Wotc_Huscarl on the Biggie Smalls playtest, part 6.

[Stormtalon]

This is the second playtest report where a 2nd level party easily takes down a dragon and is still in good enough shape for further combats (or is after a big combat still strong enough to take down a dragon when being unprepared).

I am likely alone with this opinion but I am very disappointed when in 4E such low level PCs can take down iconic creatures so easily.

This is nothing new -- the very first 3.0 Adventure Path module, The Sunless Citadel, had 1st & 2nd level characters having to track down a white dragon and capture it alive (by beating it into submission via nonlethal damage), and the second one had 3rd-5th level characters in pitched battle with a very tactically clever black dragon. Both were younger dragons, of course, and I see no reason why 4th Ed would be any different in this regard.

 

[Peter LaCara]

I thought crits were auto-max damage? Why roll?

Well, maybe he's two weapon fighting. He is a ranger after all. So he crits with the first attack and rolls max damage on the second attack.

I'm pretty sure I'd need new pants if that happened.

 

[Fifth Element]

This is nothing new -- the very first 3.0 Adventure Path module, The Sunless Citadel, had 1st & 2nd level characters having to track down a white dragon and capture it alive (by beating it into submission via nonlethal damage)

We old-timers prefer the term "subdue". The characters have to subdue a dragon.

 

[Derren]

This isn't a actually change from 3e, though. But, you can always use relatively more powerful dragons against the PCs.

You are right. Still, in those two playtests the fight with the dragons didn't seem to be very climatic but were just another encounter. Although I guess that is hard to judge from those reports without knowing the mechanics or if the DM helped the PCs so that they don't die.

But I really want to see some paragon or epic playtests (but maybe I have just missed them). Not that 4E will only be tests for the first 10 levels like 3E was.

 

[Wormwood]

Well, maybe he's two weapon fighting. He is a ranger after all. So he crits with the first attack and rolls max damage on the second attack.

You may be on to something there.

 

[Rechan]

You are right. Still, in those two playtests the fight with the dragons didn't seem to be very climatic but were just another encounter. Although I guess that is hard to judge from those reports without knowing the mechanics or if the DM helped the PCs so that they don't die.

The dragon fight with the Bronze Dragon sounded pretty climactic, actually. In fact someone almost died.

 

[helium3]

It'll be interesting to find out (when the module is published) why a priest of Bahamut is so keen to assassinate the high priest of Moradin. Isn't Bahamut the de facto god of Paladins? There must be some mind control or doppleganging going on here.

 

[Rechan]

It'll be interesting to find out (when the module is published) why a priest of Bahamut is so keen to assassinate the high priest of Moradin.

This is a module?

 

[Stormtalon]

We old-timers prefer the term "subdue". The characters have to subdue a dragon.

And being an old-timer myself, that's something I shoulda remembered. Alas, memory failed as I wrote the post, resulting in the overly-long substitution for "subdue."

I blame TV. And video games. And caffeine. And decaf coffee. And....

 

[helium3]

This is a module?

Oh. I assumed it was. Maybe it's not.