Complete Arcane (10 reasons)

[avendeen]

Isn't Warmage already in the Miniatures Handbook?

 

[MerricB]

Isn't Warmage already in the Miniatures Handbook?

As I said in the first post of this thread: Yes.

The Warmage is from the MHb, as are the Sudden metamagic feats. I haven't been looking forward to the Warmage (good though it is), but the Sudden Feats are one of the innovations in the MHb that I really like - and I'm glad they're moving into more of the mainstream.

Cheers!

 

[IanB]

Was this in a 3.0 book? I never knew that WotC paid homage to Zork!

The elemental grues are an old first edition thing - in the first MM2.

 

[Nightfall]

*agrees with Psion that Mindbinder in 3.0 was so broken and not to mention made any powers that 3.0 psion had for mind control be faked out*

I just hope they fix it so that they don't make it so powerful it becomes redundant to have another enchanter type.

 

[Felon]

Pretty much just feats. I think it's mostly that EVERYONE has feats, and I'd like to not see feats which give monsters a far bigger boost than they give to players.

Right. Far be it for monsters to have an edge over the multi-classed barbarian/fighter/rogue damage factories walking around. Or the mages who cast greater invisibility, levitate upwards 20 feet every round, zaps from long, long range, and is effectively untouchable to about 75% of the monsters in the MM.

Sorry, not trying to be snide (although perhaps a little facetious), but I just can't understand the "poor little players" perspective that begrudges any BBEG who has attacks or defenses that the players don't have themselves. The BBEG needs them to even hold his own. Are the players ever supposed to be the underdogs?

As Merric pointed out, it's players who inevitably exploit feats and other design options to become frankenstein monsters of death-dealing. Just last week our party had a not-so-epic struggle with a wyvern. A 5th-level B/F/R and 2nd-level B/R took it out by themselves in 2 rounds (including the surprise round), and didn't even get their hair mussed. 65 points of damage before it could even blink. Ouch. And I should be worried about some crusade the make a monster worth its CR? As a player and a DM, I look forward to joining that crusade.

As for The Complete Arcane, it's sizing up pretty well. Does anybody know ANYTHING yet about the new warlock class?

 

[Glyfair]

Does anybody know ANYTHING yet about the new warlock class?

Early word is that it's a class based around spell-like abilities instead of spells.

 

[Felon]

Depends what you define as problematic.
It also makes it something they'll give to special NPCs, something to distinguish them from the normal "Weapon Focus, Power Attack, Cleave" crew.

Or for that matter, the "Alertness, Toughness, Weapon Focus" crew.

The problem with feats always arises from player usage of them. None of the feats presented so far seems overpowered, as their power is balanced by how terribly specific they are - with the possible exception of Sudden Maximize. Sure, one spell works more effectively against the enemy. 60 damage instead of an average of 37. However, that's one spell in the day, of a likely total of sixteen or more spells cast in the day! Consider it a critical for the spell.

Here you get shift your focus from monsters/NPC's making best use of their feats to PC's predominantly having the feat. However, it's specifically the sudden metamagic feats you speak of that are nastier in the hands of an NPC. That guy isn't likely to get sixteen castings of a spell before his number's up, so he may as well unload his sudden maximize right out of the starting gate. Using your "critical for a spell" analogy, the feat essentially allows the caster to choose when he crits. And how many fighters wish they could do that (q.v. 3e Power Critical feat)?

At any rate, I'm not arguing against the sudden feats. Just the opposite. I'm glad there's stuff that specifically makes an encounter with a monster or NPC more challenging without having to resort to save-or-die attacks.

 

[MerricB]

Does anybody know ANYTHING yet about the new warlock class?

Only that it's the Most Anticipated New Class, Ever.

Not quite true: "The Warlock will feature no spell slots, and no max # of spells per day. They said it will be a totally new way of casting spells."

Oh, found this from Rich Baker: "The warlock is a "spellcasting" character that works on spell-like abilities. He's even more specialized/focused than the sorcerer, but there's basically no limit to the number of times per day he can do his thing. (Basically, we have a notion here in R&D that your character is going to get 10-20 actions per day, so your 21st, 22nd, etc., spell memorized just doesn't matter very much for combat power. The warlock doesn't really have infinite spells compared to the wizard because they both get the same number of actions per day of adventuring.) Oh, and the warlock just oozes spawn-of-the-dark-powers flavor. It's a lot of fun."

Cheers!

 

[MerricB]

Here you get off-track a bit by shifting from monsters/NPC's making best use feats to PC's predominantly having the feat. However, it's specifically the sudden metamagic feats you speak of that are nastier in the hands of an NPC.

Indeed - well taken.

I've seen the Sudden feats employed in the D&D Miniatures game, by casters like Mordenkainen and the Red Wizard. They're a lot of fun to use.

Cheers!

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

Oh, found this from Rich Baker: "The warlock is a "spellcasting" character that works on spell-like abilities. He's even more specialized/focused than the sorcerer, but there's basically no limit to the number of times per day he can do his thing. (Basically, we have a notion here in R&D that your character is going to get 10-20 actions per day, so your 21st, 22nd, etc., spell memorized just doesn't matter very much for combat power. The warlock doesn't really have infinite spells compared to the wizard because they both get the same number of actions per day of adventuring.) Oh, and the warlock just oozes spawn-of-the-dark-powers flavor. It's a lot of fun."

It certainly sounds interesting. I may have to give it a spin when CAr comes out, and I never play arcane casters.

Brad