First time 4e (Essentials)

[onthetown]

I'm a diehard 3.x/Pathfinder fan. Boyfriend comes up to me the other day and says, hey, these 4e and Essentials books are getting to be pointless. He collects all the D&D books regardless of edition, but he does like using them. He's played 4e a couple times and would like to try to DM for me, as a learning experience for us both.

I generated my character today and I have to say it wasn't nearly as confusing or bad as I thought it would be, but I'm still a little uneasy and unfamiliar. I'm playing a (Lawful) Evil Eladrin Hexblade Warlock -- Infernal pact, of course. (LE may have been scrapped as an alignment, but there's nothing preventing me from playing her that way.) I wanted something that would catch my interest and keep it for the duration of the test campaign.

So Hexblade is made and she's good to go. But I do have a few questions:

What is the "Damage Workspace" area on her character sheet? In Attack Workspace, I put her Eldritch Bolt and Blade of Annihilation, and assumed that the basic point of it was to have the different modifiers and bonuses for the attacks right in front of me, without having to look through the book. Damage doesn't need to seem to take up much space, though, since it's like 1d10+STR for BoA and that's about the end of it.

Something we were both wondering: Are you able to swap out powers as you're given stronger options, or do you keep every single power for every single level? It wouldn't be an issue for my Hexblade, but for a Mage that seems like it would be a lot of powers by 30th...

Do you have more than one option for taking a paragon path, or is it just a fancy way of saying "mid-level character" and you're stuck with whatever your subclass is?

And... the most important, world-shattering, life-or-death situation I'm in:

B..b-bard? :smallfrown:

[MeeposFire]

1) None of your attack powers should be using str as a hexblade. Your Soul eater power works as your melee basic attack and uses cha as does eldritch bolt (and all your hexblade powers for that matter). I am not sure what you mean by BoA).

2) The damage work space will be helpful later when you get more and more damage bonuses from different things.

3) I recommend making "power cards" for each of your power so you can write down the exact attack and damage bonuses for each power and so you can keep track of its usage (for encounter and daily powers). These can also be used to keep track of what a power does.

4) For a hexblade you do end up keeping all your powers without replacing. The mage may look like he has a lot of powers but remember he can only memorize essentially the same number you do so there is that.

5) You can choose any warlock paragon paths you want (assuming you don't lack a random prerequisite). Unfortunately there is only one in the book. If you get D&Di or more books there are more PPs to choose from. I happen to like academy master which boosts at wills a lot.

6) Bard? 4e bards are awesome if that is what you are asking.

[Jokes]

There are other paragon paths, but most are focused on the regular 4e Warlock (so a lot of instances of warlock curse effects, which hexblades don't have). For essentials, it is assumed you will be sticking to the Legendary Hexblade paragon path, but it is possible to choose a different one. Simply look up the table on page 215 and scrub all the powers with [legendary hexblade] in them, then sub in the powers for the PP you choose.

There is currently no essentials bard, only the one in Players Handbook 2. And yes, they are awesome.

[Fox Box Socks]

There is an Essentials Bard build coming in November with Heroes of the Feywild. I'm told it will be Skald-like.

If you're willing to NOT play Essentials, Bards are actually top tier Leaders, even at first level. Valor Bard keep their friends healthy with a steady stream of Temporary HP, Cunning Bards re-arrange the battlefield to their liking, and Prescient Bards shoot badguys with bows and can see the future. They hand out attack penalties like candy and (of course) inspire their allies to greatness.

[IlexGarodan]

Hey guys, the aforementioned boyfriend and DM here. I'm looking forward to the first session-- I'm already formulating ideas for a dungeon. :smallbiggrin:

[onthetown]

I've been able to play bards at near tier one for quite some time -- heck, just ask him, he gets nervous when I start making a bard -- so whether or not they're awesome isn't the issue. I was just hoping there was one somewhere for Essentials.

BoA was my Blade of Annihilation, sorry.

As for the STR thing... I think it specifically says to put my Strength in... I'm not sure, I'd have to go get the book from him again.

[Bearpunch]

Most Infernal Pact attacks rely on CON, so make that your highest stat. BoA is just a weapon, however. So it relies on strength. But since you will be using Soul Eater as your main attack (or should be, anyway) THAT attacks with CON.

But you want CHA and CON to be your highest stats for Infernal. Then, depending on your characters skills/roleplaying ability, fill in the rest with whatever you have left.

And be prepared to have little to no choice.

Honestly, I ignore the damage workspace for the most part and simply write my powers down on the back of the Char sheet or somewhere else (my group shares PHs)

[Fox Box Socks]

Strength should get a modicum of investment (read: 13) so that you can pick up Armor Proficiency: Scale at 1st level. Without it, Infernal Hexblades just don't have the AC to hang around the front lines.

[MeeposFire]

I've been able to play bards at near tier one for quite some time -- heck, just ask him, he gets nervous when I start making a bard -- so whether or not they're awesome isn't the issue. I was just hoping there was one somewhere for Essentials.

BoA was my Blade of Annihilation, sorry.

As for the STR thing... I think it specifically says to put my Strength in... I'm not sure, I'd have to go get the book from him again.

I think I know the problem. You are probably seeing melee basic attack and it uses strength. Don't bother with thtat. You r soul eater at will is also a melee basic attack and uses cha which effectively replaces you standard melee basic attack (technically it is still there but why use it when you can use soul eater).

The same goes for ranged basic attack just use eldritch bolt.