Excerpts: PHB2 - Heric Tier Feats

[Nymrohd]

Between Melee Training and Weapon Expertise I came up with a house rule to take both of them out and intergrate them with probably my first 4E houserule I'm actually excited about and planning to use on games:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/4e-fan...s/251862-forked-thread-fix-stat-polarity.html

 

[UngeheuerLich]

the problem with the game is, that every player is assumed to hit 50% of the time if he is top equipped and maximized at all levels...

this is a problem, because it takes away choices. The default assumption for monsters should have been an increase of 3/4 bab per level. This would make it possible for PCs to be slightly ahead or slightly behind, depending on choices.

and thus, a feat like weapon expertise, masterwork armor and armor specialization wouldn´t be necessary for every character concept.

I think they have made following mistake when they designed the game:
their playtesters tested everything with optimized characters. They forgot, new players maybe don´t optimize characters so much... and so there was a bit diappointment on too low chance to hit... and a too big chance to beeing hit, leading to grinding battles...

so, what can you do to correct it:
use lower level encounters, ban those feats. Just use encounters 2 or 3 levels lower, this also makes advancement on higher levels more slowly, which is also a good effect... problem solved...

 

[Nymrohd]

50% is a little low I think. It is probably higher not counting for leaders.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I thought the masterwork armor just smoothed out the AC curve, without significantly increasing the overall power level of the game? Am I wrong? I'll have to go look at that again.

Yes, that is correct. I think it shows the designers were aware of the "problem" for AC. AV also introduced items that affected other defenses.

The interesting question:
- Why wait till now to fix it? Did they intentionally wait (basically an example of what it "means" that the PHB/DMG/MM 2 are "core books")? Did they think powers, paragon and epic features or something like that would compensate in hiding?
- Why a feat, why not Masterwork weapons?

 

[CapnZapp]

Buy the PHB 2, or be marginalized.

Sincerely, WotC

QFT!!



(And oh; I don't buy that ridiculous "noone reads errata" spiel. That's worse marketspeak than WotC could have come up with themselves. So you're seriously suggesting we should stop demanding errata and instead be content with having to buy new books just to get corrections to the ones we already have? )

 

[CapnZapp]

AV also introduced items that affected other defenses.

Hang on, could you explain what items you're thinking of here?

I mean if you're thinking of the neck slot items which give their enhancement bonus to Fort/Ref/Will those weren't introduced by AV.

I'm asking because if you don't, then I've apparently missed something I need to hand out to my players?

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I just noticed that there is a kind of "precedent" for feats that "fix math" - the Iron WIll/Lightning Reflexes/Great Fortitude feats are PHB I Paragon feats and add a +2 to your defenses. And of course, just like attack bonuses, defenses also suffer from the PC/NPC differences over level.

We didn't associate these feats with "fixing" math, maybe because they seem so... weak compared to a +1/+2/+3 to attacks. But still, aren't they very similar in that regard?

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Hang on, could you explain what items you're thinking of here?

I mean if you're thinking of the neck slot items which give their enhancement bonus to Fort/Ref/Will those weren't introduced by AV.

I'm asking because if you don't, then I've apparently missed something I need to hand out to my players?

1) Armor that grants bonus to individual defenses (replacing a higher AC bonus, though)

2) A few other items (non-neck-slot) that increase defenses. I don't know the names off-hand and off-book.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

My first thought sprang from the Flame Surge feat, which immediately reminded me of Sean Reynold's rant on Fewer Absolutes..

Hey look, the FireLasher, a raging creature composed of fire and air... takes more damage from your fire....

Why didn't they do that as a 'Penetrating Flame: targets resistance to fire is decreased by X' instead of boosting the damage? Now we will have the sillyness of a fire power that penetrates the fire resistance via Irresistable Flame {or its ilk} AND deals more damage

Oh well

 

[UngeheuerLich]

beacuse you so more damage when the enemy thinks he is immune and doesn´t do anything to dodge...

also his morale will sink even more than that of a creature who expected to be burnt...

he feels agony totally unknown to him...

thus: more damage!