D&D 4E 4E tidbits from WotC blogs (Updated:David Noonan on Social Interactions)

[heirodule]

Because Fantasy butt-kicking should not be about the trinkets I carry.

Really? I like to play a gadgeteer. +22 craft alchemy, and a haversack filled with all kinds of creations I made myself

 

[kaomera]

There is a big difference between "I want my sneak attack to work against everything" and "I'm useless against these 3 types of creatures, I'll be sitting back here while you guys have fun."

Yeah, but the problem is the "I'm useless against these 3 types of creatures, I'll be sitting back here while you guys have fun" attitude, not the rules. Hopefully they're building 4e well, but there may not be much they can do about "Wow, the first thing I thought of (and the one ability I just spam over and over and over) didn't work, this encounter is obviously too hard and the DM is cheating!" A lot of D&D rules (and other games as well, including WOW...) are geared to getting players to not simply use the same ability (or handful of abilities) over and over and over ad infinitum... Not that they've really been completely successful, but then that's one of the reasons they're doing 4e, I'd assume...

But that's one of the things I kind of fear for 4e. If the Paladin's Smite works against most or all opponents and can be used, say, once per encounter, then what's to keep that player from simply doing the same things, in the same order, every single combat? That's boring, IMHO, for that player and for everyone around him.

 

[kaomera]

It would be most unfortunate.
Mooks dealing critical hits on 100% of their hits is not very nice.

But if they're adding more definite "types" to monsters, then chances are they'll add a "Mook" type that doesn't score crits. Or there may be some restrictions on when crits can be scored, like not vs. higher-level targets, or something...

I think most likely there will be some sort of resource involved. Maybe something like "Action Points", maybe a 1/encounter (or n/encounter) ability. In either case I'd expect that not every character / monster will have this ability...

 

[bento]

But if they're adding more definite "types" to monsters, then chances are they'll add a "Mook" type that doesn't score crits. Or there may be some restrictions on when crits can be scored, like not vs. higher-level targets, or something...

I think most likely there will be some sort of resource involved. Maybe something like "Action Points", maybe a 1/encounter (or n/encounter) ability. In either case I'd expect that not every character / monster will have this ability...

I hope 4E takes a tip from True20, where the Mook rule is when you score a successful hit against a low-level foe, the foe goes down.

The mook rule improves encounter where the heroes burst into a room with 15 orcs as the game doesn't grind to a halt. The GM doesn't have to track every foe's HP and can play out the scene in cinematic fashion.

 

[grimslade]

Chicken Little and instant rosy nostalgia

A new edition is like Compound W for the current edition.

3.5 is a fun game but it has a bunch of flaws. Grappling, weird multi-class glitches and 2 handed Power Attack. Let's not make it the end all and be all.
I would much rather pay for 3 new core books than a collection of feat books like the Complete Basketweaver.

 

[Kesh]

Yeah, but the problem is the "I'm useless against these 3 types of creatures, I'll be sitting back here while you guys have fun" attitude, not the rules.

No, not really. If the rogue can't do anything to those creatures… what? Should s/he just wander off into a different part of the dungeon during battle? What else can they do?

Hopefully they're building 4e well, but there may not be much they can do about "Wow, the first thing I thought of (and the one ability I just spam over and over and over) didn't work, this encounter is obviously too hard and the DM is cheating!"

It's not necessarily about that. It's about situations like, "Well, the cleric is out of healing spells. We'd better rest for 8 hours in this dungeon and hope nothing finds us." And the fighter's Full Attack/Full Attack/Full Attack repetition, with maybe a Cleave here and there, is a problem.

A lot of D&D rules (and other games as well, including WOW...) are geared to getting players to not simply use the same ability (or handful of abilities) over and over and over ad infinitum... Not that they've really been completely successful, but then that's one of the reasons they're doing 4e, I'd assume...

But that's one of the things I kind of fear for 4e. If the Paladin's Smite works against most or all opponents and can be used, say, once per encounter, then what's to keep that player from simply doing the same things, in the same order, every single combat? That's boring, IMHO, for that player and for everyone around him.

Honestly, that's the situation we're in right now. See my comment about the fighter, for instance. It really sounds to me like players will get a better variety of abilities to use in limited quantities, and some reliable abilities they can use all day to keep them from sitting out in combat.

 

[an_idol_mind]

While it suggests to me that 4e wont confirm crits anymore, it will be just x2 on a 20 and thats it. Where as the comments about the rogue just suggest that they will try to give the rogue the ability to do 'something' regarless of the situation and that the class will not be limited in combat to SAs.

I do think, however, that something like action points are a strong possibilty.

That would be fine for me, as I've already house-ruled those things into my 3rd edition game.

When 3e came out, a lot of my 2e house rules became core. Hopefully, the same thing will happen with 4e for me.

 

[Monkey Boy]

There is a big difference between "I want my sneak attack to work against everything" and "I'm useless against these 3 types of creatures, I'll be sitting back here while you guys have fun."

We dont have to worry about rogues any more. There are no rogues. Rogues are martial characters and so IMO likely have fighter options and all that comes with that.

I expect you build a rogue character from a martial base with maneuvers similar to BO9S shadowhand technique.

 

[moticon]

If the Paladin's Smite works against most or all opponents and can be used, say, once per encounter, then what's to keep that player from simply doing the same things, in the same order, every single combat? That's boring, IMHO, for that player and for everyone around him.

I agree with this... The best players I've seen have multiple tricks because they know there are many strengths and weaknesses in the monstrous world... Besides, this still sounds rather battle focused. Even though the battle is one of my favorite parts of DnD, the non-battle portions, using skills and other abilities often balance out "how people contribute".

If all your focus is on "casting spells" as a wizard, or "Smite" as a paladin, you're missing half the game... And while reserve feats from complete mage helped with giving the wizard endless attacks in melee, once wizards reach 5th or 6th level they have plenty of spells for a day of adventuring...

 

[mmadsen]

I hope 4E takes a tip from True20, where the Mook rule is when you score a successful hit against a low-level foe, the foe goes down.

The mook rule improves encounter where the heroes burst into a room with 15 orcs as the game doesn't grind to a halt. The GM doesn't have to track every foe's HP and can play out the scene in cinematic fashion.

Or it could move away from high ablative hit points for everyone -- which it won't.