D&D 4E 4e Monster Manual excerpt

[Hellzon]

What I think is interesting is that the kiss is not gender related. Actually it sem that would works even on, for example, constructs, which is at least a bit weird.

The succubus is an embodiment of Lust. Makes perfect sense.
(And if you want, it's just a minor action to change sex before kissing someone.)

 

[Plane Sailing]

I agree, there should be some flavour text associated with it. On the other hand, remember the Gold Wyvern discussions? Some people really don't like flavour text in their rules.

To me this isn't a flavour text issue though.

The black dragons bite does 5 ongoing acid damage - makes sense. Poison might do 5 ongoing poison damage - again makes sense. trident attack does 5 ongoing 'undefined' damage - doesn't make sense. If it is bleeding, call it bleeding. If it is weapon damage call it weapon damage. if it is necrotic damage call it that.

The type of damage is a rules issue, which I can then 'flavour' how I like.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

To me this isn't a flavour text issue though.

The black dragons bite does 5 ongoing acid damage - makes sense. Poison might do 5 ongoing poison damage - again makes sense. trident attack does 5 ongoing 'undefined' damage - doesn't make sense. If it is bleeding, call it bleeding. If it is weapon damage call it weapon damage. if it is necrotic damage call it that.

The type of damage is a rules issue, which I can then 'flavour' how I like.

It's "untyped" damage.

Well, after having faced the Dreaded Fang Dragon, I agree that untyped damage (in that case ability drain, not "sensible" hit point damage) is bad.

Maybe there is an implication - it is a weapon attack, so it deals weapon damage, unless noted otherwise. Maybe the weapon leaves some splinters behind that cause the damage.

 

[neceros]

In regards to the first attack to AC, it makes perfect sense.

If you want a powerful attack to be balanced, you add a more difficult if/then scenario. In this example, she first must make contact with the character. They then get a 'will save' to resist the effect.

It's so common in 3e I didn't even notice it as something out of order here.

 

[AZRogue]

What I think is interesting is that the kiss is not gender related. Actually it sem that would works even on, for example, constructs, which is at least a bit weird.

Hell, by the description it would even work on someone asleep, grappled, or even prone.

"The War Devil scoops you up and drops you prone near the succubus that kissed you (the one you hate until you're within 5 feet of her where you fill with uncontrollable love instead). As your Rogue friend tries to attack her you jump up and take the blow yourself. And then you go back and lie down on the floor."

 

[Plane Sailing]

Hell, by the description it would even work on someone asleep, grappled, or even prone.

"The War Devil scoops you up and drops you prone near the succubus that kissed you (the one you hate until you're within 5 feet of her where you fill with uncontrollable love instead). As your Rogue friend tries to attack her you jump up and take the blow yourself. And then you go back and lie down on the floor."

There should probably be a health warning on the packet then, to the effect that anyone who checks their brain at the door shouldn't risk playing the game!

(i.e. attempting slavish adherence to the letter of the rules is going to cause anyone more trouble than it is worth)

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

There should probably be a health warning on the packet then, to the effect that anyone who checks their brain at the door shouldn't risk playing the game!

(i.e. attempting slavish adherence to the letter of the rules is going to cause anyone more trouble than it is worth)

But this means no one in the Bundeswehr can play D&D on military premises! (I'd demand a policy change.)

 

[hong]

The Bundeswehr doesn't have a great reputation in today's Germania, I take it...?

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

The Bundeswehr doesn't have a great reputation in today's Germania, I take it...?

In short, no.

When I was a conscript ~8 years ago, it was a pretty stupid "job" (badly payed, too. But at least it was my first own pay ever.) Being a high school graduate, what I had to do there was plain dull, and I had hoped they put at least in a position where my education would be of use. (It doesn't help that I hate physical exercise, but I think that might have been the better part, at least if you ignore yelling instructors ,) ). It's amazing how much time you can waste with useless stuff. I also hated the basic training, since the atmosphere is outright hostile and doesn't really invite learning or intellectual conversation. You really have the feeling there are some people on a power-trip. That was definitely the worst time of my life. (It didn't help that it was the first time I was remote from my family _and_ my first girlfriend, either). It got better after basic training.

It might be a little different in the actual foreign sites where they have something to do, and I dare say they might make good work there, but I still don't have a good impression of it.
It doesn't help either that the military isn't that great funded, and too much of its equipment is decades old.

And then there's also a player of mine, who works in a civil/administrative function, and the few bits he tells seems to imply that most soldiers are neither smart nor capable of managing their own life (or money) without the help of the army. Barracks are basically for "assisted living". :\

 

[AZRogue]

There should probably be a health warning on the packet then, to the effect that anyone who checks their brain at the door shouldn't risk playing the game!

(i.e. attempting slavish adherence to the letter of the rules is going to cause anyone more trouble than it is worth)

Oh, I agree with you! I'm just a bit surprised (and not with those fringe cases I mentioned) that the exception based power system is going to take a bit more interpretation than I thought. I have some very tactical players so I'm always trying to think of how best to exploit the abilities and/or powers we hear about so that I can be prepared.

That, and I was annoyed at the fact that the succubus's charming kiss power, if read very strictly, only does 2 things, even though I think much more is clearly implied by those effects. Treating the rules too strictly, however, causes ridiculous results. Clearly common sense needs to be applied. I just think that it should be applied to both issues. Does that make any sense?

But, regardless, I wasn't trying to advocate prone players actually doing what I wrote, just pointing out that the RAW taken literally leads to that. Common sense and DM interpretation are going to have to be applied to the Powers regarding how, as well as when, they work.