Something weird about aspects

[doctorhook]

Sorry, Jack, but I'm with everybody else on this one. Aspects are simply fragments of a being's divine power, and like fragments of anything else, they can come in all kinds of sizes. Bigger fragments/more powerful Aspects simply represent a larger amount of the total divine power from which they were spawned.

As a general rule, most Aspects ought to be tough for their level (read: Elite or Solo) but I don't see any reason that the published versions ought not to vary wildly in level, given that they could be of almost any level. I can certainly imagine a high-Heroic tier Aspect of any divine being, and I can even imagine Standard or even Minion Aspects of some deities who might prefer to send multiple instances of their own Aspects to see their plans through. Remember, this is 4E! Aspects are just narrative devices that give us excuses to fight (otherwise) insanely powerful beings, and that's the only part that matters.

...I hate to have to say it, Jack, but I'm worried for you: you're thinking like this is 3.5E all over again!

 

[Mouseferatu]

By the way, are you allowed to say which parts you worked on? I'm curious.

Sure thing, though--as always--everything goes through heavy development after it's turned in, so the fact that I worked on a section doesn't mean I can take full credit (or blame, but I hope mostly "credit" ) for its final form.

Chapter One: Physiology, Life Cycle, Outlook, and (IIRC) some of the Society section, as well as some of the "Chromatic Dragons in Detail" sections.

Chapter Two: Draconic Encounters, some of the traps, the Adventures section, the Draconic Campaign arcs, the Artifacts, some of the Rituals, and the dragon components--sort of. (I say "sort of" because my original draft wasn't really viable, and it went through a lot of changes in development.)

Chapter Three: The intro section, the Ruins of Castle Korvald, Where Shadows Fall, Heart of Darkness, and the Tomb of Urum-Shar (later expanded into the "Tomb of the Sand King's Daughter" adventure in Dungeon).

Chapter Four: the draconic wraiths, skeletons, zombies, and vampires; the draconic parasites and the living breaths; and Gulgol and Nefermandias in the "Hall of Fame."

 

[Jack99]

Aspects to see their plans through. Remember, this is 4E! Aspects are just narrative devices that give us excuses to fight (otherwise) insanely powerful beings, and that's the only part that matters.

...I hate to have to say it, Jack, but I'm worried for you: you're thinking like this is 3.5E all over again!

Okay, okay, I yield... but if you ever accuse me of thinking 3.5 again, I am going to hop on a plane and fly over the big pond to slap you around. Amically of course...

 

[doctorhook]

Okay, okay, I yield... but if you ever accuse me of thinking 3.5 again, I am going to hop on a plane and fly over the big pond to slap you around. Amically of course...

lol I knew that one would get through to you!

 

[yesnomu]

Sure thing, though--as always--everything goes through heavy development after it's turned in, so the fact that I worked on a section doesn't mean I can take full credit (or blame, but I hope mostly "credit" ) for its final form.

Chapter One: Physiology, Life Cycle, Outlook, and (IIRC) some of the Society section, as well as some of the "Chromatic Dragons in Detail" sections.

Chapter Two: Draconic Encounters, some of the traps, the Adventures section, the Draconic Campaign arcs, the Artifacts, some of the Rituals, and the dragon components--sort of. (I say "sort of" because my original draft wasn't really viable, and it went through a lot of changes in development.)

Chapter Three: The intro section, the Ruins of Castle Korvald, Where Shadows Fall, Heart of Darkness, and the Tomb of Urum-Shar (later expanded into the "Tomb of the Sand King's Daughter" adventure in Dungeon).

Chapter Four: the draconic wraiths, skeletons, zombies, and vampires; the draconic parasites and the living breaths; and Gulgol and Nefermandias in the "Hall of Fame."

So it's you I can blame for the Wyrm-Wisps! My DM threw four of them at us (a level 2 party). We would have been toast if we hadn't had a paladin and cleric in the party.

Seriously, insubstantial creatures that weaken (save ends) as an at-will? Utterly sadistic.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Seriously, insubstantial creatures that weaken (save ends) as an at-will? Utterly sadistic.

Well, you can sort of blame me. Yes, I created the wyrm-wisp, but the weakening effect was a change made in development. My original draft had a different power.

Which was, arguably, even worse. See, in my version, the wyrm-wisp's basic attack just did damage... unless it had combat advantage.

Then it also cost the target a healing surge.

So I dunno. I can see how that would've been too nasty, even with the CA requirement, since it impacts the target's abilities in future fights. (What can I say, it was early in my 4E career...) In light of that, development made the right call. But yeah, weakening at-will is pretty ugly...

 

[yesnomu]

Well, you can sort of blame me. Yes, I created the wyrm-wisp, but the weakening effect was a change made in development. My original draft had a different power.

Which was, arguably, even worse. See, in my version, the wyrm-wisp's basic attack just did damage... unless it had combat advantage.

Then it also cost the target a healing surge.

So I dunno. I can see how that would've been too nasty, even with the CA requirement, since it impacts the target's abilities in future fights. (What can I say, it was early in my 4E career...) In light of that, development made the right call. But yeah, weakening at-will is pretty ugly...

Haha, that'd have been pretty nasty, too... of course, I wouldn't have minded nearly as much, I'm a barbarian! I've got surges to spare. The weakening was a lot worse for me.

But the squishier people would have really been in trouble in your version. I guess it balances out.