D&D 4E 4E: What we think we know

Aloïsius · Aug 16, 2007

Which artist has done the character in the background of the announcement page ? Wayne Reynold ?

If this are the new iconic, then we will have tieflings as a base race. Not a surprise : every new edition made changes in the base races.

Aeolius · Aug 16, 2007

Aloïsius said:
...every new edition made changes in the base races.

Woo-hoo!! Flumphs as a core race!! I'm in!!

Yair · Aug 16, 2007

jasin said:
Can somebody explain this further? What happens if fans publish material on places like EN World?

The current policy of WotC regarding fan sites is a bit vague, but generally as long as the site isn't for profit and doesn't publish WotC's own work, Wizards won't bother it. This includes the publishing of fan material on ENWorld. You still aren't encouraged to publish material that significantly expands on Wizards' material - publishing your homebrew is fine, publishing a detailed gazzeteer to the Forgotten Realms isn't.

As I undersand it, Gleemax will offer you the chance to publish material that heavily draws on WotC's material in a legal manner. For example, Wizards won't endorse the publishing of a Guide to Sigil on your private site - it's not your material, you can't publish it. But it will welcome such additions to Gleemax.

Anything you post on Gleemax will belong to WotC. However, what this means in practice is that if they like your material it may be inlcuded in future products, articles, or netbooks. So if your Guide to Sigil is impressive, it just might be referred to in an official article, be made into an official netbook, or even get published (after much editing and revision, for sure). In doing this, you'll be credited and - esepcially for larger contributions - rewarded and employed.

So, you can't publish stuff like A Guide to Sigil on ENWorld. If you would, Wizards won't do anything - although ENWorld might. They'd only intervene if they see your work as causing them problems, or they see you making a profit of it. They'd like you to post it to Gleemax, however, where it would also have a chance of being incorporated into the cannon.

jeffh · Aug 16, 2007

Aloïsius said:
every new edition made changes in the base races.

Really? Looking at the now-defunct OD&D/BD&D stream, they never changed at all after Hobbits (later renamed Halflings) were introduced. Looking at the AD&D/D&D3 stream, 2E removed half-orcs and 3E brought them back. That's it. If anything, it's surprising how little change the selection of base races has seen.

GentleGiant · Aug 16, 2007

Aloïsius said:
Which artist has done the character in the background of the announcement page ? Wayne Reynold ?

If this are the new iconic, then we will have tieflings as a base race. Not a surprise : every new edition made changes in the base races.

To me it seems more like William O'Connor's style.

The Cardinal · Aug 16, 2007

Tieflings as a base race - Planescape 4E?
...in that case I would buy every piece of 4E on the market - and I'd steal the rest!

Kristian Serrano · Aug 16, 2007

Charwoman Gene said:
From theminiaturespage.com

Any one else notice that this 'release' doesn't have the standard boilerplate that press releases usually have?

Blue · Aug 16, 2007

Update 4ed news page please

Can we get a link to this or a summary in the 4ed news section off the main?

Just for ease of tracking what's going on. I remember constant perusal of Eric Noah's site when 3ed was coming, and ENworld is the successor of all that.

Thanks,
=Blue(23)

howandwhy99 · Aug 16, 2007

More on D&D Insider from this News thread:

Stevof on 11-24-06 said:
Numerous people have stumbled across information about WotC's upcoming D&D Insider Package. It has been known about for some time, but this information seems fairly detailed and extensive. Amongst other places, the official D&D website is running a survey about it.

The Dungeons & Dragons Insider Package

Become a Dungeons & Dragons Insider and gain access to exclusive content designed specifically with D&D players in mind. As part of your monthly subscription, you gain access to features designed to enhance your D&D experience, including:

D&D Insider Magazine, online magazine with new content updated daily, including:

-Product Previews (articles showcasing upcoming D&D products)
-Class Features (articles expanding existing character class options and debuting new character and prestige classes)
-Strategy and Tactics (articles relating to D&D roleplaying combat and spellcasting, and to D&D Miniatures Skirmish play)
-Design and Development (articles and columns exploring the many facets of the D&D experience, written by game designers in D&D R&D)
-D&D Humor (comic strips devoted to the D&D experience)

D&D Product Enhancements (expanded content for D&D products you bought, including interactive content such as searchable indexes, extra features, behind the scenes articles, game designer and developer commentary, and more)

Exclusive Content that expands your favorite campaign world

-Eberron and Forgotten Realms ongoing content
-Interactive maps
-World events and adventure hooks

D&D University

-Rolling six-week course to help make you a better D&D player
-Course message boards
-Player tip of the week from D&D R&D

- MyCharacter.Com pages that you can design and populate, with a Premium Customization Kit that includes D&D art, frames, and icons
- Private Message Boards that give you a direct line to D&D R&D
- Premium RPGA Membership Card mailed to you
- Fast Lane Registration at all RPGA events (online and in the real world)
- The Magic Shop, a virtual shop where you can outfit your D&D character

D&D Character Builder, a program that helps you create and manage your D&D characters. This program allows you to create a character for any D&D game, walking you through the process of rolling the dice and assigning your game statistics, as well as creating a visual version of your character using "paper doll" models and "drag and click" selections of armor and weapons. At the end, you can save your character and print out a character sheet, as well as go to any D&D tournament and call up your character for use, or use the character at the Virtual Gaming Table (see below). With this package, you get to create and store up to 10 different characters or up to 10 different versions of one character (your character at different levels), or some combination of the two.

-Exclusive D&D-related novels and short stories written by your favorite authors
-Real-World D&D Search Engines (find D&D gamers, game stores, tournaments, and events in your area)
-In-Game D&D Search Engines (find feats, spells, magic items, and other D&D-related topics)

Digital Gaming Table, a program that allows you to play D&D using the Internet as your kitchen table, with a viewable play surface, dice rolling, virtual miniatures, and voice chat. Now you don't have to wait for your home gaming group to get together to play a game of D&D. You can still play your weekly face-to-face game, but now you can also play two or three more times a week by finding a game at the virtual table. Or, you might want to reconnect with your old gaming pals who long ago moved away-now you can all play together again on a regular basis! With this package, you get to play at the table 3 times per month.

Click to expand...

Last edited by Morrus : 11-26-06 at 06:14 PM.

EDIT: D&D Insider may be related to Wizards Insider (and peripherally Legendology) which can still be accessed at Wizard's site here

thormagni · Aug 16, 2007

Xyxox said:
Wow, no OGL. That will mean a definite forking of D&D.

I was at the press announcement last night (I work for an Indiana newspaper) and they very definitely said that 4e would fall under OGL and they would be releasing a new SRD. They very clearly expressed a desire for third parties to continue to produce D&D compatible material.

A 4e Forgotten Realms will be the first setting book released, and I believe that is scheduled for next August. Chris Perkins was pretty vague when I asked directly what they were going to do with Ravenloft, Dragonlance and Eberron. It seemed like the plan would be to roll out one new setting each year. He even teased me that Greyhawk could be one of those. But I think that was just because I admitted to being an old-school Greyhawk gamer.

For what it's worth, I believe there is going to be a 930 a.m. press release hitting the wire, or so their PR people told me last night. They didn't specifically embargo us but since I saw news on the front page about it with quotes from Bill, I figured I could comment on it.