Question or two about DnD 4 ed.

[Tadanori Oyama]

He shouldn't be, Eldrich Blast is a great power. It can be used as a Ranged Basic Attack which means it can use bonuses to that attack. You give a Warlock at like 3rd level a pair of Bracers of Perfect shot, have him multi-class into Ranger to gain Hunter's Quarry and take Lethal Hunter, and you have a Warlock that can open a fight by pointing at the enemy closest to him, Cursing, Quarrying, and firing his Eldrick Blast for 1d10+1d8+1d6+7 (assuming +2 for the Bracers, +4 for attribute bonus, and +1 for a magic rod which he should have my 3rd level).

10+8+6+7= 31 damage if he rolls max, 10 if he rolls min. 31 will nearly drop a 3rd level monster.

It's also thematically awesome. Generally it's considered to look like something akin to a black lightning bolt.

[dragonshaos]

Woo!  Another question.  Really simple tho.  When I'm rewarding XP, lets say that through out the session the encounters the players kill off award a total of umm...7,000 xp.  Is this 7,000 xp rewarded to each player, or divided up among the amount of players present (so for 4 players it would be 1750 xp apiece)?

I'm assuming it's divided up.  Just checking   

[clockworkjoe]

It's divided.

[dragonshaos]

Excellent, thank you!

[Tadanori Oyama]

Remember to add XP for succeeding at Quests and Goals, as well as the XP from killing monsters into the pile at the end of the session. There's a chart of Quest XP values in the DMG.

[dragonshaos]

Can do!  Oh, how do you think a group of 5 players lvl 1 would do against lvl 3 enemies such a the Human Guard listed in the monster Manual, using the recommended 'currency' of xp to 'buy' my enemies for the encounter at 500 xp total, making the Guards worth 150xp each, how would a few groups of 3-4 of them do?  Ive got a few encounters where there are mixes of Fire Beetles, a few Archers, a couple Guard Drakes, and the Human Guards being the most difficult.

[Tadanori Oyama]

It's difficult to judge based purely on levels as a rule, a full (5 member) party of PCs can face and defeat an encounter up to four or five levels above them if they hit it fresh. PCs hit their true stride around six or seventh level when they have many powers, from their class and their items, that they can use in a fight.

If PCs start uncorking Dailies, monsters you thought where too tough for them will start crashing because most one a day attacks do damage even if they miss. Then throw in utility augumentations, weapon powers, and action points; it's starting to look rough for that formerly ruling monster.

Anyway, follow the XP spend system and you'll do alright (I have), just don't try to hit the PCs too hard or you'll "force" them to expend their big tricks and they'll feel the need to set up camp for the day.

My encounter design can be summarized as: "Don't go for the knock-out blow, work the gut".

[dragonshaos]

Good saying!  Ill keep it in mind!

[dragonshaos]

Alrighty another Question!

I'm in the process of making some very minor magic weapons/armor.  I have just a few simple questions:

How does one name the new magic weapon/armor?  Is it simply 'Magic Staff +1' or 'Dueling Greatsword of +6'?  I know with unique/legendary weapons/armor I can name them and stuff, like 'Plague Bringer' or 'Bane's Axe of Fury'.

What should be a limit for a group of lvl 1's in a dungeon with magic items.  Like how many (I had planned 2-3 very simple ones from special rooms, and a Greataxe with the Vicious enchantment +1 from an Elite at end of dungeon) simple magic items should here be?  And if so, what kind of enchantment would be taking it just a little too far.

[Maze]

It's good storytelling to give them names, but a +1 is fairly unimpressive. Call it the "Whip of moderate annoyance", "Staff of possible interest" and the "Armor of impressing friends at a party"

[dragonshaos]

Those are the kind of names I had in mind too!   

So giving magic items names, no matter how unimpressive they are, would be better than calling them "Staff of magic...+1!' or 'Armor of +1 AC'.

Just wondering which is the 'norm'.  I wanted to add in useless items like "The Great Sword with Heated grip" which keeps the players hands warm, or "Eye Patch of Partial Blindness".  Just for fun.  I will add those now.  I want someone to wear the eye patch.

[Tadanori Oyama]

There aren't any "normal" names for magic items; names are based on their enchantments. If you want your items to have other names you need to make them up yourself.

Wonderous items are an excpetion, they are normally named after their function.

[dragonshaos]

Well I wanted to know if actually Naming the items was normal.  Like if most people just refer to it as 'Bow +5' or  by it's name such as 'Bow of Additional Piercings'.

And btw, what are these +1/2/3/4/5/6 enhancement?  I'm assuming they are the bonuses you add to the appropriate category (AC, defenses, and/or attack and damage rolls) for the enchantment.  Such as a frost dagger has a +1 lvl3 enchantment to attack and damage rolls.  Do I apply +1 to attack and damage rolls?

Im pretty sure I do, but I just want to check first.

[Tadanori Oyama]

Correct. There are three categories of enhancemen bonus.

Weapons add their bonus to attack and damage rolls when using that weapon.

Armor adds it's bonus to AC.

Neck slot items add their bonus to the three defenses (Fortitude, Reflex, Will).

As for names I use the spread: "magic name" "weapon name" "bonus amount".

So, a longsword with the vorpal enchantment with a +6 bonus would be: A Vorpal Longsword +6.

[Dawnsteel]

Paper-cutter Dagger +1
Greatsword of Toasty Digits
Plague-Bringer Staff (infects everyone within a 15' radius with a common cold)

I love ridiculous magic items.