Holiday Present - The Elf PHB entry

[Traycor]

Its also just annoying to keep track of something a specific as
if there is an elf
and I am not an elf
and I am with 5 'squares' of said elf
and the elf is a friend
and I am making a perception roll
I get a +1.

or I can just ignore the whole thing and not care that there is a whole 5% variance.

The level of annoyance far outweighs the actual benefits.

I like auras, but I agree that aura that grant a "+ bonus" are very annoying to keep track of and will usually be forgotten. I'm all for auras if they give an special ability or power or whatnot, but auras that give numbers should die a slow and painful death.

Side Note: I've very happy with the elf writeup!!!!

 

[GVDammerung]

Stepping back from the entry and rereading it while imagining I had never read a description of an "elf" before, as if I was new to the game (admitedly not a sure task), the entry leaves me feeling "meh" as in "what's so great about elves?" There is no pizzaz (sp) to this entry; it just lays there, specially if one imagines having no prior experience with elves. It is frankly dully written and presented IMO. Competent but hardly eye catching. Maybe they are saving the coolness for the tiefling or the dragonborn entries?

 

[The_Gneech]

This looks pretty good, overall. Nice to have a preview that rubs me the right way for a change.

The short-lived elves idea is simplicity itself to ignore ... I've been ignoring the fact that D&D elves are too short and not immortal since 1979 and I can easily continue that. At least they're less too short now.

+2 Wis isn't something I would have chosen for elves, but I can see where they're coming from with it. (I would have chosen Cha, since elves tend to be depicted as striking and generally attractive.) If you're going to build a race around the idea of keen senses, Wis is where it's at.

re: the Group Awareness, I sort of read that as a kind of passive "always on" Aid Another for Perception checks -- e.g., the elf says, "Did you hear something?" and the human says, "Yes, by thunder! A cry of help from over the hill!" (Or possibly "Look out behind you!" to help someone avoid surprise.) I would probably go with the SWSE "line of sight" model rather than "within 5 squares" tho, just to make life easier.

Overall, this kind of thing is much more in line with what I've been hoping for from 4E.

-The Gneech

 

[Dausuul]

As for movement in squares. They will almost certainly be 5 foot squares, so just convert. It's simple math. The honest truth is, whether minis or basic counters are being used, battle mats and tiles (and similar products) are being used really heavily these days and folks really like having a visual element that allows everyone in the group to understand where they are in relation to their environment. I usually use a mat. I run without one sometimes. When I go without one I'll multiply by 5. Not an issue.

I like having the "basic measurement" in squares; when you're in mid-combat and already swimming in numbers, it's a nuisance to have to divide all distances by 5. However, I'd like it if they also put the measurement in feet afterward in parenthesis, to make life just a bit easier when the characters aren't in combat mode, or for non-mini-using players.

I can't judge the scaling level of powers and feats until I see a bunch more. It stands to reason that some will be viewed as inferior, even if they are supposed to be balanaced. I also don't know that a freebie power that you start play with should be as powerful as those you purchase. A +2 to one attack roll, once per encounter, doesn't seem huge by 3E standards but I'll hold judgment until I see the combat mechanic and know for sure how big or small a deal an extra +2 is under 4E rules.

Well, it's still the d20 system. +2 is still 10%, so you have a rough idea of the impact. The real question is how this stacks up to other feats. If 3E Weapon Focus is the standard power level for feats, this seems like a good match. If 3E Shock Trooper is the standard, not so much.

 

[HeinorNY]

I like auras, but I agree that aura that grant a "+ bonus" are very annoying to keep track of and will usually be forgotten. I'm all for auras if they give an special ability or power or whatnot, but auras that give numbers should die a slow and painful death.

Considering the following:
-Characters don't make Perception checks every round,
-Characters will make most Perception checks once, before combat starts,
-Characters will be most of the time close enough to their elven pals when they make that Perception check.

There is not really any need to keep track of things. The bonus will be there most of the time anyway, just note it down and be happy to have an elven ally.

 

[Remathilis]

I'm generally liking it.

The elf-aura shouldn't be that hard after years of D&D...

DM: Everyone, perception checks!
PC1: *rolls* ah, that's a 20.
PC2: Everyone remember there perception bonus?
Pc1: Oh, sorry. 21.
DM: You see...

We've been doing that since Bless in 2e...

 

[WayneLigon]

Group Awareness: Is it psionic? Does magic stop it? Does it occur when the elf is unconscious? Does it work through cover? Does it need line of effect, or does it work like a spread? Can the allies use it to find the elf if he is nearby and hidden? How about if he is invisible? When is a newly met creature considered an ally and can gain the benefit?

The problem with "aura-like" abilities is that they create game questions. It's fine if the rules handle most of these questions, but if they do not, it just opens up a Pandora's box of posts on the rules forum forever.

Or you could just use common sense and stop splitting every hair you come across, and virtually no rules questions come up. The only question of those that comes close to being legit it 'Does it work through cover?', and my initial reaction would be 'no'. It depends on what the write-up for 'aura powers' says.

 

[Voss]

I can see clearly now the elf has come
I can see all obstacles in my way
Oh, I don' need a lucky rabbit's foot no,
A lucky elf ear will chase my cataracts away!

 

[kennew142]

I like the entry. It reads well, and I like what they're doing with elves. Too bad they're using "squares" as the measure for movement, rather than "feet" (go simulation-style RPGs! w00t!), but I suppose it'll be easier to parse on the game table.

The nice thing about squares is that they have no units attached to them. In the USA, we know that each square is 5 ft. In other countries they know that each square is 1.5 m. This way, players anywhere in the world can attach their own units, without having to learn a new system of measurement just to play the game.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

Is it? I think twitchy ears are quite satisfactory. It may not be perfect... true... but than again, it's only a game and hence it doesn't need to be.

(Legolas' ears twitch)
Aragorn: "What is it, Legolas? Did Gimli fall down a well?"

Sorry, that just popped into my head.

Brad