The Devil's in the Details: Slavicsek reveals the Pit Fiend in all its glory

[Zsig]

Leaderiness is mysterious indeed.

So mysterious that, aparently, not all Leaders are going to be healers/have healing abilities... (well, at least the Pit Fiend is not a healer as i could see)

 

[Khaim]

So mysterious that, aparently, not all Leaders are going to be healers/have healing abilities... (well, at least the Pit Fiend is not a healer as i could see)

Well, an exploded minion has full HP. Does that count?

 

[Just Another User]

However, it seems the design method in 4e is "You want a 3rd level Soldier. Here's min and max damage ranges. What kind of weapon it carries is 100% flavor text and doesn't directly impact the stats -- rather, you should adjust the stats to 'fit' the weapon it's carrying."

Might NOT be the case, but, it is seeming that way.

My impression is very similiar, something like, a monster of x level with Y role will have this attack, that defence and those saving throws/defences, etc, etc, then if you give it the psecial ability web is a giant spider, if you give it regeneration is a troll and if you give petrification is a gorgon/medusa, all the rest is just flavour/fluff. Not exactly like this, of course, but something of this kind.

 

[Rallek]

Well, an exploded minion has full HP. Does that count?

Good question... hmmm. Judges?

...

My completely fictional panel of judges says, "Yes, yes it does."


Good enough for me.

 

[Remathilis]

That clinches it. I want a PC class which can force party members to slide across the battlefield and explode them amidst their enemies NOW!

That's doable in 3.5 now.

Benign Transportation (sor/wiz1, SC)
Death Throes on Ally (Sor/wiz5, SC)
Finger of Death on Ally (sor/wiz7, PHB)

Make sure your ally is someone with a weak fort save (I suggest the rogue).

 

[Kraydak]

My impression is very similiar, something like, a monster of x level with Y role will have this attack, that defence and those saving throws/defences, etc, etc, then if you give it the psecial ability web is a giant spider, if you give it regeneration is a troll and if you give petrification is a gorgon/medusa, all the rest is just flavour/fluff. Not exactly like this, of course, but something of this kind.

My impression too, and I hate it. It strips all the tactical options that previously existed like Dispel Magic, Disarm, Sunder, Rusting Grasp, Theft, Calm Emotions etc...

 

[frankthedm]

Well, an exploded minion has full HP. Does that count?

The pit fiend sees to it a fresh devil enters melee. The wounded devil goes boom!, the fresh devil takes his place. Similar results, fewer bodies.

Attached below is a medium victim for those who plan to measure distance in 4e rather than have fireboxes replacing fireballs.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Agreed. Should my group ever encounter a 4e pit fiend it will be house-ruled not to have the 'explode your allies' ability (unless of course, as mentioned above, it can charm or polymorph the PCs into allies and then blow them up).

The ability doesn't seem silly to me. You just use it on your wounded. Like FrankDM said.

Crazy villains offing their minions happen all the time. I wouldn't expect it to happen much in a serious campaign, but fiends are almost literally stereotypes of evil.

 

[LEHaskell]

Oooo, ooo, let me try:

A creature bursting in a fit of pique like an over-ripe watermelon seems silly and video-gamey to me.

A lord of hell, calling on his infernal and irrefutable control of lesser devils, hurls a minion at his foes and detonates the unholy energy binding it to him in a maelstrom of hellfire -- that's an ability right out a great action film; "You have failed me for the last time, Admiral."

Spinning something as lame doesn't make it lame -- it just makes a lame argument.

Now, I happen to love both mechanics -- though I think the Irresistible Command is very thematic. Lords of Hell should have no concern for their minions well-being -- only their own. Actually, now that I think of it, exploding yourself seems more like a demonic tactic -- causing as much destruction and taking out as many foes as possible. Devils strike me more as the kind to run from a losing fight in order to regroup and fight another day.

Quite a bit of difference, actually--but I'm sure that you know that.

A creature exploding upon death, striking out at its enemies in a death fury, is common to fantasy literature and makes quite a bit of sense considering that the balor is a source of intense, demonic fire.

Causing one of your allies to do the electric slide across the battlefield and then go kablooey all of its enemies seems silly to me and a lot of other folks, but many also seem fine with it. Different strokes and all that.

In any case, your argument here is really a straw man. (Yes, another one.) Maybe people DO think that the balor exploding is stupid. Maybe not. But that's not the argument here. The 4e pit field in all of its snorey is.

Bringing up the v3.5 is just a smokescreen (which may makes sense considering all the exploding devils around here).

 

[Mirtek]

Here we have a 27th level Per Encounter ability that only does 2xWis+Wis damage.

That doesn't sound like a LOT of damage, either.

2x[Weapon]

Well, we have an example of a pick: d8.

So what? 2xd8+Wisdom?

Some people expect that weapon damage will rise with your level (to replace the lost full attack).

So a level 27 paladin could do like 4d8+Str+pluses with a pick, so the smite could do 8d8+2xStr+2xpluses+Wis

We will know when we see it, but 1d12+11 really sounds not ver impressive at the moment.