D&D 4E 4e: You Are Dead to Me

[Daniel D. Fox]

Wizards would zot people all day long.

This part I agree with. Likely, I will have to houserule that Cantrips can be usable at will as many times as the Wizard wants and At-Will powers will require 2 HP sacrifice per spell level to cast as I already implimented into my home games. This will help make up for the obvious limitations that At Will alpha strike abilities should have been capped at. Otherwise, what is to stop a bad player as a Wizard from Eldritch Blasting every cow, chicken and field mouse in and around backwater towns At Will, as many times a day as he wishes?

 

[Mistwell]

Needs more cowbell.

You win the thread!

 

[Mort]

...This will help make up for the obvious limitations that At Will alpha strike abilities should have been capped at. Otherwise, what is to stop a bad player as a Wizard from Eldritch Blasting every cow, chicken and field mouse in and around backwater towns At Will, as many times a day as he wishes?

the real question is 1) why would you want to blast all those chickens and 2) who cares if you do?

A wizard can just as easily take a crossbow and shoot all those chickens or bad guys, the "magic blast" is mechanically identical it's just more "wizardly."

 

[Daniel D. Fox]

the real question is 1) why would you want to blast all those chickens and 2) who cares if you do?

A wizard can just as easily take a crossbow and shoot all those chickens or bad guys, the "magic blast" is mechanically identical it's just more "wizardly."

Crossbows have bolt limitations. Eldritch Blast not only does more damage, but can be used without limitation.

Then again, there is nothing stopping a Fighter from simply slaughtering barnyard animals, either. I think I just cannot wrap my head around limitless usage of alpha strike magic from a game mechanics standpoint.

 

[The Ubbergeek]

May I say that I find it ironic that a guy with the nick Mort - 'dead' in french post in such a thread?

 

[Simm]

Um... what's alpha strike?

The only alpha strike I know is the one from mechwarrior which involoves firing every gun you have at once. Somhow I don't see wizards doing that too many times.

 

[hong]

Um... what's alpha strike?

The only alpha strike I know is the one from mechwarrior which involoves firing every gun you have at once. Somhow I don't see wizards doing that too many times.

Alternate terms: nova-ing, spiking. Unloading all your boom spells/abilities in one go, for maximum effect.

They do seem to have nerfed the spike in 4E. I wonder if this might impact the striker classes negatively, though. Those classes, especially the rogue, _should_ be about the spike.

 

[Wormwood]

This thread displays a shocking lack or redtext.

I like 4e. 4e reflects the way I currently play D&D (not all RPGs mind you, just D&D).

Have fun in your future endeavors, but frankly I no longer find nerd rage that interesting.

 

[Mort]

Crossbows have bolt limitations. Eldritch Blast not only does more damage, but can be used without limitation.

Then again, there is nothing stopping a Fighter from simply slaughtering barnyard animals, either. I think I just cannot wrap my head around limitless usage of alpha strike magic from a game mechanics standpoint.

You did say wizard not warlock - the wizards "at will" blast is a magic missile (at least from the 1st level characters) and at 2d4+5 it can't do much more than a crossbow bolt. The warlocks eldritch blast at 1d10+4 can't be that much more either. As for ammo limitations at low levels maybe, at high levels players always seem to find a way around it.

The 3.5 warlock showed that an at will eldritch blast (9d6 or so by 20th level) was not only not unbalancing it was underpowered.

Also - you keep using the term alpha strike: this implies a huge coordinated powerful attack, usually from surprise. If the PC's are doing that it's unlikely their using their not so powerful at will ability.

Frankly, if your comfortable with the level of magic that 4e seems to assume as standard I don't see the problem. If the level of magic is the problem, well that's a whole different criticism.

 

[Mort]

This thread displays a shocking lack or redtext.

I like 4e. 4e reflects the way I currently play D&D (not all RPGs mind you, just D&D).

Have fun in your future endeavors, but frankly I no longer find nerd rage that interesting.

I was thinking the exact same thing. All the 4e previews are almost identical with my (Bo9S and complete mage reserve feat) current campaign.