Weekly Development Activities 3/31/2008

[Boulderun]

Uh... 15d12 against evil outsiders and undead. Augmentable by life magic enhancements, potency, arcane lore, maximize and empower.

[Cowdenicus]

Uh... 15d12 against evil outsiders and undead. Augmentable by life magic enhancements, potency, arcane lore, maximize and empower.

That sounds like just the ticket for clerics

[Yvonne_Blacksword]

Weekly Development Activities

• The Catacombs
  • NEW Oozes and slimes have disappeared but, other vermin may lurk in the shadows.

Wait...somoone other than me is gonna want to do catacombs now...unless the vermin is....rusties!

• NEW Players above the quest level limit for slayer, explorer, and rare encounter quests can now advance these quests to completion, but will be receive reduced XP (XP Gained = XP For Goal / (Levels Over Cap + 1)). Any other players present in the area who are not above the quest level limit will not have their quests advanced. No change has been made for groups of players who are all within the min-max level range for an area. The spammy text alerts warning players their quest is not advancing have been replaced with static informational alerts.

He he....Cerulean Hills here I come!
lol.

[Cinwulf]

I think you are safe, rusties are aberations

[MysticTheurge]

Wait...somoone other than me is gonna want to do catacombs now...unless the vermin is....rusties!

Rust Monsters aren't vermin. They're aberrations.

I suspect the catacombs will soon be infested with Rats.

[Lorien_the_First_One]

Clerics are primarily healers. EVERYTHING else is secondary. If you're a great player, you can create a monster of a cleric that can melee, do great offensive damage and keep the party up. But Clerics are designed to heal, no sense in arguing that point..

Sorry, you are simply wrong. As a long time D&D player clerics do more than healing. In fact in D&D clerics spend less time healing than they do fighting.

[Impaqt]

Rust Monsters aren't vermin. They're aberrations.

I suspect the catacombs will soon be infested with Rats.

I wonder what the Reasoning was behing this change..... Seems to me withteh Abundance of Muckbanes and Everbright weapons now, the Oozes in the Catacombs werent that big of a deal. Seems to me an easier adjustment for this quest if people were buring through too many weapons would be for the Friar to give you an "Everbright Club of the Holy Flame" when you got the quest from him... Like Delaras....

[Laith]

I wonder what the Reasoning was behing this change.....

because they have rats in the game now, and we don't fight them until lvl10+?

previous to this change, id guess the ratio of rats in an area was inversly proportional to the number of kobolds...

[dragons1ayer74]

Weekly Development Activities
[*]The effect of Paladin Divine Righteousness I, Rogue Way of the Assassin I active abilities, and Rogue Way of the Thief-Acrobat I "show time" now lasts 60 seconds instead of 20 seconds.[*]Barbarian and Rogue Trap Sense enhancements now grant a +2 bonus to saves vs. traps per level instead of +1.[*] Paladin Bulwark of Good and Resistance of Good costs reduced to 1 point per level[*]Paladin Focus of Good now grants +3, +6, or +9 to Concentration checks.[*]Paladin Courage of Good now grants +2, +4, or +6 to Fear saves.[/LIST][*]UPDATED Paladin Bulwark of Good IV:

• Cost: 4 Action Points
• Prereqs: Level 15 Paladin, Paladin Bulwark of Good III, 52 action points spent.
• Benefit: Your aura of good provides an additional +4 Armor Class bonus.

[*]UPDATED Paladin Divine Sacrifice I

• Prereq: Paladin level 5, Paladin Extra Smiting I, 15 Action Points spent
• Cost: 1 Action Point
• Benefit: Giving up some of your life force to win the battle, you empower your next blow against your foe. This attack deals an additional 5d6 Good damage to evil opponents and increases the critical multiplier of your weapon by 1, but costs you 10 hp and 1 sp, whether or not the attack is successful.". (6 second cooldown.)

[*]NEW Paladin Exalted Smite I:

• Cost: 1 Action Point
• Prereq: Level 6 Paladin, Paladin Divine Sacrifice I, 19 Action Points Spent
• Benefit: Using this attack, you call on the paladin's ability to strike down evil creatures, gaining twice your Charisma bonus to your attack roll, a damage bonus based on your paladin level, and +1 to your weapon's critical damage multiplier. (6 second cool-down, uses smites per day, replaces Smite Evil.)

[*]NEW Paladin Exalted Smite II:

• Cost: 2 Action Points
• Prereq: Level 10 Paladin, Paladin Exalted Smite I, Paladin Extra Smite III, 34 Action Points Spent
• Benefit: Using this attack, you call on the paladin's ability to strike down evil creatures, gaining twice your Charisma bonus to your attack roll, a damage bonus based on your paladin level, and +1 to your weapon's critical threat range and damage multiplier.

[*]NEW Paladin Exalted Smite III:

• Cost: 3 Action Points
• Prereq: Level 14 Paladin, Paladin Exalted Smite II, Paladin Extra Smite IV, 49 Action Points Spent
• Benefit: Using this attack, you call on the paladin's ability to strike down evil creatures, gaining twice your Charisma bonus to your attack roll, a damage bonus based on your paladin level, and +1 to your weapon's critical threat range and +2 to your weapon's critical damage multiplier.

[*]NEW Paladin Exalted Smite IV:

• Cost: 4 Action Points
• Prereq: Level 18 Paladin, Paladin Exalted Smite III, Paladin Extra Smite IV, 64 Action Points Spent
• Benefit: Using this attack, you call on the paladin's ability to strike down evil creatures, gaining twice your Charisma bonus to your attack roll, a damage bonus based on your paladin level, and +2 to your weapon's critical threat range and damage multiplier. (Yes, we realize you can't get this yet, but it will wait patiently for you to hit level 18.)

So this is our paladin love, I don't know why they tied it so much to Smite, even if smite never missed and had no cool down this still seems a bit weak. It not like PnP where you have a few bad guys to smite, you have hordes and hordes. I can't see me taking this line as it currently is suggested (and my pure Paladin tires to be an offensive paladin).

[*]NEW Paladin Redemption I

• Cost: 4 Action Points
• Prereq: Level 9 Paladin, Paladin Extra Lay on Hands I, 28 Action Points Spent, Any one of: Paladin Devotion II, Paladin Heal II
• Benefit: You can activate this ability and expend one use of Lay on Hands to raise the dead, returning your target to life at 10% health.

[*]NEW Paladin Redemption II

• Cost: 2 Action Points
• Prereq: Level 14 Paladin, Paladin Extra Lay on Hands II, Paladin Redemption I, 50 Action Points Spent, Any one of: Paladin Devotion III, Paladin Heal III
• Benefit: You can activate this ability and expend one use of Lay on Hands to resurrect the dead, returning your target to life at 50% health.

[*]NEW Paladin Redemption III (Not yet available)

• Cost: 2 Action Points
• Prereq: Level 19 Paladin, Paladin Extra Lay on Hands III, Paladin Redemption II, 70 Action Points Spent, Any one of: Paladin Devotion IV, Paladin Heal IV
• Benefit: You can activate this ability and expend one use of Lay on Hands to true resurrect the dead, returning your target to life at 100% health.

I might take something like this (espicaly if the smite line stays as proposed), but shouldn't it at least be one (or even two) levels higher for each level?

[*]NEW Players above the quest level limit for slayer, explorer, and rare encounter quests can now advance these quests to completion, but will be receive reduced XP (XP Gained = XP For Goal / (Levels Over Cap + 1)). Any other players present in the area who are not above the quest level limit will not have their quests advanced. No change has been made for groups of players who are all within the min-max level range for an area. The spammy text alerts warning players their quest is not advancing have been replaced with static informational alerts.

Am I the only one that dosnt see this as a good thing? Don't get me wrong I love the idea of continuing to get reduced xp (and think it should be expanded to regular quests too) but this "Any other players present in the area who are not above the quest level limit will not have their quests advanced." is not good. So now you have one guy at 5th level in WW he is the only one that gets slayer every one else 4th and below in his party gets nothing?

NEW A new item honoring Gary Gygax, has been added to the Delera's end reward list. "Voice of the Master" grants +5% XP to dungeon completion, and "Good Luck +1" to skill checks and saves.

Almost forgot...wow what a nice gift and way to ensure every character in the game pays homage to Gary.

[oronisi]

Sorry, you are simply wrong. As a long time D&D player clerics do more than healing. In fact in D&D clerics spend less time healing than they do fighting.

Gotta agree. In PnP, my cleric(s) would spend more time shouting about their beliefs and swinging their mace than healing. In fact, I don't recall healing during combat at all unless someone was on death's door. And only then, 1 or 2 cures. My time was better spent trying to incapacitate the enemy than trying to heal the bleeder.

[Laith]

So now you have one guy at 5th level in WW he is the only one that gets slayer every one else 4th and below in his party gets nothing?

well, it is an improvement for some that hurts noone...

the system will probably be changed down the road though, when we forget that at one point having a single character above level would mean no xp for anyone.

i'd say it'd be fine to give half xp to the "appropriately leveled", but others would just complain saying that means they can't go back later and get full xp.

if you give them full xp, well... that, my friend, is powerleveling.

[dragons1ayer74]

umm... currently EVERYONE would get nothing.

at the end of the day, no one is hurt from this change. that's why it's a good thing.

The little guy gets hurt, even if the little guy does all the work, the little guy could even power level the big guy. I would rather see EVERYONE get nothing rather than little guy get nothing, if the little guy is out of level range fine but in dungoens or areas that are made for the little guys level to have them get nothing feel wrong to me.

[MysticTheurge]

Am I the only one that dosnt see this as a good thing? Don't get me wrong I love the idea of continuing to get reduced xp (and think it should be expanded to regular quests too) but this "Any other players present in the area who are not above the quest level limit will not have their quests advanced." is not good. So now you have one guy at 5th level in WW he is the only one that gets slayer every one else 4th and below in his party gets nothing?

Presumably, it's to prevent level-appropriate people from getting the reduced XP. Which seems like a decent compromise.

Mostly you're going to have people above the level of the slayers soloing the area for little to no XP or groups of level appropriate people doing the area as normal.

A group of level appropriate people aren't going to take an over-leveled person with them.

[Laith]

The little guy gets hurt, even if the little guy does all the work, the little guy could even power level the big guy.

what? by giving him half-xp from enemies that are deemed "below him"?

either keep your group in the level range, or stay above it.

and yes, as MT said: this seems primarily aimed at keeping adventure areas open to solo by people above the normal level.

[EspyLacopa]

Rust Monsters aren't vermin. They're aberrations.

I suspect the catacombs will soon be infested with Rats.

Rats aren't vermin either, they're Animals.

I suspect it'll be lots of little spiders.

[MysticTheurge]

Rats aren't vermin either, they're Animals.

Tell that to the Favored Enemy: Vermin icon.

I'm still leaning towards Rats, for the reason Laith pointed out above.

[LeLoric]

Tell that to the Favored Enemy: Vermin icon.

I'm still leaning towards Rats, for the reason Laith pointed out above.

They arent revisiting old quests are they?

[Ironwind]

• NEW Rogue Way of the Thief Acrobat II

• Cost: 2 Action Points
• Prereq: Rogue Level 12, Rogue Way of the Thief Acrobat I, Rogue Dexterity III, 42 Action Points Spent
• Benefit: Grants an additional +2 bonus to Balance, Jump, and Tumble skills, increases your movement rate by 10%, and 2 extra uses per rest of Uncanny Dodge. Also grants a greater increase to attack speed with staves and complete immunity to knockdown effects and slippery surfaces.

[Eladrin]

Rats aren't vermin either, they're Animals.

Lowercase 'v' vermin in the Catacombs. Everyone loves rats 'n' bats. (At least, more than slimes and jellies.)

I got excited about trying out a Thief-Acrobat; but, I'm curious. Is the staff a weapon that will usable with the Weapon Finesse feat?

That's an interesting suggestion I've seen in a couple threads already.

this seems primarily aimed at keeping adventure areas open to solo by people above the normal level.

That's the case. Places like Searing Heights are still potentially enjoyable when you're over the level limit. We also don't want to either deny the lower level characters their full share of XP, nor produce scenarios where a capped character will kill all but one creature in a slayer objective then leave the party.

[Impaqt]

Lowercase 'v' vermin in the Catacombs. Everyone loves rats 'n' bats. (At least, more than slimes and jellies.)


That's an interesting suggestion I've seen in a couple threads already.


That's the case. Places like Searing Heights are still potentially enjoyable when you're over the level limit. We also don't want to either deny the lower level characters their full share of XP, nor produce scenarios where a capped character will kill all but one creature in a slayer objective then leave the party.

Um, Eladrin, I think You've been Misinformed..... No one likes bats... Certainly not more than Slimes and oozes. The only reason they are tolerable in the vale is because we have spells like Firewall and Blade barrier to take careof them. Meleeing them sucks.

Arent Quarterstaffs Finnessable as a DOuble weapon in PnP?