me, even with the weapon proficiency bonus added in.

Interesting ... but why would you pick this over Thunderwave, which does almost as much damage, uses your implement and affects several nearby creatures rather than one?

These are good ideas. I've been mulling over how to simplify marks for NPCs, and these seem to be effective.

I use templates all the time as a short cut for elite monster design. I usually add the template, eye-ball the result, then make a few more tweaks to get the balance right. So, I find them useful as a source for ideas, but don't treat them as a rigid rule-set.

I thought interest in this had waned. I've got two more adventures finished (#3 and #4). I will clean them up and post them by this weekend. I will post the fifth adventure sometime in February. It hasn't been a issue. I have 2-3 combats per adventure, and none of the PCs have ever run out of...

In my group of 5th level PCs, non-armor defenses are about 4 points lower than AC, on average. Given that attacks against non-armor defenses tend to be 2 points lowers, hits against these defenses are notably more common. The worst case in our group is the fighter: his Will and Reflex defenses...

My experience with 4E is that offensive considerations trump defensive considerations. When advancing your ability scores: 1) Always advance your primary attack ability score. 2) Advance you second ability score to improve secondary bonuses and to meet feat prerequisites. 3) Improving...

This seems too good to me to be a new class feature. I would make it a power instead. Also, I would make it behave more like a Grab maneuver. I would suggest something like this: Combat Entanglement [Fighter Attack 1] You lock with your opponent in a dazzling display of strikes, parries and...

I use skill challenges pretty extensively, one or two every adventure, and find they work pretty well. It takes some practice to figure out how to use them correctly, but I really enjoy them, as do my players. The big advantage of skill challenges is that they are a well-defined system where...

Making prime shot part of the Archery Fighting Style is an interesting idea. It balances better against the Two Weapon Fighting Style. Ditto with making Prime Shot work within 10 squares even if you are not the closest. I don't think you need to change Hunter's Quarry, though. The limitation...

Minimum damage seems right to me. Remember, there are a lot more minions than regular monsters, so their damage output should be much lower. I think the minions should also lose any encounter or recharge powers, and any powers that add extra damage for a CA or grant extra or temporary hit...

I've run several "major battles" the way Sebastian1992 suggested. The PCs fight a normal encounter against the leaders of the enemy army and plus some minion cannon fodder, and the rest of the fighting happens off stage as part of the background. If the PCs win, so does their army.

To determine who goes first in a skill challenge, I have the PCs make an appropriate ability score check (Dex for physical challenges, Cha for Social Challenges, Int for mental challenges, etc.). The high roller goes first. Thereafter I go clockwise around the table. I prefer using an initiative...

Using AP for re-rolls seems to shorten the fight by a round or two. Just to be clear, I use the same rule for monsters as well. It really sucks to have your big bad roar and haul out his major attack ... and totally whiff.

One of my player's pointed out that the various Potions of Regeneration from AV are levels 9, 19 and 29, and are therefore roughly half-way between the various healing potions. I've also considered adding potions at levels 10 and 20, and would put them halfway between the others (healing 17 hp...

Thanks, I appreciate the kind words. This is the third D&D campaign I've run in this general setting. I ran a 3E campaign set around the reign of Vespasian, a 3.5E campaign set in the reign of Marcus Aurelius and now this 4E campaign set near the millennial anniversary of the founding of Rome...