[DnD] Let's Cast Magic Missile!

Any DM who does the following houserules:

1. Ability to use more than one daily item power per day
2. Free Rituals at the cost of a healing surge
3. Ability to Bluff for discounts
4. Ability to use more than one action point per encounter

Surely counts as kind and merciful

(Of course it is mitigated by the multi-staged level 9 encounters that he throws at us. And that Spitting Cobra Stance he deprived me of.)

Oh wait. Scratch that. He isn't kind and merciful after all!

Any ruling on the extension of component-free rituals towards Alchemical items* and an 80gp discount (equivalent to our most expensive owned ritual) to enchant item?

* Not that Gheth or I have any Alchemical formulas. Just asking, of course.

FELIPE NO

Was worth a try

Ah well, there goes my dream of free augmenting whetstones for life

Maybe you wanna update Gheth's wiki page with the formulaic practices for "Alchemist's Acid" and "Antivenom". I initially thought he forgot to pick some.

Also, just so y'all know why I put in that stuff about lumbago and hernias,

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What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Not exactly the highest quality scan ever, but it seems Players Handbook 3 has been leaked early.

Psionics and hybrids, rejoice!

Also, it looks like Gheth might want to swap out his Spear Expertise for the new Versatile Expertise feat come level 7:

VERSATILE EXPERTISE
Benefit: Choose a weapon group and an implement type. You gain a +1 feat bonus to attack rolls both when using a weapon from the chosen group and when using an implement of the chosen type. The bonus increases to +2 at 15th level and +3 at 25th level.
Special: You can take this feat more than once. Each time you take this feat, choose a different weapon group and a different implement type.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Eek. Skill challenges, the bane of optimized combat characters!

So, do I make checks based on Cal's stats, or on the horsey's?

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Yeah, being mounted puts a damper on my preferred use of stealth. Oh well, let's wing it and see...

I guess it's too late to say I handed Radcliffe the sword, eh?

Also, have you received the PM I sent regarding Inventory categorization on the wiki?

Originally Posted by Pangalin

Luckily Cal isn't optimized for combat! Since the changeling is a better fit for melee ranger or bard

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Oh Lordy. That's 2 successes (Bluff; Endurance) with six more to go and six skill checks remaining.

I don't think it's doable anymore. We may need to prepare for combat... :/

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

But we need two guys who can deliver us three natural 20s guaranteed

I was speaking idiomatically.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Meh, I'm not gonna worry about everyone else's stats. I mean, if they try to optimize theirs and thus increase the party's average to-hit rate, then Pang would obviously need to increase monster defenses to compensate. Why bother getting into an arms race (which we can never win) with the dungeon master?

Won't stop us from allocating treasure in a mechanically optimal way, of course. But then these parcels are there by the grace of Pang.

Oh and Shin, the crowd is certifiably insane. Therefore only unconventional methods should work

Psst Pang. In Skill Challenges, do we get to do "Aid Another" just as we do in regular encounters?

FELIPE NO

Yay!

Though unfortunately most rolls were so bad, I don't think I'd be able to help :/

Let's see if Garr has a roll that fails by 2 though!

Cal:
Thievery = 5 + 8 = 13 fail by 10
Athletics = 5 + [indeterminate but doubtful Denny has 18 athletics; best guess is about 9 (strength mod +4 and training)] = 14 fail by 9
Bluff = 2 + 5 (changeling disguise) + 14 = 21 fail by 2

Glock:
Athletics = 8 + 4 = 12 fail by 13
Bluff = 16 + 14 = 30 pass!
Endurance = 16 + 8 = 24 pass!

Gheth:
Perception = 10 + 7 = 17 fail by 6
Heal = 3 + 12 = 15 fail by 8
Athletics = 1 + 5 = 6 fail by 17

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Dang, I was hoping a horse would be much better in knocking people down than I am, not just marginally so. Wrong decision, should've used Cal's acrobatics, but que sera sera

Of course, that has absolutely nothing to do with sneaking through the crowd unnoticed, and everything to do with just escaping from said crowd!

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Heh, didn't know that. I think of all the current players, only Garr has played through a skill challenge...

So, what does combat advantage do for you in a skill challenge? (Wanna use changeling trick, but...)

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Aw shucks, so it's just shapeshifting for me then... What a useless racial encounter power Changeling Trick is for ranged people

Now's a good time to bust out that Bard Utility 6! Too bad you already used Bluff so that Words of Friendship is useless!

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Nah Shin, I'm resigned to the fact that we'll have to indulge in more mass slaughter, or lose some healing surges at the very least. There's no way you can handwave such awful rolls...

(Errrm, he did post a DC. 'Sides, the DM's best friend rule states that any favorable circumstance gives a +2 to whatever you were trying to do, with the reverse for unfavorable circumstances. I can only think of a few exceptions to this +2/-2 thing: trying to steal anything from someone while in combat has -10; shooting something you can't see is -5; being blinded or deafened has -10 to perception, running before attacking gives -5 to attack rolls; and being unconscious gives -5 penalty to all defenses.)

Anyway, a maddened crowd may not look kindly on someone trying but failing to snatch away their weapons. Buuuut they might just follow such an inspirational leader!

I figure such spectacular roll failures justify actions which are anything but sneaking quietly through a crowd

How ya doing, buddy?

Running before you attack nets you a -2 penalty to defenses and -5 penalty to attacks, until the end of your next turn.

Question, do these also apply to the PC if the mount's the one doing the running?

I was speaking idiomatically.

Totally not my turn yet (I think I'll check back in, oh, maybe 3 days or so) but I don't suppose we could just move north, could we?

What sort of check and action is needed to get off the recessed pit?

Also does Denny have a healing surge?

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Oh, so that's Mayor Geoff, hm? He looks like a dwarf in that picture

Humongous bushy beard? Check.
Lack of a neck? Check.
Walrus mustache? Check.
Big honking nose? Check.
Squat face? Check.

Oh, and a few more mobility questions

1. Dismounting takes a standard action. How 'bout if I jump off? What kind of action (and damage) will that be?
2. My utilities allow me to shift up to wisdom modifier (2). Is this cut in half by difficult terrain?
3. Speaking of which, will you allow my horse to use my utility powers?
4. How do you do the math for running? Rules say, add 2 to your speed. And if the terrain is difficult, your speed is essentially halved. So, if speed is 6, should running in the amphitheater be computed as 6/2 + 2 = 5, or (6+2) / 2 = 4?

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Pangalin

If you want to try to jump off a horse while your feet are still in the stirrups, be my guest. I don't think Denny is tall enough to justify any falling damage, but your ass is guaranteed to be prone afterward.

So, will it still be a standard? Or can it be a minor? Or even free?

I don't wanna lose my 75 gp horsie

Originally Posted by Pangalin

You're overthinking it; 1 square costs 2 squares. Cal's run speed is 8, so if he was running he'd be able to cover 4 squares. Determine your maximum speed, and adjust from there.

Normally, that's how I'd interpret it too. I just thought I'd get your interpretation, after seeing how someone on the Wizards Q&A board saw it. S'cool, your game, your rules interpretation.

How ya doing, buddy?

Last question on the topic because I really want to keep that standard to attack and I don't wanna end up prone

Suppose I say I use acrobatics to take a flying leap off the horse, do a somersault, and land on the ground next to it feet-first...

(1) Allow?
(2) If so, DC 15?
(3) Still a minor, or will you rule it a move or standard?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Indeed. It is my hope that your fairness will trump your harshness this time, and that the horse will at least be given a chance to act before :gluefactory:

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I <3 you too Deni

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Without the dirt, the trees won't grow ~~~~~~~~

What bums me about the situation is Denny's death will derail my corny pun plans to buy two additional horses, named Kaa and Lisa. Because I will definitely have to name future horses in his honor

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

To protect it from the angry seething mob.

How'd I know you'd drop us into the encounter lined up like ducks in a barrel

I was speaking idiomatically.

.... yes ._.

That way I could keep an eye on him, rather than go into the fight on foot and come back with dead horse and dismantled wagon...

How ya doing, buddy?

Ｙｅａｈ　Ｓｈｉｎ．　　Ｂｕｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｓａｄ　ｐａｒｔ　ｉｓ　ｐｏｓｓｉｂｌｙ　ａｎｙ　ａｔｔａｃ ｋ　ｒｏｌｌ　ａｇａｉｎｓｔ　Ｄｅｎｎｙ　ｗｉｌｌ　ｈｉｔ，　ｓｏ　Ｉ　ｔｈｉｎｋ　ｉｔ’ｓ　ｂ ｅｔｔｅｒ　ｆｏｒ　Ｃａｌ　ｔｏ　ｈｏｏｆ　ｉｔ　ｆｏｒ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｏｎｅ．　　Ｔ’ｗａｓ　ａ　 ｍｉｓｔａｋｅ　ｔｏ　ｈａｖｅ　ｂｒｏｕｇｈｔ　ｈｉｍ　ｉｎ　（ｔｈｏｕｇｈ　ｉｔ’ｓ　ｋｉｎｄ 　ｏｆ　ａ　＂ｄａｍｎ　ｉｆ　ｙｏｕ　ｄｏ，　ｄａｍｎ　ｉｆ　ｙｏｕ　ｄｏｎ’ｔ＂　ｔｙｐｅ　ｏ ｆ　ｔｈｉｎｇ，　ａｓ　Ｉ　ｄｉｄｎ’ｔ　ｋｎｏｗ　ｉｆ　Ｐａｎｇ　ｗａｓ　ｇｏｉｎｇ　ｔｏ　ａ ｓｓａｓｓｉｎａｔｅ　ｍｙ　ｈｏｒｓｅ　ｗｈｉｌｅ　ｗｅ’ｒｅ　ｏｆｆ　ｔｏ　ｂａｔ ｔｌｅ．）

Ｈｏｐｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｍｉｓｔａｋｅ　ｗｏｎ’ｔ　ｆａｔａｌ．　（Ａｔ　ｌｅａｓｔ　Ｄｏｏｒｍａｎ　 Ｏｒｃ　ｇｏｔ　ａ　ｔｕｒｎ　ｔｏ　ａｃｔ　ｂｅｆｏｒｅ　ｈｅ　ｂｏｕｇｈｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｆ ａｒｍ．）

Ａｌｓｏ　ｉｆ　Ｐａｎｇ　ｉｓ　ｇｏｉｎｇ　ｔｏ　ｅｎｆｏｒｃｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｉｎａｃｔｉｖｉｔｙ　ｒｕ ｌｅ，　Ｉ　ｔｒｕｌｙ　ｈｏｐｅ　ｈｅ　ｄｏｅｓ　ｉｔ　ａｆｔｅｒ　ａｎｄ　ｎｏｔ　ｄｕｒｉｎｇ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｂａｔｔｌｅ　

FELIPE NO