New DM, long time assistance on various matters

[Yakk]

Two options. Either plan ahead, or random with bias.

Plannimg ahead is simple. Break things down into 5ish level windows (3-8, 8-13, etc). In each of these, for each player, find an appropriate armor, neck and weapon/implement.

Now add 1 'misc' magic item for each player from roughly the same level range.

Finally create some cash treasures. Start with the value of a magic item from level 1-5 each. Make it quirky, and even try for plot relevance. Shave some off for minor cash, or even split a parcel up.

Now arrange everything in rough level order (sort the treasure with items 2-3 levels higher). Seed this treasure in your adventures, very roughly in level order -- 1 cash and (4/5 party size) items per level (~8 encounters per level).

How they choose to split up this treasure is completely up to them. You may design or pick an item for bob, but they do **not** have to give it to bob. Do not tell them you are doing this.

Oh, and include at least one rare item per character per tier. Because those items are just fun.

[MrUberGr]

I'm gonna try and make a plan based on this and post it here.

Can skills have a negative modifier?

[Inevitability]

Yes. 1st level fighter with 8 CHA. Your modifier to diplomacy is most likely -1.

[ScrivenerofDoom]

(snip) (MM p 139). (snip)

Don't use the MM. It's bad.

Just pick up the Monster Vault, search for a monster that is an appropriate challenge, refluff as you like. Maybe swap one or two abilities with another monster of its level.

Alternatively, to update monsters from the MM to current standards, use Blog of Holding's MM3 on a business card. I've used it many times to both update old monsters and to create new ones, and I find it works well.

@OP: You really need to get this message: DO NOT USE THE MM1!

I think a lot of your problems will be solved if you use Monster Manual III, Monster Vault, and Monster Vault: Threats of the Nentir Vale.

The first Monster Manual was really, really, really badly designed. The maths was wrong and even the elites and solos were built differently to the advice provided in the DMG. So, in short, DO NOT USE THE MM1!

[Echobeats]

A house in a city is surely not gamebreaking. PC's are away most of the time anyways.

It could be gamebreaking if they can sell it though. I would make it available for their use but not actually belong to them. Or (if they do own it and decide to sell) deduct a lot for estate agency and legal costs. You could have fun designing an extremely Byzantine ceremony for transferring ownership of land/buildings, which must be attended in person by all co-owners and various witnesses having different qualifications. Naturally the lawyers charge a fortune for this .

(For inspiration, you could look into Roman law and 18th century Scots law on transferring ownership of land.)

Gonna give them a house, and a small title, reckognizable only in the kingdom they're in. Fluff mostly. I could give them a small wondrous item as well, I guess.

I love the idea of giving them a title. Especially one that will totally fail to impress anyone outside a small and politically insignificant area .

[MrUberGr]

I'm just gonna go with "you can't sell it". My last week has been a hectic paper gathering for a jobI'm starting on Monday and I had/will have very little time.

So today's subject: Something Fishy

The players will be getting on a ship, and going across some deep waters to a remote island. I need a level 10-11 encouter that fits the setting. Also, I'd like it to be something "exotic", not pirates or bandits.

[Tegu8788]

Surrealistik once made a hilarious sharktopus, I'll see if I can find it.

Here it is. You'd have to level it up a bit, but that should be interesting. Maybe throw a couple of them in for extra fun.

[MrUberGr]

Hah!

RELEASE THE KRAKEN!

...if only I had some idea on how to run such a combat...I mean obviously the PCs have to be on the ship, and the kraken will be in the sea. The party has almost 0 ranged capabilities, and two out of four wear heavy armor, so falling in would be terrible.

The kraken has a reach 3 so why would it ever get close to the ship so the players could get a hit? Would it be possible to attack the tentacles?

Edit, got ninja'd. We'll be playing in a cuople of hours and I'm a bit too tired to put effort atm. I could use it on the way back thoug or in a cavern they will have to go through to get to their objective.

[MrUberGr]

Does this seem right? Blue being the kraken, yellow the players. They'd be to easily pulled out IMO.

[Dimers]

The kraken has a reach 3 so why would it ever get close to the ship so the players could get a hit? Would it be possible to attack the tentacles?

A character can spend a standard action to ready an action to use as an immediate. It's entirely reasonable and realistic to allow them to use readied actions to hit the kraken while it attacks. Not RAW, because there's no tentacle object that moves into an area they can affect, but totally appropriate nonetheless.

[MrUberGr]

The encounter went great. 2 People unconscious, 1 at 5 hp and one at 20.

The problem that occured is that the warlord|paladin got desperately bored of his char. He wants to play a totally different character, some human thief. I dunno what to do, should I let him just change? The campaign is really story driven, so... and he's already played an important role since he's handled most of the chatty chats.

I think he should have some sort of penalties for being virtually a nobody, some item loss etc etc.

[Tegu8788]

Have the Warlord|Paladin retire, and turned into an NPC. Retired PCs don't get looted like dead ones do. Let the player build his new PC, with default rules for his level. Extra penalties aren't fun. I can understand the frustration of character driven plots having amain character leaving, but there are ways around it.

You have a group that PC was close with? Have the hybrid join it. Got a plot hook you want to introduce? Guess what the thief is gonna be interested in. Normally I'd recommend just swapping the sheets and maintaining the same character, but a Paladin|Warlord and a Thief are pretty incompatible in terms of abilities.

Granted, any gold and items the old PC has are going with him. The new PC has no reputation with the group, or existing NPCs, which will have to be re-earned. What I'm saying is, don't make it harder for the new character than it would normally be. If this Player had to drop out, would you do the same thing to a new Player?

[MrUberGr]

Basically, the Warlord would have died in combat if it wasn't for some NPC sailors going out of their way to save his ass. We could just say he died when he was dragged into the sea by the waves, while unconscious. Also, he tends to change chars a lot, it's the second char and second warlord (meaning a ranger, warlord #1, warlord #2). So if I start making all his ex-chars into NPCs, we'll end up with more of them than citizens in a city.

The way I'm thinking of introducing the thief is the following: The party is now going to the BBEG minions' lair. The minions had purchased the thief as a guinea pig to test some of their magics and gimmicks. The party will find him in the lair's dungeon and save him. As for items, he'll be able to retrieve his +2 weapon, +2 armor, and some other misc magic item from inside the lair. I'll just give him some gold rapidly later. Maybe a pickpocket or something.

[MrUberGr]

I got a question about the Windclaw Owlbear in the monster vault page 237. It has a Beak snap pkwer that it can use against a grabbed creature. The problem is that it doesn't have any powers with which to grab someone. Do I have to make a regular str vs ref attack?

Also, I got a question about Ready. So lets say we have the following scenario. Two adventurers enter a prison. The guards unfortunately are t0at the end of the corridor. They have 14-15 square distance. Whoever moves is in disadvantage cause he will allow the other to charge. Why not just stay where they are, ready an attack and start a staring game?

P.S. I'm not looking for "because the guards will sound the alarm" type of answer.

[masteraleph]

Beak Snap was errataed to read "one creature stunned by the owlbear."

As for your other question- if it's a 15 square distance, there's a good chance that's 3 moves total (including a charge). Better move would be to move and then ready an action (either to charge when enemy is in range or to attack if enemy charges). It's worth noting, though, that in theory the enemy doesn't know about the readied action. Personally, instead of either the players or DM telling the other the condition for the readied action, I'd have them write it down, to reduce the possibility of metagaming.

[Dimers]

Not RAW, but easy and fair:

If both parties want/intend to advance and strike in melee, and they have weapons with equal reach, I'd recommend having them roll an extra initiative check. The winner gets to use the maneuver they want first, with the loser choosing exactly which squares they start in. Then if the loser is still able to act they can use an attack power themselves.

[MrUberGr]

Writing it down seems a good idea. IMO when you ready an action, it can be noticed. Readying a hit with a sword would iclude raising the sword in the air or bringing it to your side. A non-intelligent creature would not be able to notice it. An intelligent creature, specially ones that are trained for combat, like said guards, could notice it. The same goes for stances, at least that's what I've ruled in the game.

I didn't quite get what you mean dimmers. Play an extra round before they start?

[Epinephrine]

It's worth noting, though, that in theory the enemy doesn't know about the readied action. Personally, instead of either the players or DM telling the other the condition for the readied action, I'd have them write it down, to reduce the possibility of metagaming.

I don't know that you typically *don't* know what an enemy is doing. 4e works on a principle of having most information being open; if you enter a zone, you know what it does. If someone hits you with a power, you know what the effects are - there are no surprises that way.

In my games I tend to describe enemies who have readied as waiting for an opening, or stopping to take aim, or something along those lines. The players might ask "is he readying" and I'll say that yes, it looks like he's waiting for a chance to act, or for an opening. It's an opinion (I think it's in line with the philosophy) that either group should have that much information. Additionally, for anyone trained in Insight, I allow an insight check against passive bluff to get an idea of the type of action and trigger (pick one, if you make it by 10+ you get both). The triggers are general ideas like "when (the target) is closer," or "when (target) uses a ranged or area attack," as I think that stating that it's when someone comes "within 4 squares" is a bit too much information, it would allow them to deliberately not trigger it and skirt around the edge of the declared area. Action is generally the type of attack (charge, breath weapon, hurl his javelin, a mighty chop with his axe, etc.) Hasn't been a big issue, it's a minor reward for being trained in insight. (I've also used insight in lieu of perception to deal with surprise rounds, when the issue isn't spotting the enemy, but recognizing that someone is in fact an enemy, like an attack in a crowded public square - everyone can see the attackers (mixed in with the crowd), it's recognizing intent that gives you the chance to react in time).

I like the idea of writing down the trigger; instead of asking the player to tell me I may have them write it down from now on.

[Laserlight]

@OP: You really need to get this message: DO NOT USE THE MM1!

I think a lot of your problems will be solved if you use Monster Manual III, Monster Vault, and Monster Vault: Threats of the Nentir Vale.

The first Monster Manual was really, really, really badly designed. The maths was wrong and even the elites and solos were built differently to the advice provided in the DMG. So, in short, DO NOT USE THE MM1!

Could we get one sticky thread "For New DMs" with this, plus "MM3 On a Business Card" and "How To Inherent Bonus" (including "where to find it on DDI char builder"), and whatever else a newbie DM needs to know?

[Tegu8788]

That would be handy.

[Inevitability]

Agreeing on the 'new DM' thread, but why not make it a 'new player' thread too? Just add some information for new players, such as:

-Start with an 18-20 in your primary stat.
-Don't try to be good at everything.
-Understand what your combat role means.

I'm sure others can come up with anything else a new player/DM should know.

[GPuzzle]

Volunteering on the "What every new 4e Player should know" thingamagig.

[Tegu8788]

I've got it started, feel free to give me more material. Check my sig.

[Dimers]

I didn't quite get what you mean dimers. Play an extra round before they start?

If two creatures want to close on each other and be the first to strike, and the game mechanics are going to give the advantage to whoever goes SECOND, then the game mechanics need to be set aside for a moment. The creature with quicker reaction time should usually get in the first swing. A good way to measure reaction time (modified by chance and circumstance, of course) is with an initiative check. So instead of the usual mechanics of movement and readied actions, you:

• have them roll another pseudo-initiative check,
• let the creature with a better pseudo-initiative roll swing first,
• give the second creature the choice of where in-between their starting locations the clash occurs,
• let the second creature take their shot, and
• have the faster creature act juuuuust before the second creature in future rounds.

The bit about choosing the location is just intended as a consolation prize, though it could also represent the second creature paying more attention to maneuvering than to getting in that first hit.

Looks more complicated than it is. "You're both trying to hit each other at the same time as you approach? Who's quicker? Okay, you go first."

[MrUberGr]

Yep, much clearer now, and it really makes sense. Thanks!

[Dimers]

*squee/blush* I like when I do something right!

[MrUberGr]

Identifying Magic Items?

So, it has happened a couple of times that the party has picked up a couple of items, that where magic, and they almost totally forgot about it.

For example I've given them a "horn of summons" (AV). They were in a position where it would have come really handy, but didn't use it cause they didn't know what it does.

So how does this work in 4e? How can you identify a magic item? And how do you know that a magic item is actually magic?

[Yakk]

If you possess a magic item over a rest (short?) you are told what it does.

You can detect magic items with an arcana check.

[MrUberGr]

Nope.... I'm deffinately not doing that. It makes no sense whatsoever, that a party that has nothing to do with magic can find out what it does. They are two rogues, a ranger and a barbarian! Isn't there some ritual of some sort?

[Inevitability]

No there isn't a ritual. Look, every game has stuff in it that doesn't make sense. Magic items are a major part of 4e, and if you are denying players the right to know what they do, you are making the game a lot harder for both yourself and them.

EDIT: And two rogues, a ranger and a barbarian? How does that party survive?