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Speaking of the new Essential expertise feats versus the old expertise feats, I can't figure out why they are both co-existing in the new online CB. I wish they had done some clean up on the feats, and hope they do so soon. It's quite silly, and even a possible trap for new players, to have a...

Warpriests and PHB Clerics seem like they could easily swap at will, encounter or daily powers with each other and likewise for Mages and PHB Wizards.

I think the most likely limitation here though is that once someone attacks they are no longer hidden (unless they have a specific ability that overrides that), so after the first opportunity attack, he is no longer hidden, and the other creatures can change tactics.

You make good points. But with the old CB, unless the player and the DM were sharing the DM's CB, or unless the DM took the time to help the player customize their CB, I don't think there was a way for the DM to implement options for the DM's campaign and have the players use their own CB to...

The Essentials classes seem to have been designed to make it easier for a player to experience the right "feel" with the class that someone likely was looking for when choosing the class, including cinematic moments like the paladin leaping in front of a companion to take the blow meant for the...

I'd say you have to calculate its value by adding the cost of purchasing each ritual in the book. But to make it into a useful treasure parcel for your players I'd suggest keeping the rituals to those they can currently use or will be able to use within one to two levels at most, and avoid...

I know there are a number of annoying bugs and missing features with the new online Character Builder, and agree WOTC needs to fix those issues as soon as possible. But I am also hopeful for some potential for improvements the new design represents, if WOTC maximizes that potential. In...

The new Hexblade pact on the WOTC site is interesting. It evokes a strong flavor of Arthurian Lady of the Lake mythology as well as Tolkien's Galadriel.

Well, I hope they don't increase the price of DDI to offer the virtual table. I have no interest in a virtual table of any sort. I can still justify the DDI subscription for the moment (though recent issues with the online builder and reduced Dragon and Dungeon content means just barely), but...

I was apprehensive about the news about the work on a Virtual Table. I would much rather that WOTC focus on improving the online character builder and monster builder (since they've chosen to go the online route) until those two tools are fully functional and satisfying to their customers.

While I think the online Character Builder needs some work, I don't understand why people are calling it a disaster. Maybe I've just been lucky, but I created the two characters I needed to create, which I couldn't do with the old CB because of the missing Essentials powers and feats. The...

So if I create a Quick build character, it is forever restricted to Essentials options only and I can't ever decide to select other options unless I re-create the character in the Character Builder from scratch?

I find that players rarely use rituals in my games, in fact often hardly remember they have them. They are either too expensive or too long to carry out and there are usually free alternatives that accomplish the same goal, such as skill challenges, role playing through a solution, etc. The...

I agree I am not happy with the repetition of basic rules content in each player book. I have still opted to get the books because of the quality of the new content, but if they do it with any future books, I will simply opt to get the content through DDI, which I am planning to have anyway...

Interesting...that little Amazon preview contains a lot of tantalizing bits of information. Rituals, familiars and themes were all subsystems which seemed promising but not yet quite designed to their full potential in 4e. I have hope for much potential fun if they have been improved with the...

Thank you for sharing the analysis of how to upgrade MM monsters to the new Monster Vault/MM3 design standards. If I might ask, how would the guidelines differ when upgrading MM2 monsters to these latest design standards?

Nice campaign seed.

I was o.k. with the CB being online until I heard about the 20 character limit. That is a serious utility concern for me, especially without the export function. I have over 20 characters saved now in the off-line CB.

I'd love to see a combat tracker (there used to be several third party products for third edition like DM's Familiar) that is made to easily track initiative order, hit points, action points, ongoing damage, effects that end at the start or end of someone's next turn, etc.

For me, it seems like once in a while they have a really good article, but mostly I find their "crunch" not very useful. For example, most of the class powers and feats are clearly not as well designed and developed as the powers and feats in the books. I can usually spot a Dragon power or...