Chapter 5: Q&A / Discussion

[Darren]

Hey, Jeff. Could a power like Thunder Slam be used against the door? I'm wondering if it would be able to, say, blow the door off its hinges and knock it back three squares, thus also damaging anyone behind it?

[Jeff]

Possibly. If the damage roll is high enough, I'd rule that it could force the door, but not quite as easily as a person. It wouldn't necessarily blow it back 3 squares, but it could still open it.

[Jeff]

I didn't want to leave Darren's question unanswered:

Is it possible that Thunder Slam would knock the warforged over, or just push him? What happens if it pushes him into a wall? Just curious...

Technically, no. Pushing only forces a target a certain number of spaces directly opposite you. If that pushes someone out over a cliff or some sort of pit, then they get a chance to catch themselves before falling. Otherwise they stay on their feet.

That said, I like to add a bit of realism to the game that the rules don't always account for. So if Kal targets some something particularly frail or not terribly well balanced to begin with—like, say, a small child or maybe a goblin on a unicycle*—then yeah, I'd make there be a chance it could also knock them prone.

* In which case Kal would be a jerk to use Thunder Slam on them.

[Darren]

If Kal used Thunder Slam on a child I'll grant you that he'd be a jerk....but a goblin on a unicycle? That'd be hilarious! ;D

[Darren]

Jeff, can Kal have any kind of Arcane Knowledge type check to figure out what the barrier actually is and what kind of effect it has? Specifically, obviously, I want to see if Kal knows whether or not he can cast spells thru it.

[Jeff]

Sure thing. It can't ever hurt to ask. Sometimes I do checks like this for you, but most of the time it's best if you request it.

[Ken]

Joe wrote:

Seeing the dwarf in a squatting position, Streko leaps forward and swings with his sickle, calling out to Olladra for a third time, praying with all his might that his blessed Goddess will heed his call for help and feel the rage of a decade's worth of pain and suffering, calling for an end to this.

Joe, you may want to amend Streko's melee attack. The dwarf is squatting, but he's still 15 feet up.

[Darren]

Didn't you know? Halflings have springs in their feet. It's a new racial ability they added for 4E.

[Jeff]

Yeah, Joe, changing that to a ranged attack like Lance of Faith would do the trick. If you look at the map, I denoted the raised section of the room with "15 ft." and a drop shadow effect to make it stand out a little.

[Joe]

DIdn't pay enough attention. Sorry. Better now?

[Jeff's backup]

Jeff, from what I read of Inspiring Word, it automatically triggers a healing surge and Condign doesn't have to use Second Wind. If I'm wrong, let me know pronto and I will fix the post!

Darren said:

Geez, Jeff....are you TRYING to kill us?

I think so! ;D

And guys, please stop moving away from Condign's target if you can help it. Many of his encounter powers need an ally to be next to his target.

[Jeff]

Jeff, from what I read of Inspiring Word, it automatically triggers a healing surge and Condign doesn't have to use Second Wind.

Quite right!

And guys, please stop moving away from Condign's target if you can help it. Many of his encounter powers need an ally to be next to his target.

This, and other combat FYIs, is something that I want to address when we make our flash forward in the game. To educate the group as a whole about specific things to keep in mind about their fellow party members and their powers. I'll initiate that conversation at some point.

Movement Action: Jeff, Condign is standing next to the warforged already. I specifically had him move there last round.

Yup, you did, and he was for a moment adjacent to the warforged (as requested). But remember that the map shows positions at the very end of the round. Condign moved into the corner space, then used infernal wrath when he attacked the warforged. And because Condign has the feat Ferocious Rebuke, any use of infernal wrath also includes this: "On a hit, you also push the target 1 square." Pushing is always awayfrom you.

[Jeff]

Ah, but when you spent an action point you then moved another square. I missed that. I'll fix the map for next time; but yes, go ahead and consider him already adjacent to the warforged. My bad.

[Ken]

Jeff, does the door on the upper level swing toward us or away from us? Just want to figure out the best defensive position for Grafth and Belarin.

Also, how many levers does Belarin see on the panel?

[Jeff]

Door would swing inward into the room.

Three levers: the top one you already know worked the ladder. The middle one opened the secret door that admitted the cube into the room. The bottom one remains a mystery.

[Ken]

Joe, Brian,

Just a friendly reminder about your Action Points (as your PCs are the only ones who still have them). Extra attacks on the cube this round would be huge!

[Jeff's backup]

I spent an action point already. Even if he has more than one, the Player's Handbook says a PC can only spend one action point per encounter.

But I've been known to be wrong in the past! ;D

Jeff?

Also, can Condign attack without hitting the girl if he were to move one square to the west, or -- if not -- can he wade into the Khyber Cube and pull the girl out. Just wondering.

[Jeff]

Correct, only 1 action point can be spent per encounter. You have to wait 5 minutes before you can use another. But yeah, Condign used his already, and I think I'd just forgotten to remove it from my signature.

Also, can Condign attack without hitting the girl if he were to move one square to the west, or -- if not -- can he wade into the Khyber Cube and pull the girl out.

Since the cube occupies 4 squares and its victim occupies only 1, I'm ruling that you can target one of the 3 victimless squares squares of its body with melee attacks. But ranged spells will risk hurting the victim.

Ken, I'll also rule that attacks with the psychic keyword can't hurt her, only the cube.

[Jeff]

Ken:

Jeff: Just to confirm, the dagger's extra dice for crit damage applies only if I'm using it as a weapon, not an implement, correct?

I looked it up and find no reference to this type of scenario (though it's got to be addressed somewhere). But I don't see why not. Holy symbols impart their critical damage when powers are used with them as implements. Makes sense.

[Ken]

Yeah, the section on "Critical" on p. 225 of the PHB is iffy. So I just did a Google search and came across this page. The relevant quote:

16. When you are using a magic weapon as an implement, like a Holy Avenger or a Pact Dagger, what benefits do you get from the weapon?

You gain any bonuses listed under Enhancement, Critical and Property.

So that would seem to be "It counts"! I'll add the extra crit die to Belarin's post. Thanks.

[Ken]

Brian,

Ohhhh, I so wish that Belarin could take advantage of Commander's Strike, but alas:

"An ally of your choice makes a melee basic attack against the target."

Belarin won't be able to get a free attack with the eyebite invocation.

[Jeff's backup]

Thanks, Ken. I tried. And, yes, I was informed that I made a grievous error and I needed to rectify it quickly before someone threw rotten tomatoes at me from the direction of the Bronx.



(not really but it was a good visual!)

[Jeff]

Now, when did I ever say anything was grievous?

The only thing that's definitely grievous is this guy.

But sorry, Brian. Looks like Ken saw the post before I removed it. He's fast like that.

[Jeff's backup]

Jeff:

Now, when did I ever say anything was grievous?

That's what the not really bit was about! ;D

Jeff:

The only thing that's definitely grievous is this guy.

That's quite a generalization!

[Jeff]

Ooh, good one, Brian. You'll do fine here.

[Ken]

One thing I'll say, Jeff: If this girl dies before our characters' horrified eyes -- or even if by some dice-fueled miracle she survives -- our PCs have plenty of motivation to stay together and wipe out every last trace of the Dark Echelon.

Belarin has seen Malov and/or his agents kill people before -- the Emerald Claw soldiers (no tears shed there), the crew of the Aundairian airship -- but this...?! Whether you're Good or Unaligned or, hell, even if you're Evil, a death like that right in front of you is going to bore a hole in your soul.

Good job!

[Darren]

It's not really bothering Kal. He's just worried about his dog. ;D

[Jeff]

Darren:

I know how you feel, Joe. I'm rather disappointed in Kal's dragonmark these days, too.

Okay, fine. You've got a choice, Darren.

4E version:

• Whenever an enemy provokes an opportunity attack from you, you can shift 1 square as a free action before or after you make the opportunity attack.
• You can master and perform the Eye of Alarm (level 2), Eye of Warning (level 14), and Magic Circle rituals (level 5) as if you had the Ritual Caster feat.
• You gain a +2 feat bonus on Insight checks.

3rd Edition version done 4E style: You gain the following power.

Mark of Sentinel (Dragonmarked feature)
Daily ♦ Arcane
Immediate Interrupt / Personal
Trigger: You are hit by an attack
Effect: You gain resist 10 against the triggering attack and +2 bonus to Insight checks until the end of the encounter.

Decide which of these two you prefer. I highly suggest you read up on those three freebie rituals before you decide. Also, note that in the 4E version, the bonus to Insight is only for one encounter, not all the time. The 4E version is something that can benefit you all the time. The 3E/4E version I'm offering is pretty good, but it's only good for once a day.

Whichever version you decide on, no more complaining. I gave you a choice.

And Joe, I'm giving you the choice as well:

4E version:

• Whenever you use a healing power on an ally or use Heal to allow an ally to spend his or her second wind, that ally can also make a saving throw.
• You can master and perform rituals in the restoration category and the Remove Affliction ritual as if you had the Ritual Caster feat.
• You gain a +2 bonus on Heal checks.

3rd Edition version done 4E style: You gain the following power.

Mark of Healing (Dragonmarked feature)
Daily ♦ Arcane
Immediate Interrupt / Touch
Target: You or one ally
Effect: The target regains hit points as if it had spent a healing surge and you gain a +2 bonus to Heal checks until the end of the encounter.

[Darren]

You know me, Jeff. I just like to give you a hard time.

I don't know much about anything, but I'll stick with what you gave me originally. I'm sure I'll find a use for those rituals eventually.

[Jeff]

This is final, so at least skim those those rituals (two of which you'll be able to use anytime you want beginning at 5th level, in a matter of days). But your complaining about it ends now, got it?