D&D 4E Is there a compiled Broken 4e Bits?

[FireLance]

To be frank, I think the OP would have been better off asking for what others have found to be good or powerful game elements (and why) and then making his own decisions on whether they would be too good for his game.

 

[Edrick]

DM's prerogative

I'm a very laid-back DM. As long as the players are not breaking the rules, I'll go with what they do.

That being said, for any offense, there is a good defense (and for any good defense there is a good offense). If a player is exploiting a particular rule to the point where adventures are being cakewalked, then I would respond with the appropriate challenges to humble them enough to get them to understand the unrealistic nature of excessive and unrealistic optimization.

To combat a battlerager, just send in the blasters and shooters...to combat an intimidating spammer, bring in guys with high will saves (or special defenses/resistances/immunities against this sort of attack). Lasting Frost + Wintertouched? Immunity/big resistance to cold. For anything they throw at you, there's always some fun way to even the table and make for a fun and challenging adventure.

When monsters seem too weak, terrain and environmental features can make a huge difference, too.

If a player will go out of their way to put the time and skill into a character that makes specific use/abuse of some game rules, then I consider it a challenge to fight fire with fire DM's generally win out in this sort of battle anyway.

 

[Plane Sailing]

You should probably include skillchallenges as a broken bit, especially if ruining them straight from the book. For detailed info about why there is an issue here you could doworse than google for Stalker0

Cheers

 

[Elric]

I'm a very laid-back DM. As long as the players are not breaking the rules, I'll go with what they do.

That being said, for any offense, there is a good defense (and for any good defense there is a good offense). If a player is exploiting a particular rule to the point where adventures are being cakewalked, then I would respond with the appropriate challenges to humble them enough to get them to understand the unrealistic nature of excessive and unrealistic optimization.

To combat a battlerager, just send in the blasters and shooters...to combat an intimidating spammer, bring in guys with high will saves (or special defenses/resistances/immunities against this sort of attack). Lasting Frost + Wintertouched? Immunity/big resistance to cold. For anything they throw at you, there's always some fun way to even the table and make for a fun and challenging adventure.

When monsters seem too weak, terrain and environmental features can make a huge difference, too.

If a player will go out of their way to put the time and skill into a character that makes specific use/abuse of some game rules, then I consider it a challenge to fight fire with fire DM's generally win out in this sort of battle anyway.

This seems worse than simply disallowing or modifying certain overpowered abilities before they become a problem. If the GM has to significantly alter the way he does things to prevent X from being a problem, that is a cost in and of itself.

Let me use an example from economics: If the government placed an absurdly large tax on milk, say, $10.00/gallon, I'd stop buying milk. So I wouldn't have to pay the tax. However, that doesn't imply that the tax isn't causing me economic harm; it's causing me far more economic harm than if the tax was $0.50/gallon and I still bought a fair amount of milk (and thus paid a fair amount of the tax).

 

[keterys]

If a player will go out of their way to put the time and skill into a character that makes specific use/abuse of some game rules, then I consider it a challenge to fight fire with fire DM's generally win out in this sort of battle anyway.

No matter how many people play global thermonuclear war, everybody loses. As a default state, I think it works best if players and DMs both go into the game trying to help each other and pointing out things that seem wrong.

So, if the DM really loves throwing needlefang drake swarms and mad wraiths at the party, the PCs should mention if it makes things less fun for them. Similarly, the DM should mention that <this combination of abilities> is throwing the game balance out of whack.

 

[N0Man]

No matter how many people play global thermonuclear war, everybody loses. As a default state, I think it works best if players and DMs both go into the game trying to help each other and pointing out things that seem wrong.

So, if the DM really loves throwing needlefang drake swarms and mad wraiths at the party, the PCs should mention if it makes things less fun for them. Similarly, the DM should mention that <this combination of abilities> is throwing the game balance out of whack.

I think you are under the false impression that most people are reasonable and cooperative. This kind of crazy talk would never work! ;-)

But seriously, good advice.

 

[cdrcjsn]

I posted a short list of 4e Encounter powers that I think need fixing a while back.

Familiar Ground » Archive » Top 5 Encounter Powers That Need Fixing in 4e

I haven't had time to get around to class features, dailies or items though.

I heard from a source that several items I had a problem with are under review to be fixed, so yay for that.

Cedric

 

[keterys]

I've similarly heard that RRoT and RoB is getting looked at - Bloodclaw too, if memory serves. I want to say the latter two was direct communication on a forum by Greg Bilisand as items coming up for errata, and that RRoT was a more friend of a friend talking to someone at WoTC so less reliable.

I believe Unicorn's Touch also got a post by someone official in reference to LFR games suggesting that it would get changed, but to just run with it for now. Hmm - might have been LFR campaign staff, but also might have been Chris Tulach or Mike Donais. Wasn't paying enough attention.

I haven't heard anyone talk about Storm of Blades but it sure does seem a bit off.

 

[Caliban]

I'm starting a 4e home game soon, and these are the house rules I'm planning on using at the moment:

House Rules​

Powers

Guileful Switch: takes a standard action instead of a minor action.

Rain of Blows: Make 2 attack rolls against the same target, use the higher one. Hit does 2[W] + Str damage, and you make a secondary attack against the same target or a different target that does 2[W] + Str damage.

Touch of the Unicorn: (Swordmage Utility 6) This power can only heal damage taken within the last 10 minutes.

Feats

Righteous Rage of Tempus: Minor action: If the next melee attack you make before the end of your next turn hits, it does +1[W] damage on that single attack.

Weapon Expertise, Implement Expertise, and Focused Expertise: All characters gain their choice of one of these feats as a bonus feat at 5 level. It may be retrained to a different version of the feat.

Skills

No changes at present.

Equipment

Off Hand property: only grants bonuses when making an off-hand attack (as specified in certain ranger and fighter powers). This means that Tempest fighters gets +1 damage with melee and close attacks made with the primary weapon, and +2 damage to melee and close attacks made as an off-hand attack.

Double weapons: have a primary end and a secondary end. The Primary end is the larger damage die (if they are different), the secondary end has the Off-Hand property. You can choose to attack with either end of the weapon, but the secondary end doesn’t gain any benefit from the off-hand property if it is not making an off-hand attack.

Double Axe: change damage to 1d10/1d8.
Double Flail: change damage to 1d10/1d8. You hit yourself with the secondary end every time you hit an enemy with the primary end. (Seriously, who thought this would be a good idea?)
Double Sword: change damage to 1d8/1d6. Primary end is Heavy Blade, Secondary end is Light Blade.
Urgosh: Primary end is Axe (1d12), Secondary end is Spear (1d8). Dwarven weapon training gives a damage bonus with the primary end; Eladrin Soldier training gives a damage bonus with the secondary end. Either feat will grant you proficiency with the Urgosh.
Double Shortblade (new weapon): 1d6/1d6, Weapon Group: light blade, Properties: offhand, defensive.

Magic Items

Bloodclaw weapon: the power can only be used on one attack (made with that weapon) on your turn per round.

Reparation Apparatus: Does not work on Living Constructs.

Power Jewel: Only one power jewel may be used between long rests by a single character.

Rod of Reaving: does not deal damage on curses that are spread by the Rod of Corruption or similar effects.

 

[Garthanos]

I believe Unicorn's Touch also got a post by someone official in reference to LFR games suggesting that it would get changed, but to just run with it for now.

I can't seem to get my head around this it is a weak divergence from the design paradigm in 4e but not actually significant in most contexts, heck if it was 10% of hit points, it would fit the games design better (yet be more powerful). Limiting the use of encounter powers when outside of an encounter... doesn't seem at all unreasonable (case by case issues might arise).
Doesn't really seem worthy of an erata. So the unicorn force is a little unquenchable .. and unconquered that's what unicorns are all about.