A tad bit of help with my Campaign please.

[dragonshaos]

I don't think the players are cheating.  When they made characters the first time I did it on a one on one basis and helped each of them learn how to do it.  So those first stats were just lucky or unlucky, which is why everyone is using the standard array I have them using.  They understood and all of them agreed to use it.

[Tadanori Oyama]

You had them roll stats? This is Fourth Edition man, POINT BUY!

And if Warlock player is being dumb with her choices, than she's not going to do well, simple as that. I mean, if she's using an Implement she literally can't use (she needs to be able to use staffs as implements in order to get that fire reroll, by the way) than she needs to reread the book. Has she read the book? I find alot of players haven't. They've looked through their class section, they've maybe looked at the skills and feats, but they haven't really read the rules and they certainly haven't read the character creation process rules.

And any player who doesn't have their own dice is not committed the game. I have three in my group who don't have their own dice. One is a bum who won't buy his own. The others, I think, just aren't committed enough to RPGs to get their own dice.

[clockworkjoe]

I don't think the players are cheating.  When they made characters the first time I did it on a one on one basis and helped each of them learn how to do it.  So those first stats were just lucky or unlucky, which is why everyone is using the standard array I have them using.  They understood and all of them agreed to use it.

There are multiple legitimate stat arrays but rolling random stats in 4E is cheating. Everything is much more finely tuned than in previous editions and variable stats break a lot of the assumptions with 4E balance. Of course this is a big change from previous editions, even 3E so I understand if your players didn't realize this when they started. Although, to be honest, any player character with 3 stats at 18 at level 1 should know they are being munchkin dicks unless they are brand new to D&D.

[dragonshaos]

All but one of my players are new to D&D, practically role play in general.  Aside from a few feeble attempts at Rifts and new WoD games in high school, we have little experience, and that's only counting 3/5 of us.

Only one guy has read the rules more so than the others but he's more experienced at the trpgs in general.  My GF has the least amount of experience, but she's honestly trying which I'm happy for.  Sometime before our next session we are getting her some dice because she's committed to having fun in this game.

In future characters yeah i'll use the point buy system.  The only real problem I'm having is that the players don't really have the time to look over the rules and learn more about the game.  We all have busy schedules and some of us work (including me).  We only have 1 PHB which is mine that they pass around during the game.

I understand our methods for gaming is most likely bad and we can improve, but no on has the money to get more books or the time to really read them.  The fact that I can get them together during the week is surprising but we manage.

But the real question was how I can improve the warlocks attack/damage in combat w/o the help of items.

[Tadanori Oyama]

Oh. Nice to see her trying then.

Everybody pitch in between 5 and 10 dollars and buy a digital copy at DriveThruRPG or another online E-Venter. The cost is 1/2 that of a print copy and you get three or four downloads of the book per purchase. Have everything download it. Or download it once and copy it to everybody.

And it is certainly not possible to find free copies online because all roleplayers are law abiding folks.

If players want to play the game smoothly and within the "official rules", they need to read the book. It takes a very minimal effort to acquire access to a book, especially a digital copy.

[dragonshaos]

Ooo talked with my friend and he has most of the books in PDF format he torrented.  I think i'll have everyone bring a flash dive and give them all a copy of that.

[Tadanori Oyama]

Ooo talked with my friend and he has most of the books in PDF format he torrented.  I think i'll have everyone bring a flash dive and give them all a copy of that.

You can't say that word! The government is watching for people who do that word. We'll all end up in a naked pyramid in prison!

[clockworkjoe]

Just get a subscription to DDI and use character builder.

[Tadanori Oyama]

Just get a subscription to DDI and use character builder.

Or don't get one, use the character builder, and only play the game up to Level 3.

[Boyos]

Alright, I think I'm going to have my first session of my campaign this Saturday.  im nervous, feels like there's a lot not done but Saturday is a good day to have it.  If anyone has any last tips or ideas for it please let me know.  Thanks!

If you mess A SINGLE RULE up, the entire game is RUINED FOREVER.

true story.

[dragonshaos]

Well...back to the warlock...luckily in the first game they found a 'Magic Wand' I threw in there for fun, and no one wanted it.  So of course they just gave it to the Wizard (the warlock character is really really shy...) who is the acting pack mule, and since his implement is Staff I can say that he was simply unable to tell what it is.  So since he hasn't been here for a session or 2 (I forget), the current party has decided that the staff will go to him and he will give the wand to the Warlock (hopefully) in which case I will reveal it's a 'Wand of ---" and everyone is happy.

[Maze]

Wand of Luk[sic]?

[Tadanori Oyama]

The party is having the wizard carry the extra gear?

[dragonshaos]

Yaaa...right now the magic items they have aren't anything super useful, just kind of in there to show them how they work.  We have one kinda good weapon that dropped of the Slave master, a Chain Whip with Resounding Enchant which none of the players can use w/o a penalty (it's there more for the roleplaying aspect if anything.  There's the 'Magic Wand +1', A staff of fiery might +1 (which belonged to the evil Bob or whatever bad guy which I believe the players have figured out it's him finally) and a Shield of Bashing +1 they got by going back into the dungeon and killing off a bunch of undead guys.

The wizard carry's anything the rest of the party doesn't want immediately for whatever reason.  He's only made it to 2 sessions and one of them he effectively took himself out of because he wanted to get his Daily powers back while everyone else was adventuring .  The Paladin is a weapons and armor whore and is willing to fight other players for something that increases his AC by 1 (We had a debate as to whether the Paladin gets more armor and if the Warlord gets Any at all...).  He's a bit of my problematic meta/munchkin gamer but he realizes what he's doing and is trying to stop, and he has to some degree which is nice.  The Warlock is entirely new to roleplaying and effectively won't try to get anything new unless it's given to her.  I've talked to her about this and we've come up with a 'plan' to get her to be more vocal.  The Warlord himself is ObSeSsEd with the fact he's a 'Tactical' Warlord and has his entire back story and personality revolve around this.  He tends to take whatever the Paladin doesn't want/need.  And then there's the Avenger.  The insane/angry roleplaying avenger who is the 'star' of my campaign.  He has more experience at roleplaying than the rest.  He likes the spotlight on him and he uses his turn to maximize productivity of his character.  I tend to cut his turn short (press the pause button) after a few minutes and let the others go for a turn or two just so he doesn't have the light on him so much which is working out well.  And I think that sums up my party...

[Tadanori Oyama]

They sound like typical teenage players. Also sounds like most of the group seems to be attempting to better themselves so you've got a major leg up on alot of groups.