Sean Brown's page

I've tried searching for this stuff, but no matter what I search for, it's says there is nothing on it (even topics I know have posts...), so sory if these have been asked/answered already.

Having trouble sorting out what abilities are used when.

Playing a fighter with the two handed build. Greatsword, including feats cleave, great cleave, power attack and cleaving finish. Also have overhand chop. So my questions are..

1)is the damage from overhand chop in addition to the 50% bonus to strength damage I already get from wielding with two hands? Ie. my str bonus is +6, so when I do one attack, do I add 9+12=21, or just the 12 (higher bonus?).

2)is overhand chop damage multiplied on a crit?

3) overhand chop says it's applied only if you make a single attack in a round. Let's say I charge, hit someone, the deal damage. Obviously I then add the extra damage. What happens if I then cleave? Does that negates the extra damage ,as it's now another attack? If it doesn't negate the extra damage on the first strike, is it then applied to any other hits that may happen through great cleave? What happens if you make an attack of opportunity? Do you have to go back and subtract that extra damage?

My interpretation to date has been..

1). The two damages are added together, since it doesn't state that damage replaces the normal +50% yo usually get. So it would be +21

2) yes

3). Not 100% sure what I think yet. I'm leaning towards saying that cleaves and aoo's don't count as extra attacks for this ability (despite the wording calling them attacks), solely because going back in time to undo damage already done is a pain in the butt, and I don't think it falls under what's "normal" for the game.

I realize many people will have opinions on what they'd let into their game, butid like to try to keep this to a "I think X is permitted by the rules as written because of Y"

Appreciate any input on this.

if any of these adventures were ever actually playtested?

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I'm a player, and can't read any of the other threads.

Seriously though, we've just finished up the 4th last adventure (with the library/fountain). Our party consists of 6 PCs (and for a time, there was a cohort). All of the players have been playing D&D for at least 5 years, and there are a few of us who have been playing 20+ years. We have only 1 character who is from the original group. Everyone else has died - multiple times. And I don't just mean 2-3 times. A few guys are in double digits. Its ridiculous.

The temple was just a meat grinder - those knights with the negative energy blast wiped out most of the party except the rouge (go evasion) in the first round! So we think "hey - that wasn't thought out very well - I'm sure they'll recognize this and make sure it doesn't happen again". Fast forward to the island - where the party gets sent back to fight the army of undead - and 10! of them crest the hill in the first wave. Guess who wins initiative? 10*14d6 with a reflex save of what? 22? Our fighters had reflex save bonuses of +8, and even if they had +21, they'll still fail 5% of the time. And they can do it 3 TIMES!!! So after the first round of combat, the only people still standing are the rouge and the fighter (he's got a whopping 8 hp left - guess how he made out?) This time everyone had rings of evasion, and they still bought it.

If this was supposed to be a "party killing" scene, why not just script it. Its very frustrating at this point to KNOW you are going to die again. And since the party keeps dieing, there isn't any money left (can't afford to raise dead at 5000 gp a shot cause there isn't any money in the campaign - its all magic and gems, which get sold at 50%). Its probably just as well, as everyone would likely be level 6 at this point, instead of 17 like we are.

And just to finish off my rant, can someone please tell me how the battle(s) with Darl's group can actually be won without metagaming? At level 17, even with 6 characters, we still got the boots handed to us. Meteor storm to open, following by a butt whupping by the efreet/nightmare. Assassin hiding in the wings to snipe, and demons set up to go. Of course Darl being ths smart guy he is, called for help, using his planar ally spell to get a PIT FIEND before hand, since he knew where we had to go.

All in all, this is just ridiculous. The worst of it all is....I REALLY LIKE THE STORY ARC!! I think this could have been really great, but most of the encounters just seem way overpowered for the groups that will face them - turning it into a killing field.

Anyway - thanks for the rant - looking forward to the next adventure path, and I hope that lessons from this one will be carried forward....

So I received a notice in the mail today saying my subscription to Dragon has expired...and that I have to renew. Now, thinking back I thought I had recently re-upped my subscription, so I check online...and I see:

Remaining Issues: 24
Issue #342 shipped 02/28/06
Issue #343 ships 03/28/06
Final Issue: #366

So....what gives?? Anyone??