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If I set "free form" and "programmatic" on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most programmatic, 4e would be a 9. 3e would be an 8.5. Seriously, what else can you say about a system that assigns a vast number of abilities to specific levels of specific classes or prestige classes...

There are some feats that give +1 attack and damage for specific things, but the damage generally does not grow as you advance in tier. This means that you get the benefits of Expertise and Focus in the heroic tier, but then either take an additional feat when you hit paragon tier, or take...

4e significantly amped up tactical complexity. I view that as pretty much objectively true, but then again I view "find the right spell to solve a problem" or "hope I roll a high number" to be examples of fake difficulty. So I never looked at earlier editions as being very tactically engaged.

Read it again. The Githzerai feat is basically the same, except it gives proficienly only with specific superior weapons, and the damage bonus scales per tier. The dwarven feat gives proficiency with all hammers and axes regardless of type, and the damage bonus doesn't scale. I'm not sure I...

So what's in the podcast that I might want to listen to?

Daily Power: Attack reflex instead of AC.

Had to vote for the Druid. I don't think it works as well as it should, especially at low levels when you realize that you're inflicting minor, generally unimportant status effects and barely any damage.

I see only three problems with the Warlock. 1. The fey pact warlock is lousy at low levels. It gets better by paragon tier, but at low levels its damage is boring. 1d6+cha +1d6 is functionally the same as 2d6+stat, ie, the same as fighter with a hammer. And its pact boon is difficult to use at...

Why do I feel like this makes him worse than an assassin?

My biggest problem with banning material is that there's a lot of material that's completely fair when used in most situations, but only broken when used in certain others. For example, the lasting frost / wintertouched feat pair. Our wizard has those feats. But he focuses on both fire and...

Answer 1: Execution Ax beats Fullblade for most situations. Most people don't realize this, but as one of the people who ran the numbers when the Avenger was previewed, its true. Answer 2: The difference is pretty negligible, so you probably shouldn't care. Answer 3: But apparently you DO...

What matters is what number you need to roll on the die. If you are rolling a +0 attack versus an AC of 15, and later are rolling a +5 attack versus an AC of 20, the benefit of rolling twice doesn't change. In both cases you need to roll a 15 on the die, and rolling twice affects your chance...

I voted Swordmage, obviously, because I hate elemental grab bags. You can make a list of the elemental grab bags I hate- Swordmages, Wizards, and D&D style dragons ("green" is not a monster design concept!). Its a lineup of sacred cows! Kill them all! Once we get rid of the swordmage, I'll...

Firelance's chart is basically correct. The only thing I'd add, in terms of how to interpret the numbers, is that "effective bonus to hit" isn't the only metric. You could also consider things in terms of the relative increase in your chance of success that you get when rolling twice. Under...

Part of the problem is that "break a sweat" is awfully subjective. My experience at paragon tier is that an equal level encounter will be managed awfully effectively by our group. Its not that the encounter can't threaten us, its that we have the tools and the knowledge to take it apart in...

I haven't commented in a while, since my vote hasn't changed in a few rounds: Swordmage. You are a grab bag of random elemental junk. And you carefully highlight the flaws in the weapon switching rules. Go away. Though we're rapidly getting to the point where I'm going to be voting for...

Its probably because the ability is worse in combination with certain classes, and if you get it from a class that isn't one of those danger classes, its not that big of a deal. As for the Seeker as a whole, I find it a little obnoxious to try to learn a class from the Compendium. The...

I want to put down a bet on "refugee from the lost, sunken isle known only as the Ki Power Source."

I've played a fair amount of Le Havre. Le Havre is a little more low key in certain ways. In Agricola, I tend to find myself playing pretty close to the edge, where skillful play by an opponent could cause me problems. In Le Havre its really tough to block someone from what they need...

I was thinking of Avalanche Hurler. But I hadn't thought about the dual stat issue- it doesn't change that. Overall still a good paragon path (particularly the level 12 utility), and while I had forgotten the str/dex issue, it works perfectly for our ranger who, for various plot related...