[title]D&D 4th Edition News[/title]
EN World member Elric has an excellent post which lists many useful 4E threads on the messageboards:
Thank you for all the columnist and cartoonist applications. We have over 100 of them, so we won't be accepting any further applications. Thank you all for your interest!
It will take a while to sort through them all, so it may be a few days before you get a reply.
[title]Pathfinder / D&D 3.5 News[/title]
EN World member Elric has an excellent post which lists many useful 4E threads on the messageboards:
- keterys: sanity checking monster damages. He goes through MM1 and calculates damage dealt by monsters using reasonable assumptions about how long they'll live, how many PCs they'll catch in areas, etc.
- Elric: the limits of infinite expected damage. Expected damage being infinite is no sign of an all-powerful build. The fact that at the time a build could get an infinite expected damage had been (sarcastically) brought up as a reason why even a feat that gave +100 damage wouldn't do a lot.
- Stalker0's Obsidian Skill Challenge System v1.2 and Stalker0's Guide to Anti-Grind. The former is a very well designed alternative skill challenge (houserule) system for <ACRONYM title="D&D 4th Edition">4E</ACRONYM>, while the latter post is a handy guide to avoiding "grind" when designing encounters for <ACRONYM title="D&D 4th Edition">4E</ACRONYM>.
- eamon on attributes and optimization: for many characters, taking a very high primary attribute is an easy path to effectiveness; by comparison, getting the most out of secondary/tertiary stats requires more game knowledge/planning.
- eamon on why rolled stats are typically inferior; it's because Primary attributes are so valuable!
- Truename: Monte Carlo versus Monster Manual 3- a simulation of a Dwarf fighter over the course of a day against a variety of opponents, at different levels. Very interesting stuff. That thread references the original version, which was done against Monster Manual 1's guidelines.
- Piratecat: have your players design an encounter for you.
- eamon on use and abuse of readied actions.
- lostsoul on ways to reduce prep time and allow the players freedom in their actions.
- CapnZapp on why it's simpler and more balanced to have multiple copies of otherwise identical (save ends) effects require separate saves (rather than subsuming identical effects into a single save). The discussions starts with this post, but a later follow up post explains it best.
- A graph of the chance to succeed on skill challenges of different types as a function of your chance to succeed (assumed constant) across each check of the skill challenge. A method to calculate those numbers.
- Flatus Maximus: If you roll a dN (N-sided die) n times and let X be the max of the n rolls, here's a formula for the average. I provide an approximation to that formula that makes for easier calculations.
- eamon on the rules updates you should incorporate into play. Contains a very good summary of some of the better changes.
- eamon's Simpler Treasure System with (mostly) Random Loot. Briefly: 1. The DM randomizes (most) loot. 2. Items are sold at half price, instead of at 20% of list price. 3. All treasure parcels containing magic items are raised by one level.
- The basic math of <ACRONYM title="D&D 4th Edition">4e</ACRONYM> PC advancement relative to monsters.
- When Avengers (or other characters who can roll twice for attacks and use the better roll) gain more or less than typical characters from increasing their attack bonus.
- Stalker0: the 15-minute workday- a discussion of game design.
- mkill: Analysis of the new stat pairs for elf, eladrin, dwarf, halfling
- LostSoul: Sandboxing in the Nentir Vale (was: Emergent Features in KotS). jbear: It is full of loads of really cool ideas about using powers as part of skill rolls/challenges and improvised PC actions and how to set DCs using the monster's defenses relevant to the action that is affecting it. Also to see how he improvised to bring <ACRONYM title="Keep on the Shadowfell">KotS</ACRONYM> to life was really invaluable.
- RangerWickett's Campaigns in a nutshell. Adventures in a Sentence<!-- google_ad_section_end -->
Thank you for all the columnist and cartoonist applications. We have over 100 of them, so we won't be accepting any further applications. Thank you all for your interest!
It will take a while to sort through them all, so it may be a few days before you get a reply.
[title]Pathfinder / D&D 3.5 News[/title]
- Builds and Feats for Advanced Pathfinder Players The reviewers are saying very nice things about this summary of the Alchemist book from Open Design and Netbook of Feats honcho Sigfried Trent. Worth a look if there's an alchemist as a PC or NPC in your game.
- Savage Fetishes for your Pathfinder game Part 1 of a two-part series, Kobold Quarterly presents two feats for imbuing fetishes with barbarian rage powers.
- Questhaven Campaign Setting Patronage Project Ever found some OGL material you loved but never got to use? Thought, 'Well, some day I'll put it in a game.' That day is here. Welcome to Questhaven, The Evocative City! In this supplement, patrons are encouraged to bring any and all old and new open gaming content options to the design, in order to make this project the most diverse and fun setting possible!
- Beast Legends: The Kraken Beast Legends and the RPG Examiner bring the tentacled horror to life for d20 games.
Dungeonographer (Dungeon Mapping Software) Enters Open Beta Phase New product features a very low learning curve (similarUI to Hexographer); cross-platform; free web-based version; maps can be viewed in two styles: classic/line art and semi-realistic/battlemat; quickly print the map or any portion as an instant battlemat.- New D&D Webcomic Debuts at Neuroglyph Games Check out the Issue #1 of the new 4E inspired webcomic by Robert Kusiak: Passive Perceptions!
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