4e Quick Rules Primer

[SunTzuWarmaster]

Yea, or you can Bull Rush them RIGHT NOW.

[Voss]

10th to 16th level wizard spells. Some insight into power progression and damn, look who got hit by the nerf bat.

Level 10 Utility Spells

Mirror Image Wizard Utility 10
'Three duplicate images of you appear, imitating your actions perfectly and confusing your enemies.'
Daily * Arcane, Illusion
Minor Action Personal
Effect: Three duplicate images of yourself appear in your space, and you gain a +6 power bonus to AC. Each time an attack misses you, one of your duplicate images disap-
pears and the bonus granted by this power decreases by 2. When the bonus reaches 0, all your images are gone and the power ends. Otherwise, the effect lasts for 1 hour.

Resistance Wizard Utility 10
'You make yourself or another creature in range resistant to a particular kind of damage.'Daily * Arcane
Minor Action Ranged 10
Target: You or one creature
Effect: Against a particular damage type chosen by you, the target gains resistance equal to your level + your Intelligence modifier until the end of the encounter or for 5 minutes. Choose the damage type from the following list: acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant, or thunder.


Level 13 Encounter Spells

Frostburn Wizard Attack 13
'You whisper a word of elemental power and hurl a flaming ball of ice. Waves of fire and ice explode outward from the point of impact.'
Encounter * Arcane, Cold, Fire, Implement
Standard Action Area burst 2 within 20 squares
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 3d6 + Intelligence modifier cold and fire damage.
Effect: This power's area is difficult terrain until the end of your next turn. Any creature that starts its turn in the area takes 5 cold and fire damage. You can dismiss the effect as a minor action.

Mesmeric Hold Wizard Attack 13
'You immobilize your foes by commanding them to remain still.'
Encounter * Arcane, Charm, Implement, Psychic
Standard Action Ranged 10
Targets: One, two, or three creatures
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will, one attack per target
Special: If you target only one creature with this power, you gain a +4 power bonus to the attack roll.
Hit: ?d6 + Intelligence modifier psychic damage, and the target is immobilized until the end of your next turn.

Prismatic Burst Wizard Attack 13
'You lob a fist-sized orb of pulsating white light some distance away, blasting creatures in the area with rays of multicolored light.'
Encounter * Arcane, Implement, Radiant
Standard Action Area burst 2 within 20 squares
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 3d6 + Intelligence modifier radiant damage, and the target is blinded until the end of your next turn.

Thunderlance Wizard Attack 13
'A thunderous pulse of concussive energy rolls from your hand, bowling over your enemies.'
Encounter * Arcane, Implement, Thunder
Standard Action Close blast 5
Target: Each creature in blast
Attack: Wisdom vs. Reflex
Hit: 4d6 + Intelligence moidifer thunder damage, and you push the target 4 squares.


Level 15 Daily Spells

Bigby's Grasping Hands Wizard Attack 15
'Two hands of glowing golden force materialize, grab a couple of your foes, and slam them together.'
Daily * Arcane, Conjuration, Force, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Effect: You conjure two 5-foot tall hands of force, each one occupying 1 square within range. Each hand attacks one adjacent creature. A hand that is not grabbing a target can be moved and made to attack a new target within range as a move action. The hands last until the end of your next turn.
Targets: One or two creatures
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 2d10 + Intelligence modifier force damage, and the hand grabs the target. If the target attempts to escape, the hand uses your Fortitude or Reflex defense.
Special: If the hands have each grabbed an enemy, you can slam the enemies into each other as a standard action dealing 2d10 + Intelligence modifier force damage to each grabbed target. After the attack, each hand returns to its original square with its grabbed target.
Sustain Minor: The hands persist.

Blast of Cold Wizard Attack 15
'You create a tremendous blast of supernatural cold, freezing your enemies.'
Daily * Arcane, Cold, Implement
Standard Action Close blast 5
Target: Each enemy in blast
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 6d6 + Intelligence modifier cold damage, and target is immobilized (save ends).
Miss: Half damage, and the target is slowed (save ends).

Otiluke's Resilient Sphere Wizard Attack 15
'You trap your enemy in a transparent, immobile globe of impenetrable force.'
Daily * Arcane, Conjuration, Force, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs Reflex
Hit: You conjure a sphere of force that fills the target's entire space until the end of your next turn. The target is immobilized and can't attack anything outside its own space. Creatures outside the sphere can't attack the target, and the sphere blocks objects and creatures attempting to pass through it. The sphere, though impenetrable, is not impervious to damage. Attacks against the sphere automatically hit, and it has 100 hit points.
Sustain Minor: If your attack roll was successful, you can sustain the sphere.
Miss: The target is immobilized (save ends).
Special: Instead of attacking an enemy, you can put the sphere around yourself or a willing ally within range without making an attack roll.

Prismatic Beams Wizard Attack 15
'Scintillating beams of rainbow-colored light spring from your outstretched hand, affecting your foes in unpredictable ways.'
Daily * Arcane, Fire, Implement, Poison
Standard Action Close burst 5
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs Fortitude, Reflex, Will
Hit (Fortitude): If the attack hits the target's Fortitude defense, the target takes 2d6 + Intelligence modifier poison damage, and ongoing 5 poison damage (save ends).
Hit (Reflex): If the attack hits the target's Reflex defense, the target takes 2d6 + Intelligence modifier fire damage, and ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends).
Hit (Will): If the attack hits the target's Will defense, the target is dazed (save ends).
Special: You make only one attack per target, but compare that attack result against all three defenses. A target might be subject to any, all, or none of the effects depending on
how many of its defenses were hit. The target must make a saving throw against each ongoing effect separately.

Wall of Ice Wizard Attack 15
'A wall of glittering, jagged ice appears at your command.'
Daily * Arcane, Cold, Conjuration, Implement
Standard Action Area wall 12 within 10 squares
Effect: You conjure a solid wall of contiguous squares filled with arcane ice. The wall can be up to 12 squares long and up to 6 squares high. Any creature that starts its turn adjacent to the wall takes 2d6 + Intelligence modifier cold damage. The wall blocks line of sight and prevents movement. No creature can enter a square containing the wall.
Special: As a standard action, a creature can attack one square of the wall. Each square has 50 hit points. Any creature that makes a melee attack against the wall takes 2d6 cold damage. The wall has vulnerability 25 to fire. If the wall is not destroyed, it melts away after 1 hour.


Level 16 Utility Spells

Displacement Wizard Utility 16
'The recipient of this spell appears to be standing slightly to the left or right of his actual position, making it harder for enemies to kill him.'
Encounter * Arcane, Illusion
Immediate Interrupt Ranged 5
Trigger: A ranged or a melee attack hits or one ally in range
Effect: The attacker must reroll the attack roll.

Fly Wizard Utility 16
'You leap into the air and don't look back.'
Daily * Arcane
Standard Action Personal
Effect: You gain a speed of fly 8 until the end of your next turn.
Sustain Minor: You can sustain this power until the end of the encounter or for 5 minutes. If you don't sustain it, you float to the ground without taking falling damage.

Greater Invisibility Wizard Utility 16
'With a wave of your hand, you or another creature nearby fades away, becoming invisible'
Daily * Arcane, Illusion
Standard Action Ranged 20
Target: You or one creature
Effect: The target is invisible until the end of your next turn. If the target attacks, the target becomes visible.
Sustain Minor: If the target is within range, you can sustain the effect.

Yeah, thats fly and greater invisibility (which isn't so great anymore) at 16th level.

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?p ... ost4082626

[RandomCasualty]

wtf is up with mirror image? +6 to AC (but not reflex), so it doesn't help against touch attacks.

And I really don't like all the damage types. They should have made it simpler, not more complex. Theres so many damage types that resistances probably aren't even worth a damn anymore.

[Crissa]

Oh, but it's actually awesome, RC: Monsters only have one or two types of damage each.

-Crissa

[Talisman]

Frankly, wizards needed a nerf...and keep in mind level 10 4e is around ~level 7 3.x (since 4e's 30 levels appear to emulate 3.x's 20 levels, just stretched out more).

That being said, some of these are just sad. Greater Invisibility is now ~5th level spell (in 3.x terms), and is equal to...a 1-round version of Normal Invisibility. Or you can spend your minor action to sustain it. Wonderful.

[JonSetanta]

I dunno.. I actually like the changes some of those spells contain.
Mirror, Displacement, the Bigby one, Fly, and the various 'sustain' options. Others, I don't know yet. I'll have to think about it.

Agreed on the damage types. There should have been very few in total.

I'll leave it to Voss to, as a friend puts it, "optimize the shit out of this game" and then just reap the easiest cheese.

And Harlune: I like the way you think

[SunTzuWarmaster]

Blech, 1 round durations suck.

[RandomCasualty]

1204557708[/unixtime]]Blech, 1 round durations suck.

I like the general direction they went with durations. having to track a 5 round duration is a real pain in the ass. The saving throw concept keeps people from having to remember durations and crap. I can envison having longer lasting stuff just grant a penalty to people's saves to remove it.

Encounter duration powers may or may not be good, depending on how they define encounter. Otherwise this could still be a game where you stack a bunch of buffs on. And buffs are going to be pretty nuts given that combat is much slower now, so that numerical edge is going to show itself much more readily. The designers will have to be super careful with the math and I don't think they are capable of doing that. The longer combat lasts, the more you'll start to see even 1 or 2 point imbalances.

[Bigode]

If that crap goes by "greater invisibility", what the fvcking hell is the normal one?

[CatharzGodfoot]

1204562084[/unixtime]]If that crap goes by "greater invisibility", what the fvcking hell is the normal one?

[Bigode]

And people have said you weren't funny - WTF?

Wait, the rolling smiley vanished again ...

[Harlune]

If that crap goes by "greater invisibility", what the fvcking hell is the normal one?

the normal one probably can't even be cast during an encounter and breaks as soon as anyone in the group starts fighting.

[Fwib]

1204562084[/unixtime]]If that crap goes by "greater invisibility", what the fvcking hell is the normal one?

One of my group suggests that normal invisibility only works when no-one is watching.

[edit] I presume he is thinking of the guy in Mystery Men who has an 'invisibility' power that works only when no-one is watching.

[Bigode]

1204570886[/unixtime]]

1204562084[/unixtime]]If that crap goes by "greater invisibility", what the fvcking hell is the normal one?

One of my group suggests that normal invisibility only works when no-one is watching.

Please tell me you aren't serious before I die - or get him to write his explanation so I can die laughing ...

[SunTzuWarmaster]

Yea, as much as I hate 1 round durations, I hope that they have lots of "Encounter" durations. Mainly because Haste, Slow, Glitterdust and all of the other 1 round/level stuff was effectively "encounter" rounds.

[Talisman]

Yeah, in 3.x, anything lasting more than 5-6 rounds has a duration of "forever" as far as combat utility...except in the case of massive, epic combats.

Per-round = cast in combat
Per-minute = cast just before combat
Per-10 minutes = cast whenever you suspect there might be combat
Per-hour or more = cast when you wake up, immediately after preparing spells.

[RandomCasualty]

Yeah I hated the old 3.5 durations. As a DM I don't want to get into arguments about how much time has passed.

"No, way it'd take us 10 minutes to do that."

That shit is so annoying.

If it lasts longer than a combat, then just make it last until you rest. Nothing worse as a DM than constantly worrying about time management.

[JonSetanta]

http://dnd4.com/do-you-have-the-time-sir

[Talisman]

I like that. I'd probably leave out the "one activity period" increment and jump from "scene" to "day."

Hmm...I may use this in my next D&D campaign...although Lord only knows when I'll get to run again. The perils of gaming with 4 other GMs.

[Voss]

1204558115[/unixtime]]

1204557708[/unixtime]]Blech, 1 round durations suck.

I like the general direction they went with durations. having to track a 5 round duration is a real pain in the ass. The saving throw concept keeps people from having to remember durations and crap. I can envison having longer lasting stuff just grant a penalty to people's saves to remove it.

Having tried it out a few times, the saving throw duration is a pain in the ass. Perhaps its a matter of getting accustomed to it, but it stacks up, and there is a lot of shit going on, even in level 1 encounters. I especially feel sorry for the 4e DMs. If they aren't anal retentively organized, they're just going to lose it at some point. Running 5-10 monsters (easy with minions), you've got to keep track of hit points, conditions, special abilities, if they've used their encounter-based powers, if those powers recharge, and all sorts of other shit all at once, some of which may be expiring, triggering or just situational. Its a big pain.

As for the small bonuses, yeah, they didn't control those. Take the damn kobolds- almost all of them (except the minions) have a 'mob target' rule- +1 to hit for each kobold adjacent to the target. Now the skirmisher activates, moves in, has combat advantage due to flanking, and attacks at +15 for CA and 7 kobolds. 1d8 + d6 damage. And the 'shifty' ability lets them flank like gangbangers.

But hey, this is where fighters rule- they get an immediate attack at anyone trying to shift away from them. Its also the one time wizards are useful. Paltry area damage makes minion clearing easy.

[Crissa]

Aww, but then you'll never have the 'fight for one minute until the spell expires' duration. There's no time lock on the door. No challenge to finish something before the dimensional anchor fails. No fight before the lights fade...

There's many reasons for spells to cinematically end during a combat, which isn't possible with durations which 'always' end on the Player's Turn, between combat.

-Crissa

[JonSetanta]

Personally I don't like durations to end in the middle of combat unless actively dispelled by an enemy.
Makes for more bookkeeping, more 'lag', when 5+ buffs have to be de-calculated from the combat mods in a fast-paced battle.

[SunTzuWarmaster]

Let us not forget that 3.5e has/had the problem of multiple, stacked saves.

Last session I play in there was a demon who was standing, in the beginning of his round in a Grease spell and Shadowspray spell. Let me be the first to say that making a save every round towards an effect stupid. Take -4 Str damage, save versus daze, saved, make a balance check, fail, fall prone, that was a good round.

I fully expect to be laying spell after spell on monsters in 4e. Save to see if you wake up (45% chance), save to see if you take strength damage, save to see if you can act this round. DM nightmare, I'm telling you.

[Talisman]

Agree with Sig. The occasional dramatic moment isn't worth the all-too-common bookkeeping hassle.

[RandomCasualty]

1204585747[/unixtime]]

Having tried it out a few times, the saving throw duration is a pain in the ass.

Well it's stil as time consuming (if not more so) than a duration of X rounds. The advantage is that you don't have to tick off rounds anymore, and to me that's pretty big. Because I can generally remember if I rolled a save or not that round, but I have trouble remembering if I ticked off another round in a given spell's duration.

Maybe other DMs find this different, but I find the whole saving throw thing to be easier to remember, though a bit slower to process, since it involves a roll every round.