General RPG DiscussionDiscussion of all RPGs and non-system-specific topics. DM/GM/player issues, settings, etc. Rules discussion belongs in one the forums below.
My real question is - why didn't we think of spell cards as a prop earlier? (I mean it is not a new idea, but it wasn't widely used or suggested). What is different between earlier editions and 4E that makes people suddenly interested in it.
No one commented on the question I asked earlier. Since it appears there will be cards for every class power...
- Will there be power cards for basic attacks and utilities, such as Melee Basic, Ranged Basic, Second Wind, First Aid, Intimidate?
- Will there be cards for class features that operate like powers but are not presented as such? For example, Arcane Implement Mastery, Sneak Attack, or Combat Challenge? (Some might debate the usefulness/"powerness" of these abilities, but I have cards of them for the same reason I have cards of attack powers: to keep me out of the PH when I'm at the table.)
- Will there be cards for magic items and their powers?
Since, at this moment, the answer to all of the above is probably, "I don't know," does anyone else think there should be?
I'm interested in cards that cover the above. How about everyone else?
I am. I've been using homemade cards since playtest. I make cards for every power my character has, including racial powers, second wind, powers that come from magic items, and so on. It just makes it easier to manage every option from the same pool of information.
Unfortunately, I've seen no indication one way or the other concerning these non-class-related powers, so I'm guessing they won't be in the class decks. Could be wrong, of course. And if they aren't, maybe the class decks will come with some blank or customizable cards.
And if they aren't, maybe the class decks will come with some blank or customizable cards.
Indeedy...
Quote:
Originally Posted by thalmin
Player's Handbook Power Cards
Each non-randomized deck of 100 cards includes all the powers from Player's Handbook for one of the eight classes featured in the book, plus a few blank cards for players to use for other powers.
I cannot begin to state how fully I disagree with the people claiming that D&D plays like a CCG.
Thanks Mouse. I'm having a very hard time understanding why people feel like this is being forced upon them. It seems to me the cards are like any other game accessory. You don't need them to play. At all. If you think they might be nice to have, they're available.
BTW, does anyone remember the spell cards from 3rd edition? Do you really think 3rd edition was designed to force you to use spell cards? How is this different?
Player's Handbook 2
The book adds a new power source for 4th Edition D&D: classes using the new primal power source include the barbarian and the druid (no other classes named). (The cover lists Arcane, Divine and Primal Heroes.)
Hardcover, 224 pages, $34.95 releases March 17, 2009
Back on topic, I'm really excited to see this! I'm beginning to like how 4e expands with new classes. I just hope I manage to find time for a game before this is out.
Now that things are returning to normal for me, here is beginning of the usual catalog write-up:
note: this has beenupdated into the original post
RPGs
Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead
A D&D Supplement by Bruce R. Cordell, Eytan Bernstein, and Brian James Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead depicts a host of new undead, including new varieties of zombies, wraiths, skeletons, ghouls, and vampires. Open Grave also introduces several completely new types of undead, such as moongaunts, forsaken shells, and death oozes, to name just a few.
The sourcebook also provides information about undead origins, tactics, myths, lairs, behaviors, and more. In addition, this book provides elaboratelair entries (including tactical encounters) for undead at each tier of play. Broad story and campaign elements in Open Grave give DMs ready-to-play material that can be easily incorporated into a game, such as undead templates and power substitutions, adventure hooks and quests, and statistics for unique undead such as Acerak and Vecna.
Hardcover, 228 pages, $29.95
January 20, 2009
Player's Handbook Power Cards
A D&D Accessory
Players using Player's Handbook Power Cards don't need to crack open a rulebook every time they cast a spell - all the crucial informatoin is right in front of their eyes.
Each and every class power appearing in the Player's Handbook has its own card. Simply select the cards for your character's powers and you're ready to play!
Each deck of 100 cards includes all the powers from Player's Handbook for one of the eight classes featured in the book, plus a few blank cards for players to use for other powers.
The display box includes sixteen decks of power cards: two decks apiece for the cleric, fighter, paladin, ranger, rogue, warlock, warlord, and wizard. Key Selling Points
Nonradomized: Each deck includes every power appearing in the Player's Handbook for its class
Each deck is designed for a specific class, making it an easy purchasing decision for players
Playtesting shows that combat cards are fun and easy to use and also speed up the game
Perfect companion product to the Player's Handbook
The only official power cards for D&D
$9.99
January 20,2009
Martial Power Cards
A D&D Accessory
Players using Martial Power Cards don't need to crack open a rulebook every time they swing a sword - all the crucial informatoin is right in front of their eyes.
Each and every power appearing in the Martial Power sourcebook has its own card. Simply select the cards for the powers your character is using and you're ready to play!
Each deck of 100 cards includes all the powers from Martial Power for one of the four classes features in the book - fighter, ranger, rogue, and warlord - plus a few blank cards for players to use for other powers.
The display box includes eight decks of power cards: two apaiece for the fighter, ranger, rogue, and the warlord.
$9.99
January 20, 2009
The Clone Wars Campaign Guide
A Star Wars Roleplaying Game Supplement by Rodney Thompson, JD Wilker, Patrick Stutzman, Gary Astleford, and Rob Brown The Clone Wars Campaign Guide launches heroes into the middle of sweeping battles to determine the fate of the galaxy. This book provides everything you need to set your adventures during the conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Separatist forces under the command of Count Dooku.
This book includes new information for heroes on both sides of the war, including new talents, feats, prestige classes, and equipment designed to tailor characters to the unique feel of the Clone Wars conflict. More than just information for players, The Clone Wars Campaign Guide provides Gamemasters with descriptions and statistics for starships, vehicles, allies, opponants, and planets and features in-depth information on material drawn from Lucasfilm's new CG animated series, The Clone Wars.
Wait a minute. Does this mean Martial Power is coming with 100 powers for each of the four Martial classes?
__________________ “When one awakes, and rolls from his pallet, and strides across the cold rushes to put flame to lantern. When the world is asleep around him. When the whippoorwill sings and crickets speak. When one is alone, in silence, with nothing but a book. That, my son, is glory. That is all the glory a man ever needs, and more besides.” - Sage Poridel Poriden, Sins of Our Fathers
Are you running SoW and are interested in getting some ideas on the overarching plot?
Looking for better ways to tie the disparate modules together?
Come visit my thread on doing exactly that! Also, visit the wiki it inspired! Player's stay out!
__________________ He knows the score... he gets the women... and he kills the bad guy. If you hire him to kill the bad guy... better make damn sure the bad guy isn't you! EN World Community Supporter
Currently running "In the Shadow of Giants" [OOC] | [IC] | [RG]
As far as Martial Power: wow! If the power cards are to be believed, that's 100 powers per class, which is more than what we've seen for them in the PHB. Hopefully that will not be too much feature creep ... I certainly hope there has been some SERIOUS playtesting, or we may find the original PHB much less useful for Martial characters.
For the rest: I'm surprised at the lack of products. I've been looking at the release schedule for the rest of this year and now into the next, and there's not a lot of products that I'm very interested in. The martial and arcane books are a given, as is the equipment guide, but the rest ... color me underwhelmed. I have to seriously question this new release strategy...does WotC not want to sell as many products for 4E?
Still, I'll take quality over quantity, so hopefully these new releases will avoid the "Sword and Fist" splat effect...
--Steve
__________________ Be a rebel...order your coffee in one of these three radical sizes: small, medium or large.
"Sure as I know anything, I know this. I aim to misbehave."
--Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, Serenity
I play 4E, and it's every bit as much Dungeons and Dragons as any other edition, including the one(s) you play. No more, and no less.
This information is being added to the original post
Dungeon Delve
A D&D Adventure by David Noonan and Bill Slavicsek Dungeon Delve provides the DM withan array of small, easy-to-run dungeons each especially designed for a night of gaming.
This book is designed for groups looking for an exciting night of monster-slay9ngwithout the prep time. It contains dozens of self-contained easy-to-run mini-dungeons, or "delves," each one crafted for a few hours of game-play.
The book includes delves for 1st- to 3oth-level characters, and features dozens of iconic monsters for the heroes to battle. Dungeon Masters can run these delves as one-shot adventures or weave them into their campaign.
Key Selling Points
This book has encounters for all levels of characters, from 1st to 30th.
DMs can drop each of the mini-dungeons into their games at a moment's notice.
Based on the extremely popular "Delve" events held at gaming conventions.
Every delve is designed to use existing D&D Dungeon Tiles and D&D Miniatures.
Hardcover, 192 pages, $29.95
February 17, 2009
DU3 Caves of Carnage Dungeon Tiles
A D&D Accessory
This product gives Dungeon Masters an easy and inexpensive way to include great-looking terrain for their games. This set provides ready-to-use, configurable tiles with which to build exciting underground encounter scenes.
This accessory fo the Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game contains six double-sided sheets of illustrated, die-cut terrain tiles printed on heavy cardstock. These tiles feature twisting caverns that include underground rivers, chasms, treacherous rope bridges, and the aftermath of bloody battles.
$9.95
February 17, 2009
P3 Assault on Nightwyrm Fortress
A D&DAdventure by Bruce R. Cordell and Shawn Merwin Assault on Nightwyrm Fortress is a D&D adventure designed to take characters from 17th to 21st level. In this adventure, the PCs discover that not all souls rest easy, particularly those spirited away to Nightwyrm Fortress. To learn the truth, players must pierce death's veil itself and enter Shadowfell, where sinister echoes of life wing through eternal gloom.
This adventure can be run as a stand-alone dventure or as Part Three of a three-part series of adventures (starting with P1 King of the Trollhaunt Warrens, and continuing with P2 Demon Queen's Enclave that spans the paragon tier of gameplay.
96 pages, $24.95
March 17, 2009
Player's Handbook 2
A D&D Supplement by Rob Heinsoo and Mike Mearls Player's Handbook 2 expands the range of options available to D&D players with new classes, races, powers, and other material.
This book builds on the array of classes and races presented in the first Player's Handbook, adding both old favorites and new, never-before-seen options to the game.
The book adds a new poer source for 4th Edition D&D: classes using the new primal power source include the barbarian and the druid.
Key Selling Points
This book is aimed directly at players, helping them build more exciting and interesting characters.
The new classes in this book include some long-time favorites of D&D players, such as the barbarian, druid, and sorcerer.
The book features several new races, including the gnome, the half-orc, and the goliath.
Hardcover, 224 pages, $34.95
March 17, 2009
Legacy Era Campaign Guide A Star Wars Roleplaying Game Supplement by Rodney Thompson, Sterling Hershey, and Gary Astleford
The Empire rules the galaxy once more, this time under the control of the vile Darth Krayt, and resistance is crushed under the heels of Sith overlords. The Jedi are scattered and devastated, with only a handful remaining to resist the tyranny of the Sith. The Galactic Alliance fleet is but a shadow of its former self, struggling to stay hidden while engaging in hit-and-run attacks against the Empire.
This is theLegacy Era, set 130 years after the Battle of Yavin. This campaign guide gives players and Gamemasters the freedom to shape the Star Wars galaxy during an exciting period when no one is safe from evil. Players can join the struggling Alliance fleet, or fight for Roan Fel's Empire-in-exile. This book contains everything players need to create heroes that fit perfectly into the Legacy Era, while Gamemasters will find the book filled with allies, antagonists, starships, and plot hooks to create exciting adventures against the backdrop of a galaxy ruled by the Sith.
Hardcover, 224 pages, $39.95
March 17, 2009
E1 Death's Reach
A D&D Adventure by Bruce R. Cordell and Chris Sims Death's Reach is a D&D adventure designed to take characters from 21st to 24th level. In this adventure, players learn the very foundation of reality is threatened by those seeking to usurp the powers of the gods of death. To prevent this cosmic coup, players must trace disruptions into the Shadowfell's timeless core, where all things find their end.
This adventure can be run as a stand-alone adventure or as Part One of a three-part series of adventures (beginning with this one) that spans the epic tier of gameplay.
96 pages, $24.95
April 21, 2009
Arcane Power
A D&D Supplement by Logan Bonner, Eytan Bernstein, and Peter Lee Arcane Power isthe latest in a line of player-friendly supplements offering hundreds of new options for D&D Characters. This tome focuses on the arcane heroes: characters who wield strange and mysterious spells and rely on thier mastery of magic for survival.
This book provides new archetypal builds for the wizard, warlock, sorcerer, bard, and swordmage classes, including new character powers, feats, paragon paths, and epic destinies.
Hardcover, 160 pages, $29.95
April 21, 2009
Player's Handbook 2 Power Cards
A D&D Accessory
Players using Player's Handbook 2 Power Cards don't need to crack open a rulebook every time they cast a spell - all the crucial information is right in front of their eyes.
Each and every class power appearing in Player's Handbook 2 has its own card. Simply select the cards for your character's powers and you're ready to play!
Each deck of 100 cards includes all the powers from Player's Handbook 2 for one of the eight classes featured in the book, plus a few blank cards for players to use for other powers.
$9.95
April 21, 2009
Miniatures
Imperial Entanglements
A Star Wars Miniatures Game Booster Pack Imperial Entanglements focuses on the Rebellion Era and features characters from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI:Return of the Jedi. This set also includes important figures from the Star Wars Expanded Universe.
The new set size of 40 miniatures will make collecting favorite chacters easier. 7 miniatures plus cards per pack.
$14.99
February 24, 2009
Feywild
A Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures Game Expansion
Primal fury erupts in a battle between the guardians of nature and those who would corrupt it!
Eight figures plus cards per pack.
$14.99
March 17, 2009
D&D Miniatures Game Starter Set
A Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures Game Product
The D&D Miniatures Game rules have been updated to facilitate faster, exciting gameplay. In addition, this new starter features blister packaging that showcases all five miniatures in the set.
So the Arcane power book then pretty much confirms that the Bard is in the Players Handbok II (or some other supplement that occurs before it).
Maybe you super savvy folks already had confirmation from somewhere else, but that's new for me. It's also new that the sorcerer is a definite for the book (though I'd heard it rumored).
Cool. Just sad there's no monk or psionics for awhile.
I read the part on the PHB 2 and thought: "Oh, no Bard..."
Then I read the part on Arcane Power and thought "Ah, Bard!"
The story for the adventures so far seems interesting. E1 particulary appears to me as if the story fits the "Epic" Title: To prevent this cosmic coup, players must trace disruptions into the Shadowfell's timeless core, where all things find their end.
Thoughts of the Arch Chancellor - My weblog on EN World - containing game related material, like: house rules, design theories, reviews, play reports, adventure ideas
Secret Member of <Think we would just hide our secret with a spoiler tag, eh?>
Last edited by Mustrum_Ridcully; 30th July 2008 at 11:35 PM..
The cards will have to be pretty good for that product to spark any interest in me. I make mine on the cheap. Mine are pretty basic, but they don't use a ton of ink and they print directly to blank index cards that I get for a couple of cents each. Others have managed some pretty professional looking cards, though more expensive than mine to reproduce. (see my blog entry for mine)
Pretty much all of the rest of the D&D stuff is on my list, other than the adventures.
I seem to recall Spell Decks being sold for 2nd edition ADnD.
Does this make 2nd edition Magic as well?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Darkwolf71
To lessen confusion, It was I who claimed 'disgust', not tomBitonti.
Now technically, sure. I'll cede the point that, 10 bucks for 80 cards is not a horrible price. My disgust comes from the realization that the game was designed with this in mind. They have made D&D into a game that practically requires the use of minis and cards. Which convieniantly, oh look... they just happen to sell.
It's no longer D&D, it's fraking Magic: The Role Playing Game.
So the Arcane power book then pretty much confirms that the Bard is in the Players Handbok II (or some other supplement that occurs before it).
Not necessarily. It could be "official" DDI-only. Which probably ticks some folks off like the Arcane book supporting an FR-only (book-wise).
Don't get me wrong. I like the look of Swordmage. I'm just a bit ticked that I'd have to drop $30 on a setting book (for a setting I seriously dislike) to make use of roughly 1/5 of the arcane book. Semi-requiring PHB2 is fair game, IMO. Doing the same with a setting book is a really crappy move -- one I'll forgive if the full version of the Swordmage is published on the DDI, though.
Does no one else think that power cards is a bit much? Who has room for that on the table? I've got a big-ass table, and no available real estate. Powers printed out on paper to go aloong with the character sheet, put in sheet protectors and marked as used or not in water-soluable ink is the way to go...a lot less expensive, too. And not very MtG like either, I guess .
In my own group, only half of us are using home-made power cards. Some of us feel they speed things up, some of us don't. Me, I don't think it makes a huge difference, as long as you have your powers summarized on something--a sheet of paper works just fine.
I agree. In fact, the only reason I'm considering using power cards in the game I play in is that our DM doesn't have a large table for us to sit at, so we're a bit cramped with five PCs - it's purely to save space. With power cards, I can have the major details on the character sheet visible and not have to constantly shuffle paper to get to the information on my character's powers.
In the game I run, though, we're all spread out over my living room and as the DM I have the whole kitchen table to use as a "workspace", so it's not a problem. Everyone else has plenty of room and table surfaces, though one of my players uses her laptop rather than a printed sheet.
__________________ Christopher Adams - Sydney, Australia
Religion must remain an outlet for people who say to themselves, "I am not the kind of person I want to be." It must never sink into an assemblage of the self-satisfied.
.
Linear Mode
And yet another word from our sponsors
