OD&D 4 me (April Fools)

[Rel]

Rel, you really should know better. This is not a 4E thread. I'm moving it to General.

Really, I don't have time to babysit you.

Um, boss, you'll note that I used the number "4" right in the thread title. I thought it was pretty obvious that this was an explanation of my going in a direction other than 4e and was thus relevant to that forum. As you say, you're pressed for time, so you probably didn't read it that closely. I'll slide it back over where it belongs. No hard feelings.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

As long as the DM is happy to restrict himself to the bank of pre-generated elements, prep time will be very quick indeed. And, in fact, 3.5e has the edge here, simply by virtue of that bank of pre-generated elements being so much bigger. The real test of 4e prep will come when DMs start advancing monsters, adding class levels and templates (or equivalent), and otherwise stepping off the beaten path. In which area there are big savings to be had, and to be fair to it, 4e is looking pretty good so far.

Here I have to disagree that 3E has a real advantage here. Maybe if I wanted to use the Mind Flayers of Thoom (sp) or a Hogboblin army (and in fact, I might want to do that), but what's with all the other monsters (especially humanoids)? 4E promises me I will get my "themed armies" the moment a monster appears in the book, I don't have to wait for a later book. And, as you say, it seems to provide me "faster" tools to add to them.

The real advantage are the existing adventures. Assuming I didn't already use all that adventures I was interested in in the first place (or am in the process of using them). And that I am not also interested in writing my own, or that easier stat-block creation means it will also be easy to re-use 3E adventures...

 

[delericho]

From what perspective?

In that you created an adventure out of pre-statted monsters, and it was really quick. You would have gotten exactly the same results in any edition of any game. (See also my own example of doing the same in 3.5e.)

To be honest, I am wrong. I created a stat-block, but I didn't use it. I wanted to add a Goblin Minion, but the adventure didn't get to that point. I think it took me 5 minutes to recombine some of the Goblin and Kobold Minion stats.

This, however, I find much more interesting. Creating custom monsters and NPCs is something that takes rather too long in 3e, and it is reassuring that it appears faster in 4e. (Where 'custom' in this case means "anything we don't already have stats for. As you note, the 4e MM will almost certainly include Goblin minions, and there are multitudes of 3e advanced Goblin stats out there, scattered amongst the thousands of pages of sourcebooks and adventures.)

 

[Plane Sailing]

Um, boss, you'll note that I used the number "4" right in the thread title. I thought it was pretty obvious that this was an explanation of my going in a direction other than 4e and was thus relevant to that forum. As you say, you're pressed for time, so you probably didn't read it that closely. I'll slide it back over where it belongs. No hard feelings.

Rel, what do you think you're doing?

This isn't going to go anywhere worthwhile, I'm locking this thread.

 

[delericho]

Here I have to disagree that 3E has a real advantage here. Maybe if I wanted to use the Mind Flayers of Thoom (sp) or a Hogboblin army (and in fact, I might want to do that), but what's with all the other monsters (especially humanoids)?

There are many thousands of stat-blocks in existence for 3e creatures and NPCs. When the 4e Monster Manual is released, there will be a few hundred for 4e. The advantage is pretty clearly with 3e at this time. I expect that will change.

The big problem with stat-blocks for many creatures is knowing where to find them. To get the stats for that Orcish army, you need "Sons of Gruumsh". For kobolds, "Crown of the Kobold King" is probably your best bet. Lizardfolk are in MM4, hobgoblins in MM5. So, finding all these things is a bit tricky.

4E promises me I will get my "themed armies" the moment a monster appears in the book, I don't have to wait for a later book. And, as you say, it seems to provide me "faster" tools to add to them.

If it truly is easier to advance and template monsters in 4e than has been the case in 3e, that will be a massive boon.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Um, boss, you'll note that I used the number "4" right in the thread title. I thought it was pretty obvious that this was an explanation of my going in a direction other than 4e and was thus relevant to that forum. As you say, you're pressed for time, so you probably didn't read it that closely. I'll slide it back over where it belongs. No hard feelings.

Rel, what do you think you're doing?

This isn't going to go anywhere worthwhile, I'm locking this thread.

Is it April 1st already?

 

[Dinkeldog]

Rel, what do you think you're doing?

This isn't going to go anywhere worthwhile, I'm locking this thread.

One might have thought an admin would know how to lock a thread by now. Still it saves me the trouble of unlocking it.

I've got every confidence that our posters here can handle a controversial topic without flying off the handle.

 

[el-remmen]

Rel, you really should know better. This is not a 4E thread. I'm moving it to General.

Really, I don't have time to babysit you.

Heh. Someone's jealous that they didn't get to that game with Gygax at GEN CON.

 

[Dinkeldog]

Is it April 1st already?

Not by my calendar. Still, it's a rainy day and a Monday, so... One more passive-aggressive post like that and I'll have to ask you to not post in this thread again. Please don't make me do that.

 

[Wystan]

Is it April 1st already?

What difference would that make, I see now that Rel is a Vocal Proponent of doing your own thing, so I will announce that I an going back to V&V (Villains and Vigilantes) D&D with SUPERPOWERS!!!!!