[Mechanics] (for fun) Zaltarn in 4E

[hvg3akaek]

So Jkaen says he can't make Zaltarn via 4th edition rules. I would like to see why that is

In this thread, I will attempt to create a Zaltarn-like PC for the 4E rules!

Feel free to comment, but please keep discussion on topic

• Abilities (and HP and defences)
• Skills
• Feats
• Powers

[hvg3akaek]

OK, first the basics. We will keep him at level 7, and try to match everything else up about him.

Abilities:
Z3 has: Str 10, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 12.

Using 4E, with a stat calculator, we arrive at the following for Z4:
Str 10, Con 14, Dex 18, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 14.
Better stats, as 4E doesn't give negatives to races.
+2 Int and Cha from gnome, and +1 Dex and Cha from level 4.

Giving him leather armour (+2 AC) means Z4'sdefences are: 19, 15, 19, 15; comparable to Z3's 19AC, and saves of +4 / +8 / +1.

Z4's initiative is +7, higher than Z3's because you add 1/2 your level in 4E.

And, going Rogue, Z4 has 56 HP - equal to Z3's

[hvg3akaek]

The second big thing would be skills

Z3 has a lot of skills, but hardly any are maxed out.

We have (in order of ranks):
Use Magic Device (10)
Hide (9) (this has some serious bonuses from armour and size)
Disable Device, Search (8)
Diplomacy (7)
Balance, Bluff, Climb, Decipher Script, Gather Information, Jump, Move Silently, Open Lock, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Tumble (5)
Listen (3)

The highest one (UMD) simply doesn't apply in 4E as a skill. Of course, magical items are also very different! If he wishes to use a wand or the like, probably the best choice is to multiclass into wizard.

Hide is now Stealth - auto for rogues. Skill focus can be taken to improve the score.
Disable Device is now Thievery - also auto for rogues.
Search is Perception, so let's choose that as one of our four skills.
Diplomacy is cross classed, but you can choose a feat to get skill training.
Balance is now part of Acrobatics, so we take that as skill number two.
Climb and Jump are part of Athletics, so we take that as skill number three.
Bluff is its own skill, so that could be number four.
Decipher Script doesn't seem to have an equivalent...
Gather Information would be in Streetwise, so that could be skill number four (or taken as a feat). I would let it slide, though...how many times has Zaltarn used either of the above two skills?
Move Silently is part of stealth.
Open Lock and Sleight of Hand are part of thievery.
Spot and Listen are now Perception, already taken!
Tumble is now an ability (for the tumbling past opponents part), so we will take that later. And the taking less damage from a fall part is in Acrobatics - already taken!



Anyway,so we have a set of skills:
Acrobatics (+12)
Athletics (+8)
Bluff (+10)
Perception (+8)
Stealth (+14)
Thievery (+12)
I left Streetwise out because Zaltarn hasn't really used the skill that much.


What's missing?
huge Hide bonus => take "skill focus" feat
Diplomacy => take "skill training" feat
Decipher Script => rarely used?
Gather Information => rarely used? could be swapped for Acrobatics (since the high dex already helps out that a bit)

In total, I think the system gets a good feel for Zaltarn, despite not covering every aspect. On the positive side, it is so very much easier to use and organise!!
Tumble (part of) => take Tumble utility power later

[hvg3akaek]

Feats.


Zaltarn has:
Weapon Finesse,
Weapon Focus (rapier)
Dodge


In 4E, he would get 4 feats (and another at 8th level).
I have already mentioned a few possibilities above:

• Wizard Multiclassing (to use wands, and get a Wizard 1st level at will as an encounter power - I would choose "magic missile" to fit his current attacks )
• training in diplomacy skill, depending on how important you felt this was (raise the dpilomacyt score from +5 to +10)
• skill focus in stealth, raising it from +14 to +17

Weapon finesse no longer applies, as most rogue attacks function off of dex already.

Weapon focus is a little different. Yes, rapiers now are back to being like they were in 3.0 ed, that is, its a one-size-for-all thing. You could choose to be proficient in it (as it is a superior weapon now), but the better option is to stick with daggers, and use the proficiency feat elsewhere. Rogues get an additional +1 to attack with daggers, so with weapon focus (dagger), that will be a total attack bonus of:
+3 (level) +4 (dex) +3 (weapon proficiency bonus) +1 (rogue) +1 (focus) = +12!
Sure, its only d4 damage, but that doesn't matter as much any more, since you will usually be doing your +2d6 sneak along with it!

Dodge - not sure what feat would be the equivalent of this. It would depend on why you were taking it (and where you were planing to go with skill trees). "Lost in the Crowd" (although being a halfling feat - I am sure most nice DMs would allow it until gnomes came out properly) could be good, +2 AC when adjacent to two enemies larger than you. "Defensive Mobility" could also work, granting you +2 AC vs OAs (4E's version of AOOs). Not sure if it stacks with Artful Dodger, or if it did, it would be worthwhile...

There are plenty of other interesting feats, too (like backstabber - change your 2d6 sneak to 2d8; or blade opportunist, which gives you +2 to your OAs with heavy or light blades), or the feats mentioned above.

My choices probably would go to:

• Wizard Multiclass, and get the Magic Missile power
• Skill Focus (Stealth), just to get it up to the crazy heights again
• Weapon Focus (Dagger)
• Backstabber

All round, nothing really lost, and I think the feel of Zaltarn kept!

[hvg3akaek]

Powers

I will list these without much talk, and give 'vague' descriptions of them. Lots of these won't match 3e, they are simply alternate things Z4 can do that Z3 couldn't. I might come back and explain some of my reasoning later, but for now, it's late


Going with "Artful Dodger" (Cha bonus to AC vs OAs)

At Will Deft Strike - this allows you to move before you attack (in addition to any movement you make normally). Sly Flourish - You add your Charisma and Dexterity to damage.

Encounter (gnome) Fade Away - go invisible for a round after being attacked. (wizard) Magic Missile Positioning Strike - attack, and move the target. Trickster's Blade - attack, and add your Charisma modifier to your AC for a turn. Sand in the Eyes - attack, and target blinded for a turn.

Daily Easy Target - attack, and cause the target to allow you to sneak attack it for a while longer (even when not flanked) Walking Wounded - attack, and cause the target to fall prone if it moves too fast

Utility Tumble (encounter) - move past opponents without provoking attacks (automatic) Nimble Climb (at will) - allows you to move at your full speed whilst climbing.

[Jkaen]

Ah, ok the main problem I saw you have overcome by multiclassing, however bear in mind the reason the only wand I tend to use is MM is because I have almost drained the cure wounds one, can the wizard use this wand or is that going to require yet another multiclass to cleric or equivilent?

At higher levels UMD was going to come even more into its own as he grew a wand wardrobe.

[hvg3akaek]

hehe

Well, the thing to remember is that wands are totally different in 4e. Firstly, they are more of an implement, helping your spells as a magical sword helps you attack. Secondly, there are only a few that contain spells - and then, they contain the encounter spells, usable once a day. And thirdly, they are purely for arcane magic.

example The Wand of Ray of Enfeeblement comes in six levels (3, 8, 13, 18, 23, 28), priced accordingly (from 680gp @ 3rd level, to 2,125,000gp @ 28th level). Its main property is to give +1 to +6 to the attack rolls and the damage rolls of any powers that contain the "implement" description. That is, wizard spells. It also will deal +1d6 per plus* on a critical hit. Which happens one time in 20, as there are no confirmation rolls needed. Then, once per day, you can cast the "Ray of Enfeeblement" power. That is, the 'charged wand' thing has totally gone. * so a level 13 wand would give +3 to hit and damage, and deal +3d6 on a critical

Also, you can only multiclass once (but the Bard - which comes out in PHB2 - is said to be able to multiclass more often. I have not seen this yet). Everyone heals much more quickly, however, and you can heal yourself 25% of your HP once every battle. Both this and the lack of charged wands was due to the whole "wand of cure light wounds" thing being rather broken / against what they wanted the mechanics to be like.

Although you can only multiclass once, you can go more in-depth with it. There are three further feats that allow you to swap a power of your class for one of another class, which would allow you to gain more spells. And, your paragon path could be a rogue one, a wizard one, or even further multiclassing. You can even take a feat that allows you to cast rituals.


But yes, if your core idea for Zaltarn was to have him wearing a cloak-of-wands, that is not part of 4E. The crazily large number of spells has been cut back, and thus the number of wands has too - before we even move onto the whole change in dynamic of how the wand works.

(But, I still feel there is a lot more to Zaltarn than what wand he waves about And, that is another effort of 4E - to make characters a power on their own, without simply being the thing on which the items rest )