4e magic item economy
Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:18 pm
Heh, on another message board, 4e is being thoroughly dissected and found to be a bland sort of creature. There's complaining about the economy and how it encourages players to go around beating up Magic Item Merchants
(Well, it's like this: Someone pointed out that you only get 20% of an item's cost. But merchants charge full price and then another 20-40%. So you get 200 gp for an item that costs a thousand, and you'd be paying 1,200-1,400 for it if you bought it at a shop.
And creating items is sub-par, so the logic goes that the major option for magic item acquisition is looting them from fights. And you could rack up some good loot by by visiting Ye Magyk Itemme Shoppe, owned by the merchant in good standing Jooba Bigbelly, Esq., picking a fight with him, beating him up, and carrying off the contents of his store in a santa sack.)
But there's some weird stuff going on. Like how someone demonstrated that once you infer the rules, it's easy to create classes (he said something to effect that you just look at what damage and effect options other classes have at equivalent level, and steal them).
Here's his take on the 4e Psion.
(Well, it's like this: Someone pointed out that you only get 20% of an item's cost. But merchants charge full price and then another 20-40%. So you get 200 gp for an item that costs a thousand, and you'd be paying 1,200-1,400 for it if you bought it at a shop.
And creating items is sub-par, so the logic goes that the major option for magic item acquisition is looting them from fights. And you could rack up some good loot by by visiting Ye Magyk Itemme Shoppe, owned by the merchant in good standing Jooba Bigbelly, Esq., picking a fight with him, beating him up, and carrying off the contents of his store in a santa sack.)
But there's some weird stuff going on. Like how someone demonstrated that once you infer the rules, it's easy to create classes (he said something to effect that you just look at what damage and effect options other classes have at equivalent level, and steal them).
Here's his take on the 4e Psion.
Making a new class is actually very little work. Let's say you wanted to make something that "controls" things and was a Psion. Now, to make a full class you'd theoretically want at least two shticks for the class, and 4 Encounter powers and 3 Daily powers at each level so that nominally two random characters of exactly the same type wouldn't be exactly the same type. In reality however, the class you happen to be playing is actually going to be a stand alone character, so you only really need one solitary ability choice at each level and two At-Wills to select between (note: you won't be playing a Human, so who gives a [edited] about the 3rd at-will?).
Psionicist
“Feel the wrath of my mighty mind!”
Class Traits
Role: Controller
Power Source: Psionic
Key Abilities: Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution
Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, Leather
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, simple ranged
Implements: Orbs, Rods
Bonus to Defense: +1 Will, +1 Fortitude
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution
Hit Points per Level Gained: 4
Healing Surges per Day: 6 + Constitution Modifier
Trained Skills: Insight and from the class list below, choose 3:
Class Skills: Arcana, Bluff, Dungeoneering, Endurance, Insight, Perception, Streetwise.
Class Features: Soul Knife, Stalk the Senseless, Mind Over Matter.
Soul Knife
You may treat a light blade as an implement.
Stalk the Senseless
You have invisibility to stunned and dazed creatures.
Mind Over Matter
You may push your brain to the limits of what your body is capable of handling. Once per encounter you may add your Constitution modifier to the damage you inflict against an opponent.
Mind Over Matter
“Drawing upon the last reserves of the body, the mind pushes itself to things it thought impossible.”
Encounter ✦ Psionic, Psychic
Free Action
Effect: Use when you have hit a target with a Psionic power, inflict your Constitution modifier in additional psychic damage to one target.
Level 1 At-Will Disciplines
Ego Whip
“A brutal and invisible mental lash strikes out at the target's very mind.”
At-Will ✦ Psionic, Implement, Psychic
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One Creature
Attack: Wisdom vs. Will
Hit: 1d6 + Wisdom modifier psychic damage. Target is dazed until the end of your next turn.
Increase Damage to 2d6 + Wisdom modifier at 21st level.
Telekinetic Grasp
“The psychic powers of the psionicist manifest as pure force constricting and strangling the target.”
At-Will ✦ Psionic, Implement, Force
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One Creature
Attack: Wisdom vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d6 + Wisdom modifier force damage. Target is immobilized until the end of your next turn.
Increase Damage to 2d6 + Wisdom modifier at 21st level.
Level 1 Encounter Disciplines
Thought Steal
“You take a portion of the target's mind, learning their strategies.”
Encounter ✦ Psionic, Implement, Psychic
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Wisdom vs. Will
Hit: 2d6 + Wisdom modifier psychic damage. All allies have combat advantage against the target until the end of the encounter.
Level 1 Daily Disciplines
Force of Will
“The target is hurled by psychic force across the ground, coming to a stop smashed and battered.”
Daily ✦ Psionic, Implement, Reliable, Force
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Wisdom vs. Reflex
Hit: 2d8 + Wisdom modifier force damage. You may push target up to your Constitution modifier in squares (minimum 1). Target is dazed until the end of your next turn.
Level 2 Utility Disciplines
Probability Travel
“Concentrating slightly, you adjust your location without passing through intervening space.”
At-Will ✦ Psionic, Teleportation
Move Action
Effect: Teleport 2 squares.
Level 3 Encounter Disciplines
Id Insinuation
“Wicked and treacherous thoughts are pushed into the target's mind.”
Encounter ✦ Psionic, Implement, Charm, Psychic
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature.
Attack: Wisdom vs. Will
Hit: 1d8 + Wisdom modifier psychic damage. Target becomes dazed until the end of your next turn. Target immediately makes a single basic attack against a target of your choice.
Level 5 Daily Disciplines
Telefrag
“You teleport directly into an enemy, displacing them destructively.”
Daily ✦ Psionic, Weapon or Implement, Reliable, Teleportation
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Constitution vs. Reflex
Hit: Target is pushed your Wisdom modifier in squares (minimum 1), and suffers 3d10 + Constitution modifier damage. Target is dazed (Save ends). You teleport to the square the target was originally in.
Level 6 Utility Disciplines
Tower of Iron Will
“A wave of psychic energy overwhelms all sense and reason.”
Encounter ✦ Psionic, Implement, Psychic
Immediate Interrupt
Trigger: An attack hits your Will defense.
Effect: The attack has no effect on you or any other target.
Level 7 Encounter Disciplines
Psionic Blast
“A wave of psychic energy overwhelms all sense and reason.”
Encounter ✦ Psionic, Implement, Psychic
Standard Action Close blast 5
Target: All creatures in area.
Attack: Wisdom vs. Will
Hit: 2d8 + Wisdom modifier psychic damage. Target is dazed until end of your next turn.
Miss: Half damage and target is not dazed.
Level 9 Daily Disciplines
Probability Manipulation
“Things just work out. The psionicist blurs and then is somewhere else, out of harm's way.”
Daily ✦ Psionic, Teleportation
Immediate Reaction
Trigger: An opponent hits you with an attack
Target: One creature.
Attack: Constitution vs. Will
Hit: Target is dazed until the end of your next turn.
Effect: The attack misses and has no effect on you. Until the end of your next turn, you gain a bonus equal to your Wisdom modifier against the target who attacked you. Until the end of your next turn, you gain a bonus to all defenses equal to your Dexterity modifier. You may immediately teleport a number of squares equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum 1).
Level 10 Utility Disciplines
Mental Barrier
“A wall of force appears as hard as stone.”
Daily ✦ Psionic, Conjuration, Force
Standard Action Wall 6 within 10.
Effect: You create a wall of mental force that is up to 6 squares long and 4 squares high. This wall is as tough as stone.
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And so on. I mean, at this point you have to choose your prospective Paragon Path, but since you're making it for just one character you don't really have to make more than one.