Impressions from KotS

[Lizard]

"Harder to hurt," not "harder to hit." Joe's comatose body takes a beating better than Jim's. Do you narrate every missed attack roll as "swing and a miss?" Does full-plate make your players super dexterous all of a sudden? If not, then just say the level bonus is natural, accrued toughness (i.e. natural armor). It's John McClane armor.

But that's already built into hit points.

 

[Henry]

But that's already built into hit points.

Yeah, all my "Die Hard" defenses of healing surges notwithstanding, John MacClane would have had his throat slit in five seconds if one of his enemies came upon him while he was asleep, or bound and gagged. Unconsciousness and defenselessness are two things I'm seriously thinking about altering if 4e is not to my liking on those points, because I just can't argue about the ease of killing a defenseless person in or out of combat.

 

[GSHamster]

But that's already built into hit points.

This is more a design choice, rather than necessary simulation. You are right, you can get a lot of the same effect by adding extra hitpoints. But it plays and feels differently.

For example, in World of Warcraft a melee character has a 95% chance of hitting a monster of equal level. Pretty much everything else is handled by hitpoints. A weak character has less health than a strong character. (There's also damage reduction through armor, but I'm simplifying.)

What D&D has chosen to do is make it less likely that you hit the monster, but reduce the number of hitpoints overall. This generally puts more weight on the attack roll, and makes combat swingier, than the other method.

 

[Rechan]

Yeah, all my "Die Hard" defenses of healing surges notwithstanding, John MacClane would have had his throat slit in five seconds if one of his enemies came upon him while he was asleep, or bound and gagged. Unconsciousness and defenselessness are two things I'm seriously thinking about altering if 4e is not to my liking on those points, because I just can't argue about the ease of killing a defenseless person in or out of combat.

Out of combat, I'd argue that it'd just be a flat instant kill. In combat, I think it just is different - you get auto-crits and combat advantage (which means sneak attacks too) is enough, and it gives everyone around the opportunity to save the person, etc.

 

[Family]

Pg 80: "At which point [Kalaral] activates the amulet he wears and teleports to the evil magic circle."

What amulet again? Why wasn't it listed in his equipment? If I stop him from being dragged in [or while he is in the process of] can I take it off of him?

 

[phil500]

do you think keegan can wipe a party of the 5 pregens at level 2?

 

[vladbat]

Yeah, all my "Die Hard" defenses of healing surges notwithstanding, John MacClane would have had his throat slit in five seconds if one of his enemies came upon him while he was asleep, or bound and gagged. Unconsciousness and defenselessness are two things I'm seriously thinking about altering if 4e is not to my liking on those points, because I just can't argue about the ease of killing a defenseless person in or out of combat.

I'm guessing coup de grace is out for 4e?

 

[Ulthwithian]

Mudstrum, if that's really a quote by Vecna, shouldn't it be, "It's all fun and games until someone gains an eye?"

It's sort of like Sauron saying, "It's all fun and games until someone gains a Ring."

 

[Henry]

I'm guessing coup de grace is out for 4e?

Let's just say it's different.

 

[Lizard]

This is more a design choice, rather than necessary simulation. You are right, you can get a lot of the same effect by adding extra hitpoints. But it plays and feels differently.

Yeah, but...but...we're talking about being *unconscious*. Not even aware of what's going on. And yet, you're STILL harder to hit if you're higher level. What, you're "less immobile"?

It's mostly an unintended artifact of the rules, and easy to house rule -- you automatically hit an unconscious character if you are adjacent to the body and no allies are adjacent to you. Otherwise, all defenses are a flat 10.