4e and outdoor combat

"Allen Wessels" <awessels.DeleteThis@EXPUNGEpacbell.net> wrote in message
news:awessels-675F8B.10382805032008@newsclstr02.news.prodigy.com...
> "Malachias Invictus" <invictusebay.DeleteThis@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> "Alcore" <alcore.DeleteThis@uurth.com> wrote:

>> >A band of well placed archers 200 feet away has been a favorite way to
>> >scare the living dung out my players.
>>
>> Given that 40 squares *is* 200 feet, how is this a problem, exactly?
>
> It would be the difference of being placed at maximum range in 4e and
> midrange (IMO) in 3.5e. I dunno if there is a range penalty in 4e for
> being in the second range band.

Me neither. On the other hand, that band of well placed archers is still
possible. In fact, they are even more deadly, because (as you mention
below) spells have shorter ranges.

>> >Anyone who's ever run a castle assault or a ship-to-ship battle has
>> >had to adjudicate these things. 4e seems to be hardwired for indoor
>> >"small space" battles.
>>
>> Even 3.X seems that way to me.
>
> We run outdoor a lot and it works fine in 3.5.

I do so too. It rarely ends up being a long range battle, though.

> We have a good sized table though.

Me too. I have two full sets of Tact-Tiles, just in case.

> They've reduced the range of magic as well as the effect in 4e.

Yes, it certainly appears so.

--
^v^v^Malachias Invictus^v^v^

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishment the scroll,
I am the Master of my fate:
I am the Captain of my soul.

from _Invictus_, by William Ernest Henley
 >> Stay informed about: 4e and outdoor combat 

In article <eJydnVmNgezAclPanZ2dnUVZ_qGknZ2d RemoveThis @comcast.com>,
"Malachias Invictus" <invictusebay RemoveThis @yahoo.com> wrote:

> "Allen Wessels" <awessels RemoveThis @EXPUNGEpacbell.net> wrote in message
> news:awessels-675F8B.10382805032008@newsclstr02.news.prodigy.com...

> > We run outdoor a lot and it works fine in 3.5.
>
> I do so too. It rarely ends up being a long range battle, though.

We have a fair amount that happens at long range. We range strike to
divide forces and drive them to cover. We also try to lay down cover
and terrain modifying spells to further restrict movement.

Obviously it depends on the the makeup of the party. If your group is
strong at melee you want to close quickly. On the other hand, fighters
tend to be pretty fair archers, whereas mages not so much at the melee
role. Though in 4e they seem a lot more durable and my guess is you
could do some interesting things with a few martial skills.

My feeling is that in 4e, you'll have less opportunity for that outdoors
as you close because the scope of combat is smaller.

- Allen
 >> Stay informed about: 4e and outdoor combat 

In article <66GdnWPOKbQJv1LanZ2dnUVZ_jCdnZ2d.TakeThisOut@comcast.com>,
"Malachias Invictus" <invictusebay.TakeThisOut@yahoo.com> wrote:

> "Allen Wessels" <awessels.TakeThisOut@EXPUNGEpacbell.net> wrote in message
> news:awessels-90B178.12070905032008@newsclstr02.news.prodigy.com...

> > Our groups tend to be large (2 PCs per player), diverse and
> > uncoordinated. It does make life interesting.
>
> Our groups tend to be large (7-8 players), and are often diverse and
> uncoordinated as well. We have a few hardcore tacticians (I am one of
> them), but we also have3 our share of Keystone Cops.

Our main tanks are a Cavalier and a Dwarven Defender. You can imagine
the differences of opinion on tactics. Since the Cavalier is also minor
nobility, there are length discussions of retinue and followers coming
along. The two mages in the party cooperate, but are constantly
mentioning off-handedly that they have countermeasures in place.

When I look back on the party history, just about every failure counts
twice because the bad guy(s) came back to bite us in the butt.

There is a huge amount of drama in the game because just about everyone
has politcal goals or at the very least some organization they're
responsible to/for.

Right now that party is attempting to restore a ruler to her throne and
clearing essentially an Egyption pantheon's temples from centuries of
corruption by Set.

Many of the battles are takng place outdoors or in very large temples
that are larger than what seems to be the 4e arena. That's what makes
me question the fit of the 4e scale to outdoor encounters.

- Allen
 >> Stay informed about: 4e and outdoor combat