New Player a bit confused

[mtflannery89]

Hi I'm playing with a group of friends and I'm trying to make a new character. I don't have any way of getting in contact with them as they are all on vacation in the mountains. I would like to have a new character ready when they all get back but I am confused about some of the rules...

What is an attack of opportunity?

Is blast just a cone? Does it hit 1 square in front of you, 3 squares behind that square, and then 5 squares after that?

What about burst?

How does charge/bullrush work?

What advantages or disadvantages do you gain by being prone?

How do healing surges work, and are they the same thing as second wind?

... Anyway, thanks for taking the time to help me out! I really love this game the one time I played it and I would like to be able to get better in the strategy department.

Cheers,
Flannery

 

[lostingeneral]

What is an attack of opportunity?

An attack of opportunity, or "opportunity attack," basically represents a situation where your enemy drops their guard long enough for you to slip an additional attack in. It is most commonly provoked in the following ways:

- Moving out of a square adjacent to an enemy. Let's say that you're beside a monster, and you want to move to fight another monster. If you don't shift (and just walk or run) and you move out of that square, that monster gets to attack you; think of it like turning your back on the enemy to move away.

- Using a ranged attack while adjacent to an enemy. This would be where, for instance, you're attempting to fire a crossbow while an enemy is next to you. That enemy is not going to wait for you to load the crossbow with a bolt, aim, and fire - it's going to take that moment of vulnerability and strike.

Opportunity attacks always interrupt the action that triggered them (moving or using a ranged attack), such that the action is resolved after you make the opportunity attack. You can read a better explanation on pg. 290 of the PHB.

Is blast just a cone? Does it hit 1 square in front of you, 3 squares behind that square, and then 5 squares after that?

A blast can be a cone in terms of flavour, but mechanically, it's a square. Blast refers to an attack that affects an area adjacent to you, and the number identifies the length of each side - so, a blast 3 attack creates a 3x3 square. You can generally pick where the origin square is (where you start "drawing" those lines) but it has to be adjacent to you, in most cases. This is typically clarified by calling it a "close" burst (where close refers to essentially centering upon the attacker). Additionally, there must be a line of effect from the origin square to the target; for instance, you cannot go through a wall even if the square is large enough to encompass it.

What about burst?

A similar concept, but it is less frequently centered on an adjacent square and is more commonly ranged (using these also provokes opportunity attacks, generally). Instead of the number defining the length of each side, the number refers to how many squares it radiates outward from the origin square; so, for a burst 2 the attack extends 2 squares in any direction from the origin, ultimately creating a 5x5 area (the same as a blast 5). They may also be close, in which case it's assumed to radiate outwards from you, the caster, rather than a target origin square.

How does charge/bullrush work?

A charge lets you move your speed as a standard action, but you must move closer to the enemy, and you must move at least 2 squares from where you start. At the end of the charge, you may make a basic melee attack or a bull rush. You get a +1 to the attack roll for whatever you do. You can take this after a move action, such that with a speed of 6 you could move a max of 12 spaces with a charge.

A bull rush is a Strength vs. Fort attack, without weapon modifiers. If you hit, you push the target one square and move into the space it just left. There has to be a space for your target to go into, or you can't do it. By itself, a bull rush does no damage, but there are situations where it might (pushing somebody off a cliff, for example).

What advantages or disadvantages do you gain by being prone?

Advantage:
- +2 to defenses against ranged attacks.

Disadvantages:
- You can only move by crawling, which is half your speed.
- -2 to defenses against melee attacks (combat advantage against you).
- You take a -2 penalty to attack rolls.

How do healing surges work, and are they the same thing as second wind?

Healing surges basically represent your ability to heal. They are typically spent in combat by healing powers (like a Cleric's or Warlord's), healing potions (which spend 1 to regain 10 HP, rather than the actual healing surge value) or, indeed, a Second Wind. Once per encounter you may use your Second Wind to regain one surge's worth of HP and gain +2 to all defenses until the start of your next turn. You can also spend as many healing surges as you like during a short rest, where you trade x number of healing surges for the healing surge value, up to your maximum HP.

Hope that helps.

 

[chitzk0i]

What is an attack of opportunity?

When your character performs certain actions, he can't defend herself as well. Enemies may take advantage of this opportunity to make an attack, hence the name. Opportunity attacks are triggered by a) making Ranged or Area attacks in melee (not Close attacks) or b) moving out of a square adjacent to an enemy.

Is blast just a cone? Does it hit 1 square in front of you, 3 squares behind that square, and then 5 squares after that?

Close attacks have a size associated with them. For instance: Close blast 3. A close blast 3 is a 3 x 3 area located adjacent to the user of the power.

What about burst?

Bursts also have a size, like Close burst 2 or Area burst 1 within 10. Bursts include each square within that many squares of the origin. For a close burst, the origin is your character's square (but it doesn't affect your character). For area bursts, select a square inside the range to be the origin and count the burst size from there. A burst 1 is the center square plus all 8 squares adjacent to it. A burst 2 is a burst one plus the 16 additional squares adjacent to those. Etc., etc.

How does charge/bullrush work?

Normally, you can only take one move action if you still want to attack. However, if you charge, you can take two move actions and perform a basic melee attack in the same round. A bull rush is an attempt to shove an enemy. Your friends can tell you how it works if it eve comes up. ^_^

What advantages or disadvantages do you gain by being prone?

When you are prone, you are lying on your back. Basically, it's very hard to move to another square, enemies find it easier to hit you with hand-to-hand attacks, and enemies find it harder to hit you with ranged attacks. You also take -2 to attack rolls because your movement is restricted.

How do healing surges work, and are they the same thing as second wind?

Heroes can bounce back from a lot of injuries, but after enough punishment, they must rest before they can recover any more. Healing surges represent this ability to bounce back. Most of the time when you regain hit points, you have to spend a healing surge to do so. Spending healing surges is not easy in combat; the one way every character can spend a healing surge in combat is with Second Wind. It is a standard action that lets you spend one healing surge. If you want to heal more than that before the fight is over, you or a friend will need a power that lets you do so.

Have fun!

 

[hipnotode]

What is an attack of opportunity?

when you move away from being adjacent from an enemy without a special type of movement (usually shifting or teleporting) they get to make a melee basic attack against you. they also get to make one if you make a ranged attack while adjacent to an enemy. of corse, you can make opportunity attacks (sometimes referred to as OA's) too.

Is blast just a cone? Does it hit 1 square in front of you, 3 squares behind that square, and then 5 squares after that?

a blast n attack will hit an n by n square infront of you (you must be adjacent to a side or corner of this area.
example: blast 3 (where you are green and squares hit are grey)

What about burst?

a bust is similar to a blast except the center square is centered on you. it is counted slightly differently though, a blast n is n squares away from you, in a square.
you can also get a burst n withing x, this just means that the center square has to be within x squares of you.
example:

How does charge/bull rush work?

basically you spend a standard action, and move upto your speed (minimum 2 squares) and then make a basic attack against an enemy (charge)
for a bull rush you spend a standard action, and move upto your speed (minimum 2 squares) make an attack roll against the target (strength modifier+1/2 level i believe) if you hit, you push the target one square away from you, and shift into the square it occupied.
both of these attacks use just a standard action, and you must move in the most direct line towards the target.

What advantages or disadvantages do you gain by being prone?

you are lieing on the ground (if you are flying you fall to the ground), you cannot shift, you can only move half your speed, you grant combat advantage, you gain a +2 to all defences against ranged attacks, you take a -2 to attack rolls. standing up is a move action.

How do healing surges work, and are they the same thing as second wind?

no healing surges and second wind are different. healing surges are your reserve of health that you have. when you spend one you gain your healing surge value (a quarter of your maximum health, rounded down) hp back. there are a few ways to spend healing surges, the first is spending your second wind, you can do this once per encounter, and it allows you to spend a healing surge and you gain a +2 to all your defenses until the end of your next turn. this costs a standard action on your turn, or an ally can make you spend it by making a heal check while adjacent to you for a standard action.
leader class jobs have various powers to let party members spend healing surges, and often other classes have powers to let themselves spend them, but usually latter on in the game.
if you are below 0 hp, on your turn (instead of taking normal actions) you roll a d20, if you roll a 20, you can spend a healing surge. (but on a 10 or less you fail, if you fail 3 times in total, not in a row, your caracter dies.)
you can also spend however many healing surges you have in between encounters.
healing surges can only bring you up to full health unless stated by a power.


hope this helps,
-hip

 

[mtflannery89]

What about flanking, dazed rules, and combat advantage rules?

Can monsters and/or players attack diagonally with melee attacks? What about ranged and spells?

Are there any other major combat related rules that I might be missing out on?

Also, thanks to everyone who answered my previous questions...

 

[wedgeski]

mtf would it not be wise to actually buy the rule-book at this point? All of your questions are answered within...

 

[mtflannery89]

I am handicapped and I am unable to work. I have to contribute to my family with my financial assistance so my budget for non-essentials is really low...

 

[Baumi]

WOTC released the very complete "Quick Start Rules" from Keep on the Shadowfell for free:

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Try DnD

This should answer most questions far better than we can.

 

[lostingeneral]

What about flanking, dazed rules, and combat advantage rules?

That's a big question.

Flanking involves two characters on opposite sides of a monster (or vise versa), basically "sandwiching" one enemy. This situation grants combat advantage for that enemy to the flankers, but not anybody else.

Combat advantage is gained in this way and in many other ways as well (e.g. by the enemy being prone, as explained in your last set of answers). It really just implies a +2 to all attack rolls against the target. You have to be able to see it to get combat advantage against it, but beyond that there's not many restrictions; it mostly just depends on the situation by which you got combat advantage in the first place.

Dazed is a condition, in which you grant combat advantage to all enemies, and can only take 1 action (either move, minor, or standard) on your turn as long as you're dazed. You can't take immediate actions (reactions or interrupts) or opportunity actions (including but not limited to the opportunity attack). Also, you don't get combat advantage from flanking.

For more on dazed and other conditions, check here for a handy reference:
Josiah's 4E Conditions Summary

Can monsters and/or players attack diagonally with melee attacks? What about ranged and spells?

Yes to both. You can also move diagonally; a neighboring diagonal square counts as adjacent, so it still only costs 1 square of movement no matter which direction you go.

Are there any other major combat related rules that I might be missing out on?

Probably, but more than likely they'll come up as you go and it will become clarified over time.Things you didn't ask about that aren't super important but might come up include grabs, readied actions, cover and concealment, action points, etc. I would suggest just asking your group, and paying attention as other people make use of these. Learning in-game is really the best way.

 

[mtflannery89]

Thanks again for your help everyone, I greatly appreciate it. I think all of my major rules questions have been answered sufficiently.