Do you like the name "Golden Wyvern Adept"?

[The Little Raven]

Really? How do you know that? Maybe it does in 4E!

My first thought was "Where are the Golden Wyvern Apprentice (Heroic-tier) and the Golden Wyvern Master (Epic-tier) feats?"

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

It bothers me exactly as much as having Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Otto's Irresistible Dance, or the various Bigby / Otiluke / Mordenkainen spells in the game; ie. not a jot.

Every single one of those spell names describes what the spell does, more or less. If they had been called "Tasha's Left-handed Clavier" and "Otto's Humble Haberdashery," with the same effects as usual, you might have had a point.

How much more descriptive can you get than Otto's Irresistible Dance?

Player 1: What does it do?
Player 2: It makes you dance.
Player 1: Can I resist dancing?
Player 2: No.

 

[The Little Raven]

How much more descriptive can you get than Otto's Irresistible Dance?

Otto's Irresistible (Except If You Have Spell Resistance) Dance.

Player 1: What does it do?
Player 2: It makes you dance.
Player 1: Can I resist dancing?
Player 2: No.
Player 3: I'm a drow and it failed to overcome my spell resistance. Not quite as irresistible as it claims.

 

[TwinBahamut]

I don't really see why so many people are complaining about the name...

Presumably, Wizards of the Golden Wyvern school of thought are the wizards who will be using Area of Effect and "Close" spells. As such, improving your ability to fight with those spells is the same thing as improving your abilities as a wizard of the Golden Wyvern type.

It is pretty much the exact same naming scheme used for Shifter feats in 3.5 Eberron books, so I don't see why people see it as strange or are complaining about it now. A Shifter of the Razorclaw type improves his abilities as a razorclaw by taking the Razorclaw Adept feat. A Longstride Shifter improves his abilities as a Longstride by taking the Longstride Adept feat. It is the exact same thing as the Golden Wyvern, exept the divisions are divisions of class rather than race.

 

[BadMojo]

Otto's Irresistible (Except If You Have Spell Resistance) Dance.

I'd House Rule that even if you have Spell Resistance you still have to tap your foot a bit. The rhythm's gonna get ya!

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

I dislike the entire wizarding tradition concept that the "golden wyvern" feat originates in.

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

I would prefer a feat to have a simple name that relates directly to what it does. The player's mind (especially mine) is a computer with limited RAM available... the designers should keep this in mind.

However, upon a bit of reflection, "Golden Wyvern Adept" isn't a bad sounding fluff name. I just don't think it works for a feat name.

It certainly is a step up from Goldwyvern Adeptblade.

 

[BadMojo]

I don't really see why so many people are complaining about the name...

I can only speak for myself, but I feel that the name has flavor that doesn't fit in with any of the campaign's I'd be playing with D&D but it's also not descriptive at all.

I could "fix" it along with other feats named like it (Emerald Frost, Dragon Tail, etc.) to fit in Forgotten Realms or Eberron but then I'd end up with a confusing name AND a cheat sheet showing what the new name is.

There are people who don't like the named spells in 3.X for the same reason. I don't like Robilars Gambit from PHB II for that reason, but it's easier to fix one or two spells/feats vs. a whole book full of them. It's beginning to sound like there are going to be quite a few feats with the new flavor names in 4E.

 

[The Little Raven]

There are people who don't like the named spells in 3.X for the same reason. I don't like Robilars Gambit from PHB II for that reason, but it's easier to fix one or two spells/feats vs. a whole book full of them. It's beginning to sound like there are going to be quite a few feats with the new flavor names in 4E.

The Mordenkainen, Bigby, Tenser's, Otiluke's and all those are more than just 1-2 spells. They probably comprise as much of the spell list as the wizard tradition feats comprise of the total feat list.

 

[billd91]

It is pretty much the exact same naming scheme used for Shifter feats in 3.5 Eberron books, so I don't see why people see it as strange or are complaining about it now. A Shifter of the Razorclaw type improves his abilities as a razorclaw by taking the Razorclaw Adept feat. A Longstride Shifter improves his abilities as a Longstride by taking the Longstride Adept feat. It is the exact same thing as the Golden Wyvern, exept the divisions are divisions of class rather than race.

Except that names like Beasthide Elite suggest something to do with the hide of a beast... natural armor. Longstride Elite... faster movement. Cliffwalk Elite... something to do with climbing. The name implies something.

Golden Wyvern Adept... You're adept at... something?
If I'm looking at a stat block, I'd like a little more assistance, particularly when the use of the feat is something voluntary and not already figured into the stats or modifiers elsewhere.

Flavor is good, but not if it leads to too much ambiguity.