D&D 4E Running player commentary on PCat's 4E Campaign - Heroic tier (finished)

[Plane Sailing]

Let it be known that in this last game I did my best to label Cobalt with the nickname "Bait." He.. err.. vociferously objected.

I've just upgraded the wiki to a more graphical format, for anyone who cares about such things. I've also started the game writeups. I'll get several done before starting to post them as a story hour.

I was just looking at Character sheets, and Toiva the Paladin was noticeable, because she seems to be missing out a little! Her Will defence should be +1 higher (because of her racial benefit) and her Bluff skill should be +2 higher (again because of racial benefit).

Also Strontium appears to be missing the +2 class bonus to Will defence?

Cheers

 

[Piratecat]

I can't speak for Toiva, but it looks like I made an error on Stron's sheet last night before I posted it. Thanks - I'll fix that will defense.

And for people amused by statistics, here's the breakdown of our party. The identity of the statistician will be hidden to protect the innocent...

-- o --

For abilities, our average stat is 13.03.

We're a strong, quick group, with an average STR and DEX of exactly 15. We're fairly smart, with an average INT of 12.4, and with good personalities - average CHA of 12.2. But we're not particularly wise, nor are we hearty, with average WIS and CON scores of 11.8.

Elijah has the fewest weaknesses, the lowest best score, and the highest total ability score sum. He has no score below 11 or above 16.

Cobalt is the other extreme: his lowest three scores are the lowest of the group (8, 10, 12), and his best three scores are the highest (18, 16, 13).

We are most varied in our Charismas, with scores of 8, 10, 12, 13 and 18. (Standard Deviation of 3.76)
We are least varied in our Constitutions, with scores of 11, 11, 12, 12, and 13 (Standard Deviation of 0.83)


For skills, we actually have pretty decent coverage across the board, with just a couple of gaps. The only skills for which NONE of us have at least +5 on our rolls are Endurance (only Strontium has even a +3) and Dungeoneering (only Elijah has even a +4).

Our best scores are:

Toiva's BLUFF (+11)
Logan and Cobalt's ACROBATICS (+9)
Toiva's DIPLOMACY (+9)
Toiva's INSIGHT (+9)
Toiva's INTIMIDATE (+9)
Logan and Cobalt's STEALTH (+9)
Logan and Cobalt's THIEVERY (+9)
Strontium's ARCANA (+8)
Elijah, Logan and Cobalt's ATHLETICS (+8)
Strontium's HISTORY (+8)

All in favor of Toiva being the party spokedoppel, say "Aye!"

A similar breakdown: best and second best for each skill:

ACROBATICS: Logan 9, Cobalt 9
ARCANA: Strontium 8, Elijah 3
ATHLETICS: Elijah 8, Logan 8, Cobalt 8
BLUFF: Toiva 11, Cobalt 6
DIPLOMACY: Toiva 9, Elijah 3
DUNGEONEERING: Elijah 4, Toiva 2
ENDURANCE: Strontium 3, Elijah 2
HEAL: Elijah 7, Toiva 2
HISTORY: Strontium 8, Elijah 3
INSIGHT: Toiva 9, Strontium 6
INTIMIDATE: Toiva 9, Cobalt 6
NATURE: Elijah 7, Strontium 6
PERCEPTION: Elijah 7, Logan 5
RELIGION: Toiva 5, Elijah 3, Strontium 3
STEALTH: Logan 9, Cobalt 9
STREETWISE: Cobalt 6, Toiva 4
THIEVERY: Logan 9, Cobalt 9

 

[Rel]

Man, somebody is a geek!

 

[Sagiro]

Man, somebody is a geek!

Yeah? So?

Er, I mean, not that it was me necessarily. It could have been anyone.

But still: so? Wanna make something of it?

 

[Rel]

Yeah? So?

Er, I mean, not that it was me necessarily. It could have been anyone.

But still: so? Wanna make something of it?

You mean and set up the most popular Story Hour writer at ENW as my nemesis? I have enough negrep as it is.

 

[WizarDru]

Great stuff.

I'll be curious to see how some stuff plays out for your group. I haven't started my 4e game yet, but we did play through Keep on the Shadowfell for 6 sessions as our 'try-out'. We enjoyed it immensely, but I think the thing that takes the most adjustment is how healing works. I like that hit points sway up and down, but it takes some mental adjustment (as does the fact that healing potions feel...well, weak).

And while I know that grab is far weaker than 3e's grapple...it worked fast and still managed to allow us to avoid a TPK and beat the final boss in KotS, so it's all good.

I'm interested about hearing about the Pledgestones, myself.

 

[Aravis]

I was just looking at Character sheets, and Toiva the Paladin was noticeable, because she seems to be missing out a little! Her Will defence should be +1 higher (because of her racial benefit) and her Bluff skill should be +2 higher (again because of racial benefit).

Cheers

I don't actually think anything is missing. The Character Sheet I am using hides a couple of the bonuses and so it looks like they are not included. However, I am pretty sure that if you check the final numbers, the bonuses have been included in the final sums.

I will likely try to fix this at some point when I have some time.

Cris

PS: If you still think I am wrong, please say so.

 

[Piratecat]

I'm interested about hearing about the Pledgestones, myself.

Stron (+8 History for the win!) would be able to tell you about those. They were erected more than a thousand years ago by the first Emperor. Huge plinths carved with a pledge of fealty, their runes establish a country's boundaries and pledge the Emperor's Peace to all within it so long as the country remains loyal. They aren't particularly magical as far as anyone can tell, but even as symbols they may do some good; countries who have rebelled in the past have often fallen to monsters, and countries which have expanded beyond their initial borders tend to find that this additional territory is hard to keep secure. Hard to say, really.

When the only way to easily find out will bring down the Empire's armies upon your head, experimenting doesn't make a lot of sense.

 

[Sagiro]

You mean and set up the most popular Story Hour writer at ENW as my nemesis? I have enough negrep as it is.

I don't see what Sepulchrave has to do with any of this.

 

[Rel]

I don't see what Sepulchrave has to do with any of this.

Never heard of 'im.