Results 31 to 41 of 41
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2010-12-06, 09:49 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2009
Re: [4.0] New campaign, new format, new everything
4e is such that I wouldn’t expect anyone who’s mastered the 3rd edition would have any problems figuring it out.
My advice: carefully read all the rules on combat and movement and such and encourage your players to do the same.
Some things have similar names, but just aren’t alike at all (like a saving throw.)
You will have at least one player who skimmed, thinks he knows how something works, but is still thinking of it from a 3rd edition perspective/definition. That will lead to a problem and the more quickly you can clarify the issue for your players the better.
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2010-12-06, 09:55 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2009
- Location
- Sydney
- Gender
Re: [4.0] New campaign, new format, new everything
Take it easy, start small and go slow. Just bash up some kobolds until you feel comfortable with it.
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2010-12-06, 10:37 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2007
- Location
- The DownUnderdark!
- Gender
Re: [4.0] New campaign, new format, new everything
Aside from "have fun", i think the key to GMing is putting your players into situations where they need to make a choice that has no perfect outcome available. They will hate you for it, but they will be back at the table session after session.
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2010-12-07, 09:29 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2009
Re: [4.0] New campaign, new format, new everything
Yeah, I was going to get back to you on this.
Don't worry, it totally confused me too. The real rules on provoking OAs are:
1) Making a RANGED attack in a threatened square.
2) Moving out of a threatened square without a shift action (standing up counts as staying in the threatened square).
3) Some PCs or monsters will have special cases which will be explicitly spelled out. Fighters get an OA on any marked target within a threatened square which doesn't attack them or tries to shift away. Druids can get a special ability which allows them an OA if a monster tries to stand up from prone.
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2010-12-07, 10:24 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2010
Re: [4.0] New campaign, new format, new everything
Out of all the other people I play with I would be most likely to do this, lol. But because I am DMing I am forced to really pay attention.
I would like to thank all of you for your help with this. It has been a great help. I am making notes and making sure to reference all the good stuff.
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2010-12-07, 10:26 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2010
Re: [4.0] New campaign, new format, new everything
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2010-12-07, 03:34 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2007
- Location
- London, Ontario
- Gender
Re: [4.0] New campaign, new format, new everything
There is no need to limit the books with 4E, rather limit the players to legal characters created with the builder, then you will be fine. The only thing you should ban is an essentials character, we are holding off on the new online character builder in our campaign, wic has all the essentials stuff in it, because we suspect there is a big jump there. If you use the installed version of CB you will be fine.
None of the 4E material up to essentials should be banned, as there is nothing broken (especially after errata).
If I were you I would look up some tips on using the skill challenge concept. It is a good addition to the game. We also make rituals cheaper as encouraging there use makes things more interesting in the game.
GM----------------------------
"Better a witty fool than a foolish wit...
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2010-12-07, 03:59 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2007
- Location
- UTC -6
Re: [4.0] New campaign, new format, new everything
This is wrong. Fighters get an immediate action melee basic attack for those two triggers. The difference might seem petty, but is in fact huge: they can only retaliate in such a way once per round (rather than once per turn, as with OAs), and they get none of the rider effects specifically geared toward opportunity attacks (Heavy Blade Opportunity, Combat Superiority, etc.). This means you don't get your Wis modifier as an additional bonus to the attack roll, you can't use an At-Will in place of a melee basic, and a shifting enemy does not stop when hit.
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2010-12-07, 04:29 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2006
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2010-12-07, 04:34 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2009
Re: [4.0] New campaign, new format, new everything
I've DM'd 3.5 but not 4th (but played in it).... but it seems to me like DMing 4th, especially when you haven't played yet would be harder than DMing 3.5.
But maybe that's just me. 4th ed has a lot more of a fine edge of balance. Whereas 3.5 is all over the place, which to me is a good thing. If someones lagging behind its easy to boost them up or change things up. If someone sucks at playing 4th (and yes, I've seen several people suck at it, despite its claims of easiness) then its almost impossible to help them out except blatantly changing their character or giving them extra levels or something which isn't good for group cohesion.
4th ed. is also generally harder to roleplay for most people. Yet another challenge you'll need to overcome.
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2010-12-07, 04:45 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2007
- Location
- The DownUnderdark!
- Gender
Re: [4.0] New campaign, new format, new everything
Aside from "have fun", i think the key to GMing is putting your players into situations where they need to make a choice that has no perfect outcome available. They will hate you for it, but they will be back at the table session after session.