Comment by Iain Anderson on Ready an action in combat
Readied Actions are Immediate Reactions not Immediate Interrupts. So the monster charges and gets to finish its charge, including the attack. Then any readied actions that are legal go off. Reactions...
View ArticleComment by Iain Anderson on Is large-scale battle feasible with D&D 4e's...
I think that's a really smart way to go. And hey! If they are having an easy time of the fight you have a great excuse for hurling a few more packs of minions or some extra officers at them, right?
View ArticleComment by Iain Anderson on How to simulate distraction during battle without...
+1 for pointing out a really good truth about player mentalities. They want to have an important goal and JUST cleaning up the scraps that drop off the necromancy isn't enough. However, they don't have...
View ArticleComment by Iain Anderson on How do I emphasize role-playing during combat?
Related: How to become better at descriptions of what your character is doing?
View ArticleComment by Iain Anderson on Is it fair to make all Encounter/Daily powers...
Agreement with this post. +1 for the cool healing surge idea.
View ArticleComment by Iain Anderson on Can you use Wicked Strike and still get the...
Yeah, they fixed that with an errata that says you can only use Follow-Up Blow once per round.
View ArticleComment by Iain Anderson on What are the implications of the Dual Implement...
Yes, the warlock in your example would be able to do that. Both implements are considered readied and so either can be used to cast a spell as the main implement.
View ArticleComment by Iain Anderson on What can I do to give the players the same feel...
+1 for having the players write the filler. It's always good to share the burden AND there's the added plus of the players feeling more personal investment.
View ArticleComment by Iain Anderson on What things should I take into consideration...
This is a solid answer. +1 Besides working around your cleric's lack of god connection focus on understanding the climate and how survival skill challenges work. In the Dark Sun books they mention that...
View ArticleComment by Iain Anderson on Can hexblades use dual implement spellcaster?
Actually the new weapons don't have the keyword implement. Example: Blade of Annihilation Warlock Item This ebony sword seems to absorb the light around it. Motes of silvery light dance along its...
View ArticleComment by Iain Anderson on What is the normal "pace" for a 4E session/campaign?
yeah 10e/lvl is the base to start from and then you tweak levels up from there to give the PCs more exp. I generally plan my encounters for 2-3 levels above my crew of PCs, but I have some very...
View ArticleComment by Iain Anderson on How well does "attractiveness" work as a stat?
I like this very clear approach to the value of stats/atts in general. I think some people get hung up on the idea of physical appearance in games because of how our societies deal with it in real life.
View ArticleComment by Iain Anderson on Can I make multiple extra melee attacks with one...
So what kind of action is the harmony blade proc?
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for How can you force an opponent to provoke an...
Forced movement never provokes opportunity attacks. So if your wizard thunder waves the baddie away from the fighter, the fighter doesn't get to smack it on the way out. Same if one PC bullrushes the...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for How to become better at descriptions of what your...
I find it often helps to develop a "schtick" for your character. A "schtick" is a specific flourish or quote that characterizes your PC. Two of the best examples I can think of: "Don't make me angry,...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for Tabletop RPG experience for someone only...
If there are gaming stores in your area there is a chance that they run DnD Encounters. I don't know how much presence Wizards has in German gaming stores, but I know that they want DnD Encounters...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for What's a good method for making cultures differ?
For this I like to start in the same place that I approach new cultures in real life. Food!Everything about a culture initially developed around means of supporting the civilization that the culture...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for How to simulate distraction during battle without...
Besides the good info you've received in the other posts, the one thing I can think of that can aid in a sense of urgency, distraction and tension is to use a timer for each players round. This is...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for Can I play an effective pacifist in D&D 4e?
It can be hard to play a pacifist in 4e because the combat encounters encompass so much of the game (that's obviously where the bulk of the design went). If you have a group willing to set aside a lot...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for Simpler ways to keep track of the player's...
If I understand correctly, you want to make sure that material rewards in your game are easy to track so that you and your players don't get hung up on the minutia of coin counting.Several systems use...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for A story-focused, rules-lite, fantasy-friendly,...
I would highly suggest Mouse Guard. Though it is designed to allow people to play out characters in the Mouse Guard world, it can easily be used in any setting. It is super simple, quite elegant and...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for Character-driven fantasy adventure with...
The first thing to remember about tone (Harry Potter vs. Horror) is that you get to set that when you a game. Some games lend themselves one way or the other, but you ultimately get to make that...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for Does a Dwarven Thrower automatically return to...
Question 13 of the DnD Insider FAQ:13. I am using a magical thrown weapon as part of an area of effect power. If I am attacking multiple enemies within that area, do I need multiple weapons, or will...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for How to: Create a good backstory for how the party...
Check out the Dresden Files character creation. It's a cool method where each player gets a card and starts writing a story from their character's perspective then everyone passes it to the right. The...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for How can a GM quickly create interesting, engaging...
First of all, I found that there are two types of NPCs: throw-aways and reoccurring.I usually don't sweat it too much on throw-aways because they aren't going to come up again. They'll probably be...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for Resources on undead and their creation
I would suggest the book Undead by AEG games. It was printed for 3.0 DnD and while it does have crunchy-rules bits for DnD in there, it also has a lot about creating "ecologies" around undead. This...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for What kind of image does "Psionic Image" create?
If a player of mine were to try to pull something like this I would probably allow it. It's inventive and fun and that should be rewarded.Psionic Image is a Psionic Power that is akin to an illusion....
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for Playing as ourselves
Here is my suggestion:Talk with each other and figure out who would be best suited for each role in the party. Who seems like they would be a Wizard, who would be the fighter? And so on. Then stat the...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for What can I do to give the players the same feel...
The first question to always ask yourself in this situation is: "Will this add to my campaign for will it simply bog down the game play?" If your team of adventurers is not big into resource counting...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for Treasure that's hard to put a price on
There are a few types of hard to price treasures. Often, these are more story related and where the party is in the story is what places the value on the treasure.Example 1: A boon. Someone owes the...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for Can hexblades use dual implement spellcaster?
Based on the information below, which is the basic description of the Level 1 Power: Pact Weapon, I would say that you can use the Dual Implement Feat. However, it would only apply to the powers that...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for What alternatives to hit points are there for...
If I am reading into your question correctly, you dislike the Hit Points system because of the lack of reality and possibly the length of combat that results from it. I put forward my suggestions based...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for Can a PC start with more than one attribute at 8...
For an official DnD Function such as Encounters or most events at a Con the answer would be No. The RAW is as stated by Pat Ludwig. He nailed it. The game designers do this to promote each character...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for How do I get my dresden files players involved in...
I understand that part of the joy of the Dresden Files RPG is the shared story-telling that goes on. Perhaps your crew is just warming up to it. Maybe it seems a little "large" to them. It is a...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for How can I reward a character that doesn't want...
You have a couple of options for creating treasure balance in a party where one character for role-playing reasons won't take magic treasure while the others will:Create "non-magical" magical items....
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for How can I play dumb?
Everyone in my gaming group has gone through this gaming evolution at some point. Finding the joy in playing a dumb character is all about getting into your character's mindspace (or lack there-of) and...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for Are there any good tabletop RPGs for young...
Wizards put out "Heroes of Hesiod" in April 2010. It is a free download of a modded version of DnD designed for young kids (think elementary school). The game is fun and comes complete with badges that...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for Superhero cinematic gaming -- looking for a system
I know you already have an answer, but I wanted to put forward 'Cinematic Uni-System' as an option. It has clear grades for power levels. It has super simple combat that leads into effective and easy...
View ArticleHow do I scale an encounter to a larger party?
I have a group that wound up being larger than I expected for my DnD Campaign. It is Dark Sun and I am keeping things gritty and dangerous. However, since I normally have 7 players, I find that combats...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for Where can I find a list of sources for D&D 4E?
The Compendium on http://www.wizards.com/dndThe downside is that it requires you to get an insider account. However, the upside is that the insider account makes building and managing character...
View ArticleAnswer by Iain Anderson for Readying an action before combat
Here's my take on the situation you have described:Readied Actions are meant for use in Initiative Order only.Quote from Wizard's FAQ @ their community forum:On your turn, you spend a standard action...
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