Hardest to Visualize Power

[Marnak]

Some powers in 4E are incredibly hard to describe or visualize. My favorite example of this is "Blinding Barrage," a first level rogue daily exploit (p. 119). It says that a "barrage of projectiles leaves your enemies clearing the blood from their eyes" but the power allows anyone wielding a crossbow (load minor), a light thrown weapon (dagger or even throwing hammer if dwarven rogue), or a sling to do twice weapon damage plus Dexterity modifier and blinding to all seen enemies in "blast 3."

Post your favorite "indescribable" power or tell me how I help my players visualize this one when they use their dagger!

 

[Fredrik Svanberg]

When you use a power that has several targets, such as a blast or burst, with a ranged weapon, you actually have to use one arrow or thrown weapon per target. So basically the rogue grabs a fistful of daggers and throws them all at once. Or loads a bunch of shot in his slung and throws them all at once. Or loads a bunch of bolts on his crossbow (he's just that good) and shoots them all at once.

 

[Eldorian]

When you use a power that has several targets, such as a blast or burst, with a ranged weapon, you actually have to use one arrow or thrown weapon per target. So basically the rogue grabs a fistful of daggers and throws them all at once. Or loads a bunch of shot in his slung and throws them all at once. Or loads a bunch of bolts on his crossbow (he's just that good) and shoots them all at once.

Page 271. Please say page numbers?


Hard to visualize? Dreadful Word. Level 1 warlock power. Stupid H.P. Lovecraft stuff. A single word that's so scary I go nuts? Lawls.

 

[Lord Xtheth]

Page 271. Please say page numbers?


Hard to visualize? Dreadful Word. Level 1 warlock power. Stupid H.P. Lovecraft stuff. A single word that's so scary I go nuts? Lawls.

I'm willing to guess you forgot about POWER WORD: KILL didn't you?

 

[MarkChevallier]

The hardest to visualise is easily, without a doubt, Own The Battlefield (lvl 22 Warlord Daily Utility).

It allows you to slide all enemies in a 50' burst around you a number of squares equal to your Int mod (there is no attack roll required or saving throw). If you are a tactical warlord, by the time you get this power that might well be +7 or so.

And Warlord is a martial class.

How exactly does this work? Does he shout at the enemy? "Right, I want all the goblins over there, and the displacer beasts three steps to the right! I said three! Don't try and pull the wool over my eyes, displacer beasts!" (If you don't speak their language, maybe you just use really detailed sign language...)

I mean, you can spell out your name with enemies! If you're near a cliff, you can throw half of them off it! It is totally absurd when it comes to rationalisation or verissimilitude.

 

[Eldorian]

I'm willing to guess you forgot about POWER WORD: KILL didn't you?

In previous additions, the actually word spoken was "Die". It wasn't the word that killed you, but the power of the spell behind it. The spell I mentioned is one of those H. P. Lovecraft things where words and images can drive people crazy.

 

[Simon Marks]

Demi-god. At 22nd level a Warlord alters the Battlefield by sheer presence and divine spark.

Seriously, at 21+ level the characters are semi-divine. Past 10th level even Martial characters can achieve the impossible.

 

[MarkChevallier]

Demi-god. At 22nd level a Warlord alters the Battlefield by sheer presence and divine spark.

Seriously, at 21+ level the characters are semi-divine. Past 10th level even Martial characters can achieve the impossible.

But the power isn't derived from the demigod epic destiny (you can certainly not be a demigod and still take the power). It also isn't magical - it's not arcane or divine, it is a martial exploit. You can't handwave it and then say "By force of his will, the Warlord rearranges the enemy into a form more to his liking..." (well, you can, if you're a GM, but I believe it is a very poor explanation, on a par with no explanation at all).

I mean, I like the power, but it drives home very strongly to me some key truths about 4e: 1) it's even more abstract and removed from any kind of "reality" than prior editions and 2) many, many sacrifices have been made on the altar of fun (the power is fun, it's just also incredibly unreal...)

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

That ability is to let warlord play as if the character was a tactical genius, even if the PC isn't. A tactical genius could get the enemies where he wanted them by setting it up through the battle to get them in the place he needed them. Since the player isn't a tactical genius (probably), the game "does it for you" by just letting you slide folken around. It's just like a super-diplomacy ability in a bard PrC letting you be inhumanly convincing; the player probably can't convince you to give up your sword/sign an unfavorable treaty with honeyed words, so the game does it for you.

 

[Wormwood]

It allows you to slide all enemies in a 50' burst around you a number of squares equal to your Int mod (there is no attack roll required or saving throw).

No no no.

At 21st level, this Warlord is clearly a tactical genius without equal. His uncanny ability to read the ebb and flow of the battlefield is so highly developed that he can predict---with pinpoint accuracy---when his opponent is going to make a huge tactical blunder.

"Ready yourselves men, those goblins are about to rout---and I believe that ogre is going to make a break for our flank!"