D&D 4E Do you mix'n'match Essentials with standard 4e?

[Kzach]

I probably should mention that I haven't really distinguished between Essentials and Original feats when building a character. I've been using the Character Builder with the "Custom" option.

For me the difference was in the classes themselves. I really love the knight class from essentials as it completely nails a certain character that I've played throughout three editions of D&D. No previous edition quite suited the character. I played this character both as an Original 4e rules character and an Essentials character and by far enjoyed the Essentials version more.

 

[Redbadge]

What about Warpriests, Hexblades, etc.?


-O

Not to mention psionic classes, which also are lacking in encounter powers.

 

[Pentius]

I'm still deciding how I want to run it when I start my 4e game back up, continuing the old campaign in epic levels. Options are:

1) Rules are frozen where they were at the last offline CB. Free Expertise feat.

2) Full up-to-date rules, allowing feats, PPs, and EDs from Essentials and other unlabeled Essentials books such as HoS. No free feat. No Essentials base classes - if it doesn't have At-Wills, Encounters, and Dailies you can't play it. Possible reversions of certain rules such as the new Melee Training. If we had a cleric in the group, we'd probably be reverting some of the new changes.

Before the warlock preview, I was dead set on option 1. Now I'm seriously considering 2, but it seems like a lot more work.

Also, my refusal to allow Essentials classes goes something like this. You never had a problem keeping track of your stuff before. Why do you need fewer options now? You don't need more "free time" in combat - you're supposed to be paying attention. We get off-track enough as it is. If it's because you think it's more powerful, I don't care. Why do you want to screw with our game balance?

I like how you scold them for wanting fewer options, and then restrict essentials material, thus giving them fewer options.

 

[On Puget Sound]

Although my main group's PCs were all built before Essentials, I did rebuild one player's paladin as a cavalier, and he likes it a lot better! The divine challenge/ divine sanction mess was a huge pain for him to keep track of; defender's aura made his PC much more playable.

In my second group (recently put on hold due to the birth of a larval gamer), all the options in the CB are available except setting-specific ones (e.g. no divine characters in dark sun, dragonmarks only in eberron). I've noticed no friction or imbalance from mixing. The goliath warden with the Maw of the Guardian execution axe is a bit overwhelming, but that's not the fault of essentials; I just need to create longer adventuring days so he can't use it in every fight.

 

[Jhaelen]

What do you do? Do you allow Essentials in your standard games?

Nothing from Essentials is currently allowed in our 4e Dark Sun campaign.

 

[GameOgre]

Nothing Core is used in our games. Frankly we do not own most of the books and who wants to pay tons of cash for books that are worthless without a binder full of Errata?

We are fine with less options and more fun on the cheap! We did have one player insist on playing a core class and since he had the books we let him. He went on and on about Mastering the system was better for two games then he changed to Essentials.

IMHO Core 4E is not worth playing for us,until they fix the books. Fix all the eratta and update everything and we would buy and play it right alongside our essentials.


We do use Rituals though so I guess I was wrong...some Core is used.Just not very much and only what was printed out from the DDI before I let my Sub laps.

 

[Bagpuss]

Current campaign I'm playing a thief everyone else is playing a pre-essentials class. The DM is still giving out free pre-Essentials Expertise with every weapon/implement you use at 5th level, and has banned getting the Essentials expertise feats until 5th level, after that you can buy one if you want but it doesn't stack with the free Weapon Expertise, so you basically would just be getting it for the little extras.

 

[jimmifett]

I allow my players anything they want as long as it fits the game world (Eberron) and they have some background, including 3pp stuff and homebrew, provided there is a copy at the table. One of my players rolled up the same char as a rogue and a thief. He chose to use the rogue.

My current players consist of:
Changeling Rogue Inquisitive (and semi retired Dark Lantern)
Half-elf Ardent
Human Warden of the Wood
Medusa Hunter

A future campaign I will be enforcing elves only for the race, but allowing any class (uprising and escape of the Xen'drik elves to Aerenal)

 

[Ajar]

The only Essentials books I own are Heroes of Shadow, the Rules Compendium, and the Monster Vault. If I was running a game and someone wanted to play an Essentials class, I'd certainly allow it, but I'm not likely to play an Essentials character in anything other than a one-shot or short scenario. I find them too limiting compared to normal 4E characters.

Of course, two of my three active characters are hybrids, and one of those is also multiclassed into a third class, so maybe I'm not a typical player...

 

[the Jester]

Mix and match at will.