[DnD] D&D Arena Signups and Discussion

No no. You got us mixed up. I'd post here asking you if you're sure you'd want to drop a grenade on yourself. Pang would cackle and update it with a post that gets dozens of props.

While I'm giving no quarter for this "Boss Fight", I don't really want you to die yet. There's a map I want to use on you first.

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

Oh, Ranged and Area attacks (such as, say, smashing a Flask of Alchemist's Fire) invite opportunity attacks from every adjacent enemy. Sure you want to go by that order of events?

I was speaking idiomatically.

An Opportunity Attack is a basic melee attack. It works both ways for you and your enemies, and I've been rolling for those all along. You trigger an OA if you do certain things while next to an enemy (who isn't stunned or prone) who's wielding a melee weapon:

1. Make a ranged attack (e.g. Throw and Stab) against anything
2. Make an area attack (e.g. Alchemist's Fire) against anything
3. Move away from a square within his reach (usually 1 but can be more for other creatures). Ebony has a feat that lets him move around (but not away from) enemies without inviting OAs.

Close attacks are always exempted. This is why Shin's Healing Word is a close burst 5 - to avoid opportunity attacks. This is also what makes ranged strikers like archer rangers and wizards so squishy when they're surrounded.

OAs are immediate interrupts: they happen before the action which triggered it. You can only make one opportunity attack per triggering enemy. So let's say all of those hobgoblins decided throw something and then move away? You get to attack each hobgoblin only once, for a total of four attacks against all. If you manage to kill them, they don't actually get to throw/move away.

Most amazing jew boots

Nope. There's a way to extricate yourself from present difficulties. It involves blowing through a whole stack of resources.

Most amazing jew boots

I keep forgetting there's a difference between moving through enemies and through friends.

So, erm...

Yeah, you're screwed

P.S. if you want to drop that grenade, I'm totally going to let you do it without the OAs.

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

Eh, you're supposed to be killing monsters while not getting killed yourself. Best way to do that is to carefully ration your resources. Because this is a party of two with a fixed four fights per day, healing surges are your most precious resource, as you know by now.

Your dailies are always stronger than your encounters, which are in turn stronger than your at-wills. If throwing a daily at Fight #2 will save me a healing surge or two, I'd do it. I'd also do my darnednest best to use up encounters, before falling back to at-wills.

I'd also spend the Action Point early in the fight. It's kind of like an Encounter power for all intents and purposes.

Also, don't forget your item powers. For example, Ivory has a magic crossbow that attacks as a minor once per day. His spear also has an interesting trigger that gives a free attack.

As the brawn of the group, it is Ebony's job to single out a particular enemy, and deal horrendous amounts of damage to it with his quarry ability. All his powers are geared towards this end - he's not built to deal light damage to multiple enemies. Why do you think I use minions so much? Pang has also tricked him out with extra mobility - so he can run circles around his enemies.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

After the errata, the difference will be clearer. Currently, hurling charge has two advantages over throw and stab:

1. More damage: 1d6+6 instead of 1d6+2
2. Auto-quarry if you hit. Which means you theoretically save a minor

After this fight, we change throw and stab to its current official form, so you cannot substitute Marauder's Rush for the melee basic attack. Mechanically the stab part becomes a little weaker - 1d6+6 instead of 1d6+8.

You DO need to be within 7 squares of Ivory's attacker to use Avenging Charge. (But Ivory should be staying within Healing Word range from you anyway).

But hey, it's an immediate interrupt, so you get to attack out of turn. Rangers are good with squeezing out attacks when it ain't their turn (Avenging Charge, Disruptive Strike, Snarling Wolf Stance...), as well as attacks that hit multiple times (Throw and Stab, Twin Strike...).

How ya doing, buddy?

There are powers that do need you to quarry before you can use them (i.e. Shadow Wasp Strike) but fortunately this one gives you a free quarry.

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

Equalling it is a hit.

So yeah. Ebony is now awake and it is his turn to go. He's prone and bloodied (HP recovery amounts to 11+5+5 = 21, 2 HP shy of being un-bloodied).

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

I am guessing you (but not Lurker) have Character Builder, so here's a list of stuff Lurker might like to get:

Recommended Feats (choose 1):

1. Defensive Mobility: +2 to AC against opportunity attacks
2. Durable: increases number of healing surges by 2
3. Elsir Hammer Student [Lesser Style]: +2 perception; Throw and Stab targets Reflex instead of AC (usually lower by 2)
4. Escape Artist: Escape a grab as a minor action; +2 Acrobatics
5. Lethal Hunter: Quarry damage increases to 1d8
6. Prime Shot: +1 attack rolls if you are the closer than allies to the enemy
7. Toughness: Gain 5 additional HP
8. Weapon Expertise [Axe / Light blade]: +1 attack rolls for attacks made with [Handaxe / Short Sword]
9. Weapon Focus: Axe: +1 damage rolls for attacks made with your Handaxe

Recommended Level 6 Utility powers (choose 1):

1. Battle Runner (daily, minor, stance): Until stance ends, run speed increases by 2 (to 11) and you don't grant combat advantage from running.
2. Death Threat (encounter, free action): You bring down your quarry, and fix your hunter eyes on another foe
3. Serpentine Dodge (encounter, move action): When adjacent to at least 2 enemies, shift 3 squares and gain power bonus to all defenses equal to number of adjacent enemies before the shift
4. Tumbling Dodge (encounter, immediate interrupt): You deftly tumble away from a strike

Recommended Items (as much as your budget allows - you can own as many items as you wish, but only one item can be equipped per slot at a time):

1. Iron Armbands of Power (1,800 GP, arm slot): +2 item bonus to melee damage rolls
2. Gloves of Piercing (680 GP, hand slot): daily minor; until end of encounter, your attacks ignore resistance of 10 or lower
3. Flaying Gloves (840 GP, hand slot): daily free; if you hit with a short sword attack while having combat advantage, attack deals 5 ongoing damage.
4. Gauntlets of Blood (840 GP, hand slot): +2 damage rolls against bloodied targets (more situational damage, please don't choose this )
5. Gloves of Recovery (1,000 GP, hand slot): daily free; when you miss any melee attack, make a basic melee attack against the same enemy
6. Goggles of Aura Sight (1,000 GP, head slot): encounter minor; scan target within 10 squares for current and total HP, any disease of poison conditions on the target, and disease and poison conditions it can inflict
7. Horned Helm (1,800 GP, head slot): charge attacks deal +1d6 damage
8. Badge of the Berserker (2,600 GP, neck slot): +2 Fort Ref Will; charging does not provoke OA
9. Cloak of Distortion (4,200 GP, neck slot): +2 Fort Ref Will; +2 defense against ranged attacks from over 5 squares away
10. Amulet of Vigor (4,200 GP, neck slot): +2 Fort Ref Will and healing surge value increases by 1; daily free: when you spend a healing surge, you receive healing as if you spent another.
11. Belt of Lucky Strike (3,400 GP, waist slot): daily free; when you miss any melee attack, make a basic melee attack against the same enemy

P.S. Shin: You can buy also equipment for the wolf. A "chariot" is basically a wagon and will cost you 20 GP, though I doubt you'd want to buy one while on the lam since it's too easily destroyed .

I was speaking idiomatically.

Armbands of Power is perhaps the best accessory Ebony can buy at this stage. Why else would I list it first, Pang?

Subtle hint for Lurker to check enemies for lewt next time

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

There are no rules whatsoever for chariot mounted combat.* There are complicated rules for flying mounts but why needlessly complicate things by adding an extra dimension to combat?

If you're short on cash but really want to buy stuffs, do note that we have 100% resale value in effect here (so if you don't like the spear, that's 2,600 GP right there). Gotta have you both tricked out and optimized at all levels so there's no excuse for failure! Buying and using consumables will result in permanent wealth loss.

* Taking the Mounted combat however, will result in you having a nasty bite attack and an easy way to maintain combat advantage, as long as you keep the wolf alive.

Recommended Powers: Spirit of Healing (daily), Stream of Life (daily), Cure Serious wounds (daily) - all give you surge-free healing
Recommended Feats: Battle Healer, Pacifist Healer, Durable, Toughness, Versatile Expertise
Recommended Items: You can save cash by getting a weapon that doubles as an implement and then selling the symbol (e.g. disrupting weapon, crusader's weapon); you can upgrade your magic finemail armor into something more useful; Healer's Brooch, Iron Armbands of Power.

FELIPE NO

In that case, 2,600 GP has been added to your funds. In aggregate, both of you can spend 8,345 GP on anything you want.

But it boosts your melee basic attack from to +8, 1d8+4 damage. It hits rather nastily on a crit, and has a daily power which gives Ebony a free attack that will surely be triggered!

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

Cost of Purchases:

+2,600 GP Resale of Spear of Shared Wrath + 2
-2,600 GP Purchase of Dwarven Finemail + 2
+1,800 GP Resale of Magic Finemail + 2
-1,800 GP Purchase of Iron Armbands of Power + 2
-520 GP Purchase of Belt of Vigor (Heroic Tier)

You have spent 520 GP so far and have 7,825 GP left for other stuff.

I can't seem to find Learning Crossbow in the Builder, Shin. Is it in the codex I never read? In any case, most crossbows need a minor to reload. You're using a crossbow that reloads as a free action. Most of your ranged attacks use your Symbol and not your crossbow.

Lurker, Ebony's HP at Level 6 is 49.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

And your chariot?

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Shin, as a cleric, you are entitled to 2 rituals, Gentle Repose plus another first-level ritual. Rituals require the expenditure of ritual components (and sometimes a magic focus). For simplification, I will allow the use of gold pieces as ritual components - don't wish to track inventory for alchemical reagents.

So, pick another level 1 ritual. You can also buy rituals of your level or lower if you wish. The cost of buying a ritual is the "Market Price" and the cost of using it is the "Component Cost".

Do post your final purchase decisions in the game thread.

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

Lurks, you have 8,395 GP to buy things with after all of Shin's profligate purchases.

I did say stock a few fire/acid stuff, but I'm not going to have all four encounters in this level be trolls. That'd be boring

Maybe three.

By the way, any plans to level up the wolf?

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

Well, going grenades takes a minor to take 'em out of your pack, then a standard to use it as a ranged attack. You can use it once.

Going elixirs takes a minor to take 'em out of your pack, a minor to drink it, and a standard to use it as a close blast (so no OA). Plus, it lasts for the whole encounter, though doesn't damage on a miss like the alchemist's fire.

Word of warning. It's technically using up an item daily power slot, but I house-ruled that away. At present I have no intention to limit the use of item dailies. But depending on how the next few encounters pan out (would it unbalance things too much?), that might change in the future. I will implement house rule changes after every level, so you're good for the next four encounters.

So... your choice (and please specify the quantity of consumables you wanna buy). Currently you have 3,955 GP left.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Sure, you can continue to hold it in your hand. But any power that requires you to have two weapons at hand (Throw and Stab, and Hurling Charge) will be unusable till you have the axe in one hand and the sword in another.

If you wish to conserve minors, you can get the Quick Draw feat (which lets you draw an item in the same action it takes to use it). You can purchase the 3,400 GP Potion Bandolier (a belt holding 6 potions which can be drawn with a free action). It goes on your waist and is the closest thing to pockets as you can get.

A third option needing two feats (Arcane multiclass and Arcane familiar) not available to Ebony or Ivory at the moment, is to get the Disembodied Hand familiar. Lets you retrieve and stow items as a free action.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Standard actions can be converted into moves or minors. Move actions can be converted into minors.

Stowing/taking something out your pack is a minor. Ditto for picking up anything you drop.

Additional Spam:
Oh, and here's Ebony's "wiki" sheet. (I like Excel and I'm too lazy to set up a real wiki and update it like Pang)

http://gffdnd.jetsam.org/Ebony.htm

FELIPE NO

Oh, and for good measure, Ivory's sheet.

GFF D&D :: Ivory

The pages test out fine on the latest Firefox and Internet Explorer. Anybody (esp. Lurker and Shin) using browsers other than the big two? Do they look ok?

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

Why don't you two pick out a nice +2 neck slot item which will immediately boost your non-AC defenses (and boost defenses/immunities in other ways)?

I have been scrupulously using natural creatures against you, which usually target AC defense. That won't last forever, I'm especially itching to use mind flayers

Jam it back in, in the dark.

When I finally manage to murder them, they'll have no other excuses. Makes it sweeter that way.

'Sides, they're not getting an arbitrary amount of gold. Just enough to keep up with "expected wealth" based on treasure parcel guidelines. So that they'll always be at par with any newly-generated character of their level

Honestly though, I only planned to include a single troll encounter, and thought it'd be rather unfair that neither of them have any way to retard its regeneration. Didn't expect them to be this paranoid and start bringing an entire arsenal of grenades. Rather fun to watch though, since this is the same paranoia I'm feeling in your current game.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Alright then!

Make your final choices in the game thread, and we'll start Arena level 6.

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

I would like to add that boons, artifacts, and intelligent items cannot be purchased (they're basically there for campaigns with very few buyable magic items - something obviously not applicable here ).

To burn off excess cash, you can go for a tattoo if you wish though, or maybe some mount slot items or barding for the wolf...

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