There is a section on starting hit points. While the final play testing and brain storming on this is not yet over, there are several options for how to handle 1^st level hit points. One option also includes adding hit points by your race. Frail races (elves) get 4 additional HP, humans get 6 while tough races (half-orcs) get 8.

Hit dice have changed for Bards (d8), sorcerer/wizards (d6).

Fighters now get a bonus when using armor due to their extensive training. This starts out at +1 at 3^rd level and increases to +4 at level 15. At 19^th level, fighters gain armor mastery giving them DR 5/-. Fighters choose weapons by groups (axes, heavy blades, etc…). For each group selected the fighter gets +1 to hit and damage. At 20^th level the fighter gets weapon mastery – choose 1 weapon, all critical threats are automatically confirmed. Based on the verbiage, it looks like burst weapons automatically cause extra damage but you would still need to roll for leather affects. So my fighter’s vorpal mercurial long sword could do x4 damage but not sever the head if the roll to confirm the threat is not made.

Paladin lay on hands has changed. You get to use it (half level + cha modifier) times a day. Each use cures (level) of damage. Doing the math, a 10^th level paladin with a cha of 18 gets to lay on hands 9 times a day curing 10 points each time – 90 hp of healing a day. At 12^th level, the paladin can use 2 lay on hands to neutralize poison. At 18^th level, the paladin can use 4 lay on hands to heal.

Sorcerers get blood lines. Now all our sorcerers can become dragon blood sorcerers and have some form of damage resistance.

Wizards become specialists…..of sorts. You need to choose a school and two prohibited schools. However, you can still use prohibited spells but just lose the benefits of your school for the day. As long s you don’t break the rules, you always have a spell to cast. In the case of a conjurer, you can cast acid dart every round (range 30’, damage 1d6 +1 / 2 levels).

Skills have been consolidated. Acrobatics = balance, jump, tumble. Linguistics = forgery, decipher script, speak languages. Each rank in linguistics gives you a new language.

Trained class skills now get a +3 bonus. If you multiclass you can gain new class skills. Once a class skill, you get the bonus. You no longer have to pay extra for cross class skills.

Cleric spells – lose cure minor. Cleric domains have been balanced. No longer does the war domain give you the weapon focus feat.

Some changes to magic items. Staves now only contain 10 charges. Spell casters can recharge these on a daily basis. Boots of elfin kind provide a +5 bonus to acrobatics. I never really like the change for elfin boots and cloaks from 2^nd edition to 3^rd edition. There are some name changes too (Keoghtom’s ointment is now restorative ointment).

Magic item creation no longer uses XP.

Lots of new art to look at. There also seems to be an effort that was made to provide more detail.

• Chris Kooza vanara (monkey) ninja male deity Obad-hai
• Ellen Nera Cat 2 weapon female
• Steve Thorgg half-orc (dragon blood frost) male
• Sarah Firtha Gnome rogue (possible assassin)
• John Vitarri human (prozak) paladin, deity Heironeous
• Dave Dielicious elf ranger female, deity Yondalla
• Chuck Kitrye (last name not revealed Kyuvr) half elf (grayish colored) cleric/mage male, holy symbol multicolored sphere, male
• Bryan Alera human looking, sorcerer (sort of), female

Max hit points for 1st and 2nd level. For 3rd level, if you roll less than half, reroll. If still less than half, take half. For 4th level and beyond, if you roll a 1, you get to reroll only once and the second roll is final.

Poison bites, constriction, forked tongue, peel constantly.

Den Rudger believe to be a scribe, rune abilities. Runes are alterantive magic system, magic is place don an item and read. Race unknown, bluish tinge, far eastern in origin.

One of the guards in the last caravan survived. Heard them discussing specifics on plans for the future. Heading back to Battle Home (giant fortress). We know where and how to get to Battle Home.
Item we are looking for is a simple looking book bound in red leather ” In magnus libellum” written in dark scribe. Simple history text. Sense motive indicated he may be lying. Recovering the tome is the main goal of the quest.

Bandits thought to number in 30 – 50 range. Becoming more organized.

Rumors……feel free to add others that I may have missed……

Bandits might be getting paid by the merchants known as Lotus.  Bandit attacks are getting more organized and deadly.  Lotus are rivals of the Jaren.

Bandits being lead by the blue knight.  Leaves a sapphire tipped dagger behind.  Den apprentice of a cartographer began forging official documents.  Myril served formerly as an escort for a weavers shop.

Mayril has 2 wives, 6 children.  Families live in boarder area of town.  Frontier type of place (little hose on the prairie).  One of the kids known for his magical abilities; has nomination to one of the local magical academy.

Blue knight is a bandit.  Other say he has saved hundreds of innocents from attack and destruction.  Information on the knight is conflicting.  Blue knight is a human woman.  Hood with slits for her hood.

Max hit points for 1st and 2nd level. For 3rd level, if you roll less than half, reroll. If still less than half, take half. For 4th level, if you roll a 1, you get to reroll only once and the second roll is final.

Well Bryan gets his wish….sort of.  Each class starts out with more hit points 10 + con up to 15 + con.  But it looks like you only gain a set number of hit points per level (4 for a wizard).   Maybe things willchagne with 4.5 n January ‘09.

Nearly every class has 4 At-Wills available to chose from at 1st level, Wizard has 5. Same goes for Encounters. Fighter, Paladin and Rogue have 3 Dailys, everyone else has 4. More become available at higher levels.

Multi-Classing requires a related Stat of 13+. Each class has an Initiate Feat associated with it. Get to pick 1 Skill from class, also get 1 specified power. There are also 3 Power Swap Feats starting at 4th level. Swap any (Encounter Attack, Utility, Daily) Power you have for one of equal or lower level from your chosen Multi-Class. The 3 feats are of different levels, one for each power type (Encounter, Utility, Daily.)

2-weapon fighting is a feat, but just gives a damage bonus, not an extra attack. The ranger can take an at-will that gives him an extra attack.

Rogues are AMAZING. Like seriously, damn near Op. At 3rd level they get a utility power that lets them re-roll any bluff check (Trigger: when player rolls bluff, and doesn’t like the look of the roll.) They also have a nice garrotte ability that does 7w and can be held for a bit…fun thing about holding it is that attacks on the rogue have a possibility of hitting the person you’re choking). They get auto-escpape grapple abilities, and lots of things playing off Combat advantage (including one that we figured could add 7W dmg +10d8 +dex mod). Very sick.

Minotaurs are a MM race, and get a fun per encounter charge attack, and +2str and +2 con.

Gnomes. GNOMES. Gnomes are insane. Gnomes can *turn invis* once per encounter after they’ve taken dmg. They can also choose to roll “hide” instead of intialtive at the start of an encounter.

Rituals: range from cheap to learn and cast to expensive. As an example: Raise Dead costs 650GP to learn uses a 500gp reagent, and “scales” at levels. At lowever levels, it’s “free” except for the reagent cost.” At medium levels it’s 5,000gp. And at epic levels it’s 50,000. Oh, and the raised person gets a penalty of -1 until you’ve passed “3″ milestones.

Oh, and another interesting/weird feature….there is an easy to cast ritual that clears 1 status ailment (curse, disease, etc) each time it’s cast, but with a catch. You make a heal check, and your result =’s how much dmg the TARGET sick player takes while being healed. SO, a low roll can kill outright, or can do dmg. A high roll causes very little dmg.

Timestop is a spell in 4e. Gives you 2 extra actions, neither of which can be used for attack.  (which really sucks!).

Trapfinding is part of thievery.

Tumbling is a Rogue Utility power. Once per encounter, shift half your base move.

+1 to each of two different stats at about every 4th level, but there are a few levels (????) where every stat gets a +1 bonus.

There are 5 Alignments: Good, Lawful Good, Evil, Chaotic Evil, Unaligned.

Magic itms now have levels:

Flaming Weapon

Level 5+

You can will this weapon to burst into flame.

Lvl 5 +1 1,000 gp Lvl 20 +4 125,000 gp
Lvl 10 +2 5,000 gp Lvl 25 +5 625,000 gp
Lvl 15 +3 25,000 gp Lvl 30 +6 3,125,000 gp
Weapon: Any
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 fire damage per plus

Power (At-Will Fire): Free Action. All damage dealt by this weapon is fire damage. Another free action returns the damage to normal.

Power (Daily Fire): Free Action. Use this power when you hit with the weapon. Deal an extra 1d6 fire damage, and the target takes ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends).
Level 15 or 20: 2d6 fire damage and ongoing 10 fire damage.
Level 25 or 30: 3d6 fire damage and ongoing 15 fire damage.