Search results

I think that the removal of flanking removed a lot from the game. And there's very little like the "provoke tactics" I used to revel in in 4e where my characters would provoke opportunity attacks if there was a nearby defender (a sadly diminished role) so that the enemy would take the defender's...

I'd argue that end cycle 3.5, with weirdness like the Book of Nine Swords was less prone to extruded bloatware than early 3.5 that from memory started (after the PHB) with the Minis Handbook

Any particular reason? Especially as they, I'm pretty sure, are the hardest to use of any edition (except maybe 3.0)

For anyone wondering why the 4E Monster Vault dragons are getting such universal love I thought I'd dig up the 4e Young Black Dragon statblock (and also link the 5e Adult Black Dragon as the young one has neither legendary nor lair actions and the PF1e Young Black Dragon as the 3.5 one is...

4e Essentials (Monster Vault era) easily had the best dragons. Instinctive actions that varied by type and made them move differently? And made them resistant to stuns? Actual mechanics to make dragons have favoured approaches in combat (other than "breath weapon", "polymorphed but still casting...

Or at least ramp up their fighting style effects. I've said in the past that one place I'd start with a fighter-warlord is by making a support fighting style (e.g. Direct the Strike). And we also need to do better for the defenders/tanks. Please no. Fighters should be inspiring and tactical...

I thought I'd lay out what I'd do. There are six monster books for 4e. We can discard the MM1 and MM2 for having the old math. MM3, Dark Sun, Monster Vault, and Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale. We'll drop MM3 for being monsters that weren't high priority enough to get into the MM1 or...

The only thing you need here is to not have all the monsters in the encounter be effectively clones of each other. Every 4e combat role synergises with every other role because they all have strengths and weaknesses. Where "traps and hazards and interesting terrain" just means "Not using...

No. Neither am I denying that someone could hit themselves in the balls when they use their hammer. But when someone complains that they hit themselves in the balls when they use a hammer I consider it entirely reasonable to point out that that isn't to do with the fact it's a hammer, it's to...

I'm boggling; this has absolutely nothing to do with the 4e I enjoy. Prepping encounters is a snap to the point that I've done it at the table on days when I'd forgotten my rulebooks. Admittedly I'm adept with math and kinasthetic visualisation, but prepping encounters takes no time at all. I...

Ack, no. One of my least favourite parts of D&D class design is how almost everyone is either full caster, half caster, or non-caster. And how it all uses levels and slots. I don't mind wizards using spell levels and spell slots because of how arcane wizarding magic is supposed to be. But I...

As many as are needed for the playstyles you want to encourage. How long is a piece of string? One of the good things I will say about 5e is that a well written subclass can take the place of a full class in many cases.

In most fantasy RPGs clerics wear cloth armour and use their magic as their primary approach. Closer to a Divine Soul Sorcerer or sometimes a Celestial Warlock than they are to a D&D cleric. The identity problem is that in D&D Cleric = holy warrior. Historically, especially pre-4e, wearing...

Just to confirm this. Colloquially Urban Dictionary confirms this (language in link NSFW). 5e is explicit on the very first column of the very first page of prose (p4); "The D&D rules help you and the other players have a good time, but the rules aren't in charge. You're the DM, and you are in...

Hmm... this makes some sense. And explains my biggest D&D bugbear - characters grow more powerful but don't change or learn new skills. It's classic TV storytelling; Kirk is always Kirk and Spock always Spock even if they get promoted. And at the end of the episode comes a reset. There's no...

If the ads on the side of the page were anything like as reliable as CAGI I'd agree. Influence is not mind control - but influence also influences and offers dilemmas.

Come And Get It I'll agree is supernatural. And Tide of Iron action movie physics. But the basic mark/combat challenge would be at home in a grittily realistic game.

We know that as of late 2013 (and almost a year and a half after the release of the final 4e book) there were more than 70,000 paid D&D Insider subscribers and that unsubscribing took you out of the group. We also know that as of late 2013 the cheapest D&D Insider package (the annual one) was...

Because the fighter is the one who specialises in taking advantage in small gaps in the opponent's guard. Take your eyes off the barbarian and he will wind up for another swing. Take your eyes off the fighter and he'll try to slip a sword point through your defences in the same amount of time...