Conflicted About MoTP

[Scribble]

Ok so I really like the new cosmology. It's neat and something new.

I just got the MoTP, and I'm enjoying it for the most part.... but why no knowledge DC breakdowns?

I mean especially in an book chock full of mainly information! This seems counter to the other informational parts of 4e, and less easy to use.

 

[Zephrin the Lost]

You are exactly right. A web enhancement with some of these would be great.

 

[Asmor]

It would definitely help me in reading the book.

I'm a chronic skimmer... I rarely read the fluff on monsters, for example, I just read their knowledge results.

 

[gizmo33]

Yea, if it's essentially a "bullet point" list of facts about things then I think that's pretty cool- otherwise I think the descriptions can get unecessarily wordy.

But I'm not a fan of 4E's implementation of knowledge skills. Magic items, for example - I would think that recognizing the Grail would not be a DC 30 knowledge check. Knowledge should be based on accessiblity/fame IMO, not power. I don't know why a +1 sword is easier to get information about than a +4 sword.

Secondly, I thought the information about monsters in the MM didn't seem right. Some very well-known facts (at least well-known to the players) and ordinary ones about monsters were given high DCs for reasons I couldn't figure out (other than level maybe, I didn't check, but as I said that's not a convincing reason). All of the facts I saw in the MM would be considered "common knowledge" in my campaign and not warrant more than a DC 15. Given the superficial nature of the information in what I've seen of the MoP so far, I wouldn't give those facts more than a 15 either.

 

[Jhaelen]

But I'm not a fan of 4E's implementation of knowledge skills. Magic items, for example - I would think that recognizing the Grail would not be a DC 30 knowledge check. Knowledge should be based on accessiblity/fame IMO, not power.

Wait - didn't you see Indiana Jones 3?!

 

[TwinBahamut]

Since we are venting criticisms about the book...

If they are going to spend most of a page describing the self-proclaimed Dread Emperor of the Shadowfell, making him out to be some kind of horrible person with terrible combat ability (and little else), you would think they would give him combat stats somewhere in the book. Without those, that description is essentially useless. Not all characters need combat stats in order to be useful, but some just do.

 

[wedgeski]

If they are going to spend most of a page describing the self-proclaimed Dread Emperor of the Shadowfell, making him out to be some kind of horrible person with terrible combat ability (and little else), you would think they would give him combat stats somewhere in the book. Without those, that description is essentially useless. Not all characters need combat stats in order to be useful, but some just do.

I can't fault the book for that since that section alone has spawned about six hooks for my campaign. In any case, as described, he would avoid a combat with just about any PC of a high enough level to get over there and encounter him, so stats to me seem a little pointless. I certainly don't envisage myself rolling many dice on his behalf.

 

[evilgenius8000]

I can't fault the book for that since that section alone has spawned about six hooks for my campaign. In any case, as described, he would avoid a combat with just about any PC of a high enough level to get over there and encounter him, so stats to me seem a little pointless. I certainly don't envisage myself rolling many dice on his behalf.

Indeed, he's more likely an NPC for the PCs to have some manner of social encounter with rather than a battle. AFAIK, they don't give stats for any of the characters in Sigil.