WotC_Shoe on leaderless parties

[Lizard]

And I'm disturbed that they haven't finalized this rule yet. 15 weeks to release (and less than that to shipping off to printers)... and they're still sitting around a table going, 'Hmm, potions?'

I love it when the statements from the devs actually make me more negative...
Sigh.

Actually, this is the kind of last-minute fine-tuning I expect. Changing one entry from "Standard Action" to "Minor action" is pretty easy.The difference in play over time is going to be subtle and I can see a need for feedback from groups which have been running with relatively "stable" rules for afew sessions. It's not a system which can easily be unit-tested.

 

[Lanefan]

There's times, you know, when the old "potion miscibility" tables from 1e look like a really fine idea. Sure puts a quick end to chugging more than one in quick succession....

Lanefan

 

[Patlin]

And I'm disturbed that they haven't finalized this rule yet. 15 weeks to release (and less than that to shipping off to printers)... and they're still sitting around a table going, 'Hmm, potions?'

I love it when the statements from the devs actually make me more negative...
Sigh.

I wasn't clear if going for potion drinking as a minor action was a rule change they were considering for the core rules, an alternate rule they wanted to play with that might be suggested in the DMG, or a possible house rule. Wait and see, I guess.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Hmm... Another idea for controlling the use of potions is the duration of time it takes for certain potions to be used depending on strength/what it does.

For example:

-a minor potion of healing could be a move action since you just take a swig and it dulls the pain of your cuts and bruises and makes it so you can't feel them.

-a major potion of healing could be a full action (perhaps even with AoO) since you have been impaled and bleeding badly so you take the potion and pour it over the wound causing it to sizzle and burn away the wound (Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade style).

That is just one example but it could work for many things, perhaps drinking power potions that cause changes to the body like enlarge, invisibility, etc. are painful because of the affects that occur.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

Maybe something like, you can only metabolize two potions per encounter. That wouldn't make your 'loadout' of potions a meaningful choice, but it would make their availability a useful piece of tactical information.

No man, bring back random potion miscibility tables from AD&D 1st edition!

 

[AZRogue]

I don't know. The article doesn't make it clear that the potion thing is a proposed 4E rule. It seems almost like a proposed house rule for his leader-less group. I'm sure we'll find out eventually, but it seemed more like something he was considering for the group and not so much something that the devs were considering for the game itself.

 

[Voss]

So, you're suggesting that with the game in crunch time, pre-shipped off to the printers, they're mucking about with houserules? It doesn't seem a good time for that.

 

[AZRogue]

So, you're suggesting that with the game in crunch time, pre-shipped off to the printers, they're mucking about with houserules? It doesn't seem a good time for that.

No, I was saying that individual DM might be making house rules for his game. His personal game, with playtesters who have been playing the rules for a while. It might be something he's thinking about doing himself.

Or, maybe it is an official playtest option. I don't know, just that it didn't seem clear which it was in the post.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Could very well be actually something to test how the rule-system does when house rules are applied to it.

 

[Turjan]

I dunno. Can you:
a)Fetch a bottle from your ludicrously overstuffed backpack.
b)Open it. (Remember it's got to be stoppered ppretty well, or you've got a traveling cloak and some iron rations which had all their wounds lightly cured)
c)Guzzle it.

In three seconds, while defending yourself against a rampaging orc? While holding a weapon in one hand and a shield in the other? (Or a 2-handed weapon, or an 'implement'?)

Well, you can always ask Mr. Orc for a short break. Like we always do for 5 o'clock tea.