Keep on the Shadowfells Questions!

[npiccini]

Just ran through the first few encounters in the adventure and I am not one of the lucky people to get my books early so i have a bunch of questions. With no search feature without full membership I ask your indulgence if there are already threads that address these:
1. Do you really not need a cleric in your party? We chose not to have one and healing seemed very difficult. You can only use a second wind once per encounter unless granted by a special ability correct? what is the difference between a healing surge and a second wind? This seemed extremely challenging to stay on your feet

2. Fighters Combat challenge class feature - it says when you attack a target you mark them. Then in a separate paragraph it says when an enemy that is adjacent to you shifts or attacks a target that doesn't include you, then you make an melee basic attack against that enemy. My question is, does that second paragraph only apply to the target you marked, because it seems to imply any adjacent character even though that doesn't make sense since it comes in the same section under the ability about marking a target. so shouldn't it only be the target you marked? This was confusing

3. Warlord's Viper Strike - does it need to actually hit to grant the effect "if the target shifts before the start of your next turn, it provokes an opp attack..."?

4. Shifty kobolds! - wow - not really a question but just curious how people's groups have pinned these guys down to attack them

Thanks a lot for the help everyone!

 

[npiccini]

bump

 

[The Sword 88]

1. No, yes, a second wind is an encounter power that allows you to use a healing surge as a std action.

2. I don't know, I'll look more closely though

3. I think all powers with an effect need to hit for the effect to occur

4. Haha, good luck

 

[Rechan]

My question is, does that second paragraph only apply to the target you marked, because it seems to imply any adjacent character even though that doesn't make sense since it comes in the same section under the ability about marking a target. so shouldn't it only be the target you marked?

The PHB says: "In addition, whenever a marked enemy that is adjacent to you shifts or makes an attack that does not include you, you make an immediate basic melee attack against that target as an immediate interrupt."

3. Warlord's Viper Strike - does it need to actually hit to grant the effect

No. "Many powers produce effects that take place regardless of whether your attack roll succeeds, and other powers have effects that occur without attack rolls".

4. Shifty kobolds! - wow - not really a question but just curious how people's groups have pinned these guys down to attack them

Mark for one. A well placed positioning strike helps too. My paladin liked to just chuck javelins at them. Also, try readying an action for when the Dragonscale guys walk over to you, then whomp them, because their immediate action is when you move adjacent to them.

 

[Blackeagle]

1. Do you really not need a cleric in your party? We chose not to have one and healing seemed very difficult. You can only use a second wind once per encounter unless granted by a special ability correct? what is the difference between a healing surge and a second wind? This seemed extremely challenging to stay on your feet

Keep in mind that a lot of the fights in KotS are above the party's level (some well above). They're intentionally fairly tough.

2. Fighters Combat challenge class feature - it says when you attack a target you mark them. Then in a separate paragraph it says when an enemy that is adjacent to you shifts or attacks a target that doesn't include you, then you make an melee basic attack against that enemy. My question is, does that second paragraph only apply to the target you marked, because it seems to imply any adjacent character even though that doesn't make sense since it comes in the same section under the ability about marking a target. so shouldn't it only be the target you marked? This was confusing

This was errataed. The free strike only applies to a target that you've marked.

3. Warlord's Viper Strike - does it need to actually hit to grant the effect "if the target shifts before the start of your next turn, it provokes an opp attack..."?

If something is listed on the "Effect:" line, it takes place whether you hit the target or not. If you had to hit the target, it would be on the "Hit:" line.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

One thing I didn't like about KotS (and it may be true of all stat blocks going forward) is the lack of including equipment. It seems like unless it's an armour or a weapon or a magic item the creature has listed in its stat block, there's nothing there.

A couple creatures in KotS have equipment that's referenced but doesn't appear anywhere. The most glaring example is Kalarel's amulet (mentioned under Tactics on page 80), which isn't explained anywhere (other than a vague reference to its power).

 

[chengarino]

H1 Questions (Player Question)

Now that I have the PHB in hand, I have some questions:

(1) Dwarven Fighter's Daily Power has a "Miss" clarifier which stated that it is 'not used.' In the PHB, there's no such condition. How did the dwarf get to reuse his daily when he misses with melee?

(2) Is there such a notion as 'cast on the defensive'? Or, if your caster is 'goo'ed' to the floor and swarmed by kobolds left to use staff only? And, does a hit (during power/range use) negate that use?

(3) In the Kobold encounter, they did something which boosted all the minions with more hp than '1.' Does that break the minion mechanic?

(4) Standing from prone does not seem to provoke (per PHB)?

thx

 

[AntiStateQuixote]

@npiccini: I think the cleric (or the optional warlord available online) is a must for KotS. Without a cleric of warlord your PCs are limited to a single healing surge each per combat plus the single lay on hands for another healing surge that the paladin can do once per day. If the DM is reasonably competent with tactics you can drop the dwarf fighter or the dragonborn paladin in a couple of rounds in some of these fights if there's no healing going on.

Even with six PCs using both the warlord and the cleric I've dropped the dragonborn paladin at least three times, the dwarf fighter once or twice and the human mage once in a total of ten combats. No deaths so far. The healing available pretty much gets the downed heroes back on their feet within one round every time. Without that healing . . . well, things would have gone very badly more than once.

@chengarino: the fighter's daily power is "reliable". That keyword is what indicates it is not used on miss. I believe this is so in the PHB.

I've seen no defensive casting thing. However, remember that blast and close spells do not provoke opportunity attakcs, so Burning Hands is good to use when surrounded by kobolds.

I have chosen to ignore temp hit points for minions. I have not seen a specific ruling in either direction. My reasoning is that these are the cinematic mooks who die on one hit from the heroes. A minor boost of temp hit points from an ally doesn't change this fact.

Standing from prone does not provoke an opportunity attack.

 

[Staffan]

(1) Dwarven Fighter's Daily Power has a "Miss" clarifier which stated that it is 'not used.' In the PHB, there's no such condition. How did the dwarf get to reuse his daily when he misses with melee?

The Reliable keyword says that when you miss, the power is not expended. Since there aren't any other Reliable powers in KOTS, they put that in the power description instead of in the general rules.

(2) Is there such a notion as 'cast on the defensive'? Or, if your caster is 'goo'ed' to the floor and swarmed by kobolds left to use staff only? And, does a hit (during power/range use) negate that use?

He can use Close powers (e.g. Burning Hands), Melee powers (which I don't think the wizard has), or Personal powers. But AFAIK, being hit by an opportunity attack doesn't negate your own spell, unless of course you take enough damage to drop you.

(3) In the Kobold encounter, they did something which boosted all the minions with more hp than '1.' Does that break the minion mechanic?

I wouldn't say "break" it, but it would seem to defeat the point of minions.

(4) Standing from prone does not seem to provoke (per PHB)?

Correct.

 

[ryryguy]

Here's one... for the terror runes in the crypt, no saving throw is mentioned. Is the effecct supposed to last until the victim reaches area 7?

I was thinking it might have the standard save at the end of your turn to get rid of it... but what if it happens outside of combat?

Also, IIRC it says the victim takes an "immediate action" to run towards area 7... so this would happen even if it's not the vicitm's turn?