Excerpt: Paragon paths (merged)

[Incenjucar]

I think the idea is to intensify your strategies rather than to replace them with something new, like with that Cold+COLD+FRICKING COLD combo noted above, or all the fear boosts that Warlock path gets. It's not really something NEW, but things work a lot better.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Well, I for one dig it.

 

[DandD]

I think the idea is to intensify your strategies rather than to replace them with something new, like with that Cold+COLD+FRICKING COLD combo noted above, or all the fear boosts that Warlock path gets. It's not really something NEW, but things work a lot better.

3-hit combo! Super! 12-hit combo! Awesome! 32-hit combo! Super Street Fighter Turbo Ex 2 Alpha +1!

D&D 4th edition is Street Fighter!!!

 

[Colmarr]

Extra Damage Action (11th level): When you spend an action point to take an extra action, you also add one-half your level to the damage dealt by any of your standard action attacks this turn

...

there is encouragement to spend the AP for the extra action first and then apply the bonus to your normal "Standard Action" as well. The SA's one also applies to any OAs or additional attacks prompted by say a Warlord power - Nasty

I noticed this too, but there is a potential issue here in that the power can retrospectively affect the outcome of an attack that's already been made and resolved.

Eg. 1

Warpriest in combat with orc.
Standard action: Warpriest attacks orc 1. Reduces it to 3 hp.
Move action: Warpriest moves to orc 2, taking a OA and 10hp damage from orc 1.
Action Point: Warpriest uses an action point to attack orc 2. As soon as he spends the action point, orc 1 keels over and dies.

Or even worse:

Eg. 2
Warpriest fighting an orc.
Move action: Warpriest moves into melee with orc.
Standard action: Warpriest attacks orc 1. Reduces it to 3 hp.
Action Point: Warpriest uses his action point to take an extra action. Orc keels over. The Warpriest is left with no other targets.

Eg. 3
Warpriest fighting orc.
Standard Action: Warpriest uses Cascade of light. Reduces orc to 10hp. Makes it vulnerable radiant 5.
Action Point: Warpriest does something. Orc takes 5 points of extra damage from the Cascade of Light. The ability is radiant and the ork is now vulnerable 5 to radiant damage so it takes a total of 10 damage. The orc dies.



It can be explained as blood loss, shock, etc but it still seems like a wonky rule to me...

 

[DandD]

Or it might be because of the glowing weapon... Or more abstractively, while you're going away, you're doing something like a cleave action. I mean, a round is approximately 6 seconds. Quite much can happen in 6 seconds.

 

[Stalker0]

there is encouragement to spend the AP for the extra action first and then apply the bonus to your normal "Standard Action" as well. The SA's one also applies to any OAs or additional attacks prompted by say a Warlord power - Nasty

If the pregen rules hold up, this is not possible. The rules state a specific order of events, action point actions occur AFTER your regular actions, so you can't pull off that little trick

 

[Victim]

I noticed this too, but there is a potential issue here in that the power can retrospectively affect the outcome of an attack that's already been made and resolved.

It can be explained as blood loss, shock, etc but it still seems like a wonky rule to me...

I think the idea is that the AP is used and THEN the player takes his actions:

The Warpriest is in melee with an orc, and spends an AP.
Standard: Attack orc 1, with bonus.
Move: approach orc 2
AP Action: Attack orc 2, with bonus

 

[Lurker59]

I highly doubt damage would be retroactively added to attacks. Rather it makes the decision to use the action point first and gain the benefit for two standard attacks, or wait to see if you can drop the monster in one attack and then use an action point if it's still on its feet.

 

[ShockMeSane]

Yea, I'm pretty sure the spirit of the power isn't that it retroactively damages enemies. I mean, if thats how you want to do it, thats cool with me, but it ain't happening in my campaign. Too obtuse for my tastes.

 

[Incenjucar]

3-hit combo! Super! 12-hit combo! Awesome! 32-hit combo! Super Street Fighter Turbo Ex 2 Alpha +1!

D&D 4th edition is Street Fighter!!!

Oh noes, we are doomed!

But yeah, paths seem to be more about opening up your strategies in new ways rather than rewriting them completely.

Say you wanted to make a wizard named Kelvin Zero.

Levels 1-10, the wizard might focus on getting some cold spells, some defensive spells, and a get out of jail free card, and some feats to boost the cold damage.

Levels 11-20, Kelvin goes warmage, and gets a ritual that adds cold damage to the attacks his allies make, and gets cold-based movement-inhibiting powers (which will force more movement actions, making AOs more likely, and making him and his allies more able to focus that cold damage at will), and, of course, Lasting Frost to make it all extra nasty.

Levels 21+, Kelvin might be covering the battlefield with jagged ice shards, and raining the same from the sky, while shielding his allies from cold damage, and maybe summoning an Ice Archon to fight beside him while he flies or teleports around the battlefield, freezing anything that tries to fly away from the killing field so that it drops to an icy death.

<3 <3 <3