A noob's D&D questions

[Jimmybob117]

Hi guys,

I'm a noob to D&D. I got the starter set (I believe its called the red box?) for my birthday about a month ago now, and this came with a solo campaign and a little sheet to download another solo mission. I enjoyed the first one in the box so I tried this one. It's called the Ghost tower of Witchlight Fens. I completed it, but there was a few things that I wasn't sure on what to do at the time. Firstly I'm a Wizard, and I had a spell where it said on the card I got Intelligence vs. Reflex. Is this simply my intelligence vs. there reflex score or is it my intelligence modifier, so a d20 roll plus my modifier which was +4 against their reflex? I just went with the Roll a d20 and add the modifier, cause if I was facing lots of the same enemy I would either all ways hit or never hit, which is kinda stupid.

Another problem I had with attacks is that if I roll for a attack against, say there AC. After adding my multiplier and all that, what do I do if I get exactly the same score as them? For example i may have rolled 12+4 for 16 vs. their 16 AC. Does the attack go ahead and hit or miss?

And the last question I have is at the end when I had defeated the main "boss" it then started to go over what treasure I was able to get from this boss. I got some GP, easy enough. But then it said I had received a level 3 common magic item, and that I could choose what ever I wanted this to be so it was usfull for my class I geuss. Buuuut, my question is Wtf is a level 3 common magic item and how can I find out what ones there are I can get? You also get a companion like person that you can use to fight with aswell in this mission and at the end she claims her sword(thats what we were trying to get ^^). But it says if shes NOT here, I can claim it and treat it as a magic longsword +1. Once again, Wtf is one of those?

It may be a case of just needing too get all the rulebooks etc, because bear in mind all I have at the moment is just "The red box"

Thanks in advance, I wasnt able to post this on the actual D&D forums becuase your (or atleast I am) unable to make a account at the moment, and I thought here was the 2nd best place

-Jimmybob117

[Sunseeker]

You're in 4E, so when it says "intelligence vs X" it means your score modifier(in your case 4) plus a d20 roll.

If you roll the same number, it's considered a push, and a push always goes to the attacker. Though some games may houserule it otherwise.

Actually, there's a bunch of lists in the back of the Players Handbook which give items, a "common" magic item is like a +1 longsword. It's just like a normal longsword except it gives you +1 to attack rolls and damage dealt with that weapon.

[mrwingtipshoes]

The first question in can't answer, only played 4.0 once.

A 16 roll Vs a 16 AC is a hit in both 1st ed and 3/3.5/pathfinder editions so I'm willing to bet its the same in 4th.

A +1 sword magic longsword (again if nothing has changed is 1d8 for the long sword and +1 for the magic. So when you roll damage you get 1D8+1 dmg instead of 1D8. Also it grants you +1 to hit as well.

Remember, Things don't scale the HUGE level that wow does.

Edit: Gah beaten too it.

[mrwingtipshoes]

Pathfinder did great things for 3.5 when it comes to skills, the way skill points are done (no more halfpoints, yay) and class balance. Though it may just be me, it seems they are slow to release content. It also maybe that i dont play nearly as much now as i did during the reighn of 2-3.5

[Jimmybob117]

Hi again,

thanks for the info guys! thats cleared up the problems I had with rolls etc, and now I understand what that magic longsword is! I had a look through the Players book ( too set up your character and teach basic rules) couldnt see any thing about items in there, and couldnt see anything in the DM's book (with your first campagin to do as a group).

Could anybody suggest something a wizard would want that is a level 3 common magic item? Thanks

[Lodreh]

Just my two cents, but D&D 4th edition isn't a very good tabletop RPG...

I have to disagree. I've been playing since the original red box and 4th so far is the best. There is nothing you can break in 4th. The math just works. I know a lot of people miss their idea of customization but really 3.x was roll a d20, swing, hit/miss, damage, end of turn. Atleast in 4th it's roll a d20, choose a power versus whatever defense, hit/miss, damage (even an effect on most misses), end of turn. Combat seems much more fluid and meaningful in 4th. Roleplay and story is what you make of it... the system doesn't matter.

Just my take,
Kalium

[mrwingtipshoes]

to counter that there is no DM flexibility compared to 3.5/PF and breaking the game in previous editions is simply a GM failure.

Really from what i've seen and heard 4ed caters more to short one time adventures and less to prolonged and expansive campaigns.

[Darlantin]

Go go 2nd edition!

[fews]

sup sup sup fews is here to answer all your dungeon and dra....



oh, 4th edition



i think im getting old


edit: please play 2nd or 3rd edition they are much more fun and allow for far more imagernations!

[Gothicshark]

Just my two cents, but D&D 4th edition isn't a very good tabletop RPG. Once you're sure you like the genre, or once you get bored with 4th (so basically, regardless of what happens ^^), I'd strongly recommend giving Pathfinder a try. It's a sort of updated 3.5 edition that is much more roleplay than D&D 4th ed, which often feels like some sort of dubbed-down tabletop WoW. And Wizards of the Coast are a bit money-grabbing sometimes.

But if you end up enjoying 4th ed, great, whatever floats your boat. I'm just saying I would personnally recommend other games such as Pathfinder to a D&D noob : )

As a DM who has Played since 1985, I can say that the worst thing to happen to D&D was 3rd, Sorry THAc0 is a good thing, However i did 3.5 and I am running a 4th game now, since they streamlined it, it makes for fast games and fun times. Sorry you missed the Hate on the New edition back when 3.0 came out.

---------- Post added 2011-04-26 at 12:21 PM ----------

A good resource for 4th edition http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Tools.aspx it costs $10 a month but it is worth having.

[Jimmybob117]

Thanks for all the info's guys, I'll probablly stick with 4th edition FOR NOW, just cause its what I have and i've got to try get my friends into this, if it turns out the like it and enjoy the idea then maybe I'll look into other editions. Just one more quick question, when it said you get a level 3 common magic item of your choice, does that work the same way as the longsword metioned earlier by smrund and mrwingtipshoes? So for a Wizard I could have, say a Staff, that would grant +3 to my attack rolls with spells? Does this stack with my +4 Intelligence modifier I allready have aswell to make +7?

[Gothicshark]

Thanks for all the info's guys, I'll probablly stick with 4th edition FOR NOW, just cause its what I have and i've got to try get my friends into this, if it turns out the like it and enjoy the idea then maybe I'll look into other editions. Just one more quick question, when it said you get a level 3 common magic item of your choice, does that work the same way as the longsword metioned earlier by smrund and mrwingtipshoes? So for a Wizard I could have, say a Staff, that would grant +3 to my attack rolls with spells? Does this stack with my +4 Intelligence modifier I allready have aswell to make +7?

At level 3 it should be a +1 item

I make a random Character
Gilbert the Elf Wizard 2250 xp Lvl 3

str=10 (10) _0_, +1
con=11 (11)_0_,+1
dex=16 (14+2)+3,+4
int=20 (18+2)+5,+6
wis=10(10)_0_,+1
chr=8 (8) -1,_0_

4 initiative (dex) 3+ 1 (1/2 lvl)
defense
AC 16
fort 11
ref 16
will 13
HP 29 - bloodied 14, surge 7, surges 6

Cloud of daggers
attack: Int(d20+5) vs ref
dam: 1d6+int(5)

now add Flameburst dagger +1 (no bonus, since it is not an Implement)
so add Flameburst Accurate dagger +1 (bonus, all Accurate items are implements also take the feat that allows the use of dagger implements)

d20+5+1 to hit
d6+5+1 to dam
(if you build right you should actually have a +7 to hit and damage for a caster at level 3, if you know how to break the system you should have a +14 to hit and damage.)

[Jimmybob117]

Ah ok, In the starter box I have it has a card for a +1 Magic staff, which adds 1 too all my spell rolls featuring the word Implement and on a crit I deal max damage + 1d6. Im geussing thats perfect for me then?

[Gothicshark]

Ah ok, In the starter box I have it has a card for a +1 Magic staff, which adds 1 too all my spell rolls featuring the word Implement and on a crit I deal max damage + 1d6. Im geussing thats perfect for me then?

ahh essentials, even easier.

But yes, have any question send me a message I am running a 4th ed game with 7-8 players, and 14-15 characters (yes some players are running 2-3 characters at a time) I can manage this kind of choas, so I think I can help with many D&D 4e questions, Although check out DDi http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Tools.aspx has lots of good tools and the online character builder. trust me after 3 games with essentials characters you can graduate fairly easily to real D&D characters.

((on a side note repackage your red box, place it in a spot of honor when you are ready for real d&d since the red box is cool))

[Jimmybob117]

Hehe thanks! 14 characters seems a real mouthfull, im only think of playing with 3 of my friends