timers, cooldowns, and not enough static

bracer2

So, i just cant seem to understand what is happening with the rules in this game. Ive heard that this runs on 4.0 rules. Yet when i look at my armor class its says a percentage of dmg prevented.....? What happened to the roll to hit or miss. And why is everything on a timer? As in my experience in all DnD games tabletop or otherwise activated abilities are few as static abilities rule. Whats with all the gizmos? The combat is the furthest thing from DnD ive ever seen. I mean thac0 (to hit armor class zero) is way better then this. How come such a large percentage of feats are so situational?.... If you fall below 50% health then this certain power does 5% more dmg for 10 seconds.... what... what does that even mean? This is just awful imo and takes the fun out of it for me. At least for myself i just cant keep playing by these bizarro rules. What happened to attacks of opportunity? ive played for days and have yet to receive and attack of opportunity. And what of saving throws is that standard gone as well? What rules am i playing by? Cant begin to visualize the character i want because none of the rules make any sense to me. Is there any chance that backbone DnD rules can be implemented or is it just a wash?

bracer2

Is there a thread or resource someplace were i can view the rules for the game? I have a 4.0 PH and DMG. However the backbone rules dont match. Would very much like to see how attacks of opportunity work, saving throws, AC along with several other little tidbits so that i might understand the rules. Is this even based on a d20 system? what is happening....

werealchemist

it's just based on the game to the point of ability names and terminology, not a direct transcription of the PnP game

bracer2

clearly,... any idea were i can find the actual rules for neverwinter?

werealchemist

bracer2 wrote: »

clearly,... any idea were i can find the actual rules for neverwinter?

what do you mean? neverwinter is a campaign setting, not the game its self.
however if you are referring to D&D 4.0 you can view the Players Hand Book (PHB) here

neolithe

First, you can use the enter key to make a new paragraph.
Second, AC isn't hit/miss. Someone in full plate isn't dodging anything. It doesn't penetrate the armor.
Third, this is a video game, the rules have to change to accommodate that.

bracer2

So because its a video game AC isnt hit or miss anymore? That rule has to change because its a video game? Since its a video game there are no more attacks of opportunity or saving throws either? Im confused. That makes no sense at all sir. Ive played many a video game that still implemented DnD rules. ....... Is there no confirmed set of backbone rules that run this game? No detailed description of what im playing and how the mechanics work.... ive been digging through my 4.0 PHB and DMG and cant find too many things that match what is happening in game. Is it really to much to ask for a set of rules mechanics for neverwinter? Surely such information is available someplace before i start dropping real money on a game i cant understand....

neolithe

Try the wiki and while it is possible to be strict to D&D rules, that has generally been done in a single-player/LAN setting? MMOs are quite different. Converting analog games to digital isn't a super smooth process, some mechanics that work for analog won't work for digital and vice versa.

a40oztofreedom

I think you need to stop approaching this with your pre-conceived notions of what DnD is and just approach it as a new game entirely. It will be much easier for you. It's the setting that gives the game it's name, not the gameplay.

bracer2

Your right..... It is a new game. obviously i dont like it though. For over 30 years DnD has used very deliberate rules focused on using the d20 system, tweaked, varied but always the same at the core. Changing that seems.. disrespectful almost... Why change something that has worked for so long. That isnt broken. Will the masses not play neverwinter if AC was hit or miss? ... Ive played too long for such extravagant rule changes. ... Thats a bummer man... bummer.

syberghost

bracer2 wrote: »

For over 30 years DnD has used very deliberate rules focused on using the d20 system, tweaked, varied but always the same at the core.

I've been playing it that entire time, and that's not what happened. For almost 40 years, it's been making incredibly drastic changes to the rules every few years, that are effectively completely different games. Sometimes for no better reason than just to have new books to sell, and once for no better reason than to get somebody's name off the cover so they could stop paying him.

At least Cryptic tells you the truth about what the numbers are, not throws up pretend d20 rolls that were nothing resembling a d20 under the hood like DDO.

labbb

You control the ' misses " . Move and they will miss .
As for combat advantage , you do extra damage from the sides and more from the back . Not the shield side though of a GF , it stops the bonus damage on that side . Once again moving helps here too .
Don't worry I had the same problem going from chainmail to basic D&D . I was WTF is a d20 ? I'm not rolling 2d6 anymore ? I need funky dice ? Who makes dice that are not six sided ? This game will fail , no one will by funky dice .

bracer2

Well, ive played 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd1/2. they all seem reasonably similar to me in that you have a traditional hit or miss. saving throws, etc. Was thrilled when thaco was ousted, though i would prefer that to what is in this game. I guess just too many gizmos and not enough static character growth for me. Too many situational things.. to many if this and when that as opposed to i have this all the time, i am this all the time. What is with all the timers? jeez.... I want to play. But i want to play DnD.. instead.

bracer2

Still play Chainmail to this day, dont find many folks who do Labb.. Only minis game i could ever get into.. Kool.

meteoric87

It's not anything close to a direct translation of the pen-and-paper ruleset, and isn't supposed to be. Pen and paper rules tend to be designed for simplicity, because people have to run them by hand, and there's a living DM to adjudicate things not explicitly covered in the rules. A computer can happily do reams of calculation in the background, but has no ability at all to make things up on the fly.

The rules are not the game, after all. You can run entire sessions of D&D without ever touching dice or a rulebook, if you want to. Neverwinter takes place in a completely different context from pen-and-paper, face-to-face, roleplaying-focused D&D, and so it uses completely different mechanics. It just shares some terminology to ease the transition.