D&D 4E 4e Playtest Characters

[Lackhand]

Oh, and if it wasn't obvious before:

Brilliant and insightful work, good sir, insightful and brilliant. Have fun!

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

In SWSaga, initiative is a trained skill.

This could easilly be something they don't keep for fourth ed, but we haven't heard anything to the contrary, as far as I know, and that might be something you want to prepare your players for.

Also, has it been confirmed that 4th ed will have both AC and Reflex saves?

 

[Khaalis]

Also, has it been confirmed that 4th ed will have both AC and Reflex saves?

From everything we have seen, YES, each PC will have 4 Core defenses: AC, FORT, REF, WILL. It appears that AC remains the defense against physically being hit and REF remains the defense for avoiding reactionary events such as AoE spells, breath weapons, etc.

We also know there will be Resists as we know them, such as "Resist Fire 20".

Additionally, there has been mention of Damage Thresholds similar to 3X Damage Reduction in concept but applied with new mechanics that take the place of immunities. The example given was the a Fire Elemental may ignore a wizard's fireball, but a great red wyrm could easily destroy the fore elemental with its fire breath weapon.

 

[theredrobedwizard]

In SWSaga, initiative is a trained skill.

This could easilly be something they don't keep for fourth ed, but we haven't heard anything to the contrary, as far as I know, and that might be something you want to prepare your players for.

Spaced that one out. Good catch. Skills adjusted to reflect Initiative as a skill (Paladin and Rogue both now trained in such things).

Also fixed a couple more math problems. I's a bad mathamagician.

-TRRW

 

[Stalker0]

My take: A Spined Devil has keen eyesight. When using Perception for the Spot Action (any check based on seeing something) it rolls 1d20+10. For all other uses of perception (listening, sense motive, seaching, etc) it rolls 1d20+5. The +5 extra bonus is a racial bonus, if you will.

My take, it just does.

Remember, WOTC has said repeatedly that they aren't sticking to hard and fast mechanics when designing monsters anymore. So they could literally have thrown in a bonus to spot and listen because they wanted the creature to be decently perceptive.

 

[HeinorNY]

Also, has it been confirmed that 4th ed will have both AC and Reflex saves?

Yes.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Forgot about that.

Also forgot that touch attacks are now agaisnt reflex saves rather than AC.

Interesting...

 

[Oldtimer]

The Spine Devil is a 6th level monster, and as such gets +3 to all defenses, skill checks, attack rolls, and damage (if I remember correctly). The attributes listed on the previewish characters are based on the assumption that 8 is the base (and thus, at a 0 penalty), and it scales as it does now.

What in the Spined Devil stats lead you to that assumption? If you remove +3 from the Spined Devil modifiers, you'll find that 10 is still the base.

 

[Horacio]

Excellent reverse engineering work!

To hit bonus seems very big for 1st level characters, between +4 and +6. But they seem correct, according to everything I've read about 4e. I guess that we will get used to that, but for now I find it curious.

 

[theredrobedwizard]

What in the Spined Devil stats lead you to that assumption? If you remove +3 from the Spined Devil modifiers, you'll find that 10 is still the base.

Sorry, those two statements weren't supposed to be connected. I thought I remembered hearing somewhere that there'd be no penalties for attributes this time around. Upon further reflection, I think they just meant for Racial stat bonuses. I'll readjust my totals momentarily.

edit: Also scaled back Breath of Darigaaz and Hellmouth. They're still powerful, but not overly so.

-TRRW