The new edition of DnD is out, and already I have three new 200+ page books in the house. My wife is a little exasperated, even though she and the kids play too, because she fears another avalanche of books the likes of which 3.0 and 3.5 brought. Her fears may be well founded. They certainly aren't easily dismissed, since I still have a few boxes of DnD books I didn’t have the heart to throw away or the time to sell before we moved to Tulsa this January. I don’t blame the game companies for making the books. I understand well the finance mechanics going on here, and I want to support them.

I did finally relent and throw away the thousands of counters left over from my days as a publisher. It was a major battle to get them moved the LAST time, and this time, the writing was on the wall... There would be no denying mama this time.

I say all of that to say this. Are we as a hobby doing what’s right (and enough of what’s right) in the area of being ecologically responsible?

We create a LOT of paper waste with our constant turnover of game books, character sheets, and accessories, and unlike many books once ours fall out of favor they have little use beyond the land fill. My old FLGS still has copies of the 1E DMGs, MMs, and Fiend folios on sale for $25 or so, but the fact is no one is buying them. I’m pretty sure those books have been there for over a decade now.

I myself have given or sold thousands of pages of DnD material away in my life, and it has helped to assuage some of my guilt, but I can’t help thinking we need to be doing more in the industry.

I'm speaking of course of making a more permanent and sustainable move to digital books and accessories. Technologies (like the Kindle) are improving, and those improvements make digital books more attractive than ever. Despite that, few of the mainstream companies in the industry are truly working toward embracing the technology, even 5+ years after freelance publishers started using pdfs to distribute low-volume offerings.

For many there seems to be this idea that pdfs are a low-end entry to publishing - the domain of amateurs. Security, digital rights, and sharing all work to make it hard for publishers to create realistic business models around digital offerings. Companies like WotC seem mired in the book publishing style of the past. To be fair, the new books are digitally available, and Dungeon and Dragon are back as digital offerings. These are steps in the right direction. There are so many possibilities with the technology though that even now aren’t being explored. Mutating adventures, sound and visual effects, accompanying soundtracks, and much more could easily be included in a wonderous multimedia experience.

We need to work to show that these books are preferable to us as consumers for a variety of reasons, including their environmental aspects. Don’t we?

HugeOgre

I'll admit it. Since I got out of publishing and the forums crashed causing me to lose so many of my posts I hadn't really been involved on Enworld, or even in gaming that much.

The return of 4th edition and the relaunch of an updated Enworld has gotten my creative juices flowing again. Now though I find myself torn on where to post my thoughts to. Here in the blog I seeminly have less competition for eyes than the forums, but either Im terminally boring with my posts, or there is a lot less traffic over here in this corner of the world.

The forums have lots of traffic, and posts on things like the druid conversion get quite a few remarks, but otherwise quickly get lost in the sea of posts that happen there every day.

Then there is the wiki. Today I entered everything I had blogged about in the last week into the wiki, and I have to admit that, particularly with the templates like those that exist for 4E monsters, I really like the format.

I have to wonder if Ill really like other people editing my stuff, and if anyone is really looking at what gets posted there.

Is it just that the blog and wiki are new? or is the forum just THAT much more interesting and interactive?

HugeOgre

I continue to convert the Sunless Citadel in the hopes of running it for my family (who have never played it before) and I'm finding its requiring more work than I had originally imagined. The adventure has many unchallenging encounters in it (EL 1/3, 1/2, and 1 encounters). Reading through it, its actually a pretty boring dungeon crawl. Im hopeful when Im done it will be much more memorable and enjoying. Thats the true test of whether 4th edition succeeds in its simplicity. Anyway, one of the conversions I've been forced to do is the Quasit.

I tried to keep as many of his 3rd edition powers as I could without making him feel overpowered, and used the Imp (which did get converted) as a guide for the overall powerlevel. I imagine the quasit, being weak, is an improvisational trickster who uses natural terrain to its advantage. This also plays well with its role in the adventure, incidentally, so Im pretty happy with it. I am of course curious what the rest of you think of it.

Quasit Level 3 Lurker

Tiny elemental humanoid (demon) XP 150
Initiative +8 Senses Perception +7; darkvision
HP 40; Bloodied 20
Regeneration 2
AC 17; Fortitude 15, Reflex 17, Will 15
Immune poison Resist 10 variable (1/encounter; see glossary)
Speed 4, fly 6 (hover)
Claws (standard; at will)
+6 vs. AC; 1d4+1 damage, and the quasit makes a secondary attack against the same target. Secondary Attack: +5 vs. Fortitude; the target takes ongoing 2 poison damage and a -2 penalty to Reflex defense (save ends both).
Vanish (standard; at will) * Illusion
The quasit becomes invisible until the end of its next turn or until it attacks.
Change Shape (minor; at will) * Polymorph
A quasit can alter its physical form to take on the appearance of any medium or small-sized animal.
Cause Fear (standard; daily) * Fear
Close burst 5; targets enemies; +6 vs. Will; the target is pushed 2 squares. Recharge 5,6

Alignment Chaotic evil Languages Abyssal, Common
Skills Arcana +6, Stealth +9
Str 10 Dex 17 Wis 12
Con 10 Int 10 Cha 10

Quasit Tactics

Quasits are reluctant combatants, and instead often stalk enemies disguised as a common domesticated animal or vermin. When they do attack they use their poison and fear attacks to delay its enemies or use natural hazards to incapacitate or harm their enemies. If it is ever bloodied it will vanish and flee.

Quasit Lore

A character knows the following information with a successful Arcana check.
DC 15: many chaotic evil wizards employ quasits as companions and guards for their inner sanctuaries and other important locations.

HugeOgre

While I consider the design of a 4th edition druid, I took up the job of converting WotC's Sunless Citadel, which my wife and family have never played, and which I thought I'd run in the upcoming weeks. From that conversion came three traps - actually two traps and a hazard - but that doesn't sound as good as a title, now does it? Without further ado, here they are.

Poison Needle Level 1 Lurker

Trap XP 100
A tiny poisoned needle silently awaits anyone foolish enough to stick their fingers near the trap without looking first.
Trap: A tiny needle in the door opening mechanism.
Perception
DC 22: The character notices the tiny needle.
Trigger
The trap attacks when a creature touches the door with the intent to try and open it.
Attack
Immediate Reaction Melee
Target: The creature that triggered the trap.
Attack: +4 vs.Fortitude
Hit: Target is pricked by the needle, and takes 1d8 poison damage and an ongoing 3 poison damage (save ends).
Miss: Target opens the door, the needle doesn’t puncture the skin enough to poison
Effect: The needle pricks the character but still isn’t readily visible without searching. Grant +2 to subsequent Perception checks.
Countermeasures
An adjacent character can disable the trap with a DC 20 Thievery check (standard action). The door becomes safe.
A character make damage the needle with a weapon, rendering it harmless.

Repeating Crossbow Turret Level 1 Blaster

Trap XP 100
A bolt fires down from above…
Trap: A repeating crossbow in a bolt hole of the ceiling with a floor trigger mechanism.
Perception
DC 20: The character notices the trigger plate.
DC 22: The character notices the bolt hole overhead.
DC 25: The character notices the hidden control switch.
Trigger
The trap attacks when a creature steps on the trigger plate.
Attack
Immediate Reaction Ranged
Target: The creature that triggered the trap.
Attack: +6 vs. AC
Hit: 1d10 +2 damage
Countermeasures
An adjacent character can activate the hidden control switch.
An adjacent character can disable the trap with a DC 20 Thievery check (standard action). The trigger becomes safe.
A character may use a shield to effectively grant himself superior cover (+5 to AC) or himself and one person cover (+2 to AC)
Hugging the wall is not sufficient, as the trigger adjusts the aim of the crossbow based on weight on the floor (the crossbow swings in an arc)

Wide Pit with Spikes Level 1 Obstacle

Hazard XP 100
A deep pit looms in the floor ahead of you
Hazard: A 2-by-3 section of the floor is in fact a 10-foot-deep pit with spikes in the bottom.
Perception
No check is necessary to notice the pit.
Trigger
The character falls or is pushed into the pit.
Attack
Immediate Reaction Melee
Target: The creature that triggered the trap.
Attack: +8 vs. Reflex
Hit: Target falls into pit, takes 2d10 damage, and falls prone.
Miss: Target STILL manages to push off and jump to the opposite side of the pit, avoiding disaster PCs move action (if any) ends immediately.
Countermeasures
An adjacent character can attempt a Athletics (Climb) check to descend safely into the pit.

HugeOgre

Yesterday I started a thread about the essential elements of the druid class, and I'm happy to say I've gotten a fair amount of feedback on the topic. Today and for the next few days I want to continue thinking about the druid class. Today's topic is spell selection - distinguishing which earlier edition spells might make good rituals, which might be able to be converted to 4th edition as powers, and which frankly were problematic or out of aligned with where a 4th edition druid needs to be.

You can find the link to the thread where we'll hopefully be discussing 4th edition druidic power list here.

After hearing the feedback from the community I'm leaning heavily toward making the druid class based on the other leader classes. That means I'd end up with a druid that could shapeshift, could buff party members, or do some watered down version of both. At this point, the jury is still out.

HugeOgre

I've had a chance to look at malcolm_m's 4th edition druid class proposal now, and I have to admit both a guy who regularly DM's games I play in, and myself, are less than thrilled. I think the class comes off as overly complex, trying to be all things to all people.

I appreciate the effort, but its not for me.

I'm left to wonder if WotC will really be making a "hybrid" label for some of their later classes, or whether the druid can't be put in one of the existing groups. WotC of course says in the short term we can always build a druid around a nature-themed cleric, but so many of the abilities and spells simply dont have a druidic flavor, even if you DO change some of the text. I am left to wonder about why they chose the cleric as a basis. Perhaps it was a casual afterthought, but perhaps the druid really is another leader character class.

The delimma for everyone is defining the role a druid plays in the group, and what powers are the quintessential definition of druidism. For wizards it was easy. Magic missile HAD to be the at-will spell for first level, but what spells stand out for druids as iconic?

I'm going to have to consider that heavily in the upcoming days, as I try to craft my own druid class. Right now, for instance, I'm considering making Summon Nature's Ally a daily class feature, but I've got a lot to think about before I'm finished When i do, you can be sure I'll appreciate your feedback.

HugeOgre

I played my first official round of 4th edition the other night over the Internet with some friends from the area where I used to live. I was intrigued enough to want to reinvigorate some writing I started some time back. I quickly found that my main protagonists in the story either had classes that haven't been converted to 4th edition (like the druid) or were from races that haven't been converted (like the deep halfling).

I've started a post in the 4E Fan Creations forum with a possible conversion of the Deep Halfling, and I've already located the fabulous Druid conversion that malcolm_m did, so I'm well on my way. The only thing that remains is to track down or work out another conversion that didnt make it to 4th edition, and then get to work evaluating the adventure that serves as a backdrop to the story. I have no doubts that some adjustments will need to be made. I just hope the story won't play out TOO differently.

HugeOgre