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I have never played in a game with a DM who was not willing to bend/break the rules if they were so inflexible as to rule out a character concept that I wanted to play. -Cross

I don't think 4E offers as many benefits to module DMs as opposed to sand-box DMs. Module DMs had their NPCs built for them, and their encounters pre-defined. The big advantage of 4E is that it's easy for an inexperienced DM to whip up encounters of appropriate difficulty. That's only...

It's definitely true (Though it could be argued that 3E -did- help the DM a lot. 2E was prohibitively difficult to run!). And let's not fool ourselves - every new book that comes out creeps up the power of 4E. It's a good way to make money, but soon, the monsters in the original monster...

Obryn, Fifth, etc: I think there's a fairly simple solution. It involves a conversation like this: "Hey, X. We've noticed that you keep stating that the numbers on your dice are higher than they are. You're our friend, and if it's that important to succeed, we're willing to support you -...

...that 4E has removed a lot of the barriers to DMing (specifically, encounter creation)? This is not meant to be a 3.5 vs 4 argument - but my friends, and I, found encounter creation, combat, etc, in 3.5 to be prohibitively difficult to set up and balance. As a group, we rarely ran linear...

Apologies for not answering the original question you wanted, but your definition of the "strength" of a role is sort of weak. Averaging the numbers? Why not take a look at the point-buy that would be required to get it. Assume that we pick a 4e-esque point buy (Not quite 4E, because you can...

Agree here. Reason's pretty simple: The power of each individual PC grows with each character added, due to synergy. Monsters rarely synergize as well. Leaders have buffs which affect all the party - the more people, the more bonuses. The more people there are, the more likely that the rogue...

One thing I have found particularly useful is to not say when something is a minion. The first few 4E sessions I ran, my players weren't even aware that minions existed. When minions died, their death was explained by the narration. PC - Does a 17 hit? Me - Yep, roll damage. PC - 9 damage Me...

Just so there's not any misunderstanding here, I'm not discussing things - I am laughing at you, along with anybody else reading this thread. You subtracted numbers instead of adding numbers, to make an elite monster into a standard monster, which is by definition about equal to a PC -...

Let me get this straight. Keterys writes: Standard + X = Elite Standard + Y = Solo. You, in a blinding flash of genius, apply mathematical principles with nigh-unto-inconceivable brilliance and conclude that: Elite - X = Standard Solo - Y = Standard I understand that it may be difficult...

Are we really that unfamiliar with the logical "or"? "On your turn, you must engage the target you challenged, or challenge a different target". One or the other. Not both. Let's take your example. You DC the Goblin. The Kobold is un-DC'd automatically. Now, let's ask: "Have I engaged the...

Err. Rules are, unfortunately, perfectly clear, Maxim, and they don't forbid a paladin from continually switching challenge on two targets that he doesn't engage. At the end of a turn, the Paladin can: Engage a target that is currently challenged, or challenge somebody else. To satisfy the...

Wow. Really, this doesn't trigger any huge alarm bells for people? I mean, I realize that FR's all about hugely retarded power creep, but Swordmages: 1.) Don't have to attack people to mark them. Just have to be near. 2.) Have no Paladin-like restrictions on what they have to do to keep...

Trouble with TPKs seems to be coming from: 1.) Players not playing well together in hard encounters (The Ettercap TPK above) 2.) A lack of understanding of how high above the XP budget for a party you can go and still have it be "hard" without "Impossible". So, 1 is expected. Some times...

Two comments thus far - Bonus for shields is not added to reflex defense. Also, +1 to all defenses for the human race is not added. Otherwise, so far so good - nice work!

But specific beats general. The statement "does not grant combat advantage in a surprise round" doesn't specify the reasons that somebody could be granting combat advantage (There are at least two). "Rogues get combat advantage when they act before another person at the start of an encounter"...

Alertness says that you don't grant combat advantage to enemies during the surprise round. Rogues have an ability that says that if an enemy has not acted yet at the start of an encounter, you get combat advantage. If a rogue surprises somebody with Alertness, and gets a surprise round...does...

Fun game! =) Brutal Scoundrel Rogue with Master Infiltrator or Shadow Assassin. Take a feat or two to use other weapons (Or just be sufficiently skilled that you can use weapons regardless of proficiency). For ways to kill that do not leave marks, you might MC to Warlock, which adds a number...

...I kid you not, the Monster Manual is the best book of the 3. It might be my favorite D&D book of all time. With incredibly simplicity, you can think "I would like my PCs to fight X", go look up X, put together an encounter, and be relatively confident that it will be a fight of the...

The answer as to why monsters get Save or Die and PCs don't seems fairly straightforward: PC Groups are expected to have a leader of some form. All PC leaders have abilities that can allow them to help a PC make another save, often at a bonus. This dramatically reduces the chances of dying...