Zander
Explorer
I met Bruce Cordell at Gen Con UK today. He very kindly answered questions that were posted in another thread on these boards or were e-mailed to me. He saw the thread and warned me ahead of time that some of the questions were too specific. There were also far too many of them. I therefore drastically reduced both the specificity and number of questions. I apologise if I didn't ask your question, or did but not in as much detail as you wanted. Additional questions were put to him by the audience in a Q&A session after the 4E presentation. I have included a few of these as well.
I've posted the questions and answers below. In the case of a verbatim quote, I've used "...." quotation marks or a quote box. Other answers are paraphrases. I've also included my sense motive comments, i.e. my gut feeling about what Bruce meant based on non-verbal cues.
Q: Are the standard 6 ability scores used? Will they range from 3 to 18?
A: Yes, it's a d20 game.
Q: Will there be racial adjustments {to ability scores}?
A: "Potentially"
My sense motive: Yes
Q: Will any races usually considered monster races be available as PC races from the start, such as orcs and goblins?
A: "Potentially"
My sense motive: Yes but not orcs or goblins. Other races.
Q: There have been rumours of tieflings as a regular PC race. Will aasimars also be a PC race in the PHB?
A: "Less chance of that."
My sense motive: No
Q: What about drow?
A: "Possibly but not confirmed."
My sense motive: Yes
Q: What's in store for humans? Will they still be the default/vanilla race?
A: Humans will be more "flavourful". There will be mechanical flare to make humans as exciting as any other race.
Q: Will there be gnomes as a PC race in the PHB?
A: "Wait and see."
My sense motive: No
Q: What's the warlord? Is it a new class?
A: "There is a warlord class."
Q: Will fighters & other classes get combat manoeuvres?
A: Every class will have a "power source". Every class will have actions based on powers... "You can customise your fighter in many different ways."
Q: Will the new wizard resemble the 3.5 warlock {given the reduction in Vancian magic}?
A: Wizards will more resemble 3.5 wizards than 3.5 warlocks.
Q: Will wizards and sorcerers merge {as rangers and scouts will}?
A: The wizard and sorcerer will be separate.
Q: Will there be a monk in the PHB?
A: "Answer: murky."
My sense motive: Yes
Q: If so, will it be unique among the PHB classes in having an Asian flavour?
A: "Any monks will have an Asian flavour."
Q: Will there be multi-classing?
A: "There will be multi-classing in the game but it will be better."
Q: Will there be prestige classes?
A: "There will be functionality equivalent to that."
Q: How are skills handled?
A: Skills are still in the game. There's a better implementation that's "easier and cleaner".
Q: What about feats?
A: "Feats remain; people like feats... Some 3.5 classes really suffered for not having enough feats."
Q: Will there be saving throws? Will they work the same way?
A: "Saving throws will look more like a new thing."
Q: Will there be new pursuit and evasion rules?
A: They could exist in the future.
Q: What changes are in store for alignment?
A:
Q: Generally, what's in the DMG?
A: Like what's in the DMG now... Magic items.
Q: Will there still be XP? How will it work?
A: "We still have XP, very similar to now... It's not an exponential power curve anymore. You go up more smoothly."
Q: How will social interaction be handled?
A: We're playtesting an interaction system. It's just a prototype. "Who knows if it will end up in the book?"
Q: Will there be individual monsters in the MM above level 30?
A: "Possibly, don't know for sure."
My sense motive: Bruce is in favour but it isn't set in stone yet.
Q: Will traditional fantasy tropes be sacrificed for game expediency, such as paladin mounts that appear out of nowhere?
A: "No".
Q: How will psionics work?
A: They will be a "power source" {but not in the PHB}. The PHB power sources will be "arcane", "divine" and "martial".
Q: Will there be a mass combat system for 4E?
A: "In the future, that would be pretty awesome but not at launch."
Q: Will the OGL continue?
A: "The OGL and d20 will be going forward."
Very special thanks to Bruce Cordell for taking the time to answer these questions. He's a star!
I've posted the questions and answers below. In the case of a verbatim quote, I've used "...." quotation marks or a quote box. Other answers are paraphrases. I've also included my sense motive comments, i.e. my gut feeling about what Bruce meant based on non-verbal cues.
Q: Are the standard 6 ability scores used? Will they range from 3 to 18?
A: Yes, it's a d20 game.
Q: Will there be racial adjustments {to ability scores}?
A: "Potentially"
My sense motive: Yes
Q: Will any races usually considered monster races be available as PC races from the start, such as orcs and goblins?
A: "Potentially"
My sense motive: Yes but not orcs or goblins. Other races.
Q: There have been rumours of tieflings as a regular PC race. Will aasimars also be a PC race in the PHB?
A: "Less chance of that."
My sense motive: No
Q: What about drow?
A: "Possibly but not confirmed."
My sense motive: Yes
Q: What's in store for humans? Will they still be the default/vanilla race?
A: Humans will be more "flavourful". There will be mechanical flare to make humans as exciting as any other race.
Q: Will there be gnomes as a PC race in the PHB?
A: "Wait and see."
My sense motive: No
Q: What's the warlord? Is it a new class?
A: "There is a warlord class."
Q: Will fighters & other classes get combat manoeuvres?
A: Every class will have a "power source". Every class will have actions based on powers... "You can customise your fighter in many different ways."
Q: Will the new wizard resemble the 3.5 warlock {given the reduction in Vancian magic}?
A: Wizards will more resemble 3.5 wizards than 3.5 warlocks.
Q: Will wizards and sorcerers merge {as rangers and scouts will}?
A: The wizard and sorcerer will be separate.
Q: Will there be a monk in the PHB?
A: "Answer: murky."
My sense motive: Yes
Q: If so, will it be unique among the PHB classes in having an Asian flavour?
A: "Any monks will have an Asian flavour."
Q: Will there be multi-classing?
A: "There will be multi-classing in the game but it will be better."
Q: Will there be prestige classes?
A: "There will be functionality equivalent to that."
Q: How are skills handled?
A: Skills are still in the game. There's a better implementation that's "easier and cleaner".
Q: What about feats?
A: "Feats remain; people like feats... Some 3.5 classes really suffered for not having enough feats."
Q: Will there be saving throws? Will they work the same way?
A: "Saving throws will look more like a new thing."
Q: Will there be new pursuit and evasion rules?
A: They could exist in the future.
Q: What changes are in store for alignment?
A:
Q: Generally, what's in the DMG?
A: Like what's in the DMG now... Magic items.
Q: Will there still be XP? How will it work?
A: "We still have XP, very similar to now... It's not an exponential power curve anymore. You go up more smoothly."
Q: How will social interaction be handled?
A: We're playtesting an interaction system. It's just a prototype. "Who knows if it will end up in the book?"
Q: Will there be individual monsters in the MM above level 30?
A: "Possibly, don't know for sure."
My sense motive: Bruce is in favour but it isn't set in stone yet.
Q: Will traditional fantasy tropes be sacrificed for game expediency, such as paladin mounts that appear out of nowhere?
A: "No".
Q: How will psionics work?
A: They will be a "power source" {but not in the PHB}. The PHB power sources will be "arcane", "divine" and "martial".
Q: Will there be a mass combat system for 4E?
A: "In the future, that would be pretty awesome but not at launch."
Q: Will the OGL continue?
A: "The OGL and d20 will be going forward."
Very special thanks to Bruce Cordell for taking the time to answer these questions. He's a star!
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