New uses for an old familiar

My halfling wizard/rogue has had her hummingbird (Mater) familiar for years now. I often tend to forget about the little buzzer during game play, but I recently realized a new use for the bird. A cleric in our party can cast Silence on Mater, and then the wizard can send the hummingbird to fly around the heads of our spellcasting enemies. Not only does this silence those casters, but the silence effect travels with them via Mater. The enemy spellcasters are often confounded by the source of the silence, especially if they can determine the silence is not applied directly to themselves.

Never roll for Hit Points again

The fourth edition of Dungeons and Dragons is out with lots of rule changes to digest. The first shocker to me was that we no longer roll new hit points upon gaining a level. In fact, you never roll hit points. You gain a fixed amount of new hit points every level.

Initially I was perturbed by this. Rolling hit points always seemed like a rite of passage as I gained a level. Now, this long-held rolling has been eliminated without even a mention of the past in the books.

However, after allowing time for the revised rule to set in, I am starting to feel that it is not such a big deal. I actually see a few benefits of the new approach.

1. One benefit is that it is one less thing I need to do when I gain a level.
2. Another benefit is that it is one less thing I need to keep track of. Many of us, that are experienced at losing levels, keep a record of how many hit points earned as we gained each level. We no longer need to do that in fourth edition.
3. A third benefit is that there are no concerns that your fellow players may be fudging their hit point rolls.
4. The fourth benefit is that we have more hit points in fourth edition than we would in earlier editions because we add our constitution score, not our constitution bonus, to our initial starting hit points.

So I will accept this rule change for what it is. Maybe my group will even adopt that approach for our 3rd edition campaigns.

I haven't found a Wizards of the Coast official outline of the revisions, but I did find this blogger's post with a lot more of the changes: http://www.deanesmay.com/2008/06/16/dungeons-dragons-4th-edition/.

A Hummingbird Familiar

I wanted a hummingbird familiar for my halfling. After researching hummingbirds and the other tiny animals in the monster manual, I came up with these stats:

Hummingbird Familiar: CR —; Fine magical beast; HD 1; hp 1/2 master’s; Init +4; Spd 5 ft., fly 30 ft. (near perfect); AC 23, touch 23, flat-footed 23; Base Atk +0; Grp –22; Atk --, Full Atk --; Space/Reach 1/2ft./0 ft.; SA —; SQ improved evasion, granted abilities; AL any; SV Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +1; Str 1, Dex 20, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 6.

Skills and Feats: Hide +22, Listen +8, Spot +6, Alertness, Uncanny Dodge
Master gains a +4 bonus on initiative checks


Table 2–1: Maneuverability
Hummingbird (near perfect)
Minimum forward speed None
Hover Yes
Move backward Yes
Reverse Free
Turn Any
Turn in place Any
Maximum turn Any
Up angle Any
Up speed Half
Down angle Any
Down speed Double
Between down and up 0

Dragon #323 recommended using the stats for a Thrush to apply to a hummingbird, but those stats do not appear accurate for the nature of a hummingbird. I have created the above stats based on my personal knowledge of the birds. The most noticeable differences between hummingbirds and other birds are their movement ability and the noise they make. Hummingbirds can hover, turn in place, fly backwards and even upside down. Unlike most other birds, hummingbirds are not silent when you are within a few feet of them because the buzzing caused by the wings is very similar to the hum of a bee (hence, their name). They have high metabolisms and huge appetites for their small size, requiring about 75 times more calories per day than a human with a similar body weight would. Sizes range from 2 to 8 inches, and weight from .05 ounces to .8 ounces.

Grapple in Depth - all about grappling

I have summarized a lot of research on the details of Grapple in D&D 3.5.
Grapple Examples:
Q1. How many grapple attempts can a character make in a round?
A1. The number of Grapple Attempts is based on your Base Attack Bonus (BAB). BAB less than +6 allows 1 grapple attempt. BAB +6 to +11 allows 2 grapple attempts, etc. (Source: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20050322a ) Note, PH p156 states that you can attempt to start a grapple multiple times if you have “multiple attacks”. The text should have clarified that this meant “multiple attacks” based on a higher BAB, not multiple attacks due to Flurry of Blows, or because your character has Claw, Claw, Bite.
Examples:
Human Monk, 1st level (BAB +0), using Flurry of blows is only allowed only 1 grapple attempt. If the first strike hits he can attempt a grapple. If grapple fails, he can still attempt a second strike, but cannot attempt a Grapple if the strike succeeds.
· Human Monk, 8th Level (BAB +6), using Flurry of blows is allowed 2 grapple attempts. The monk can attempt to grapple twice due to his higher BAB (not because Flurry of blows allows 3 strikes). His first grapple attempt will use his +6BAB, but his second grapple attempt will use his +1BAB.
· A tiger (or weretiger) is only allowed 1 grapple attempt. It can choose to make the grapple attempt when it hits with either a claw, or a bite.

Q2. If I have multiple attacks, and I attempt to grapple and fail on my first attack, can I still make my secondary attacks?
A2. Yes, but you might not be able to attempt to grapple on a hit from an additional attack unless your BAB allows it.

Q3. If I have multiple attacks, and I begin a grapple after hitting with my first attack, can I still make my successive attacks?
A3. Usually no. An exception is allowed when the attacker is at least 3 size categories larger and has multiple ways of attacking.
Examples:
· Human Monk, 8th Level (BAB +6), using Flurry of blows is allowed 2 grapple attempts and 3 flurries. If the monk hits his opponent on the first flurry, and the monk successfully begins a grapple, the monk cannot perform the remaining flurry of blows strikes.
· My group has ruled that a tiger (or weretiger), could initiate a grapple with a bite and then follow with its rake attacks all in one round.

Q4. If I am fighting with two weapons, or a two-handed weapon, can I make a grapple attempt?
A4. No. To make a grapple attempt you must have one hand free and you must use it to grab your opponent by making a successful melee touch attack. (Source: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20050301a )

Q5. How does a grapple start?
A5. Three things must occur before the two combatants are in a grapple.
1. The attacker must avoid the opponents AoO.
a. The attacker decides to attempt a grapple following a successful melee strike. In most cases, the defender would get an Attack of Opportunity to prevent the grapple. If the AoO succeeds and deals damage, then the grapple attempt fails. (Note, an AoO could fail to deal damage for a number of reasons, such as the attacker has a form of damage reduction.) (Source: PH156)
b. An attacker with the Improved Grapple feat does not provoke an AoO. (PH 95)
c. An attacker with Improved Grab does not provoke an AoO. (MM 310) To use Improved Grab, the attacker must be at least one size category larger than its opponent.
2. The attacker must make a successful melee touch attack. (PH156)
a. The attacker must make a successful melee touch attack, else the grapple fails.  In most cases, the attacker declares they are making a grapple check instead of a melee attack.  For example, a fighter with a long sword can say, "I will not attempt to hit my opponent with my long sword, instead I will make a grapple attempt."
b. An attacker with Improved Grab does not need to attempt this melee touch attack. It automatically succeeds. (MM310)
c. Some attackers, specifically some creatures with claws, may strike an opponent doing damage and then begin the grapple as part of that strike without any other checks required.
3. The attacker must make a successful grapple attack.
a. Roll opposed grapple checks. The grapple check is your BAB (which varies per grapple attempt per round) + strength modifier + special size modifier.
i. A combatant with the Improved Grapple feat gets a +4 modifier to all grapple checks (PH 95).

Q6. What happens once we know the grapple succeeds?
A6. Two more things happen before the attackers turn ends.
1. The attacker moves into the opponent’s space.
a. An attacker with improved grab pulls the opponent into his space rather than moving into the opponent’s space.
2. The attacker gets to “deal damage”. Because the attacker succeeded with the above grapple check, the attacker may proceed to roll the damage; another attack is not required. This damage is based on the rules of “Damage your opponent”, and may not be the same as “Attack your opponent”.
Examples:
· Human Monk, 1st level (BAB +0), using Flurry of blows hits twice and successfully attempts to grapple with his second attack. The monk damages his opponent for 2d6 (+ strength bonus) as normal for two strikes, plus he does an additional d6 (+ strength bonus) starting the grapple.
· Human Fighter, 1st Level (BAB +1), declares he is going to grapple instead of attack.  He attempts to hit his opponents Touch AC and hits once and successfully attempts to grapple. The fighter does no damage from his long sword, but he does a d3 (+ strength bonus) of non-lethal damage starting the grapple.
· A tiger (or weretiger) hits with one claw, then with a bite and successfully starts a grapple. The tiger rolls damage for the claw and bite, but does not roll additional damage for establishing the grapple using the bite. Any creature using improved grab, such as the tiger, does not deal damage while establishing the grapple. Monsters with constrict attacks however, can deal damage. (MM310 and http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20050322a ).


Q7. What options does the character now caught in the grapple have?
A7. Once a grapple has started, the grapple is no longer something that one attacker has done to the other. Each combatant in the grapple now has all the same options open to it. Thus, the opponent now caught in a grapple can perform any of the grapple actions on his turn. He can attempt to “Deal damage”, “attack his attacker”, “Pin his attacker”, “break the grapple”, or take other actions.

Q8. How do I decide whether to “Deal Damage” or “attack”?
A8. The option that works best depends on several factors.
1. For an “attack” you will make a “to hit” roll at a -4 penalty. To “deal damage”, you will make an opposed grapple check.
2. The number of actions is based on your base attack bonus. A character with a BAB of (+6/+1) could attempt to “attack” using BAB of +6, then attempt to deal damage using a BAB of +1 on your opposed grapple check. The number of attacks you would normally get in a full attack action may not apply. If you have a BAB of +11, you could attempt to damage your opponent, then attempt to pin your opponent, then attempt to break the grapple. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20050322a)
Examples:
· Human Monk, 1st level (BAB +0) in a grapple can “deal damage”, which would be the same as an unarmed strike, or he can attempt to “Attack”, but the attack would be at -4 on his to hit roll. Therefore a monk may be more effective attempting to “Deal damage”. The monk would not be able to use Flurry of blows, but he may be able to use Stunning Fist with an attack.
· Human Fighter, 1st Level (BAB +1), using a short sword in a grapple could attempt to “deal damage” of d3 (non-lethal), or could attempt to hit with his short sword for d6, but with a -4 penalty to his to hit roll.
· Human Fighter, 6th (BAB +6), using a dagger and a short sword in a grapple could attempt to “deal damage” of d3 (non-lethal), or could attempt to hit with his short sword two times, but with a -4 penalty to his to hit roll. His BAB would be +6 on the first attack and +1 on the second attack. He would not be able to attack with the dagger. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20050308a )
· A tiger (or weretiger) that established the grapple with a bite, could attempt to “deal damage” (by winning an opposed grapple check), in which case the damage would be the amount of damage from a bite, or the tiger could attempt to “attack” his opponent with any single attack (a tiger’s BAB is +4). However, a tiger also has the rake ability. This allows the tiger to perform two additional claw attacks along with whichever other action he elected to take. Rakes do not incur a -4 to hit penalty.

Q9. Can I do more than one action in a grapple?
A9. Yes, if you have a high enough BAB. Your BAB determines the numbers of actions you can perform. Thus, a Fighter with a BAB of +6/+1 could attempt to pin an opponent, and if successful, also attempt to do damage on his turn. If his attempt to pin fails, he could attempt to pin again with his second action. Remember, the second action uses the secondary attack bonus (+1 in this example), not +6.

Use both hands

D&D 3.5 rules:
The longsword is one of the most commonly selected weapons. If you use both hands to wield it, you can apply 1 and 1/2 times your strength bonus to damage. But two-handed use of a one-handed weapon has even more advantages if your character has the Power Attack feat. Power Attack allows you to add twice the amount you subtract from your die roll to your damage roll. Thus, a character with a strength of 18 (+4) and a Base Attack Bonus of (+5) and with the Power Attack feat could do either of the following:

a) wield the weapon in one-hand and hit for d8+4 damage, or

b) wield the weapon in two-hands, use the maximum Power Attack (+5) and hit for d8 +16 points of damage.

Breaking this down, the use of two hands increases your damage from Strength bonus of +4 to 1.5 * your Strength bonus (+6). By using Power Attack and subtracting 5 from your attack roll you can add 5 to damage; but when using the longsword with two hands you double the power attack damage bonus (+10).

Rapid Fire for Halflings

Don't overlook thrown weapons as a combat technique of choice for halflings. Halflings get a +1 bonus on throwing weapons, and once you reach the +6/+1 base attack bonus, you can throw two items per round. You can throw the alchemical items, and best of all, when doing so, you are attempting to hit the target's touch AC. For my halfling, this means a hit almost every time!

Reduce the DM's workload - let someone else track initiative

The dungeon master is often the busiest person at the table. You can help the DM by handling some of his tasks. At our sessions, we let one of the players keep track of initiative. We have a spreadsheet with every character's name and we type in the initiative for each, then sort. Our spreadsheet contains an additional column with each character's dexterity as the secondary sort.
Obviously we don't need the spreadsheet to tell us the sequence, but it is easier to manage than scribbling the numbers on a piece a paper. We also write the initiative order on a white board for everyone to refer to. This helps the players waiting their turn to know when they are coming up; and hopefully be prepared.
Of course we don't always know when the bad guys will take their turn, at least not in the first round. But once we do know, we list then on the white board as well.

Have someone take notes

A few years ago we began taking notes during our gaming sessions. This has proved to be very valuable since we only meet every 2 weeks for a 5 hour session. We note every spell cast and other miscellaneous activities between battles, but once we get into a battle we track each characters action each round. This allows us to review the activities of previous weeks to determine what spells we have left, what state we are currently in ("Hey, I forgot that I am invisible right now!"), hit points remaining, etc.
We found it fairly easy to have one person take notes on their laptop during the night, then e-mail that document to all the others.