DRAGON #360 Art Gallery: Dryad

[Banshee16]

You deduced all of this from a drawing? Why is it "oversimplified" and how do you know that all non-combat abilities have been dumped?

I didn't deduce this from a drawing. I've seen several comments about this over the last few months. About them trying to break things down to their core roles, and focus them on such. Mike Mearls monster design column, etc.

This design seems to indicate reorienting the dryad to become more of a combat encounter.

Thus the basis for my concern.

I was always kind of annoyed by the "back to the dungeon" theme of 3E.....and it's almost sounding like 4E will focus on combat etc. even more.

Banshee

 

[Banshee16]

Trogs don't buy RPGs.

Cheers, -- N

Can troglodytes even read?

Banshee

 

[Wolfspider]

As an Ally, a dryad should provide a boon to certain types of characters (namely, those nature-focused characters like rangers), befriending them, giving them succor

So THAT is what they're calling it these days....

 

[ImperialParadox]

I'm growing weary of all the 'story' changes they seem to be making for 4th edition. I don't really see the point. If they needed a plant creature as an adversary, they would have been better off making up a new monster, or heck, even using and expanding on an existing one like the twig blights from Sunless Citadel. Changing what the dryad actually is seems a bit foolhardy and totally disregards its traditional role in D&D and ignores its actual basis in classical mythology. This seems to be another change for the sake of change, and frankly I find it troubling that they seem to feel they have a need to make every creature nothing more than sword-fodder for the PC's.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I'm growing weary of all the 'story' changes they seem to be making for 4th edition. I don't really see the point. If they needed a plant creature as an adversary, they would have been better off making up a new monster, or heck, even using and expanding on an existing one like the twig blights from Sunless Citadel. Changing what the dryad actually is seems a bit foolhardy and totally disregards its traditional role in D&D and ignores its actual basis in classical mythology. This seems to be another change for the sake of change, and frankly I find it troubling that they seem to feel they have a need to make every creature nothing more than sword-fodder for the PC's.

Welcome to the boards!

It should be noted, though, that there's no confirmation that they're replacing the normal dryad with this thing. Most of the designers seem to be talking as if it's not the "real" dryad, but some variant. Which would be the wise way to go, I think.

Though I agree with the concern that monsters may be reduced to being too narrowly focused on the combat encounter, it's always best to give them the chance to show me that I've got the wrong impression.

And in the spirit of double-fisting:

For your right:

For your left:

...now THAT'S good gamin'!

 

[ImperialParadox]

Welcome to the boards!

...

And in the spirit of double-fisting:

...

Cheers mate!

 

[Drammattex]

Frankly, a monster the players can stab is more useful to me than a monster they can't.

This looks a lot more stabbable than the "hot chick with nonviolent powers" dryad type.

Well said!
Also, it looks cool and scary, at least to me.

 

[Nifft]

I was always kind of annoyed by the "back to the dungeon" theme of 3E.....and it's almost sounding like 4E will focus on combat etc. even more.

Wasn't there a big deal made about some new social encounter mechanics in 4e? I seem to recall that there was.

Cheers, -- N

 

[frankthedm]

This is how Games-Workshop does their dryads as well

Wierd that D&D would follow them so closely.

Considering some of the other direct translations...

MM3
Goatfolk = Beastmen
Poison Dusk lizardfolk = Skinks
Blackscale lizardfolk = kroxigors

Mini handbook
Krithic = Tyranid gaunts

MM5
Blackfeather = Carrion

4E
Dryad

I'd say it is not weird at all.


And if i might enter Creepy Gamer mode...

Frankly, a monster the players can stab is more useful to me than a monster they can't.

This looks a lot more stabbable than the "hot chick with nonviolent powers" dryad type.

The blade will stab a lot easier into the hot chick rathar than this Entwife. Heck, I'd bet you could get the hot fey chick into four or five peices with the effort it takes to just kill this new dryad.

 

[Clavis]

So much of 4th edition strikes me as game designers trying to justify their jobs to Hasbro, that I'm not surprised at yet another completely unnecessary and boneheaded butchering of the game.

Of course, the redesign creates marketable intellectual property, taking the D&D dryad completely out of the realm of a mythological (and thus public-domain) figure.

Notice the ditching of public-domain figures like Gnomes in favor of WOTC intellectual property like Tieflings and Eladrins? At this point I wouldn't be surprised if characters could no longer wield plain old public-domain swords, but instead only used some new weapon with a lot of weird pointy bits on the blade.