D&D 4E Essential 4e: Heroes of the Forgotten Lands

[vaultdweller]

It's a feat bonus.

Thanks for the info.

A bit more on feats. Did any of the racial weapon feats get revisited? Dwarven Weapon Training or Eladrin Soldier, for example. I've been suspecting that Essentials would make such feats scale by tier, as was done with later weapon feats like Githzerai Blade Master. I'm curious if my prediction was accurate.

 

[Fiery_Dragon]

What is this `Quick Swap` thing Slayers have? I`m also curious about what `Weapon Specialization` is.

Once during your turn, you can draw or stow a weapon as a free action (instead of a minor action)

 

[Fiery_Dragon]

Thanks for the info.

A bit more on feats. Did any of the racial weapon feats get revisited? Dwarven Weapon Training or Eladrin Soldier, for example. I've been suspecting that Essentials would make such feats scale by tier, as was done with later weapon feats like Githzerai Blade Master. I'm curious if my prediction was accurate.

To answer an earlier question: there are no racial feats in this book.

Dwarven Weapon Training: you gain proficiency with throwing hammer and warhammer.

Eladrin Weapon Proficiency: You gain proficiency with longsword.

Elf: longbow and shortbow

 

[Fiery_Dragon]

Thanks so much for all this. Two questions about wizards:



(1) How does this build "use Constitution"? I know how CON affects a Staff of Defense wizard, but I'm not clear on how it affects an Evocation mage, or how the other stats affect the other two mage types.

(2) Probably a related question, but is there something missing here? These builds seem a little weak next to the original implement-based builds in PH1/AP. It seems like there's a missing feature, and I'm betting it's whatever the answer to question #1 is.

Thanks!

To answer in reverse order, a Mage gets:
1 - class features (Apprentice Mage, Mage's spellbook, Mage cantrips, magic missile, two at-will powers, encounter, daily)
2 - gain one utility power, gain 1 feat
3 - encounter power
4 - ability score increase, feat, Apprentice Mage ability
5 - Expert Mage ability, daily
6 - utility power, feat
7 - encounter power
8 - ability score increase, feat, Expert Mage ability
9 - daily power
10 - feat, utility power, Master mage ability

The Apprentice, Expert and Master mage abilitie are the ones tied into your School. For ex, Enchantment Apprentice gives you +2 squares to forced movement, Expert gives +2 Bluff/Diplomacy and Master gives +2 attacks against creatures you cause to attack. So, you lose Arcane Implement Mastery but gain other abilities spread throughout heroic tier.


School also determines how your Enigmatic Paragon Path works. For the 11th level Action Point power, Evocation school gains power bonus to damage equal to CON. Enchantment slides enemy within 2 a number of squares equal to CHA mod. Illusion gains WIS to REF and AC until end of next turn.

So, really just minor now that I look at them.

 

[Fiery_Dragon]

What are the magic item enchantments besides the basic Magic?

Defensive (when you total defense or second wind you add the + to all defenses)

and Vicious (+1d12 on crit)

 

[Fiery_Dragon]

Many thanks for all the info.

Could you give us a little peak at the wizard at-wills?

ARC LIGHTNING: attacks 1 or 2 creatures
BEGUILING STRANDS: INT mod psychic damage to enemies blast 5 and push 3 squares
FREEZING BURST: cold damage and a slide
HYPNOTISM: target uses free action to make a melee basic +4 against creature of your choice or target slides 3 squares
PHANTASMAL ASSAULT psychic damage and target grants AC and can't make OAs until end of your next turn
PHANTOM CAGE: psychic damage and additional damage if it moves

 

[Phreddkroe]

Can we get an example of what the paragon or epic tiers look like on the class progression tables? Thanks so much for all the info you've given out!

 

[Fiery_Dragon]

Here are my analogies to help explain Essentials, from what I can understand only owning this one book.

HEROSCAPE ANALOGY
The game Heroscape has two formats for the rules. Beginner and Advanced. The rules are essentially the same, it's just that the Advanced version has more options and fiddly bits. 4E is the Advanced version; Essentials is the Beginner version. You get to play with the same characters and figures on the same map, roll the same dice, have the same battles and tell the same stories. When playing with my kids or newbies, I play the "Beginner" version. When playing with gamers or experienced friends, we play the "Advanced" version.

Both versions are the same game, it's just one has removed many of the added layers of complexity and options.

Now here's the trick: Say that there was some errata released for the Heroscape game, which had been released online since the game was published. Now imagine Hasbro releasing a new Heroscape Starter Set which just contained the Beginner rules -- but included the errata that had since come out online.

The Player's Handbook is the complete game of Heroscape. Essentials is the new Starter Set with Beginner rules only... but it does include the errata. It assumes that you are buying the Starter Set as a first purchase, and does not reference the bigger game, although it directs you to their heroscape.com website which will have that additional information.

 

[Fiery_Dragon]

ESSENTIALS definintion.

My friends wants to read Batman comics. I could give him the past 25 years worth of issues I have in longboxes in my basement and let him enjoy the ups and downs and various stories.

Or, I give him the trades for Year One, Killing Joke, Long Halloween and a couple of other "essentials" that give him all he really needs to know about the character.

Sure, some origins have been ret-conned, and some costume changes have taken place, and there was a new Batman (or two, or three...) in there over the course of the past 25 years, but even just reading the trades I give him, he's still reading Batman.

 

[JoJa]

Your analogies for Essentials make sense.

I had a few other questions about the Knight. Can you list and describe some of the other stances it can pick from at 1st level. We've seen battle wrath and cleaving assault in the fighter's preview. What are some of the other options? (sorry if you already answered this and I missed it)

Also, what sort of abilities and class features do Knights pick up in the paragon and epic tiers? Obviously they get more power strike opportunities and ability to choose more stances, but what sorts of things do they get at high level to balance against pre-Essentials fighter powers at high level?

thanks again for all your help.