So we got the sheets, let's calculate the crunch!!

[ZombieRoboNinja]

The human has a +1 to all saves (which is listed under feats). The halfling does as well, but it's not listed as an ability.

Part of Small size?

 

[Scholar & Brutalman]

The human has a +1 to all saves (which is listed under feats). The halfling does as well, but it's not listed as an ability.

The human has +1 to all saving throws from Human Perseverance, and what I'm guessing is +1 to his defences as well. The halfling seems to have some bonuses, but I can't see where it says he gets a bonus to saves.

 

[mach1.9pants]

Part of Small size?

Give that man a beer.
Makes sense to me: The human cleric only has the +1 as a feat. So all humans don't get it. Whereas all halflings are small and get +1 to all saves (and as Ref + armour =AC means they are harder to hit)

 

[ZombieRoboNinja]

Oh, its also worth noting that the warlock powers tend to require an implement, and she has a wand in her inventory. Same with the wizard. The flavor strikes me as wrong for the warlock though.

Seems like the "wizard implements" they made a big deal about really boil down to that per-encounter +2 to hit ability wizards get; otherwise, they seem to be identically used by warlocks and wizards. (Clerics and paladins would seem to use a holy symbol for the same purpose.)

I also don't really like the impression that every class is completely helpless if you disarm them. It cuts down on a lot of scenarios, and I really don't like the feel of 'Its the sword that matters, not the hand that wields it'.

Well, to be fair, you DO have to be holding a sword to sword-fight.

What I'm wondering is whether wands and staffs and such are specially-crafted, or if a wizard can just grab any old stick and start casting fireballs with it. If it's the latter, 99% of the time the only real effect of these things is that you have to keep a hand open for your implement. But I rather suspect it's the former, and a disarmed wizard will be as helpless as... well, as disarmed Harry Potter.

 

[Peter LaCara]

The human has +1 to all saving throws from Human Perseverance, and what I'm guessing is +1 to his defences as well. The halfling seems to have some bonuses, but I can't see where it says he gets a bonus to saves.

Yeah. We gotta remember that Saves and Defenses aren't the same thing anymore. That's gonna take a loooooong time to unlearn.

 

[neceros]

What I'm wondering is whether wands and staffs and such are specially-crafted, or if a wizard can just grab any old stick and start casting fireballs with it. If it's the latter, 99% of the time the only real effect of these things is that you have to keep a hand open for your implement. But I rather suspect it's the former, and a disarmed wizard will be as helpless as... well, as disarmed Harry Potter.

You'll see that most of the attack spells require an implement. I'm not sure if the implement was chosen for this pre-generated sheet, or not, but if you disarm the weapon a person should become much less lethal. They wanted balance in this instance to help compare with a fighter, who also requires a weapon.

 

[Spatula]

The human has +1 to all saving throws from Human Perseverance, and what I'm guessing is +1 to his defences as well. The halfling seems to have some bonuses, but I can't see where it says he gets a bonus to saves.

Ah whoops, you are correct. Still stuck in Fort / Ref / Will = saves mindframe.

 

[mach1.9pants]

Ah whoops, you are correct. Still stuck in Fort / Ref / Will = saves mindframe.

same, roll on july! call me the wild stabber of the dark

 

[Spatula]

Being proficient in a weapon grants you a +2 bonus to attack rolls in most circumstances. They've said that some weapons, like blades, would grant you a +3 instead as they are more accurate. Ta da.

The longsword (a blade) wielded by the ranger only gets +2. Which is why I listed the actual weapons that did have an extra attack bonus.

 

[ZombieRoboNinja]

You'll see that most of the attack spells require an implement. I'm not sure if the implement was chosen for this pre-generated sheet, or not, but if you disarm the weapon a person should become much less lethal. They wanted balance in this instance to help compare with a fighter, who also requires a weapon.

The difference is that a fighter can go anywhere in the Multiverse, rip off a chair leg, and start bashing people with it. Yeah, he's not as accurate or damaging, but he can still use most of his powers (though not the shield-bash one and presumably not the weapon-type-centric ones that were talked up in that ancient Design & Development article but are noticeably absent from the dwarf fighter character sheet).

Now, if a wand/staff is just an appropriately sized stick, the wizard's on equal footing. But if wands are mystical items that require the left pinky toenail of a gold dragon to craft, he's LONG-TERM screwed if he loses his wand in the middle of the wilderness.