D&D session 2 debrief: AWESOMES!
So I'm back from the second game of the new D&D campaign, and it was totally wonderful and awesome :) We are finally getting the hang of the game now, and combat pace is getting faster each time we have an encounter. Everyone was on top form with the roleplaying, and kalkyrie's preparation of notes and taking people outside for secret briefings really added to the atmosphere. Kalkyrie also showed amazing skill for someone relatively new to GMing, coping amazingly well with a fight becoming a case of running away and being chased, and players doing some rather unexpected things.
The highlight of the session would have to have been when, after noticing that the nearby town didn't have any guardsmen at the gate or on the walls, we scaled the wall in case it was actually overran by forces of evil. To only find a group of guardsmen gathering, aiming crossbows at us. Rather than apologising, we were instead indignant about being aimed at, and Lina (my wizard) didn't help their paranoia by making strange ghostly voices speak into their ears from a distance :P
Levelling up in 4th ed seems slower for all classes, since everyone gets new powers to chose from, however because of this it is also more exciting! Still getting used to the new powers dynamic. Under 3rd ed, spell casters distinctly became drained of abilities as the day wore on, even at low levels, and it was quite clearly incremental. In 4th ed, however, at low levels you only have one daily spell for quite some time. Instead it is more the entire party which begins to feel drained, which is a much different mechanic.
For the next session, I need to level up, and write out my new selection of powers! Picking a feat is going to be interesting. It is tempting to mutliclass into something that gives me access to abilities for healing the party, since healing is actually surprisingly limited in 4th ed unless the cleric really specialises in it. I've actually been quite impressed at how possible it is for a cleric to still heal and yet be focused on combat, it gives hope for the system.
Edit: So I've been reading the rules more carefully, and have found something of interest. You know we have been having trouble in fights, having problems causing enough damage? You know that Lina has a fire at-will spell that we thought was 1 tile? I've been reading more carefully, burst 1 means one tile around an origin tile, ie, 3 tiles. So I had a low level but area effect damage causing spell always at my disposal all along. Ooops :P
The highlight of the session would have to have been when, after noticing that the nearby town didn't have any guardsmen at the gate or on the walls, we scaled the wall in case it was actually overran by forces of evil. To only find a group of guardsmen gathering, aiming crossbows at us. Rather than apologising, we were instead indignant about being aimed at, and Lina (my wizard) didn't help their paranoia by making strange ghostly voices speak into their ears from a distance :P
Levelling up in 4th ed seems slower for all classes, since everyone gets new powers to chose from, however because of this it is also more exciting! Still getting used to the new powers dynamic. Under 3rd ed, spell casters distinctly became drained of abilities as the day wore on, even at low levels, and it was quite clearly incremental. In 4th ed, however, at low levels you only have one daily spell for quite some time. Instead it is more the entire party which begins to feel drained, which is a much different mechanic.
For the next session, I need to level up, and write out my new selection of powers! Picking a feat is going to be interesting. It is tempting to mutliclass into something that gives me access to abilities for healing the party, since healing is actually surprisingly limited in 4th ed unless the cleric really specialises in it. I've actually been quite impressed at how possible it is for a cleric to still heal and yet be focused on combat, it gives hope for the system.
Edit: So I've been reading the rules more carefully, and have found something of interest. You know we have been having trouble in fights, having problems causing enough damage? You know that Lina has a fire at-will spell that we thought was 1 tile? I've been reading more carefully, burst 1 means one tile around an origin tile, ie, 3 tiles. So I had a low level but area effect damage causing spell always at my disposal all along. Ooops :P