Dungeons And Dragons Online: DDO News: Alpha Journal #2 - Combat

This week we have two journal entries focusing on combat. One features the continued adventures of Greyven, and the other introduces us to a new character, Neah. These journals were written by two separate people. Following the pattern of last week, the italicized text indicates comments that we have added to help explain something about the game.

Greyven's Journal

"Movement along the western tree-line," warned Greyven. "How many?" Mithras asked, seeing nothing but trusting the elf's keen senses. "Let's find out," Greyven's arrow flew, striking something with a wet thud, followed by a crashing in the bushes. The rogue began counting, "One...".

As an elf Greyven gets a +2 racial bonus on his Listen, Search, and Spot skills. It is also possible to shoot an arrow in a general direction, rather than at a fixed target.

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The lids of the sarcophagi lining the tomb exploded in a burst of stone and decay. Some of the remains that pitched forth rose up in the form of skeletal guardians. Greyven took aim and fired at one, but the arrow glanced harmlessly off a rib-bone. With a speed that belied its undead form, a skeleton pitched forward towards the rogue, clawing wildly. But Greyven was already gone, tumbling sideways outside the monster's reach. Mithras stepped between them, willing his faith into a blinding light that leapt out from him like a living thing. The skeleton was caught in the cascade of divine power; instantly crumbling into dust. The cleric spun in time to block the remaining skeleton's lunge with his shield. He readied his warhammer, not surprised to see that across the room Greyven had produced a scroll of some sort that he was studying intensely. He knew the elf was no Wizard, but he had enough arcane tricks to sometimes be able to use wizardly things like magic scrolls.

Monsters have the resistances and damage reduction described in the Monster Manual. Arrows and slashing weapons are not as effective against skeletons as a blunt weapon would be. Likewise, using a sword against an ooze is counterproductive. You might soon find yourself surrounded by twice the number of oozes that you started off with. Greyven and his party also demonstrate use of the Tumble skill, blocking, and the cleric's turn undead ability - all essential parts of combat in DDO.

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"Drop them quickly!" Greyven shouted. The last wave of hobgoblins and bugbears had sorely pressed the outpost's defenders and now another mass of the fetid creatures charged at them. Kolvaeth's mind turned inward, empowering his spell to do more damage than normal, but taxing his magical reserves in return. Gouts of flame spewed from his fingertips, limning the closest hobgoblins in a wreath of fire. Belmont roared and met the advance. He spun his greataxe in a wide arc, the powerful attack cleaving through one kobold and striking a bugbear square on the leg. Greyven caught a blur of motion to his right, then the air was suddenly forced from his lungs by a shattering impact that drove him to the ground. The worg atop him continued the assault, slavering jaws finding soft flesh, until pain gave way to darkness.

Kolvaeth is using the Empower Spell feat to make his Burning Hands spell more powerful while Belmont is using his Power Attack feat to add extra damage to the already powerful Cleave feat. Meanwhile, poor Greyven has had a worg use its knockdown ability against him.

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Neah's Journal

Neah stopped her slide down the rope then dropped the last two feet to the moss and filth covered stone floor below. She landed in a crouch, drew her long sword and scanned the fetid tunnel for any immediate threats.

The precious little light filtering down from the hatch above and from various grills and gutters revealed a dead-end alcove to the south and a short corridor to the north that turned to the left about twenty feet into the gloom ahead.

The click of claws against wet stone interrupted her survey.

A small, hunched figure dressed in ragged bits of leather 'armor', bearing a dented helmet that looked like it could trace its ancestry to a cast-off cooking pot and clutching a gnarled but definitely serviceable staff in its paws rounded the corner then stood for a heartbeat gaping at her.

A kobold sentry.

Monsters patrol their territory. They can also hide and spot hiding characters, the same way that players can, if their skills are high enough.

By reflex, Neah straightened into an 'on-guard' with her long sword swinging up to the ready. The kobold immediately turned on its heels and fled back the way it had come uttering shrill yelps of, "Yark, yark!" There followed the unmistakable sound of someone beating a hammer against a large sheet of metal.

Neah hissed her annoyance. "Alarm! Oh, fine! Now the whole warren knows I'm here." She slid the shield she'd cinched against her upper arm down to her forearm and grasped the leather thongs tight. Nothing for it now but to enter the fray as fast as possible before resistance could organize.

Carrying a shield will increase your blocking ability for an amount dependent on your base attack bonus, your feats, and the properties of your shield.

She charged off into the darkness after the fleeing sentry, rounded the corner ... and almost collided with the same little creature as it came charging back in her direction, apparently with the same thought as she: attack before any more invaders could arrive as reinforcements.

Monsters can request help from nearby allies. They are also attracted by noise.

The kobold's wild swing missed Neah by a good foot to her right while her counterthrust missed the kobold's belly by an equal amount to the left. The kobold sprang back with surprising agility then began to sidle to one side, apparently trying to flank Neah and her formidable shield/sword combination. For her part, Neah crouched behind her shield, turning along with the kobold so as to always present her defense toward him, forcing him to make the first move.

Avoid being flanked. A monster attacking you from behind will get a bonus to its attack.

Suddenly the kobold again swung its staff, which connected, harmlessly, with a dull 'thud' against Neah's shield. But even as the momentum of the little rat-lizard's blow twisted his body down and to his right, Neah lashed out with her sword.

The razor sharp edge of her blade bit deep into the kobold's exposed neck. It managed one strangled little grunt before collapsing in an untidy heap at her feet. One down ... how many to go?

The answer came in the form of a crude pottery jar that whizzed out of the darkness to shatter against one of the stone arches above her head, showering her with burning oil. Now it was she who grunted in pain.

Again she turned to face the threat and again hunkered down behind the protection of her shield. In the gloom of the tunnel ahead, she could just make out another of the little creatures, peering at her out of a small side alcove as it readied another of the makeshift firebombs.

"Too far. I'll never close the distance before I'm roasted to a turn." Neah quickly ducked back around the corner, out of the kobold line of sight and then just as quickly swapped out her sword and shield for her trusty longbow. "All right. If it's a duel of marksmanship you want, it's a duel you'll have."

Line of sight is a fundamental aspect of battle. If you can't see the monster, you won't be able to hit the monster. They same holds true for a monster attacking you.

Neah readied an arrow then hugged the bow against her chest. She took a deep breath then crouched/rolled back into the main passageway. She fetched up hard against the filth-encrusted stones of the far wall and in one continuous motion she knocked and loosed, trusting to instinct to guide her shot.

Her instinct was good, but not good enough. The steel head of her arrow struck sparks off the stones of the alcove not six inches from the startled-wide eyes of the kobold bomber.

Neah had more than enough combat experience to know there was no time to nock and loose a second round. Instead, she repeated her tumble/roll, this time back to her starting spot out of the kobold's line of fire. As a result, its counter shot burst harmlessly in the spot she'd just left.

Here is another example of the usefulness of the Tumble skill in action. If you raise your skill high enough you will be able to avoid many attacks.

Crouching again in safety, Neah drew another arrow. "Thirty-two arrows left. Gods curse my foolishness for not buying more before I entered this pit!"

It was going to be a long fight.