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Probably just a (silly) thought. Does it seem a reasonable allowance to let wands be enchanted with weapon enchancements - specifically, create a wand etched with a weapon potency rune? The point would be to allow a bonus to spell attack rolls the way most weapons can receive bonuses on attack rolls. If this has been addressed (and possibly ridiculed), I couldn't find it.
I'm curious -- how much of your gaming sessions are spent playing out combat? 50% would be a lot for us. Sometimes we've had nights where only a single combat occurred (and at times it would be none if I weren't careful as DM to make sure it happens).
Letter to ignorant, bigoted, judgemental politico. I'm not in the habit nowadays of praising WotC management, but this deserves recognition.
Scales of War supplement in Dragon 366. What makes this a Scales of War supplement? Does it have any distinguishing connection? Given that they've promised such supplements, is this what we can expect -- a randomly chosen, completely-unrelated article having "Scales of War" tacked onto the first page? The setting of the Scales of War Adventure Path is more implied than actual. That’s intentional on our part. We want you to make the world your own rather than define it for you... And this is just plain lame. Every great D&D campaign to date is built around a well-developed backdrop. Evidently they have no intention of letting that interfere with the fact that they just don't have the interest. Why not refuse to create monster stats and leave it to the creativity of the DM? I'm not trying to start a big argument, but I'm going to complain until they become interested in stories and background or until I lose interest :(
WotC's new AP adventure features a dwarf named Ragnum Dourstone. Maybe it's just me, but that sounds a lot like Ragnolin Dourstone from Paizo's AoW AP :/ Though at first glance the adventure looks more engaging than Rescue at Rivenroar[/i]. It's encouraging to see that WotC is able to learn lessons from their (often amateurish) mistakes.
I need rules-legal half-orcs, and I need them now. Of course, while we have to wait, my campaign can't. Has anyone given this any thought? It's also occurred to me that half-orcs are mongrels -- even if I use a non-rules-legal version now, it's no big deal if it deviates from WotC's vision. Thanks.
Plate armor only costs twice as much as leather armor. The insanity of 4e's economics is mind-boggling. Every day I find something that demands house-ruling back to some semblance of sanity. Not to say previous versions were going to win any awards, but there was a valid attempt to compromise between playability and realism. 4e doesn't seem to even care. Just sayin' :(
OK, I need a bit more help/guidance :) I'm putting together a Wizard with the Pact Initiate and Novice Power feats. At 4th level I'll have color spray and shock sphere as my 3rd level attack powers (only one of which can be prepared at any time). With Novice Power I choose to swap out a 3rd-level power for a 3rd-level Warlock power (Otherwind Stride). Do I lose both Wizard powers for the Warlock power, or do I lose one and gain the Warlock power as a choice to prepare that day (perhaps being able to choose between preparing Otherwind Stride or Color Spray)? I know what option makes sense to me, but I'm looking for specific wording from the rules that clears this up. Thanks anybody :)
First they revamp DCs for 4e, now this. How could this have missed hundreds of playtesters? I'm trying hard to like 4e, but evidence continues to appear that suggests the designers focused only on things that cause damage. What exactly did all those playtesters test? Color me irritated >:|
I'm building a character, and I'm considering a feat that provides +1 damage (Dark Fury). Can anyone convince me that +1 damage is worth burning a feat? Other feats I'm partial to include Skill Focus (whatever) and Alertness, as well as a Multiclass feat or two. Thanks :)
I miss the polymorph spells. What is a more iconic within fantasy literature than turning someone into a toad? Of course, WotC has been increasingly hostile to the spell, and released a monster redesign (for 3.5) to castrate it. Play balance be damned -- when I play a swords & sorcery game, I want traditional elements of swords & sorcery. Otherwise, let's just remove orcs, elves, unicorns, talking trees, magic swords, and knights in shining armor. We've still got knights and armor -- they've just lost their lances. The spell makes the genre more fun. I want it back >:|
I'm having a bit of trouble understanding the fey pact boon, Misty Step. In particular, when is it invoked? The other boons are useable when the target of a Warlock's Curse drops to 0 hp, but I can't find explicit language to that effect for Misty Step. Can anyone point me to the specific wording?
There's plenty of trolling going on. It'll get worse if we respond or argue -- such is the nature of trolls. It'll (slowly) go away if we ignore it. I'm not saying responses and rebuttals are wrong, but we should exercise a little discretion. Many recent posts don't deserve responses. Just a thought :)
My group is blown away by WAR's art (who isn't?). Does anyone know if there are larger pics of these? In particular, we're looking for the uncolored Valeros sketch and this alternate view of Seoni. Thanks :)
What are the ability score bonuses for gnomes? I don't know how to deduce them from Monster Manual entries.
Ability Scores: +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom. Why? In particular, what's with the Wisdom bonus? What tradition grants dwarves greater perception than other races (because that's arguably the primary benefit of Wisdom)?
IMPORTANT PREDICTIONS I have become quite weary of the incessant bickering (yeah, I'm to blame, too). So have others. I have learned something -- let's see if anyone else has. Prediction 1: fans of 3.5 will make many claims about the failures of 4e. Two things will happen:
Prediction 2: fans of 4e will make many claims about the superiority of 4e. Two things will happen:
Prediction 3: Many people will not take the point of this post, and will continue to needlessly provoke and inflame others. They will be fully to blame for the ensuing name-calling and vitriol. Nobody has been right in these debates. Holding incorrect beliefs is permissible and forgivable. Treating one another's deeply-held convictions with such contempt is not. What point is there in being right if you are a jack-ass?
Can we stop saying 4e hater? That's a perjorative that serves no purpose beyond specific people -- it certainly doesn't sway people to come around to your way of thinking. Yes, some do hate 4e (I certainly don't, despite the number of times the label has been pinned on me). But when you provoke people with language like this, you're giving up any moral high ground you might have thought you had. To be fair, there's been plenty of deliberate rudeness and gratuitous provocation going on here (on both sides), but this one has become a pet peeve of mine. It unfairly characterizes and dismisses any and all that don't like 4e.
Is there some good reason that WotC's online content is divided between Dungeon and Dragon? I'm curious why they didn't put all the material under one title.
I have the rules, and I'm getting an itch to try it out with my group -- though there is considerable skepticism (despite the fact that we are a group of rabid Trekkies). Any opinions?
D&D is dead. I thought not. I think I was somewhat open-minded. I didn't like some changes, but I thought I could make 4/e work for me. But I've read WotC's stuff very carefully. They don't want 4/e to be adapted to my campaign -- rather, they want me to adapt to 4/e. I've read all about the 'product identity' they're trying to create.
D&D has always been a generic toolkit for fantasy roleplaying. 4/e is not -- 4/e is designed to be played in a nameless, but nevertheless tightly-defined default world to which any supported campaign worlds will be forced to conform. Just look at what's happening to Forgotten Realms. Thirty years are now gone. There has been no meaningful effort to honor 30 years of play, 30 years of history, 30 years of contributions. I'm not saying 4/e won't be a good game. But WotC is no longer interested in supporting my play -- they are now trying to control my play. People can take my rant any way they want -- but I'm finished with WotC. I'm going to snatch up all the 3.5 volumes I can and leave them be. D&D -- RIP
What is the Delve format for? Actually, I'm wondering why 4/e has taken the form it has -- and where they got the "customer feedback" WotC talks about. If it exists, it seems very possible that much (or most) of it has come from conventions -- though that population is arguably not representative of gamers in general. So while the Delve format predates 4/e, I wonder if it shows where WotC is moving. I think the format is tweaked for convention play, typified by ill-prepared DMs and limited one-track encounters. It's occurred to me that some other 4/e design features are also very convention-friendly. Am I way off base?
OK, I need a break from bashing WotC :) Conceding that 4/e is an inevitability (ooh -- flashback to The Matrix), what would you change? Much as my group and I love 3.5, I think it's too complex. I've often heard that it "reads like rules for miniatures," which isn't meant kindly. Play needs to be streamlined, and combat in particular needs to be smoother and faster. Please don't bash WotC's solutions (we have plenty of threads for that) or each other (there are no threads for that). Thanks :)
What gives? Suddenly, near the end, the Living Greyhawk site is posting articles on the Doomgrinder, along with aprocryphal references to the end of the world. I can't help but wonder -- what is WotC up to?
Someone (or several people) have recently pointed out that we spend a lot of time bashing WotC and 4/e -- and I've certainly done my share. For the record, I think WotC is earning a lot of it. There I go again! That said, this has always been a positive, friendly community, of which I've been proud and pleased to be a part. I think the rancor over the magazine transition (exacerbated by an impending 4/e release) is changing who and what we are, for the worse. Personally, I'm going to try to stay away from my angrier and meaner sentiments and try to stick with the good stuff -- we have a lot of that here. Just a thought. Regards all :)
Yeah, right. How 'bout this: D&D Insider is going to cost more than a Dungeon subscription, despite that fact that WotC has eliminated much of the overhead of hardcopy-publishing. And so far, dosn't seem to be spending much on artwork either (though the Drelzna pic looks cool). And this: why is the most successful Living Campaign to date (i.e. Living Greyhawk) being terminated? And this: what is the.... aaahh, forget it >=( Check out Dungeon 151 if you don't know what the thread title means :/
OK, 4/e was inevitable -- I can live with that. But these other decisions -- why?!?
Need I go on? I just want to know, and I'd like the answer to be free of feel-good sense-free marketing garbage from WotC executives. WHY?!?
My group is about to start STAP, and it looks like they want to be more evil than not (the worst is probably going to be a Dagon-worshipping cleric). Has anyone done something like this in ST, and are there any opinions -- good, bad, or otherwise? I want them to play what they want (and they can be wildly entertaining with such roles), but I'm a bit leery of such a group's motivation to effectively deal with Lavinia (and others) and stay focused on the campaign goals.
Perhaps I've missed it -- is there any detailed description on the Blue Nixie? Most importantly, I'd like to know what kind of ship she is. My players are really getting into the nautical part of the campaign, so the more information we have, the better. We have a description and deckplans for the Sea Wyvern, but the Nixie is just a single, featureless deckplan so far. Ideas and opinions welcome :) Jack
Hooray for me! Please, don't applaud -- just send money :)
After the expiration of Paizo's license with WotC, will there be any restrictions on selling back issues of Dungeon or Dragon, in either hard copy or pdf? Thanks, Jack
Is this the end of the World of Greyhawk? I think it is. WotC has seemed singularly hostile to the campaign. There's Living Greyhawk, but the limitations of a Living Campaign are pretty profound when you want to export such material to your home game. What now? :( Jack
Let me preface this with the statement that I hate house rules and lots of optional rules -- the game is just fine as written. But the paladin is a uniquely narrow class, with fewer choices than any other. And more people hate it that any other -- it's a jarring anomaly in the game. How do people feel (or what do they do) about tweaking the class? In particular, there are rules HERE for paladins of Freedom, Slaughter, and Tyrrany that I think we'll start using IMC. These are from the SRD & an official WotC supplement, but I don't know which. Opinions? :)
I have the Savage Tidings article from Dragon 352 in front of me. The Olman Tribes affiliation table refers to the Dream Seer feat. What/where is the Dream Seer feat? Thanks, Jack
I just found out something that tickles me pink :) When/where did Auric, Tirra, and Khellek first appear?
What rulebooks do you allow in your campaign, beyond the PH/DMG/MM? It seems there are literally several hundred prestige classes and several dozen classes in WotC books now (and the number continues to grow). There's also widespread belief that quite a few of them are unbalanced to varying degrees. Which books are best for inclusion, and which are worst? And why? Regards, Jack
We're running Age of Worms now, and it's going great (though a bit slow, due to the group's schedules). The plot is great, the adventures are beautifully done, and most of the group has put together some awesome characters. And then comes Savage Tide. How am I expected to continue AoW when such an awesome AP is sitting there waiting to be played? And then there's the Savage Tidings offerings in Dragon, which I rarely buy (clever gimmick, guys). I think I'm owed an apology... >:|
What are the Paizo golem's stats? Inquiring minds want to know. :P
Fiendish Codex I is in our grubby little paws, and a couple of us are head-over-heels in love with it :) We're looking at including a character with significant fiendish descent -- perhaps planetouched, bloodline, full half-fiend (oxymoron?), certainly including the Demonic Heritor feats. Is there any particular advantage or disadvantage to any of this in STAP? Specifically, will we sabotage the campaign in any way or a specific character's chances of success if we use this material? Obvously there's no meaningful impact on the adventures to date, but what will change as the campaign moves nearer to and onto the Abyss? Thanks :) Jack
The (very nice) 2/e adventure Return of the Eight introduced a material called oerthblood. No rules were suggested for the material in Rot8; rumor has it that Dragon 294 mentioned it -- which I sadly don't own. Is anyone familiar with the info in Dragon 294, or is there any semi-canon writeup out there? This has some impact on my Age of Worms campaign when the group arrives at Magepoint. Thanks, Jack
There's a discussion about level progression elsewhere, where it was claimed ...Currently, D&D is easiest (and most fun) to play at low and mid level... How do others feel? What level ranges are the most fun to play and/or DM? Personally, I'm with James -- my players and I seem to enjoy play from 4th to 9th levels the most (playing and DMing). Regards, Jack
Oops -- ignore my question. I didn't realize 114 had an online supplement here. Thanks for all the great work :) Jack
I know Dungeon 114 updated the Isle of Dread setting. Any chance that module X1 itself might see such an update -- perhaps as White Plume Mountain was done last year by WotC? Just hopeful :) Jack
I'm curious: how do APs get put together? In particular, who comes up with the initial idea(s) and how does it reach final form? As a side note, did this messageboard contribute? I remember a lot of discussion about what people wanted to see in AP3, and I remember Dungeon listening with interest (though I don't recall if the opinions were solicited). Thanks, Jack (I hope this hasn't been discussed to death before)
I just noticed that Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss is slated for release soon -- and a significant portion of Savage Tide is to take place in the Abyss. It this coincidence? Assuming it isn't, how much of Fiendish Codex will be useful? Just curious :) Jack
I looked on WotC's site today, and found Acererak (Tomb of Horrors fame/infamy) is in a People of Waterdeep chapter. Noooo, Mr. Let's Kill Greyhawk As Fast As We Can! Acererak is not a Realms figure. WotC's zeal to purge all traces of Greyhawk from the fabric of D&D saddens me. I'm guessing somewhere in 4/e they'll start describing Mordenkainen as a peer (or apprentice!) of Elminister, or just eliminate the name entirely. You should know that I'm just plain cranky today -- don't take my ranting too seriously :( Regards, Jack
Dungeon scenarios are great -- the writing and artwork are excellent (usually), and they crank out three a month. Why can't WotC do this? I haven't gotten excited about a D&D adventure/campaign (outside of Dungeon) since Temple of Elemental Evil. People may like them, but they don't really stand out. What is going on?!? Regard all, Jack
It's probably been said, but WOW! Eva Widderman and Robert Lazzaretti, in particular, but the all artwork has been stupendous from the first page. Also, p 14 in Dungeon 130 seems to have some preview art for 131 -- the new iconic cleric is awesome, despite some initial growing pains ("Wonder Woman"). Age of Worms has been Dungeon and D&D at their best. Regards all, Jack
Living Greyhawk Journal #2 saw a 2'x3' poster map of the City of Greyhawk. Are there any plans (or hopes) to re-release that map in some form? Thanks, Jack 
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