D&D Encounters: March of the Phantom Brigade

[Mithreinmaethor]

I've flirted with playing in Encounters just to meet some people who play in the area, but of the three gaming stores in town running Encounters, only one I can get to on the bus and it's 90 minutes each way. There's only one thing that's going to make up my mind.

I want to make my own character and I want that character to be a Human Mage. However, I want the 3rd At-Will rather than the racial ability. The third At-Will is not in Essentials that I can find. Can I take the third At-Will or no?

Unless the Organizer/DM at the store you play at will allow non-Essentials items in the game then you restricted to the Human ability from Essentials.

 

[Abstruse]

Unless the Organizer/DM at the store you play at will allow non-Essentials items in the game then you restricted to the Human ability from Essentials.

Big mistake on WotC's part then. I can't play the character I want (even after compromising to an Essentials build in the first place), I'm not playing. And I'm a BIG impulse buyer and my credit card's limit just got raised...

 

[Mithreinmaethor]

Big mistake on WotC's part then. I can't play the character I want (even after compromising to an Essentials build in the first place), I'm not playing. And I'm a BIG impulse buyer and my credit card's limit just got raised...

As I said you need to talk to your event organizer about it but if that is all that will keep you from playing then que sera, sera.

Thats your loss not ours.

 

[Nullzone]

Big mistake on WotC's part then. I can't play the character I want (even after compromising to an Essentials build in the first place), I'm not playing. And I'm a BIG impulse buyer and my credit card's limit just got raised...

I've flirted with playing in Encounters just to meet some people who play in the area

Make up your mind, are you there to CharOp or network with other players?

Encounters was designed with the new player in mind, so the basic principle was to limit the character options so anyone coming in didn't feel like they'd be drinking from a firehose (and the promotion of new products doesn't hurt). I really don't think you'll miss that 3rd at-will that much, I know I don't; you already technically have three (two picked and Magic Missile provided as a class feature) as a Mage, so what do you really need a 4th for? Having that extra +4 on a roll once per encounter is pretty damn awesome if you ask me, good for really making those Encounter/Daily powers stick where it counts.

 

[Vael]

We've got a fairly regular group of players for the last two seasons of Encounters, so the other DM and I both decided to not restrict character options. Everyone is already bummed about the return to first level anyway.

 

[Abstruse]

As I said you need to talk to your event organizer about it but if that is all that will keep you from playing then que sera, sera.

Thats your loss not ours.

No, the comic store's loss. Which I thought was the point of Encounters.

Make up your mind, are you there to CharOp or network with other players?

Encounters was designed with the new player in mind, so the basic principle was to limit the character options so anyone coming in didn't feel like they'd be drinking from a firehose (and the promotion of new products doesn't hurt). I really don't think you'll miss that 3rd at-will that much, I know I don't; you already technically have three (two picked and Magic Missile provided as a class feature) as a Mage, so what do you really need a 4th for? Having that extra +4 on a roll once per encounter is pretty damn awesome if you ask me, good for really making those Encounter/Daily powers stick where it counts.

You only get 2 at-wills. One of them has to be Magic Missile. That's why I want to...wait a minute...

Okay, after reading the book again, I realize I completely read that wrong. Back to the old character generator...

And to your original statement, networking is my purpose but there's no point if I'm frustrated playing a character I don't really want to play. I never get to play since I'm always the DM. I think it'd be fun to just sit and relax and play the game. If I just wanted to network and meet people, I could do that any day of the week.

 

[Nullzone]

You don't want to play a character simply because you can't spec a 4th at-will power that will likely only see extremely limited use to begin with?

I'm not trying to pick you apart here, just trying to understand the logic. You're protesting as if you're being forced to play a completely different class that lacks all the flavor and characteristics that you enjoy, when it's really just one single power you don't get; the rest of your spellbook is still there, ready to be awesome.

I'm having a hard time seeing how lacking one racial option that in no way affects the bulk majority of the powers you can use turns that Wizard from a badass master of the arcane into a blob of goo that is completely uninteresting.

 

[Incenjucar]

Has anyone any idea what a "lightning wand" is?

It doesn't show up in the compendium, but it's on the treasure table: Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Warm Up Your Winter with D&D!)

 

[Mithreinmaethor]

Has anyone any idea what a "lightning wand" is?

It doesn't show up in the compendium, but it's on the treasure table: Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Warm Up Your Winter with D&D!)

If you have DDi here is the link to the Level 3 Lightning Wand

 

[Incenjucar]

If you have DDi here is the link to the Level 3 Lightning Wand

I don't, but thank you. It looks like it's in... the Dungeon Master's Kit? That strikes me as very strange decision, considering everything else is in the Player's Handbook.