D&D 4E The 4E warlock -- love at first glimpse

[Celebrim]

Well, I don't have any assumptions about what 4E should be like; instead, I wait to see what the developers cook up and then I respond.

I'm not sure how that relates to what I said. It never occured to me to think, "I don't want characters blinking in and out of hell in 4e." I had no preconcieved notions about blinking in and out of hell at all.

The glimpse of these warlock powers struck me as fresh, imaginative, and innovative, and I responded to that with a thrill of anticipation.

And there is nothing wrong with that. I'm just noting that different players respond to the same fluff in different ways. I responded with a cringe of embarrassment at the whole blinking in and out of not only what is mythically the multiverse's prison plane, but has been described as such in prior 4e fluff. Alot of this fiendish name dropping, 'Hell... tee hee' seems really school yard to me.

But if you react to it differently, well, like I said. Everyone has different tastes.

 

[Greg K]

And I was like, "That is so completely cheesy. That has to be the stupidiest spell-like ability ever. Not only is it dumb over the top .

This was my reaction as well. My frustration with the design team keeps growing. SO far, I keep coming up with good concepts (e.g., a class that makes pacts and deals with curses) and just turn it into utter garbage with things like this.

 

[Grog]

And I was like, "That is so completely cheesy. That has to be the stupidiest spell-like ability ever. Not only is it dumb over the top l33ter crap, but its completely illogical. Hell is easy to get into if you don't stay long? Hell is easy to leave if you don't stay long? Why the freak would hell be giving something back? You've got a spell that's roughly as powerful as planeshifting twice, and watch its going to end up being like a second level curse?"

Actually, I'm fine with that - if it's a very high-level ability. If it does end up being a second level curse or whatever, I'll probably just keep the mechanics (which sound like "miss your turn and take X amount of damage") and come up with some new fluff for how the power works. Because 3rd level warlocks sending people to hell, even for one round, is pretty silly IMO.

 

[ForceUser]

But if you react to it differently, well, like I said. Everyone has different tastes.

And mine are apparently schoolyard.

Tee hee!

 

[Wormwood]

And mine are apparently schoolyard.

Tee hee!

You'll get used to it, trust me.

 

[Celebrim]

Actually, I'm fine with that - if it's a very high-level ability. If it does end up being a second level curse or whatever, I'll probably just keep the mechanics (which sound like "miss your turn and take X amount of damage") and come up with some new fluff for how the power works. Because 3rd level warlocks sending people to hell, even for one round, is pretty silly IMO.

Yes, it does seem like it is 'miss your turn and take X amount of damage'. Which is part of why the fluff seems so ridiculous to me, and why I think they are taking an unnecessary risk with all this 'Don't eat the yellow snow esoteric order of the arcane' stuff.

For a high level ability, I'd think it would be more along the mechanical lines if, 'Go straight to hell. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.' Of course, 'save or die' effects are supposedly out, which means Imprisonment effects are probably out to.

 

[fuindordm]

One of the big problems I've noticed in 3E writing is that no thought is given to assumed nature of the world when creating new abilities and powers. So in this sense, I agree--while the power might be mechanically sound, a poor description can always make it stick in my craw.

The "Go to Hell" power would be perfectly palatable as an illusion/phantasm--the target doesn't actually go, but they have the full virtual reality experience.

 

[pawsplay]

It reminds me of "With a Single Spell," when a young magician finds a jar-opening spell. The spell summons a humongous demon who appears, opens a stuck jar, then gets sucked back into Hell, howling.

Technically, it's not the same as plane shift twice... it's more like summon monster, with a one round duration, that is cast on the same plane and sends them somewhere else.

It seems pretty farcical to me. I 'm not feeling the love.

 

[Christoph the Magus]

Uggghhh. Put me down in the "too cheesy for words" category. Of course, we'd have to know more to say for sure, but stuff like this does not fill me with excitement for the new edition. Quite the opposite...

 

[Zaruthustran]

I love the "Go to Hell. No, really. Go!" power.

It's flavorful, fun, dramatic. That's a power that, when declared, will make everyone at the table go "Oh nooo!" It's got all the jaw-dropping flair of Power Word: Kill or Disintegrate.

Good times.