D&D Worldwide Gameday

[TheOOB]

My friendly neighborhood game store just got their package for the D&D worldwide gameday, and me along with the other DMs running the event run through a test run to get used to the adventure before we have to run it. Now I won't tell anyone what happens, that would spoil the suprise, but a few things I noticed.

-Wizards get a lot of awesome spells, but they are far from over powered. Their area of effect techniques are very difficult to use in tight quarters without hitting your group, and actually having to hit your opponents puts you on par with your party members. Also, if you get to meet the melee monsters up close and personal, you won't last long.

-The dwarven ability to use a second wind as a minor action rocks hardcore, it's easily as good as any racial power.

-Cleric healing is very important to a group, but the cleric still gets to do cool stuff during the battle.

-Two fighters can play very differently.

-The premade adventure is quite difficult, almost impossible if you don't do the right things. Quite a few groups won't make it through alive(mine didn't). It doesn't help that the characters builds are especially good for this particular adventure, no body is useless, there is just a few abilities that would be a bit more useful.

[Tough_Tonka]

So when is world wide gaming day?

[GlordFunkelhand]

-Wizards get a lot of awesome spells, but they are far from over powered. Their area of effect techniques are very difficult to use in tight quarters without hitting your group, and actually having to hit your opponents puts you on par with your party members.

IIRC most AoE effects don't hit your fellow party members (no friendly fire).
Not sure here, though. I think I read this in one of the threads here, and I have only skimmed through my 4e books.

[Jarlax]

-The premade adventure is quite difficult, almost impossible if you don't do the right things. Quite a few groups won't make it through alive(mine didn't). It doesn't help that the characters builds are especially good for this particular adventure, no body is useless, there is just a few abilities that would be a bit more useful.

also DMing, and i disagree a liiiiiiiitle bit. not a lot.

the premade adventure is simply asking the players to think with their heads instead of their swords. while this is something a lot of players suck at, all they will achieve is to make the adventure Harder for themselves.

its more like the module rewards players who act smart but doesn't so much punish players who do not, as just has them face the adventure at full difficulty. a lot of it will be how the DM presents the events to the players so as to curb some of their natural reactions.

[SamTheCleric]

Question: Are these new encounters with pre-gen characters... or is it just Keep on Shadowfell Encounters rehashed? I ask because I was tapped to GM some at the gameday on saturday.

[Bosaxon]

thanks for the tips. I'll be playing Saturday with an unknown group of people at Barnes and Noble, so I want all the advice I can get.

[TheOOB]

Most the area of effect abilities list "all creatures in burst/blast" as their target, which includes PCs.

The biggest things about the adventure is that there is a certain encounter that if you miss it, will make the next encounter very difficult when the missed encounter joins the fight.

As far as I know, the adventure is new with new pregen characters. It's rather short, between 2 and 4 encounters or so with a couple of puzzles and and such, but depending on the skill level of your group it can take some time.

[Ent]

Could you tell us the pregen classes?

I'm interested if it's something classic like Ftr Clr Rog Wiz, and wondering if any of the 4e classes are more difficult for a player new to gaming.

[Leon]

Im helping Demo various things for the LGS - kinda suprising given my disadin of the new system but the things you do for friends

[The Necroswanso]

So when is world wide gaming day?

Should be Saturday if I'm correct.

[Leon]

Could you tell us the pregen classes?

I'm interested if it's something classic like Ftr Clr Rog Wiz, and wondering if any of the 4e classes are more difficult for a player new to gaming.

The PCs we had were: Human Cleric, Human Fighter, Eladrin Wizard, Dwarf Fighter, Elf Rogue

[Ent]

The PCs we had were: Human Cleric, Human Fighter, Eladrin Wizard, Dwarf Fighter, Elf Rogue

Thank you. That sounds like a fun start to me.