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  1. - Top - End - #31
    Orc in the Playground
     
    Imp

    Join Date
    Oct 2009

    Default 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.

  2. - Top - End - #32
    Troll in the Playground
     
    Katana_Geldar's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Sydney
    Gender
    Female

    Default 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.
    Avatar by Trixie.

    Running Tomb of Horrors 4E in all that horrific tombyness.

    My Blog The Level 1 GM


  3. - Top - End - #33
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Kaun's Avatar

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    Jun 2007
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    The DownUnderdark!
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    Male

    Default Re: [4.0] New campaign, new format, new everything

    Quote Originally Posted by Kaun View Post
    I was thinking about this the other day, is it true?

    Because standing up is a move action, its not a shift and moving in a threatened square prevokes an AoO.

    Am i missing something? (sorry at work so no rule book on hand.)
    Got home, checked essentials, answered question....

    Never mind me, having a brain fart day!
    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.

  4. - Top - End - #34
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    DwarfClericGuy

    Join Date
    Jul 2009

    Default Re: [4.0] New campaign, new format, new everything

    Quote Originally Posted by Kaun View Post
    Got home, checked essentials, answered question....

    Never mind me, having a brain fart day!
    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.

  5. - Top - End - #35
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    Goblin

    Join Date
    Dec 2010

    Default Re: [4.0] New campaign, new format, new everything

    Quote Originally Posted by Sinon View Post
    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.
    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.

  6. - Top - End - #36
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    Goblin

    Join Date
    Dec 2010

    Default Re: [4.0] New campaign, new format, new everything

    Quote Originally Posted by Hzurr View Post
    As far as what books to get, I'd say the PHB1 (and 2 if you have the means). The Essentials DM Kit/Essentials Rules Compendium for the most up to date, simple, and errata'd rules. (That being said, if you go with the origional DMG, you'll be fine, especially at lvls 1-10).

    As far as which book to get for monsters, I cannot recommend enough the new Monster Vault book that just came out. Basically, it covers all the classic D&D monsters, but the developers had 2+ years of 4E experience to refine and improve on all of them. By far one of the best monster books (and you don't need to do any tweaking to damage


    TL;DR

    - 4E is group based, not individual based
    - PHB1, Essentials DM Kit, Rules Compendium, Monster Vault.
    Good I was wondering where to pull my monsters out of. Another poster mentioned that MM3 has a lot more interesting monsters and if I can get all the core monster from the Monster Vault then I should be pretty good with not needing MM1 and MM2.

  7. - Top - End - #37
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    ElfWarriorGuy

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    London, Ontario
    Gender
    Male

    Default 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...

  8. - Top - End - #38
    Titan in the Playground
     
    PaladinGuy

    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    UTC -6

    Default Re: [4.0] New campaign, new format, new everything

    Quote Originally Posted by Sipex View Post
    Fighters get an OA on any marked target within a threatened square which doesn't attack them or tries to shift away.
    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.

  9. - Top - End - #39
    Dwarf in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2006

    Default Re: [4.0] New campaign, new format, new everything

    Quote Originally Posted by tcrudisi View Post
    If you only buy one MM, make it MM3. You miss out on the iconic monsters, but they are better balanced.
    Or get the Monster Vault, which was published post-MM3 and is chock full of iconic monsters, with their stats rejiggered where appropriate.

  10. - Top - End - #40
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    randomhero00's Avatar

    Join Date
    Dec 2009

    Default 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.

  11. - Top - End - #41
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Kaun's Avatar

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    Jun 2007
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    The DownUnderdark!
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    Default Re: [4.0] New campaign, new format, new everything

    Quote Originally Posted by Sipex View Post
    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.
    Hehe yeah, i forgot the "moving out" part.

    On a side note i finally picked up a copy of the rules essentials last night, not a bad little book all said and done and fairly cheap.
    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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