Okay...
1. A lot of stuff (sneak attack, immediate actions) is "once per round". I'm a bit confused as to what they mean by a round. Is it the time between your current turn and your next turn (as in 3.5) or is it the combat round (in which every combatant takes one turn)?
2. The Healing/Inspiring Word powers grant more healing than just using a normal Healing Surge. What's to stop anyone from using this after combat?
3. If I understand correctly, you can take a move action and then charge as a standard action? Allowing you to completely bypass anything in the way?
Okay...
1. A lot of stuff (sneak attack, immediate actions) is "once per round". I'm a bit confused as to what they mean by a round. Is it the time between your current turn and your next turn (as in 3.5) or is it the combat round (in which every combatant takes one turn)?
2. The Healing/Inspiring Word powers grant more healing than just using a normal Healing Surge. What's to stop anyone from using this after combat?
3. If I understand correctly, you can take a move action and then charge as a standard action? Allowing you to completely bypass anything in the way?
I resposted your question on the WotC forums to see if you might get an answer there as well.
Okay...
1. A lot of stuff (sneak attack, immediate actions) is "once per round". I'm a bit confused as to what they mean by a round. Is it the time between your current turn and your next turn (as in 3.5) or is it the combat round (in which every combatant takes one turn)?
I've generally taken it to mean between actions. For immediate actions its spelled out in the second bullet. For the sneak attack, I'm thinking that they only want you to make sneak attacks on your turn and only once (I could be way off on that one though)
2. The Healing/Inspiring Word powers grant more healing than just using a normal Healing Surge. What's to stop anyone from using this after combat?
Using an "encounter" ability during a "short rest" requires another "short rest" before its usable again. So the you'd have to rest an extra five minutes for each 2 uses of the healing ability.
3. If I understand correctly, you can take a move action and then charge as a standard action? Allowing you to completely bypass anything in the way?
If by "bypass" you mean move out to the side or otherwise gain a better line for your charge action then I think thats perfectly valid. You just have to move first because the charge ends your turn.
Okay...
1. A lot of stuff (sneak attack, immediate actions) is "once per round". I'm a bit confused as to what they mean by a round. Is it the time between your current turn and your next turn (as in 3.5) or is it the combat round (in which every combatant takes one turn)?
2. The Healing/Inspiring Word powers grant more healing than just using a normal Healing Surge. What's to stop anyone from using this after combat?
3. If I understand correctly, you can take a move action and then charge as a standard action? Allowing you to completely bypass anything in the way?
1. Good question, I am not quite sure about this.
2. Nothing. And as long as players have time to take a break for 5 minutes after each two "casting", they can do it.
3. Well that depends. If your move action is enough to bring you to a position from where you can charge without problems, then yes. Just remember that normal movement and charge still causes OA's, if you move through the threat-range of enemies.
The response I got so far:
1) A round is the time between the start of your current turn and the start of your next turn.
2) Nothing other than after you use those powers you need to rest another 5 minutes before they recharge.
3) Yes.
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I may have the exact terminology a bit confused but the concept is as reflected in the rules.
There is the round and the turn.
Your round lasts from your initiative point until your next initiative point.
Your turn is when you are active.
While you are active you may take a minor, move, and standard action. You can always trade down - replace a standard with a move or minor, replace a move with a minor. You can also take free actions.
Once your turn is over there are two actions that you can take an immediate action and an opportunity action. You can only take one of each type.
That is my understanding.
Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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Glad to see a thread like this up, I keep stumbling upon questions, meaning to ask them, and then forgetting. Here's the one I remember:
What's up with the rapier? IIRC, the longsword does the same amount of damage, is versitile, costs less, and is a martial weapon. The rapier is a light blade, but is that special enough to make it an exotic weapon (or whatever it's called in 4e)? What am I missing?
3. If I understand correctly, you can take a move action and then charge as a standard action? Allowing you to completely bypass anything in the way?
A clarification: you don't need to move on straight line to charge on 4E. You need to move to nearest square from which you can attack the enemy, and you can't charge if this square is occupied.
So, moving before a charge is useful only to change the nearest square, if the previous one is occupied or out of reach.
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Glad to see a thread like this up, I keep stumbling upon questions, meaning to ask them, and then forgetting. Here's the one I remember:
What's up with the rapier? IIRC, the longsword does the same amount of damage, is versitile, costs less, and is a martial weapon. The rapier is a light blade, but is that special enough to make it an exotic weapon (or whatever it's called in 4e)? What am I missing?
I don't think you missed anything. The longsword is a heavy blade and the rapier is a light blade. They both do the same damage. Some feats and powers require the use of a light blade. The only way to get a light blade that does 1d8 is to take the feat that will give you proficiency with a rapier. Its the same with the longsword and bastard sword. If you want a heavy blad that does 1d10 rather than 1d8 you need to take the feat to make your PC proficient with a bastard sword.
What's up with the rapier? IIRC, the longsword does the same amount of damage, is versitile, costs less, and is a martial weapon. The rapier is a light blade, but is that special enough to make it an exotic weapon (or whatever it's called in 4e)? What am I missing?
Yes. Most rogue melee powers require the use of a light blade. For fighters, using a light blade enables you to use Dextery instead of Strenght for various attack powers.
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Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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Okay, but if you wanted a light blade, wouldn't you take the other light blade superior weapon? It seems significantly better than the rapier.Well it only does a d6 and is an off-hand weapon.
Are we thinking of the same thing?
I think so. I thought it also had improved critical. It just seemed like a better choice to me, but it was early on in my reading.
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I thought it also had improved critical. It just seemed like a better choice to me, but it was early on in my reading.
It does have improved crit but given the lower base damage the rapier will do more damage over time than the off-hand light blade that has a wierd name i can't for the life of me recall.
Yay, rules questions!
There arent a lot of light blades, so this is pretty easy. The short sword gives you a +3 to hit, deals 1d6 damage, and is an off-hand weapon (meaning that you can attack with it normally, even with a weapon in your main hand).
Compared to the katar, which is a superior weapon and otherwise identical in everyway except for its high-crit trait (which is bonus damage dice on a crit).
So what makes the rapier so special and worthy of its superior status? 1d8 damage. Both the katar and rapier have perks that make them better than the shortsword, but not by a whole lot. You get either bonus crit damage, or bonus "normal" damage.
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Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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Okay, so the gradation between the weapons classes is slight and has as much to do with weapon type (e.g., light blades, heavy blades) as with categor (e.g., martial, superior). Thanks, I hadn't fully picked up on all that.
I must say I'm somewhat surprised that there are two light blade superior weapons and not more fighter oriented superior weapons.
I do like how the weapons are plain vanilla and provide for some obvious next design choices. For example, I suspect that a long sword with a +4 proficiency bonus could work as a superior weapon. It also seems like you could take any martial weapon, add a keyword, and produce a new superior weapon.
1. A lot of stuff (sneak attack, immediate actions) is "once per round". I'm a bit confused as to what they mean by a round. Is it the time between your current turn and your next turn (as in 3.5) or is it the combat round (in which every combatant takes one turn)?
Once per round is once during the entire initiative count. If you go first, and you use Deft Strike to rush an enemy and stab him with the extra Sneak Attack damage, you cant do it again until your turn comes around again.
If you manage to use it half-way through the round when a monster tries to move that you were also flanking, you could do it then, but not if you did it at the start of the round.
2. The Healing/Inspiring Word powers grant more healing than just using a normal Healing Surge. What's to stop anyone from using this after combat?
PH 263: you can use healing powers after combat, but you need to take another short rest to earn them back (5 minute breather) every time you do so. Its not a bad idea if you arent under a time crunch, as the bonus hit points can save you a few surges. If you're in a hurry, it might not be a viable option.
3. If I understand correctly, you can take a move action and then charge as a standard action? Allowing you to completely bypass anything in the way?
Yeah, its just a standard action to do so, but you cant use a power if you do that, so its not always worth it, even for the +1 to hit.
I think so. I thought it also had improved critical. It just seemed like a better choice to me, but it was early on in my reading.Okay, but if you wanted a light blade, wouldn't you take the other light blade superior weapon? It seems significantly better than the rapier.Well it only does a d6 and is an off-hand weapon.
Are we thinking of the same thing?
It would depend upon your play style. The off hand weapon is good, and so is the rapier, they just work a bit different. Do you want to always use a d8 for your damage, or use a d6 and get an extra dice on a crit?
You should also check to see if one weapon has a better proficency bonus then the other. Many of the swords grant a +3 instead of a +2 for being profiecent in thier use and that can effect your descision.
Most of the weapons seem to be balanced against each other in this fashion, granting a bonus based upon what style of play you like, and the special weapons you can get with feats seem to be just improved versions of that.
Okay, so the gradation between the weapons classes is slight and has as much to do with weapon type (e.g., light blades, heavy blades) as with categor (e.g., martial, superior). Thanks, I hadn't fully picked up on all that.
I must say I'm somewhat surprised that there are two light blade superior weapons and not more fighter oriented superior weapons.
I do like how the weapons are plain vanilla and provide for some obvious next design choices. For example, I suspect that a long sword with a +4 proficiency bonus could work as a superior weapon. It also seems like you could take any martial weapon, add a keyword, and produce a new superior weapon.
I agree that the "vanilla" approach makes it pretty easy to take an existing weapon and make it Superior, but it also makes it easier to style the weapons since they arent explicitly called out in a description.
For example, Oriental Adventures had a table that took existing weapons in the PH and gave them new names (dagger becomes a kris, greatsword becomes a no-dachi, etc). It was great for avoiding power creep/redundant stat blocks.
1. A lot of stuff (sneak attack, immediate actions) is "once per round". I'm a bit confused as to what they mean by a round. Is it the time between your current turn and your next turn (as in 3.5) or is it the combat round (in which every combatant takes one turn)?
Once per round is once during the entire initiative count. If you go first, and you use Deft Strike to rush an enemy and stab him with the extra Sneak Attack damage, you cant do it again until your turn comes around again.
If you manage to use it half-way through the round when a monster tries to move that you were also flanking, you could do it then, but not if you did it at the start of the round.
My question is, if you go LAST in the initiative order, and you save your sneak attack to use on an immediate action, can you do that on the next turn (since you went last, everyone would be on their second turn, but you haven't taken your first action), and then when your turn comes again are your actions "reset", or since you technically took the action during the current combat "round", do you NOT get to take your sneak attack?
Does that make sense?
Or, more simply, does the combat round "end" at the end of the last person's turn, or is each character's round different, starting when they take their first turn?
Like the poster above is asking I guess...
Well it says once per round, so here is my take on the whole thing:
- Rogue goes last, flanks a monster, and uses Sneak Attack.
- The round ends, starting again from the top.
- The monster goes first, lets say, and tries to run away, provoking an opportunity attack from the rogue.
- The rogue makes an attack, and uses SA again (since its a new round).
I dont have a problem with this, since its still only once per round. The rogue isnt getting more SA shots than she would in any case.
Just as an aside, if it is "once per combat round" (as I think it is), and not "once between the start of your turn and the start of your next turn" (as many others think it is), it will be a lot easier to keep track of things when people start delaying/readying and acting on different initiative counts. That might be a reason for the change. But I might be completely wrong here.
So it is "Once per combat round..."
And not, "From the end of your turn until the start of your next turn."
Ok, I can deal with that.
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Just as an aside, if it is "once per combat round" (as I think it is), and not "once between the start of your turn and the start of your next turn" (as many others think it is), it will be a lot easier to keep track of things when people start delaying/readying and acting on different initiative counts. That might be a reason for the change. But I might be completely wrong here.
The concept of the round does not end when the last person goes. A round is a rolling unit of time.
Rogue - init 17
Fighter - init 12
Goblin - init 10
Cleric - init 3
Rouge - round 1 for him lasts from the start of his turn until his next turn comes up.
Cleric - round 1 for him lasts from the start of his turn until his next turn comes up.
The round does not reset when the Rogue gets his second round. The cleric may still use and immediate action or take an opportunity attack until the start of his second round.
My understanding of rounds was drawn from the information given on pages 266 and 267:
Round: In a round, every combatant takes a turn. A round represents about 6 seconds in the game world.
From this I get that a round is a portion of time in which everyone gets a turn. The second bit is this:
Begin the next round. When every combatant has had a turn, the round ends. Begin the next round with the combatant who has the highest initiative.
So, my take on it is that once the last person goes and the round starts over again, all of those round-by-round abilities refresh.
According to the 4e PHB Antioch is correct. The text specifically says that once everybody has gone, the round ends and the next round begins.
So the rogue can use his sneak attack at the end of round 1, and then again during the next round for the opportunity attack.
A round is no longer defined as the time between the start of your turn to the start of your next turn. This was probably done because of the removal of full-round actions and spell durations.
I resposted your question on the WotC forums to see if you might get an answer there as well.
I urge you to avoid this practice. You should not be posting other peoples material to different boards without their permission. I recognize that your just trying to help but without explicit permission this is really not kosher.
That said if you repost something but put it in your own words I don't think its a problem. I've just seen a couple of unfortunate examples. One where material made here got posted onto the WotC forum and the WotC guys tore the post apart which deeply angered the original poster who had been belittled as his post was taken out of context - and worse yet he was a semi-professional who had hoped to do some free lancing work at some future date so his actual work - which is made harder if Scott Rouse thinks your an imbecile based on an out of context post. Another Example was some one posting some idle speculation here, on Enworld and probably every other message board he could find, only to have the original poster running all over the net after him making a post saying something along the lines of "Please, don't take this to seriously - it was merely idle speculation!"
While I agree taking others posts and bringing them to other boards may be questionable, I think disseminating questions to boards with a larger/more knowledgeable population isn't really out of line. And of course, if you don't attribute the questions to anyone but yourself, then there really is no problem at all.
Cheers! :)
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Your round lasts from your initiative point until your next initiative point.Could you point me to the page in the PHB where a round is defined thus? All I can find is the description on page 266:
"Round: In a round, every combatant takes a turn."
Isn't your interpretation rooted in 3.5 assumptions? In the 3.5 PHB, page 138, it explicitly says "a round usually means a span of time from one round to the same initiative count in the next round." In 4E it says no such thing.
Also, durations are never "for one round". It's always "until the start/end of your next turn".
Sorry - I mix up turn and round. The point is that your turn does not end until your next turn.
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Sorry - I mix up turn and round. The point is that your turn does not end until your next turn.
The rolling nature of a round is arguable, but the above statement is definitely incorrect. Your turn is just your segment of the round. It begins with an upkeep phase, you take your actions, and then it closes with an upkeep phase. Then it becomes somebody else's turn.
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Sorry - I mix up turn and round. The point is that your turn does not end until your next turn.The rolling nature of a round is arguable, but the above statement is definitely incorrect. Your turn is just your segment of the round. It begins with an upkeep phase, you take your actions, and then it closes with an upkeep phase. Then it becomes somebody else's turn.
Terminology swirl.
Yes, each players turn fits within a round. I think the problem is a typo in the PHB:
Under immediate action it says:
Once per Round: You can take only one immediate action per round, either an immediate interrupt or an immediate reaction. If you haven’t taken an immediate action since the end of your last turn, you can take one when a trigger allows you to. You can’t take an immediate action on your own turn.
So they mixed their metaphor so to speak. On the surface it makes it look like you can get two immediate actions - one in round X after your turn AND one in round X+1 before your turn. Then they clarify with the end of your last turn thing.
Instead of once per round it should have been once between turns.
Okay now that folks have the books before me an' all, and I've got a game to run on Saturday--what's the deal with Second Wind as opposed to Healing Surges? I get that you can use them in combat, but how much do they heal? Are they in addition to your Surges?
Plus what are the passive senses--insight and perception about. All I have is the game day pack and the rules there are pretty sparce.
Thanks.
A Second Wind is just one way of activating a Healing Surge. It is a Standard Action that is usable once per encounter. It also gives you +2 to your defenses for one round. I think it is unique because everyone can do it. Otherwise you need a potion or someone with a special power to activate a Healing Surge.
Okay now that folks have the books before me an' all, and I've got a game to run on Saturday--what's the deal with Second Wind as opposed to Healing Surges? I get that you can use them in combat, but how much do they heal? Are they in addition to your Surges?
Plus what are the passive senses--insight and perception about. All I have is the game day pack and the rules there are pretty sparce.
Thanks.
A healing surge is a term for a limited healing resource. Expending a healing surge heals a specified amount of hit points (usually 1/4 of your maximum hit points), though dragonborn heal a bit more than usual, and there are plenty of items and powers that can heal bonus hit points as well.
Second wind is an ability that allows you to expend your own healing surge to heal yourself. It normally takes a standard action, but dwarves can pull it off as a minor action (allowing you to still move and attack, for example).
While you can use second wind once per a given encounter, other characters can trigger your own healing surges by using Inspiring Word, Healing Word, a healing potion, a Heal check, etc. These do not count against your ability to use a second wind, so if you already did that, they can still heal you, and if they heal you, you can still burn your own later in the encounter.
Once you run out of healing surges, you cannot use second wind or be healed by effects that explicitly state that you can use a healing surge (again, Inspiring/Healing Word). You can be healed by effects that heal you "as if you used a healing surge", such as the Dwarven armor trait, or many cleric curing prayers.
Basically, healing surges are a finite healing resource that can get eaten up in many ways: second wind is just one activation mechanic for it.
Passive Perception and Passive Insight are 10 plus your relevant skill modifier. It allows a DM to roll a Stealth check or whatever against your Passive score to quickly determine who did and didnt see something with a single roll: you dont have to tell the players to make Perception checks, roll all of their checks secretly, or ask them what their modifiers are or anything like that. One roll against their "Defense".
Passive Checks are 'taking 10' to notice something without actively doing something. The two most common ones are Perception and Insight.
Perception is noticing something in the environment. An example would be if your Perception is 13 and someone ties to use Stealth to Hide. If they roll a modified 13 or lower, you see them even if you did not look for them.
Insight is for social situations. An example would be if your Insight is 13 and someone tries to Bluff (lie). If they roll a modified 13 or lower, you would know they are lying even if you were not trying to discern a lie.
I think it is so you don't need to spend the entire adventure searching and sensing motive. Players only have to bring it up when something special is going on.
Edit. Antioch sounds more correct but I left mine for the examples.
Other characters can trigger your own healing surges by using Inspiring Word, Healing Word, a healing potion, a Heal check, etc.
I realize that this would probably be counter-intuituve, but do the rules state one way or another if you are able to choose whether or not your healing surge is used, or are you forced to use it if an action occurs on you that expends one.
Can you refuse healing, I guess is what I'm asking.
Other characters can trigger your own healing surges by using Inspiring Word, Healing Word, a healing potion, a Heal check, etc.I realize that this would probably be counter-intuituve, but do the rules state one way or another if you are able to choose whether or not your healing surge is used, or are you forced to use it if an action occurs on you that expends one.
Can you refuse healing, I guess is what I'm asking.
I believe in the definition of ally, it spells out that an ally must be willing, but I don't have the books handy currently. If I'm right, however, I'd suspect that most healing affects target an ally, which would mean you have to be willing. (Also, I *think* most of these abilities say you CAN use a healing surge, not that you have to, but again, no books with me currently ...)
Wow! I really like that! So basically you have a certain innate capacity to be healed per day. So there's only so much inspiring, resting, taking breathers, having blessings done to you or whatever before you're just done and have to call it quits. I really like that. So beyond a certain point you can drink all the potions you want but it's not going to do much anymore and you just need healthy natural rest.
That's really cool...
Whichever it is, I hope someone official will clarify it soon.Something completely different. I'm running the introductory adventure in the DMG tonight and I foresee having trouble explaining to my group...
** spoiler omitted **
Anyone have any idea how it works?
I saw it and I found it weird too.
I will use carvings on the floor that they need a perception of 20 to be spotted, that force the boulder to move in such a way. The distance that the boulder covers I will attribute it to the initial speed.
I resposted your question on the WotC forums to see if you might get an answer there as well.I urge you to avoid this practice. You should not be posting other peoples material to different boards without their permission. I recognize that your just trying to help but without explicit permission this is really not kosher.
That said if you repost something but put it in your own words I don't think its a problem. I've just seen a couple of unfortunate examples. One where material made here got posted onto the WotC forum and the WotC guys tore the post apart which deeply angered the original poster who had been belittled as his post was taken out of context - and worse yet he was a semi-professional who had hoped to do some free lancing work at some future date so his actual work - which is made harder if Scott Rouse thinks your an imbecile based on an out of context post. Another Example was some one posting some idle speculation here, on Enworld and probably every other message board he could find, only to have the original poster running all over the net after him making a post saying something along the lines of "Please, don't take this to seriously - it was merely idle speculation!"
I reposted specific rules questions. That's it. Chill.
Wow! I really like that! So basically you have a certain innate capacity to be healed per day. So there's only so much inspiring, resting, taking breathers, having blessings done to you or whatever before you're just done and have to call it quits. I really like that. So beyond a certain point you can drink all the potions you want but it's not going to do much anymore and you just need healthy natural rest.
That's really cool...
I agree. I love the new Healing Surge mechanics.