This episode: The Major Spoilers Crew takes some time to answer your Dungeons and Dragons 4E questions.
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14 Comments
Texas got your revenge on the Huskers.
What is the link for the gaming group/resource that Rob mentions? I know he has said it before and I am far too lazy to look through the forums.
I believe it is http://www.cattg.org/
I have not yet listened to this episode but I think this is the group that Rob has mentioned before.
Are you talking about D&D Insider’s Compendium?
Here’s a link, though you need a subscription to access most of the info.
http://www.wizards.com/dndinsider/compendium/database.aspx
Oh… and Rob. Now that it is a listener feedback episode, can you tell my what was the gadget the your Minataur used to turn his armor into a tunic in Stephens campain?
Nice show by-the-way.
Thou I didn’t get my story – sob sob.
Yeah, it was Imposter’s Armor level 6. It’s from Adventurer’s Vault 1, page 46.
Thx Rob.
Hi,
not really related to this episode, but i noticed that anytime Torq misses with the Reaping Srike, there is no mention of the fact that a miss with that attack should still give strenght damage.
Great cast like alwayse, by the way
Riccardo
Technically, you are giving feedback as a listener, so it is in a roundabout way related to this episode… the topic of it, if not so much the content of it anyway.
Guys you let me down. I have never disagreed with your explanation of the game before this episode and I have give a different view.
The Essentials is not a new version that will supersede the original core books. The core books are not going away and will continue to be supported, everything Wizards has said supports this. Essentials are a perfect set of books for a new player to get started in the game and a simple list of products for a retailer to have on their shelves if they want to carry D&D.
Also canned adventures have a place in the game for those of us that do not have the time to create an adventure from a blank piece of paper. My group uses both prewritten and completely original adventures based in the Forgotten Realms. Both are fun and rewarding it is just easier for the DM to prep. Don’t sell short the settings and adventures that Wizards put out just because you have the time to write everything from scratch.
BTW I LOVE the podcast and everything you are doing to promote the hobby.
AKA Alex
I think what they were trying to get at with the premade adventures is that Rodrigo specifically, and Rob as well, can’t run them, their minds work too differently to use them. Our first forays into 4th ed were the premade adventure at the end of the DMG. I ran that one. Rob wasn’t in it and I had yet to meet Mathew and Stephen, but it was our first attempt to learn the changes and new rules.
As far as the essentials, from what I have seen they are very much akin to a 4.5. This is my opinion by how the classes have all changed back to earlier versions of themselves. For instance druid now has a build that is a primal leader that summons creatures to cast spells through, you know like a shaman. That is fine and works just fine with what has already been written but we are being ‘old’ in 4th ed. which is to say, *ahem* (old person voice) ‘we liked it how it was, why’d ya have to go and change it, get off my lawn, and how.’ The essentials do a lot of good things like get all the rules changes together in one place that is conveniently portable. And I would say that possibly if one is starting off new now that the essentials might be a better place to start.
Also I’m glad you like the show, I do too. I only get to hear part of it live. What with not having a pair of headphones to listen through, so I usually end up listening to each show the first time with all of you.
Just in case I would like to say that I am not intending to come down on you. I would have been thinking along the same lines if I didn’t know the guys better and have a chance to get them to clarify after the show.
No problem Alex I just wanted to express a different opinion about the prewritten adventures and Essentials.
This summer with the rules update, Dark Sun and Essentials a lot of changes have happened in 4e, but I do not think the changes are as vast as the change from 3.0 to 3.5. Everything in the original books are still valid except for the dozen or so powers that were changed for either balance or player feedback (complaint). I also think some of the changes were not needed (read magic missile) and I am one of those old folk that started with the original red box and first edition AD&D.
I first hated 4.0 because it was not my game, but over time I love it and would never go back. The changes are sometimes difficult to take because it seems that every month or 2 you have to rework one of the characters in the group. I will say 95% these changes have made the game better and it is kind of cool to have such a “live” game that keeps current.
Again I love what you all do but I just thought this time the guys were a little off and I wanted to express an alternative view point.
Guys you let me down. I have never disagreed with your explanation of the game before this episode and I have give a different view.
That’s why we say mileage may vary…
Also canned adventures have a place in the game for those of us that do not have the time to create an adventure from a blank piece of paper. My group uses both prewritten and completely original adventures based in the Forgotten Realms. Both are fun and rewarding it is just easier for the DM to prep. Don’t sell short the settings and adventures that Wizards put out just because you have the time to write everything from scratch.
It’s a very fair point… I don’t necessarily have an issue with pre-generated content as a rule, but what it really comes down to is that (in the type of setting that I prefer to run) it’s going to require as much work to rejigger the entire thing to work in my setting as it would to write from scratch. I, at least, didn’t mean to take shots at those who use the canned stuff, it’s just not my preference.
Hey guys! Long time listener, first time… commenter? (I suppose that would be right).
I just felt the need to chime in here because as a long time ranger, I’ve run into the oddity about Hunter’s Quarry (and Sneak Attack, etc) not being maximized on a critical. This is NOT correct! Anything you would roll on a non-crit damage is maximised. The only thing that is not maximized is damage triggered by the crit (from Magic Weapons, Implements, and High Crit weapons)
PHB p. 278:
Maximum Damage: Rather than roll damage, determine the maximum damage you can roll with your attack. This is your critical damage.
Extra Damage: Magic weapons and implements, as well as high-crit weapons, can increase the damage you deal when you score a critical hit. If this extra damage is a die roll, it’s not automatically maximum damage; you add the result of the roll.
From Customer Service Answers Collection on the Wizards forum:
“q: If you score a critical hit on an attack you wish to apply sneak attack damage it are the sneak attack dice maximized?
a: Yes, there are. Sneak Attack, Hunter’s Quarry, and Warlock’s Curse are all maximized on a successful critical hit.”
Linkie: http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19685882/Consolidated_Customer_Service_Answers
I don’t mean to rules lawyer with you guys, just wanted to clarify a tiny bit of inaccuracy that many D&D players are confused about (Seriously, there’s like dozens of threads about this on many different forums).
Always love listening! You guys never fail to bring a smile to my face! :D