Will the real 4E please stand up?

[Oni]

There has been a lot of debate about which version of dnd is the best version, and summarily a lot of differing opinions. For every direction a new edition takes the game, there plenty more paths untravelled. For some people 4E is the culmination of the game to this point, for other it is not. There are other games out there that are sort of "What if..." editions, like Pathfinder, Hackmaster, Castles & Crusades, et c. So my question is what do you consider to be the real spiritual successor of dnd today and what makes it scream dnd to you above and beyond anything else.

 

[Irda Ranger]

So my question is what do you consider to be the real spiritual successor of dnd today and what makes it scream dnd to you above and beyond anything else.

I guess that depends on which D&D it's the successor to, doesn't it?

I think 4E is the more polished younger sibling of 3E and true heir to the throne of BECMI.

 

[malraux]

I'm gonna define DnD as the game that people get together to pretend to be elves, and by that standard 4e is definitely the successor of that legacy. I think its also fair to say that something like pathfinder is the successor to 3e.

 

[Filcher]

I think 4E is the more polished younger sibling of 3E and true heir to the throne of BECMI.

All, hail!

 

[RefinedBean]

Well, I'm one of those young'uns whose first experience with D&D was 3.0...so the spiritual successor for that is probably Pathfinder.

I don't really pay attention to Pathfinder, though, so I say that without any knowledge. There's something about rage points for barbarians, and clerics and wizards get at-wills a lot...fighters get more feats? Probably?

Still, I might pick it up when it's released, I'm itching to see how they're fixing some of the "issues" with 3E, and if that'll in turn create MORE issues.

(just like 5E will do with the problems with 4E)

 

[Remathilis]

Well...

OD&D begot Basic, which begot BECMI, which begot Castles & Crusades

OD&D also begot AD&D1e, which begot AD&D2e, which begot two sons, Hackmaster and D&D3e

D&D3e begot D&Dv3.5 which begot D&D4e and Pathfinder

(D&D3e also had many illicit affairs, and begot Trued20, d20 Modern, SAGA, and plenty of lesser derivatives)

So it depends on what version you start with, you can trace them all back to OD&D, but some are a lot closer on the genealogical tree than others.

 

[Roman]

Well, I'm one of those young'uns whose first experience with D&D was 3.0...so the spiritual successor for that is probably Pathfinder.

I don't really pay attention to Pathfinder, though, so I say that without any knowledge. There's something about rage points for barbarians, and clerics and wizards get at-wills a lot...fighters get more feats? Probably?

You can download the free Beta version here: paizo.com - Store / By Company / P / Paizo Publishing, LLC / PathfinderTM / Pathfinder RPG

The open beta testing process is ongoing right now. Indeed, rage points, although part of the Beta version, seem to have been dumped from the final version due to playtester feedback - they will instead be replaced by always-on rage powers.

 

[RefinedBean]

You can download the free Beta version here: paizo.com - Store / By Company / P / Paizo Publishing, LLC / PathfinderTM / Pathfinder RPG

The open beta testing process is ongoing right now. Indeed, rage points, although part of the Beta version, seem to have been dumped from the final version due to playtester feedback - they will instead be replaced by always-on rage powers.

Appreciate that, buddy.

I semi-snarkily mentioned rage points because, of all the things I've heard from the Pathfinder beta, that just sounded the most idiotic. In my opinion, of course.

Is there going to be hardcore rage-point lover who'll flame me? It's ENworld...so just maybe!

Anyway, rage powers sounds much more fun, I'll have to read up on it a bit.

 

[Halivar]

<tongue-in-cheek>

It's like, 3rd Edition is "Return of the Jedi", 4th Edition is "The Phantom Menace", and Pathfinder is "The Ewok Adventure."

</tongue-in-cheek>

Spellfire is "The Star Wars Christmas Special."

 

[CleverNickName]

I think 4E is the more polished younger sibling of 3E and true heir to the throne of BECMI.

Treason! The throne of BECMI yields to no other edition! Long live King Bargle!