Castle Smoulderthorn, Part 3

[D'karr]

Huh? I haven't seen this at all, so I'd like to see a link if you have one. I haven't gleaned that from any of the stuff I've read, myself.

BTW, I just got an opportunity to listen to PodCast 15 and right at around 11:00 minutes there is a question from David from Denver, CO that asks about conversion to 4th Edition. Dave Noonan gives more insight that for conversion purpose, "your better off, finishing what you are doing in 3.5 and then starting all over with 4th edition with a brand new campaign."

He talks about his game "creative reinterpretation" also as his game was "reinterpreted" to 4th edition.

 

[Rechan]

Is it just me, or do 4e PCs seem a lot more powerful compared to monsters than 3e? (I guess this is expected with the new 1 monster per character paradigm.) Doesn't a dozen vampires plus mummies sound like a lot for 6-8th level PCs? (Or have they advanced some?) This isn't a problem so much for me, btw, as a readjustment of expectations.

It's just you. He explicitly states that the vampires were only a threat if they mobbed; they were particularly weak against AoE blasting spells.

A mummy is a CR 5. 3 Cr 5 monsters are an EL 8, it pans out that way. I'm betting the Vampire spawn are using the Minion rules.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Yea, sounds like the Vampires are using special Minion rules which make them weaker and more prone to getting blown away by AoE spells and the like.

Y'know ... mooks.

--fje

 

[Charwoman Gene]

Actually, during the GenCon interviews on YouTube, Rob (I think it was Rob, it would have been someone else) said that they changed their mind about the "conversion book" during the convention, based on interaction with the fans.

It was Rob Heinsoo. But I'm not certain he implied a conversion book was coming. My guess probably a Web article.

 

[zoroaster100]

These playtest reports are somewhat disturbing to me. They seem too bizarre and irrelevant to standard D&D to give me confidence that the most basic types of games will be thoroughly tested. I'm sure they should test bizarre stuff too a bit, but you'd think they would choose to show us playtest reports from a more normal D&D campaign trying out the rules as they will most often be used instead of this crazy stuff like warforged characters that would never in a million years see the light of day at my game table.

 

[Wormwood]

... but you'd think they would choose to show us playtest reports from a more normal D&D campaign trying out the rules as they will most often be used instead of this crazy stuff like warforged characters that would never in a million years see the light of day at my game table.

After a dozen splatbooks and multiple campaign settings, I defy you to define a *normal* D&D game.

 

[freyar]

It's just you. He explicitly states that the vampires were only a threat if they mobbed; they were particularly weak against AoE blasting spells.

A mummy is a CR 5. 3 Cr 5 monsters are an EL 8, it pans out that way. I'm betting the Vampire spawn are using the Minion rules.

Well, they're vampire minions, not vampire spawn minions. It's also not clear how many mummies there were. Anyway, if you take, in 3e terms, 3 CR5 mummies and 12 CR 4 vampire spawn (since we know the vampires are minions, let's say they're 3e vampire spawn), you get EL 12. So I think that may make my point. In fact, I guess I'm not saying anything new, but the fact that monsters are now balanced one per PC rather than 1 per party and that there are minion rules just means exactly that PCs are more powerful compared to monsters. Like I said, nothing inherently bad, just a different set of expectations.

 

[KarinsDad]

After a dozen splatbooks and multiple campaign settings, I defy you to define a *normal* D&D game.

For playtesting: Core. With core races and classes and abilities.

No more. No less.

I doubt a Warforged is a core race.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

These playtest reports are somewhat disturbing to me. They seem too bizarre and irrelevant to standard D&D to give me confidence that the most basic types of games will be thoroughly tested. I'm sure they should test bizarre stuff too a bit, but you'd think they would choose to show us playtest reports from a more normal D&D campaign trying out the rules as they will most often be used instead of this crazy stuff like warforged characters that would never in a million years see the light of day at my game table.

It's an Eberron game. Of course it's somewhat different - but what's so "bizarre" about mummies, vampires, and fire-wielding spellcasters?

Besides, there will be other playtest reports. Several blogs have mentioned upcoming playtest campaigns, so we can probably expect to see other games described in the next few months.

 

[Felon]

A good example is the multiclassed warlord/wizard. We've never seen the warlord but we've seen the 3rd Edition wizard. We have also seen that a multiclassed wizard loses a lot when multiclassing into a non-spell level increasing class. However, in the playtest reports it looks like the wizard is still quite at home and viable.

Well, we also can't help but note that he doesn't mention the warlord aspect of his character actually providing any active benefits.

Which is annoying, because that's the thing I want to hear about.