In Developement: New Spells and Enhancements for 4.2

[Gimpster]

Likewise, a DM who'd just let you retire a character cause you wanted to (cause you're tired of it or you want to try out your new Build of the Week) probably needs to find a bit more backbone.

The DMs in PnP almost never have you repeating the same adventure. They always have something new- or even if they try to repeat an adventure, it will likely go very differently.

Since DDO does not have anywhere near the same level of new content, it is even more important they allow easy respeccing than in PnP. That way, at least if players can't vary the quests they can still vary the character they use.

[MysticTheurge]

The goal of D&D is to have fun, and if the player finds he isn't having a lot of fun after all with this character, then he should make a new one. It isn't even a question of whether the DM should allow it or not -- if the DM sees this, he should suggest it.

Obviously that doesn't mean a player should be constantly making new characters; that's disruptive to game flow and eats up a bunch of time.

I actually pretty much agree with you here. The trick is finding the balance. There are some people who will abuse your willingness to do what you describe in the first paragraph resulting in the situation you describe in the second. As a DM it is part of your responsibility to, at some point, be controlling in terms of what you will and will not allow. That's simply inevitable. You shouldn't abuse that power, any more than your players should abuse your leniency, but at some point you're going to run into a situation where you have to put your foot down.

There are also other factors to consider in how exactly the process of making a new character has to work. Of course, when you bring a new character to an existing campaign you're going to be placed about at the appropriate level. It would be absurd to do otherwise. How could you possibly play a 1st level character in a campaign built for the other 3-5 14th level characters in the group. That obviously doesn't work.

But DDO isn't a "campaign" in the sense we're all used to. It actually simultaneously offers a game appropriate for 1st and 14th levle characters. So you can actually play that new 1st level character where you couldn't in D&D. So at that point, which is the right thing to do, allow the player in question to make a new character at 1st level? Or allow the player in question to make a new character at any level they've previously reached? I think a pretty good case could be made for either one.

[EspyLacopa]

It's even easy to fake. If I was somehow forced to play under a controlling DM who tried to disallow rerolling, I'm quite confident I could pretend to be having fun and make a "mistake" that results in my character's death.

Imagine if you started to do that, and actually failed to do so. repeatedly.

That alone would be funny and and would be quite the story to tell. The suicidal party member that just won't die.

[Aesop]

Imagine if you started to do that, and actually failed to do so. repeatedly.

That alone would be funny and and would be quite the story to tell. The suicidal party member that just won't die.

I've had them in the party occassionally ... though they are more prevailent in LARPS

Aesop

[Kyrien]

i would roll one with a human

go 12bard/2barbarian or maybe 10bard/4barbarian

it could be pretty tough for a tank or off-tank damage dealer

no cc, just a "warchanter"

Not really sure I'd want a Bard in my party that didn't have IA3. I have a Bard13/Fighter 1 that's been fun so far.

[Solik]

Imagine if you started to do that, and actually failed to do so. repeatedly.

That alone would be funny and and would be quite the story to tell. The suicidal party member that just won't die.

I think it would start becoming fun, at least


At any rate, regarding the discussion--

Sure, a case can be made either way, and we need a solution that's somewhere in the middle that works well for an MMO.

Like, oh, I dunno... disallowing base class level respecs, but allowing easy configuration detail changes, including enhancement-implemented PrCs

[GeneralDiomedes]

Not really. Battles like that will go one of two ways:
1. You are prepared and know what to expect, so no PCs will die.
2. You are unprepared and don't know what to expect, so you won't have Spawn Screen cast.

Basically the union of players good enough to know when to use Spawn Screen but bad enough to die to a wraith is a very small set. Spawn Screen only improves DDO in terms of PnP completeness, and the spell was already unfavored in PnP. But in PnP, at least, the repercussions of someone spawning into undead were stronger (as the soulstone wouldn't be left for you to raise him, and the new undead might have his memories and knowledge, etc)

However, if you are a good cleric with a bad party, take Spawn Screen

[Solik]

The true value of Spawn Screen, IMO, will be in the form of clickies and constant-effect items.

[tone]

Is way of the Assassin a melee attack only?? or can it be used with ranged??

[Rog]

my bard lunarsong is spec for umd and haggle buffed umd is 40 buffed haggle is 49. the new song if stack with g hero and able to cast on myself could really be nice giving me a umd of 41 and a haggle of 50 if i can manage to get that +2 umd that give me a umd of 43 that would rock who knows how hi the next level scrolls going to be to umd.
lunarsong
from the mysterious realms of khyber

[Rog]

i will not respect my bard to get this i will settle for a +1 skill boost if it stacks sort of a bummer the what your asking us to spec in for it had no place in a bard build i know of so your asking us the destroy are builds to advance on to new builds): my bard is Perfect the way he is i would love to upgrade him so i guess u need to increase the level cap so i can have more action points to spend or give me back those 4 bonus points u took when upgraded to the new point system.

[juniorpfactors]

Maels thats why I am a spell singer battle bard...all ya have to do is invite me..... Doctorjrp is on the way up.......

can you find me and decent armor...+2/+3/+4 twilight mithril fullplate would help me stay alive longer....

[Drfirewater79]

Spells for Paladins:
Angelskin
Abjuration [Good]
Level: Pal 2
Components: V, S, DF
Target: Lawful Good creature touched (self or ally)
Duration: 6 seconds/level
The subject gains damage reduction 5/evil.

---Um your kidding right? Customers can't have Messiah as a name. I doubt Angel anything meets the EULA. How about Holyskin, Defense from Evil, GoodyGoodyskin, LGisn'tsoStupidnowisitskin?

normaly i would be all for the EULA distruction of religious advertising in games however have you even looked at a dnd gods list the ones that are not made up completly are from ancient religions

angels are not the same in dnd as they are in several religions they are outsiders there are devils too and demons its not a religious use of the word its just a race of outsider take it easy

messiah is a specific name pegged to a specific group of faiths and that is why its not allowed

and knowing is half the battle

[Freeman]

messiah is a specific name pegged to a specific group of faiths and that is why its not allowed

Yep, and we don't want the people who publish the Dune books coming after Turbine, do we?

Now if only Quizats would start playing again

[Drfirewater79]

Yep, and we don't want the people who publish the Dune books coming after Turbine, do we?

Now if only Quizats would start playing again

lol god forbid someone has the name thor (oh wait someone does)

cause thats not a religious name lol some people just got to learn to forget it the problem with this game is not what names we can or cant have because of this or that anti/pro religious or political orginization its what we cant have because the dev's have never read a dnd book that doesnt say Players handbook or Dungeon masters guide


Personally i cant wait to see them tackle some real classes like Warmage (complete arcane) or true necromancer (hero's of horror) and god forbid they actually do some ebberon classes (swashbuckler class from races of ebberon)

not that i am majorly disappointed with there work thus far but i hope once we are capped at lvl 20 (promised to be there before march 2008 around the same time they figure druids will be near completion)

i hope we can get some new classes more frequently monks are soon but i hope we are not gonna get only one class and one race per year of subscription cause this game is already getting kind of old and alot of players are sleeping through missions

[MysticTheurge]

the dev's have never read a dnd book that doesnt say Players handbook or Dungeon masters guide

This is so patently false, it's laughable.

Go check the sources on some of our spells and feats.

Or you know, Warforged.

[Talon_Moonshadow]

Nightshield
Abjuration
Level: Clr 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Range: Personal
Duration: 1 minute/level

Grants a +1 resistance bonus to saves; this resistance bonus increases to +2 at caster level 6th and +3 at caster level 9th. In addition, this spell negates Magic Missile and Force Missile attacks directed at you.


I am very happy to see this, I was so tried have having to use my shield cookies or other items to cast a protection from Magic Missiles and Force Missile since the sheild spell in game does protect against Force Missile.

Yes this spell does devate from the PnP one, but by only adding Force Missile protection. For that matter, since I just looked it up the Sheild spell doesn't protect against Force Missile either, but it does in DDO.

I say leave it be, it can always be dispelled off someone.

Guys, am I missing something? Is this a problem? Granted my two main toons are a wizard and a ranger/rogue/wizard who both have shield cast on them as often as possible.......but I never did to protect me from MM or especially FM.....excepy for VON4, I can't think of a time when these spells were ever a serious threat to be worried about.....am I wrong?

And before Gianthold. monsters never cast any serious buffs at all. The Devs just made certain creatures immune to whatever they wanted......so I would be shocked to see monsters using this spell.

[Gimpster]

And before Gianthold. monsters never cast any serious buffs at all. The Devs just made certain creatures immune to whatever they wanted......so I would be shocked to see monsters using this spell.

Monsters already cast this spell. You'll be shocked.

[Talon_Moonshadow]

Erm, who relies on Magic Missile? Aside from a few bosses with broad energy resistance, who ever uses it? It's not good either in DPS or DPM.

That's what I was trying to say.....glad I'm not the only one to think of this.

[Blakinik_Norguild]

Unholy Blight
Evocation [Evil]
Level: Clr 4
Components: V, S
Saving Throw: Will partial, see text.

You call up unholy power to smite your enemies. This spell deals 1d8 points of damage per two caster levels (max 5d8) to good creatures (or 1d6 points of damage per caster level (max 10d6) to good outsiders) and sickens them for a short period of time. A successful Will save reduces the damage by half and negates the sicken effect. The spell deals only half damage to creatures that are neither good nor evil, and they are not sickened. Such creatures can reduce the damage by half again (down to one quarter) with a successful Will save. This spell deals no damage to evil creatures, and can only be cast by evil or neutral casters - it has no effect when cast by a good caster.

So we can start making evil characters I take it as well? Noticed alot of evil aligned spells being brought in....