D&D 4E Ideas for 4E tweaks

[Stalker0]

And since Resilience is 1/2 the minion's level + their Con bonus, and all monsters get 1/2 their level added to their stat bonuses anyway so the modifier listed in the stat block is already figured and usable as is, the GM doesn't have to figure a thing... just look down to see the listed Con bonus, and if the damage on a hit exceeds it by at least 1, down goes the minion. What could be easier?

Easier, but not necessarily better. You greatly weaken effects like cleave that are mainly designed to kill minions at higher levels.

 

[Samurai]

Easier, but not necessarily better. You greatly weaken effects like cleave that are mainly designed to kill minions at higher levels.

Yes, but it should be usable for a while, and they can retrain when they are finding it isn't as useful anymore. And it is still good against non-Minions. Also, my rules added an intermediate stage between full-strength monsters and minions: Lesser monsters. All the same rules and stats as regular monsters, but 1/2 the hit points. The minions are the cannon-fodder, the Lesser creatures are the rank and file soldiers, and the leaders and named foes are tougher.

 

[Alex319]

2) Since your weakening reliable powers a tad since all powers become slightly reliable, you could still have them roll a recharge roll even if they miss. On a 6 you get them back. Now that puts some fun into reliable!

Did you mean to write "even if they hit?" If they miss you don't lose them anyway.

 

[Alex319]

Here's the latest version of rules changes for my game. Much of it is taken directly from the errata (most of the power and skill changes, for instance. I figured it was easier to have 1 document of changes, rather than 1 errata sheet and 1 house rules sheet, so I combined them.) But other things are new, including new feats, changes to multiclassing, familiars, skill challenges, etc.

Mostly good stuff here but just a couple questions:

- If Commander's Strike is now range 10, does it now provoke OAs? If so it would be a much less useful power because warlords are often in melee.

- The "one square wide path" on the Bolt - does that have to go in one of the eight cardinal directions, and if not what happens if it's fired at an angle? (To be more clear you could use the old rule from 3.5e about picking corners of squares and drawing a line, and any square that line passes through is in the path.

- Heroic Surge seems very powerful, especially if used by a class that already gets more healing surges than it uses. (For comparison purposes, IIRC, there is a magic item that gives a once-per-encounter "free action point" only in certain circumstances, and it's around 26th level. This feat allows everyone to get a "free AP" in every encounter right off the bat, for only the cost of a healing surge.)

- Vestigial Wings - an entire feat that can be completely obsoleted by a single heroic tier magic item (IIRC, there's a ring of feather fall or something). Even still it doesn't seem like it would come up much - doesn't seem worth a feat.

 

[Samurai]

Mostly good stuff here but just a couple questions:

- If Commander's Strike is now range 10, does it now provoke OAs? If so it would be a much less useful power because warlords are often in melee.

- The "one square wide path" on the Bolt - does that have to go in one of the eight cardinal directions, and if not what happens if it's fired at an angle? (To be more clear you could use the old rule from 3.5e about picking corners of squares and drawing a line, and any square that line passes through is in the path.

- Heroic Surge seems very powerful, especially if used by a class that already gets more healing surges than it uses. (For comparison purposes, IIRC, there is a magic item that gives a once-per-encounter "free action point" only in certain circumstances, and it's around 26th level. This feat allows everyone to get a "free AP" in every encounter right off the bat, for only the cost of a healing surge.)

- Vestigial Wings - an entire feat that can be completely obsoleted by a single heroic tier magic item (IIRC, there's a ring of feather fall or something). Even still it doesn't seem like it would come up much - doesn't seem worth a feat.

Thanks for the reply and feedback! Here are my thoughts:

I view Commander's Strike (and Feather me yon oaf) as the Warlord's ranged attack. When he can't get close enough to an enemy himself (or if he's back guarding the Wizard or something), he can order someone else who is in position to attack to attack for him. If he's already in melee, he doesn't really need to use this power, and might be better off using one of his other powers, or else Shift 1 square away from the melee and then use it.


What we'd do is use the width of a standard ruler and if it crosses through a foe, it's hit. That's the same as you are suggesting, essentially.

Under these rules, Action Points have become more common (every battle instead of every other battle) which reduces their value, and Surges are more difficult to recover (only 3 per extended rest, not all of them) and have additional uses (such as powering up a ring, etc), making them more valuable. However, I agree that it's still a rather powerful feat... do you think limiting it to once a day, instead of per encounter, would be better?

Ring of Feather Fall is 14th level, so Paragon, but it's still a good point. I thought about allowing very limited real flight (until end of next turn once per day maybe) and/or taking no or minimum damage from falling (1 point per 10'). I worried that these might be too powerful though. What do you think?

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Yes, but it should be usable for a while, and they can retrain when they are finding it isn't as useful anymore. And it is still good against non-Minions. Also, my rules added an intermediate stage between full-strength monsters and minions: Lesser monsters. All the same rules and stats as regular monsters, but 1/2 the hit points. The minions are the cannon-fodder, the Lesser creatures are the rank and file soldiers, and the leaders and named foes are tougher.

The feel of Cleave would be wrong. It's there to kill Minions.

I think it was Mike Mearls that suggested the idea in a podcast or so that Minions might just give less XP at higher levels. Maybe 1/6 at Paragon and 1/8 at Epic. I think that might be a far easier change.

I also liked a fixed Resist All by Tier (Heroic 0; Paragon 5, Epic 10), but I think 10 would be too much. 5 is a good number - Cleave would still work as expected, Cloud of Daggers and similar "damage equal to one of your secondary attacks) less so. But I guess changing the XP gained by killing Minions is still better in the end.