Behold! The Warlord?

 games  1 Response »
Mar 212013
 

The new Fighter build has clearly tried to back-end the Warlord in a way that Mike Mearls suggested it would in a recent D&D Podcast. So I thought I’d take him up on the challenge! Here then is the hidden new class in the 3/20 test packet: a warlord!

Yantok Steelforged, Dwarf Fighter [Warlord], Level 5

STR 17; DEX 10; CON 16; INT 08; WIS 13; CHA 12

HP 52; Initiative: +0; AC 18 [Chain Mail, Shield]; Speed 20 ft.

Attack: Battleaxe +5 [1d8+3]; Handaxe +5 melee or +2 ranged [1d6+3]

Class Abilities: Deadly Strike, Multiattack [Whirlwind Attack]

Feats [Mystic Healer]: Healing Initiate, Hold the Line, Interposing Shield, Magical Rejuvination

Expertise: 3d6
      — Death Dealer: Slam
      — Superior Defense: Warning Shout
      — Unerring Attacker: Attack Orders

Skills [Combat Medic]: Administer First Aid, Climb, Intimidate, Recall Lore [Military]

Trait [Combat Medic]: Military Rank

Racial Abilities [Hill Dwarf]: Darkvision; Dwarven Resilience; Dwarven Weapons Training; Dwarven Toughness; Stonecutting

Building him was pretty simple. For Fighter options, I tried to favor the Warlord-esque ability, the one that helped others instead of the Warlord himself [with one caveat, see below]. In terms of Specialty I took Mystic Healer, to give him some of that magical healing mojo — not a lit, but a bit. Then, for his bonus Fighter feats, I basically started following a second Specialty, the Defender. Finally, I played DM a bit with his Background and gave him “Combat Medic” — basically, Soldier with Ride swapped out for First Aid.

Honestly, I think he might be a fun character to play. He’d be entrenched in the front lines, swinging his battleaxe every round, using his shield both offensively and defensively, and bellowing out commands to his fellow party members. He’s tough, well-armored, and no slouch as a combatant. And if he needs to, he can always reach down to stabilize a fallen comrade.

The one issue I see even at 5th level, though, is that many of his abilities rely on using a reaction — Warning Shout, Attack Orders, Hold the Line, and Interposing Shield are all vying for that reaction each round. He’s got a useful Warlord-esque toolkit, but he can only ever use one tool at a time. That’s why I ultimately chose Slam for him at first level; it gives him a way to spend an expertise die on his own turn while still getting a helpful effect into play [disadvntage on the next enemy attack].

Now, I will admit that my 4E Warlord experience is a bit thin, so let me know: what do you think of this build? Does this satisfy the Warlord craving? Or is this a pale imitation of the class? Could I have built Yanok differently to make a better Warlord out of him? Let me know in the comments!

Wake Up, Little Bloggie!

 games  2 Responses »
Mar 132013
 

Wow! Has it been three months? Sorry; life happens. And as it happens, I haven’t played or really thought about D&D since December. I got the newest playtest packet, but really haven’t gone over it (or even created a Barbarian). Life calls, sometimes.

But it’s time for this blog to wake up, because life is now calling me back to D&D Next. Specifically, I very well may be running the next session of D&D Encounters at my FLGS. Or, I might be playing; but probably running. I’m excited by this! It’s the first real “official” D&D Next content to come out, and it’s part of the Encounters program that’s pretty well attended locally. Which means I hopefully won’t be struggling to maintain a playerbase like I was with the Blingdenstone game I tried to run last fall.

Of course, blogging will be mandatory. So wake up, little bloggie! Daddy needs to write something new.

Playing A Monk

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Dec 162012
 

After a failed attempt last month, I finally got into a local D&D Next playtest game yesterday. It was a basic playtest game with players new to the system — one person was even entirely new to D&D — and it used the pre-generated characters from the playtest pack, but I got permission from the DM to bring a 1st level monk (actually, this one).

I had a great time. The group was loose and casual, and the DM started us right at the entrance to the Caves of Chaos, so there wasn’t a lot of role-playing or plot. We went in without a cleric (two players both chose the Dwarf Fighter pre-gen, one chose the Elf Wizard, and one the Halfling Rogue), which turned out to be a bad idea when we ran into the ogre, but by the end of four hours we were able to clear out the entire goblin cave.

The last time  I rolled dice as a player was in a 4E RPGA game, and the difference between my last turn as a player and this one were noticeable  The “speed of combat” means one thing when you’re a DM, where you’re constantly engaged; but as a player, where the downtime between turns could be intolerable in a 4E game (or even a 3.5 game), the speed means something more. There were a few slowdowns where we tried to figure out odd rulings, but overall I was pleased as a player with the speed and ease of play.

I joined this playtest specifically to test the Monk, and at 1st level I found him to be fun. Flurry of Blows is an interesting Maneuver to use, sort of like Deadly Strike but trading certainty (you need to make an attack roll) for flexibility (you can target a different creature). I was disappointed in Ki Stroke, but only because my target (the goblin chieftain) made his saving throw so it never really went off. Overall it’s a solid design without being over-the-top. Much better than the first stabs at Warlock and Sorcerer.

I’m looking forward to next time.

Let’s Get Rid Of Stat Scores

 games  2 Responses »
Dec 052012
 

As I’ve been learning the D&D Next system more and more, I increasingly begin to wonder: is it time to do away with stat scores? I think that it might be.

The reason I say that is because the actual stat score is meaningless. Only the bonus matters. What is a Strength of 16, in-game? It’s a +3 to dice rolls. What is a Strength of 17, in-game? It’s a +3 to dice rolls. Functionally, on the tabletop, there is zero difference between them. There’s literally zero value for me, as a player, in knowing whether my +3 comes from a 16 or a 17 during play. So why the distinction?

Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to streamline things a little, declutter the character sheet, and just assign each stat a plus-bonus. Cut out the 3-18 base score altogether and adjust the game to … well, not really to do anything, since the game already runs on plus-bonus, not stat score.

The only justification for the 3-18 stat scores in the current system, as I can see them, are the following: Continue reading »

Ooh, Shiny! The Monk!

 games  1 Response »
Nov 132012
 

After last week’s D&D Next G+ Hangout, we all knew something was in the pipeline this week. Turns out it was the monk! Yay! So, of course, I had to make one.

Amber Leaf, Human Monk (1st level)

STR 13; DEX 17; CON 14; INT 09; WIS 17; CHA  11

HP: 9; AC: 16 [Mindful Defense]; Initiative: +7

Attack: Unarmed Strike +6 [1d6+3]; Light crossbow +6 [1d6+3]

Maneuvers [1d4]: Flurry of Blows, Step of the Wind

Ki [1/day]: Stunning Strike

Skills: Balance, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Search, Sneak, Tumble [Guild Thief]

Feats: Improved Initiative [Ambush Specialist]

The Human stat bonuses really work to the advantage of the Monk, who has two important abilities (they both feed into his AC, so I want them as high as possible). There’s really no melee weapon in the Monk’s arsenal that’s any better than unarmed strike, which is slightly disappointing, but it fits the archetype. So in combat he’s pretty much punching at first level, using Flurry of Blows each time, and relying on maneuvering and his decent AC to keep him alive.At 10th level, he gets much more interesting …

Amber Leaf, Human Monk (10th level)

STR 13; DEX 19; CON 14; INT 09; WIS 19; CHA  11

HP: 73; AC: 18 [Mindful Defense]; Initiative: +8

Attack: Unarmed Strike +9 [1d6+4]; Light crossbow +9 [1d6+4]

Maneuvers [3d10]: Deadly Strike, Flurry of Blows, Hurricane Strike, Step of the Wind, Whirlwind Attack

Ki [3/day]: Stunning Strike, Wholeness of Body

Skills: Balance, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Search, Sneak, Tumble [Guild Thief]

Feats: Ambusher, Bushwhacker Tactics, Guerrilla tactics, Improved Initiative [Ambush Specialist]

He’s much more interesting at 10th level. Both Dex and Wis are almost capped out at 19 apiece, meaning that at 12th-level (assuming progression remains consistent) he’ll be able to cap both out at 20 and get an unarmed AC of 20! In combat he’s not only more maneuverable, but he’s doing more damage (thanks in part to Deadly Strike, which feels more or less mandatory for the Monk to increase his regular damage output [don't say "Maneuver Tax" ... yet]) and thanks to fun Maneuvers like Hurricane Strike. Consider:

Amber Leaf attacks first, thanks to Improved Initiative. He gains Advantage on the attack [Bushwhacker Tactics], and if he hits, he first invokes Stunning Strike [Ki, chance to stun, Wisdom save DC 17], then Deadly Strike [+2d10 Damage] and then invokes Hurricane Attack [knocks enemy 10 feet and prone unless save].

Best case scenario, Amber Leaf has just done 30 damage and knocked the enemy both Stunned AND Prone, all before the enemy gets a move. Ouch!

I like the monk. I think it’s a solid design — much better than our initial look at Warlock or Sorcerer.

Fighter, Rogue, or Wizard?

 games  6 Responses »
Nov 052012
 

IT’S ALIVE!!!!!

Hey folks! Long time, no blog. Sorry. I drifted away from D&D Next for a little while. The D&D Next playtest I ran went for two sessions, but nothing terribly exciting ever came out of it so I didn’t bother blogging about it; and my son has lost interest in D&D and Magic for the time being (he’s given himself wholly over to Minecraft); and life got in the way with all its work hours and kids sick and stuff.

But, with a new playtest packet and a new play opportunity coming up, I hope to be more active blogging again. And speaking of new playtest opportunities, I have a question for y’all …

Fighter, Rogue, or Wizard?

I finally have a chance to play in a D&D Next playtest event AS A PLAYER, instead of my usual role as DM. And I can’t decide which class to play! I don’t want to play a cleric; I know that much. But between the other three, I’m so torn.

  • I am a fan of the Fighter, now that combat dice are coming into their own. I want to get a first-hand feel for it.
  • Ditto the Rogue; and since this packet is a first implementation of the rule for Rogues, I feel I might be able to generate some good feedback by playng it.
  • And then there’s the Wizard, a class that is getting so fragmented right now that I want to play it just to see if it’s really as much of a confusing trainwreck as it seems at first glance.

So, help me out. Which one should I choose, and why? I need to decide before Saturday. Preferably lots before, so I can spend time here on the blog hashing out character choices. Feed my need in the comments below!

One Weekend, Two Games [Part One]

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Sep 212012
 

What a great D&D Next weekend! I DMed two games last weekend: my son’s “solo” D&D game and the first part of an ongoing “Reclaiming Blingdenstone” campaign. The latter is part of a mini-campaign I’ll be running every other weekend until Halloween or so.

That I am only now getting around to blogging about them is tragic, but the by-product of a long, busy week. But both games went well, and I’m looking forward to telling you about them both. I’ve written up my son’s game below. I’ll get to the second game later today (probably tonight). Continue reading »

New Survey and New Campign

 games  2 Responses »
Sep 152012
 

Filled out the new D&D Next survey last night. I had a few things to say in the “additional comments.” Among them:

  • Dual Wield (and to a lesser extent Rapid Shot) sucks because of the “halve all damage.” Makes it useless against a single target, corner-case against multiple targets.
  • Warlock and Sorcerer felt like a “gimme” to complaining 4E fans, weren’t ready for public playtest yet (especially the Sorcerer). Evidence: their abrupt inclusion a week after the rest of the playtest packet went out.
  • Zombies are pathetic, and need “mob tactics” at least (and maybe some resistance, like against bludgeoning damage).

I think it was interesting how it was focused — much better than the last “second” survey about spell flavor. Hopefully, it will result in positive change in the next playtest iteration.

In the meantime, I am in full prep mode for tomorrow’s D&D Next campaign! Continue reading »

Kai In The Bright Desert

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Sep 052012
 

Just add bow & arrow, and subtract ninja-ness.

Long time, no see! After a grueling couple of weeks that included not just one but TWO plumbing-related floods in my basement, I have finally got back around to the business of playtesting D&D Next. I have a regular bi-weekly game starting up in September. In fact, it was supposed to begin on Labor Day weekend, but that got scuttled, so we’ll begin on the next go-around.

In the meantime, in the past week my son Daniel and I sat down to get some game on. Here’s how things went. Continue reading »

We Can Rebuild Him; We Have the Technology! [Part Five]

 games  10 Responses »
Aug 212012
 

Last week I attempted to determine whether the D&D Next wizard is more powerful than the D&D Next fighter, and concluded was that the wizard is not necessarily better; instead, he’s flashier, with more opportunities to have a moment in the spotlight. I concluded that some changes are needed to both classes.

There’s already changes in the plyatest pipeline for the wizard (these “traditions” Mike Mearls spoke of at GenCon), and I think the wizard is already in a good place, so I’ve been brainstorming how to make the fighter a more dynamic, more spectacular. I started talking about this on Twitter, and in the end came up with a pair of changes that really improves the fighter dynamics without making him overpowered. In a nutshell: the fighter should begin the game with five maneuvers and two d4 Expertise dice.

What’s that, you say? Too crazy and overpowered? No, it isn’t. Let me explain. Continue reading »

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