Hexmage-EN
Legend
I want to start off by saying that I prefer Fourth Edition. I started playing and DMing in 2005 with 3.5 and found Fourth Edition to be a welcome change. I've never played anything prior to 3.5, but I have read many people's opinions and experiences with previous editions.
A lot of people say that Fourth Edition is only Dungeons and Dragons in name only and that Pathfinder is its true successor. My question for those of you who hold this view is this: What do you think a Fourth Edition that retained the original spirit of the game would be like?
In my opinion, Fourth Edition is more of a reinvention of Dungeons and Dragons than the next step in its evolution. The designers weren't as concerned with further altering the system as they were with taking the general concepts of Dungeons and Dragons and making their own game, one that is more focused on the core "kill monsters and take their stuff" concept than the "simulationist fantasy world" experience. The website Critical Hits made the comment that Fourth Edition is similar to Marvel Comics' Ultimate series (a line that takes classic characters and reinvents them for modern audiences), and I agree with that. Fourth Edition's canon discards much of the traditional DnD lore (such as the origin of the Abyss and Demons), but also adapts other aspects of it. That also inclines me to believe that Fourth Edition should be viewed as an offshoot of DnD rather than its next step.
Pathfinder seems to be the most well-developed state of DnD's original form. Third Edition stayed relatively true to its roots, and Pathfinder has worked to fix some of the system's most egregious problems. The few new features it introduces continues the tradition of diverse subsystems for different classes (Combat Feats, Channeling for Clerics, Rage Points for Barbarians, Ki Pool for Monks, etc). Pathfinder's designers tout the system's reverse-compatibility with Third Edition material. Even if they hadn't held themselves to reverse-compatibility I wouldn't be surprised if their game had still come out relatively unchanged from 3.5.
It's difficult for me to imagine what a Fourth Edition that was not a rules-reset would be like. I'm not sure how the designers would be able to make enough beneficial changes to warrant a new edition without making any drastic changes to the age-old system. I'm a newcomer to the hobby, though, and I'd love to read any ideas for how Fourth Edition could have existed without being a rules-reset.
A lot of people say that Fourth Edition is only Dungeons and Dragons in name only and that Pathfinder is its true successor. My question for those of you who hold this view is this: What do you think a Fourth Edition that retained the original spirit of the game would be like?
In my opinion, Fourth Edition is more of a reinvention of Dungeons and Dragons than the next step in its evolution. The designers weren't as concerned with further altering the system as they were with taking the general concepts of Dungeons and Dragons and making their own game, one that is more focused on the core "kill monsters and take their stuff" concept than the "simulationist fantasy world" experience. The website Critical Hits made the comment that Fourth Edition is similar to Marvel Comics' Ultimate series (a line that takes classic characters and reinvents them for modern audiences), and I agree with that. Fourth Edition's canon discards much of the traditional DnD lore (such as the origin of the Abyss and Demons), but also adapts other aspects of it. That also inclines me to believe that Fourth Edition should be viewed as an offshoot of DnD rather than its next step.
Pathfinder seems to be the most well-developed state of DnD's original form. Third Edition stayed relatively true to its roots, and Pathfinder has worked to fix some of the system's most egregious problems. The few new features it introduces continues the tradition of diverse subsystems for different classes (Combat Feats, Channeling for Clerics, Rage Points for Barbarians, Ki Pool for Monks, etc). Pathfinder's designers tout the system's reverse-compatibility with Third Edition material. Even if they hadn't held themselves to reverse-compatibility I wouldn't be surprised if their game had still come out relatively unchanged from 3.5.
It's difficult for me to imagine what a Fourth Edition that was not a rules-reset would be like. I'm not sure how the designers would be able to make enough beneficial changes to warrant a new edition without making any drastic changes to the age-old system. I'm a newcomer to the hobby, though, and I'd love to read any ideas for how Fourth Edition could have existed without being a rules-reset.
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