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Well, WOTC itself, and the RPG market as a whole are much smaller. WOTC doesn't have the monopoly power that Microsoft has. Plus, RPG systems are much more stand-alone, and complementary products like campaign worlds and adventures can be made system-neutral in a way that doesn't analogize to...

Since they've mentioned that magic items are mostly for granting new powers (and only secondarily about granting numerical bonuses) perhaps the designers expect PCs to get "new" at wills from their items. Since gear is fairly changeable, that will keep up the variety.

Or, if you wanted to make it a little harder (to make sure people still have an incentive to think for themselves) - impose either a minimum difficulty (e.g. they have to take the hard version of the skill check), or add a DC penalty if you have to give a hint.

Well, (a) not all skill checks have to be "skill challenges" per se. If he wants to climb a wall it can just be a simple climb skill check. But (b) even within a skill challenge you could take option (4) let PCs take whatever actions they want, but if it is something that the DM rules is...

No, I think it has to have the specific "zone" keyword. For example the black dragon from DDEXP had the darkness aura which was a "zone", but its breath weapon isn't a zone.

But you don't have to organize the "counter" powers by (or only by) source. Since "charm" is a keyword just like "conjuration" and "zone", I wouldn't be surprised if there was a "dispel charm" power that said "end target charm effect". I think we'll see more, somewhat narrower dispel-type...

The article suggested that buffs on a creature/character have some other spell to deal with them (maybe Mordenkainen's Disjunction?), but aren't meant to be dispelled. Dispel magic appears to be for magical effects that are separate creatures/objects (conjurations) or modifications of...

(originally posted in the anti-martial thread where this design article got linked) I think the design article suggests a broader design principle of using the various keywords associated with powers as a way of grouping together game mechanisms either by source or by effect (or other things)...

From the article

I think the design article suggests a broader design principle of using the various keywords associated with powers as a way of grouping together game mechanisms either by source or by effect (or other things) and then being able to regulate, define, and limit interactions by tying effects to...

Forced rerolls (which we've seen) are a (partial) "counter" to martial (as well as other sourced) powers. One could also imagine typed rerolls - like "as an immediate action after a martial power is used targeting you, force the target to reroll the attack at a -5 penalty". Could even add an...

Can you point to where he said this? I read the thread and I didn't see him state a fact like this - all I saw was Orcus agreeing with another person's interpretation of the WotC quote, and being worried in general. I don't think anyone knows for certain anything about the GSL other than the...

We had some PoL brainstorming in an earlier thread that could probably be incorporated into this.

I'm pretty sure he invented this power and is just wishing for a power like this, not reporting that this is real or likely.

Edit: nevermind, I thought "deft strike" was a new power, not an official power.

You have to keep rolling until you (a) are healed, (b) roll a 20, or (c) fail three times (not necessarily in a row) and die. If you fail, that means you are getting worse. If you don't fail, but don't roll a 20, then you have another round for someone to try to help you, but you haven't...

In terms of level and old vs. new items, I believe WotC has suggested that items' importance is less in terms of numerical bonuses, but more in that they offer you new powers. E.g. a longsword that gives you a per-encounter power to do 2[W] + 6 cold damage, or something. Diverse powers are...

Keith Baker suggested that "minion" status isn't necessarily supposed to imply a physical condition where a pin prick will kill you, but is rather a book keeping, "rules shortcut for interacting with the world" statement. Being an Xth level minion monster may simply mean that their challenge...

You could have a highly intelligent & powerful (evil) entity: lich, wizard, dragon, beholder, etc. who is controlling the other monsters in the area for a deeper and subtle purpose (e.g. building up for a conflict with another BBEG). He/it allows the monsters to do some mild rampaging, but...

You could also support persistent PoL by keeping the physical world (and the connections between places) from being static: * Shifting winds/currents between islands * Desert setting where oasises dry up and spring forth * Tectonic upheaval/volcanic eruptions opens/closes mountain passes, etc...