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The way I see it, it's fine if a monster entry says something like: "Shadow Barons create their Shadow Serfs through a ritual", and at least tells me the basics of the ritual - how long it takes and whether it requires rare components/blood sacrifice/etc. But if the entry just says that a...

It does seem that 4E combat is much less suited for PbP than 3E combat was. Let's look at three big differences: 1) Number of rounds per combat is much larger (although each round is faster). 2) Less decisions to make / dice to roll during a round, to speed things up. 3) All classes have access...

It wasn't really necessary to have the casters sleep through attacks in 3E - if your rest got interrupted, it wasn't ruined, you just needed an extra hour for each interruption. Which is probably how I'd run it in 4E as well: * Restful activities (not requiring exertion or alertness) count as...

I'm hearing "rituals" a lot as the answer to every single "how does the monster actually do X, which it is described as doing" question. While I'm not saying rituals can't be the solution, I am saying that people are putting a lot of faith in a part of the system we haven't seen a single trace...

See, I don't mind that fly takes actions to sustain - it's the "5 minutes, once per day", "40' speed", and "16th level" aspects that bother me. That's just a pitifully short effect for the level it's at. I though Paragon tier included flying as something that people could be expected to use...

This isn't a complain about the rules being too "gamist", it's a complaint about "the rules aren't the physics of the campaign" being used as an excuse for everything. I've heard this statement come up in quite a few cases: What happens when a non-PC does X? Rules aren't physics! This...

How fast bonuses go up by level has nothing to do with whether a +1 bonus is significant. Only one thing affects that - the fact that it's the d20 system. Because outcomes are determined by twenty-sided dice, the net effect of any bonus is +/- 5% * the bonus. So a +1 bonus is a +5% chance to...

I'm not convinced that "abilities which last one round" or aura-abilities are really easier than abilities with X/level durations. In most cases, those abilties lasted the entire combat, so it was pretty simple to keep track of them - at the beginning of combat (or after the first round), note...

There's a balance here though - making a completely new plan to cover something the characters had no way of forseeing, mid-battle, doesn't make sense. But for many situations, the characters have a lot more battle experience and time spent training together than the players, and a level of...

I think it depends on whether you see the PC as a narrative character or as an avatar to immerse yourself in. If they're a narrative character, then being tormented by the ghosts of their past, having to make tough decisions with their family/friends in peril, making sacrifices, and generally...

I doubt that. We already know Fly is in (albeit higher level), there are definitely flying creatures, and more to the point, ladders.

This thread must have rolled a 20 to stabilize, because it's back from the dead! ;) One thing I wanted to mention is that when I said assassination/ambush type manuevers are a lot harder, I wasn't talking just in terms of literal assassinations (although those certainly are harder in 4E, with...

Marks are fine, I think - significant effects are worth a bit more attention. Like a Wizard hitting someone with Bestow Curse - I don't think anyone forgot who they'd cursed, because it was a significant effect. The large number of "save ends" abilities could get unweildy fast though. Aura...

The 15-minute day isn't even "trying to cheat the system", it's just common sense. If you aren't under immediate time pressure, and you're exploring a dangerous area where the next corner could conceal deadly hazards - why the hell would you keep pressing on when you're injured and low on...

I'm of mixed feelings on this. I'd agree that if you want to make a weak character, just make them lower level. Or, since 4E seems to specialize equipment by role, have them use weapons/armor that don't work for their class (like a Rogue using a greatclub and heavy armor). Also, there's an...

Another factor might be that 4E fights seem to last many more rounds than 3E fights. If a second group of monsters heard a commotion and arrived three rounds later in 3E, the first group of monsters was quite possibly defeated, or on its last legs. In 4E, the fight is just getting started...

One thing I've noticed in 4E so far - there are precious few ways to nonviolently subdue someone, no matter how much lower level they are. The innkeeper gets possessed and attacks you? Guess you're going to have to kill him, or else run away. What I'm talking about specifically: 1) Trip is...

Several people have said that since trip (without a feat) was a suboptimal option, that made it a nonoption and there's no point even having it. But I think that's missing an important point ... Not all battles are in normal circumstances against equally-matched foes. Sure, disarming someone...

Well, escaping from a city doesn't usually require you to kill every guard - it might not require you to kill any. While a strong guard will make players more cautious about breaking the law, it won't incline them to go along with getting captured - heck, it might incline them to flee...

Quartz's suggestion is the way to go. Simply asking them why they are in jail will get them playing along without resentment (as long as they trust you), and also means it happens in a way they can accept. Of course, this only works if you're tossing them in jail for the sake of a cool...