DMG II -- In my hands . . .

[DungeonmasterCal]

But do we really want 10 or 11 ways to customise a charecter--and with stuff WotC has released we are close--with each way having many, many options within it?

Need 'em? Probably not. I just like having options. Heck, I'm a huge advocate of doing away with the archetypal classes altogether, but that's a rant for another day.

 

[TerraDave]

If this annoys you, the companion spirit is REALLY gonna get you P.O.'ed.
By joining with a "companion spirit" a party gets a number of bonuses. Sure, they lose some XP by doing it, but those bonuses are pretty sweet... Munchkin-crunch cereal.

Why, I wonder why...who is walking around thinking "if only the party could campaign with a helpfull spirit". What demand could this possibly fill (though it sounds like the supply will create its own demand)?

 

[TerraDave]

Need 'em? Probably not. I just like having options. Heck, I'm a huge advocate of doing away with the archetypal classes altogether, but that's a rant for another day.

But see, that is another story...you are now trimming the list by one at least...

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

But see, that is another story...you are now trimming the list by one at least...

?? Sorry...my work addled brain isn't following..

 

[Mercule]

If this annoys you, the companion spirit is REALLY gonna get you P.O.'ed.
By joining with a "companion spirit" a party gets a number of bonuses. Sure, they lose some XP by doing it, but those bonuses are pretty sweet... Munchkin-crunch cereal.

As in, they spend some XP up front to get the thing, or it takes a share of the party's XP going forward. If it's the former, insert rant on using XP for anything other than leveling. If it's the latter, I'm intrigued.

 

[Henry]

...As far as I know, such a consideration doesn't currently exist, so if the mob, for example, fell off a cliff and lands a half-mile later, it takes the 20d6 damage and then moves on with no casualties! The same is true if the entire mob is forced through a wall of fire or blade barrier, or is completely immersed in a pool of lava or acid, or gets caught in a tornado, and so on.

Actually, one poster said above that there are some special rules for area attacks and the like.

 

[Mercule]

Need 'em? Probably not. I just like having options. Heck, I'm a huge advocate of doing away with the archetypal classes altogether, but that's a rant for another day.

Obviously, you can't please everyone. My preference would be to strengthen and refine the archetypal class system so that it actually reflects archetypes not some hybrid of archetypes and arbitrary rules constructs. If D&D ever ditches levels and/or classes, I'm heading for Fantasy Hero.

 

[The_Gneech]

Obviously, you can't please everyone. My preference would be to strengthen and refine the archetypal class system so that it actually reflects archetypes not some hybrid of archetypes and arbitrary rules constructs. If D&D ever ditches levels and/or classes, I'm heading for Fantasy Hero.

W00t! Can I play?

-TG

 

[Felon]

Well, somewhat. For the first minute or so, two or three would come rushing at him while the others stood in the background gobsmacked. By the time they were attacking in concert, most of them were already dead. Finally, several broke for the door, and he basically took attacks of opportunity on them while they did so. Getting the door open just made things worse for them, tho, because he shoved it in their faces, pinning them against the wall, at which point he was basically shooting fish in a barrel. -The Gneech, always willing to go off-topic when Toshiro Mifune is involved

Don't know this movie, but it sure sounds like something I need to see.

It's not so much a matter of a mob getting past a riot shield. I think a better analogy would be trying to stop a Sherman tank by punching it. I don't care how pick a mob that is, it's not going to get through armor that thick with fists. I'd say it's the same with DR monsters. A golem's armor is so thick it turns away blows from everything but objects made out of the hardest substance on the planet or the equivalent. A demon is so coursing with dark nature that only a weapon filled with holy power could counter the creature's evil taint and do true physical damage to the being of pure unholy power. I don't see how significantly upping the quantity of mundane attacks over the course of a few seconds would counter armor of this nature.

Well, if we're going to use real-world analogies, I guess the Sherman tank reference is pretty damn good.

The mob template is a tool, and it sounds like it would work well for the right jobs. If you use an electric sander to wax your car, though, you're going to be unhappy.

What are you going on about? D&D monsters aren't supposed to be specialized or provisional. You should be able to throw critter A against critter B and get the intended result, not some big "whoops, that's a bad combo, they're not supposed to fight each other" cop-out. What, any time there is a question of a rule being poorly-designed, it gets excused on the basis of some crummy hardware analogy?

"No no, it's not the rule that's to blame--see, you're trying to irrigate your lawn with a nailgun, don't you see?"

 

[The_Gneech]

Don't know this movie, but it sure sounds like something I need to see.

Sanjuro, directed by Akira Kurusawa, sequel to Yojimbo, by the same director. I highly recommend them both!

-The Gneech