Ampersand: Debut and Exclusive Content (Assassin Class)

[Kirnon_Bhale]

Ever since I saw the cover for PH3 with the minotaur as a player race I was guessing Dragonlance. I am stoked by this (do kind of wish for Dark Sun still but we can't have everything. Loved playing Dragonlance as a child)

 

[I'm A Banana]

Why? Why does a new race or class belong in a hardcover rulebook? If you aren't a D&DI subscriber, but want the assassin or revenant, then just up for one month and get that issue.

I can understand wanting to have all the cool new crunchy stuff . . . but that's why I've always subscribed to Dragon both in print and online.

Yeah, in retrospect, this is just lingering resentment from the "minis come with exclusive feats and powers!" thing that was trotted out a while ago.

This just makes buying books less useful....which might be part of the idea.

It's not bad, it's just different, and that shouldn't worry me as much as it did when I first read it.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Honestly with the advent of DDI I am needing my books less and less. I am at the point now where just having a extremely easy to read/look up rule booklet and then DDI I be set.

Books themselves are becoming more just a side thing for the fun of reading. I don't actually use them for the actual gaming anymore.

 

[Nivenus]

No. And there are at least three obvious shadow strikers (the other two being ninja and shadowdancer), so dropping one of them into a D&Di exclusive isn't a problem with future development, either.

Explain to me why ninjas aren't just assassins with eastern-themed fluff.

It may just be me, but I find classes that base their entire existence on Western ideas of orientalism dull and boring. Why make a samurai when, as OotS points out, a paladin (or fighter) with the appropriate fluff works just as well?

 

[Cadfan]

Explain to me why ninjas aren't just assassins with eastern-themed fluff.

It may just be me, but I find classes that base their entire existence on Western ideas of orientalism dull and boring. Why make a samurai when, as OotS points out, a paladin (or fighter) with the appropriate fluff works just as well?

Explain to me why western assassins aren't just ninjas with western fluff?

We have, at the moment, a game with something like eight different types of mechanically distinct swords, including even the khopesh, and no katana. I'm not sure that orientalism is really what we should worry about.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Explain to me why ninjas aren't just assassins with eastern-themed fluff.

Archetype.

"Assassin" conjures up the image of the gentleman-mercenary, the dapper intellectual, the brilliant infiltrator well-dressed in black clothes who charges a high premium for his services in eliminating the wealthy and powerful. No lock can keep him out, and no guards will hear him coming. He slays kings.

"Ninja" conjures up the image of the illusionist-murderer, a creature of the night and magic, whose athletic prowess defines her skill, speed, and stealth, and whose supernatural powers render her a fearsome bogey, a night-terror for all who hear of those she slays in their sleep.

Mechanically, I'd say Assassin = INTELLIGENCE (Charisma/Dexterity), Ninja = DEXTERITY (Strength/Wisdom).

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

I'm really looking forward to the Psion preview. Imho, no D&D edition is complete without psionics, so it's about time!

Hmm. I would say, "No D&D edition has ever jumped the shark before psionics was released." 4th edition may be cutting it pretty close though if they are waiting till next year to release psionics.

 

[MadLordOfMilk]

'Possibilities beyond level 30', however, seriously sends shivers down my spine. I'm not even comfortable with the epic tier as is and still undecided if I'm really interested in ever playing in that level range. Now levels beyond 30? I don't think so. That would be a terrible idea.

It's only a panel at Gencon, it's not "up and coming content"...

High-Level D&D
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[fissionessence]

I'm a little surprised to see people not wanting exclusive DDI content. I mean, I think preview content is okay, but what I really want to get out of my DDI subscription is exclusive stuff that I'm not just going to buy again in book form. I'm okay with previews, as long as they never cut into the quantity of new and exclusive material.

The fact that they had to specifically call out the assassin and revenant as 'exclusive' made me a little sick, as I'd expect/want all DDI material to be exclusive, and I don't feel that DDI-only races and classes should be rare enough to raise a clamor. I mean, the coolness of a particular race or class should definitely be worth talking about, but not the 'exclusiveness' aspect.

~ fissionessence

 

[Piratecat]

I agree. I'm excited about exclusive ddi content. Gives me a reason to stay subscribed -- and I'll tell you, if you're a publisher, the constant and predictable income stream from a subscriber is far preferable to a maybe-I'll-buy-it-this-time book purchaser.