D&D 4E Mouseferatu weighs in on 4e

[A'koss]

*shrug* The game is still in flux, so presumably they don't want playtesters complaining about problems they've fixed or will fix before release. That is the whole point of playtesting, after all.

It is a bit ham-handed, though. I think they'd have been better off to say, "You can announce your overall impression of 4E, good or bad, but we'd prefer you didn't discuss specific problems since we might fix them."

Yes, this is an unfortunate move on WotC's part -if true- and they should have foreseen the negative flak they were going to get if it ever leaked out. Even if I don't agree, I get why they would do this, but now that it's been "outed", it could very well undermine any positive buzz they were hoping to generate from playtester comments.

 

[Vayden]

Holy ****. I apologize to any of the anti-4E crowd on these boards if I've ever said anything unkind to you. You are all paragons of reason and open-mindedness. *shivers and attempts to wipe the Paizo off*

 

[Shazman]

I, at least, found myself tending to think of pit fiends as big bads that fight the party singlehandedly; others may have a similar mental stumbling block. Can you (or John) comment at all on how easy or difficult it will be to "upgrade" a monster to a higher category (say, from "elite" to "solo", for instance)? I imagine that higher "category"* monsters tend to get more powers to choose from (and more opportunities to use them).

*BTW, IIRC, monsters have a "role" (Brute, Solider, etc.); they also have the minion/regular/elite/solo categorization -- does that categorization have a name?

I'd like to know why the most powerful devil in the MM (3.5 that is) would ever be considered as anything but a solo encounter by anyone, especially the game designers. You shouldn't have to upgrade him. He should be solo from the start.

 

[Kwalish Kid]

You weren't around in the 70s, were you?

If you want a collection of stats with no actual content besides a name, great. If you want your ideal RPG to be something that only spreads through word of mouth, fine.

This doesn't make it unreasonable to want D&D to be something that might actually bring in new players at a higher rate.

 

[Spatula]

Which is exactly why I don't believe WotC would do this. If it leaked out that WotC was leaning on playtester reviews this way it would look really, really bad. WotC can't be that dumb.

The email exists, according to several different posters in that pazio thread (check the end of page 4 and page 5). One can only hope their design efforts outstrip their PR moves to-date, although that isn't setting the bar very high.

 

[Dausuul]

I'd like to know why the most powerful devil in the MM (3.5 that is) would ever be considered as anything but a solo encounter by anyone, especially the game designers. You shouldn't have to upgrade him. He should be solo from the start.

IMO, it's pretty unlikely that the pit fiend will be the most powerful devil. Orcus is confirmed to be in the 4E MM. It seems very probable that he'll have at least one counterpart on the infernal side.

And the theme of devils appears to be organization, hierarchy, and order. Solo devils will probably be quite rare encounters; you expect a big devil to have minions, and if he doesn't have any handy when you bust into his lair, he'll run away and come back when he's got some. Demons are the ones that charge in singlehanded against a whole party of PCs.

 

[Irda Ranger]

I'd like to know why the most powerful devil in the MM (3.5 that is) would ever be considered as anything but a solo encounter by anyone, especially the game designers. You shouldn't have to upgrade him. He should be solo from the start.

1. Turn that on its head. Why would a Devil with hundreds of underlings at his command (including 21st level Devil Legionaries) ever fight you all by himself? He's got people to do that for him.

2. Devils are being reconcepted as always fighting in teams (squads?). It's Demons that are lone wolves.

3. 4E combat is all about groups of monsters vs. groups of PCs. The Solo monsters are very rare exceptions (the only ones I even know of are Dragons and Beholders, but presumably Orcus is a solo) that all have a good reason for having multiple actions / round (like having a half-dozen eyestalks).

 

[Rpgraccoon]

I'd like to know why the most powerful devil in the MM (3.5 that is) would ever be considered as anything but a solo encounter by anyone, especially the game designers. You shouldn't have to upgrade him. He should be solo from the start.

Most devils are cowards. They are strong & very tactile leaders who will do anything to win. They are using him as the general of an army. Thus, he doesn't want to come face to face with another pit fiend unless it is to deliver the final killing blow. After which he will promote the devils involved in the war to a higher form.

Against a Balor. He would over power him with sheer numbers and tactics. Most pitfiends in hell will have magic items, different held items, & a class level or two. I'd assume controller or leader levels.

I think they made him too weak alone. Plus, he should of got some resistance to acid. I'd say 10. He also, should of gotten at least one non-fire poison ability probably again acidic or normal in damage type. Too bad no Unholly or Lawful damage.

 

[catsclaw227]

Congrats!! As someone who has recently gone through that (my daughter is 3 months on the 8th) I know what you are about to go through. Plan for a short hiatus from DMing until your baby picks up a regular schedule.

Thanks! I'll keep that in mind.

 

[Scribble]

Are we sure that his status means that there will be two of them?

Could Elite also mean that the monster tends to have lackeys (that aren't necessarily the same thing it is...)

IE th pit fiend is elite because you have the fiend itself, plus a lackey of some type (right hand man...) plus all the little summoned devils that it gets to slide around and blow up...