Will the real 4E please stand up?

[Nikosandros]

I like 4e even though my experience with it is still a bit limited. It's a very well design game and to me (personal opinion, I realize that a great deal many people vehemently disagree) it feels like a radical departure from D&D. 3.x was also in practice very different from previous editions, but it had a facade of similarity.

For me, the true successor is my house ruled version of AD&D that I recently used to run B2 and I will soon use in two PBM games. This doesn't prevent me from enjoying 4e and running two weekly face to face games at the moment.

 

[JeffB]

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

I'll go with that.


For my tastes, C&C is a whole lot more "D&D" than 3E is-in spirit at least.

 

[Filcher]

I need to spend my rage points on something. Who wants some?

 

[Drowbane]

Pathfinder

It aspires to fixing the flaws of 3e without completely giving up the game to "complete gamist crap".

 

[Aus_Snow]

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.

Castles & Crusades, to answer the first question. The absolute D&D-ness of it (sorry, that'll have to do), and the fact that the last 'D&D' material Gary Gygax (R.I.P.) wrote was for C&C, if I'm not mistaken, to answer the second.

For instance, these books.

 

[billd91]

I'd go with Pathfinder, personally. I think it's a closer relation on the family tree to 3e. 4e belongs in a different branch, he's a cousin.

 

[Irda Ranger]

Castles & Crusades, to answer the first question.

I have the C&C Core books and was really excited about them, but there is one reason I did not list it as the "true" D&D to me. While it's much closer to D&D's roots than 4E, I associate D&D with "having fun", and (not to be mean) I stopped having fun playing second fiddle to the wizard a loooong time ago. I think C&C missed a real opportunity to think about what how the classes should be balanced against each other. Oh well.

For me, the true successor is my house ruled version of AD&D that I recently used to run B2

I'm currently using a house ruled version of 4E to run B2. The "Standard Adventurer's Kit" comes with 10' poles, not sunrods, there are 0th level human mercenaries in town looking for work, and many of the bad guys are Chaotic.

I call it "Castles & Crusades with balanced classes."

 

[Campbell]

Does it really matter? Do we really need one true successor or game? *Hi Diaglo* As far as I'm concerned all the games born out of OD&D's lineage cater to different audiences and have different flaws and virtues. I honestly think the "Is this real D&D ?" question is largely irrellevent. The better question is "Does this game fit my needs for the sort of game I'm going to run or play in?".

 

[Dragonhelm]

Does it really matter? Do we really need one true successor or game? *Hi Diaglo* As far as I'm concerned all the games born out of OD&D's lineage cater to different audiences and have different flaws and virtues. I honestly think the "Is this real D&D ?" question is largely irrellevent. The better question is "Does this game fit my needs for the sort of game I'm going to run or play in?".

Amen. We all define D&D differently, so any number of responses are possible. D&D has many "heirs," but they're not looking to get the inheritence. Instead, they're all making a name for themselves.

Personally, I like a little something from all of D&D's heirs. C&C is definitely cool old school feel with super-easy rules. Feels like AD&D to me. Pathfinder pays homage to classic campaign settings and modules, and has a fresh look on classic D&D elements. Notice that their halflings have hairy feet?

In the end, a game system is a tool. Find the one that best fits the play style of you and your group. Most of all, enjoy!

 

[Corsair]

Spellfire is "The Star Wars Christmas Special."

I hold a special place in my heart for my Spellfire cards. Probably my first introduction to true buyer's remorse.