D&D 4E 4E combat illustrated

[GorTeX]

WOTC has clarified that the Combat Challenge only works on marked enemies. (see the KotS FAQ from WOTC)

 

[robconley]

First of all...great job Estar, very cool that you took the time to do this.

Couple of things...

Was the fighter just not marking because he was already so beat up?

Thanks

Errr because I missed it. I was running 8 distinct character and this is the result of my 3rd run. Each time I find something I missed. Seem similar to the same learning curve I went through with GURPS 4th and GURPS 4th Martial arts.

In hindsight the fact the fighter was hurt so bad in the beginning would dampen his enthusiasm for marking. The paladin marked to make sure the cleric doesn't get attacked.

I also missed the fact you can shift a square as a move. This allows the kobolds to shift 2 squares and then attack.

 

[Festivus]

One thing I run differently that I spotted. I manage ongoing damage on each characters turn, not the beginning of the round. That way, the cleric could manage to get a heal in before the fighter succumed to flame damage. Is it documented anywhere that you are supposed to do it on the round rather than the character's turn?

 

[Warbringer]

@BlackMoria:
You make one damage roll for the effect, but a separate attack roll for each target included in the area.

Yep and a mechanic I dislike. Might as well have kept saves

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Tactics-wise, having the minions be further back than the rest of the kobolds makes them much less effective. Five minions all dead by the end of the first round and only one got to even attempt an attack despite having surprised the party.

Edit: seems like either put them up front so they can close, attack, and die quickly, or hold them back and have them engage once the rest of the party starts focusing on the standard kobolds so they can mix in and attack once or twice before being dropped.

 

[shadowlance]

WOTC has clarified that the Combat Challenge only works on marked enemies. (see the KotS FAQ from WOTC)

Ouch! Thanks for pointing that out. Major kick to the nuts of the fighter from my perspective. I'm back to wondering if the change to Combat Superiority (compared to the DDXP pregen) was intentional.

 

[ZetaStriker]

Might as well have kept saves

They did, they just work in reverse now.

 

[unan oranis]

Awesome, thank you.

I would have wanted to see the shield kobolds use their most powerful ability (in my opinion) of shifting one square as a reaction to someone moving adjacent to them.

Still the kobolds did a lot better than I thought they would even with things going more or less against them.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

I ran this combat this past Wednesday.

I altered the encounter a bit by trying to actually ambush the PLAYERS themselves. I concocted a story about a horse-riding band of highwaymen along the road that the PCs learned about at the start of the adventure. I faked the PCs into thinking the highwaymen were barreling down on them, hoping they would make a dash for the rocks in the middle of the map and run straight into the kobolds (I hadn't placed any of those on the map).

Instead they chose to hide directly to one side of the entrance area. I had the poor farmer-with-a-cart trundle into the kobold ambush, forcing the PCs to help defend the poor guy.

In the end the PCs killed all the kobolds without much trouble, although like this writeup, the slinger got away to fight again.

Interestingly enough, he got away from that second battle too, so he is going to have to show up again for round 3 (and the players have found a nemesis from a lowly lvl 1 artillery!)

DS

 

[Vaeron]

It seems like more than half of the attacks in this combat were misses. If a combat lasts a few rounds not because interesting things are happening, but just because both sides are standing there missing each other, that becomes dull after a while. It's those blasted Dragonshields that are the problem, with their 18 AC, but how much worse does it get with hobgoblin soldiers in phalanx? That's an AC of 22 versus these same characters at 2nd and 3rd levels. With the wizards to-hit of +4 with his spells, that means he'd have to roll an 18 or better just to hit them. The other classes don't fare that much better. Like I said, after a while this becomes a problem.

Edit: I mean 17 or better, thanks to the +1 he gets at level 2. And I'm wrong anyway, cuz it's v. reflex. But you get the idea!