"Not 4.5" is coming soon. Thoughts?

[MrMyth]

I love 4E, and I'll be picking up the Red box at least but the one thing that kind of bewilders me is that while I understand (and totallyagree with) putting out the ERB (essentials red box)- the rest of the line is confusing for someone midly informed like me, let alone new players & DMs.

Red Box
Books of classic races and classes
book of new(er) races and classes
rules compendium
DMs "kit"
Monster "kit"
Tile kit


One of the big complaints for new players, is the 3 hardback book syndrome- its not only rules overload, it's a BIG initial expense (for the DM). This looks to be another big initial expense (considering the red box only details a couple levels).

The sense I get is that a group will pool resources and get one copy of the Red Box, or that one person will get it and use it to get his friends into the game, or things like that.

Then, once they are ready to go beyond that, the players pick up whichever player book fits their character, and the DM picks up the DM's Kit and Monster Vault. More stuff can be acquired as needed. Not sure how vital it will be to pick up the Rules Compendium - if the Red Box covers the basics, it might just be a bonus, serving as a super glossary / FAQ on how everything comes together.

I don't think it is particularly worse than the current approach, especially since I understand the player's books are paperback, so have a $20 buy-in rather than $30.

If nothing else, a group of kids being able to chip in $3-4 each and pick up the Red Box, and try the game out, is going to be a great way to get people in the door.

 

[Camelot]

So, Trevor Kidd has stated that he would "liken" the crunchy bits in Essentials to new builds (see EN World news). He doesn't say they are new builds, and in fact seems to be going out of his way to be ambiguous. Is he just trying to say that they're new builds and I'm reading too much into it? Or is this confirmation that we're getting "new" classes?

(8o

 

[Mouseferatu]

One more time, because apparently some people are still jumping to conclusions...

Mike Mearls didn't say they were ditching dailies from the Essentials line. He said they discovered they could build certain classes or builds that didn't have dailies.

 

[Phaezen]

One more time, because apparently some people are still jumping to conclusions...

Mike Mearls didn't say they were ditching dailies from the Essentials line. He said they discovered they could build certain classes or builds that didn't have dailies.

But rampant unfounded speculation, while ignoring facts, is so much fun

 

[Scribble]

One more time, because apparently some people are still jumping to conclusions...

Mike Mearls didn't say they were ditching dailies from the Essentials line. He said they discovered they could build certain classes or builds that didn't have dailies.

But what else would we do on the internet without jumping to conclusions?

We'd be all awash in a sea of truthful fact checked information!


That would be weird and scary.

 

[Mika]

Wonder if we can multiclass PHB1 Fighter with Essentials Fighter or hybrid it.

That depends on whether they are separate classes or different builds of the same class.

If they are separate classes, then rules for hybriding or multiclassing are needed. If they are just builds of the same class, then either build can select powers meant for the other build, with some as yet unknown mechanic in place to give the "no dailies" version some sort of balancing edge.

As to why they might be separate classes -- remember the "Knight" reference on the Contenct Calendar? Maybe that is the name for this alternate class. If so, I suspect that the "Rogue" article may become a "Thief" article soon....

 

[Camelot]

To me, it's certain that a PH Fighter cannot multiclass with an Ess Fighter. They're going to have the same name, so whether or not they have completely different mechanics, they count as the same class. An Ess Fighter will probably be able to take PH Fighter powers and vice versa, they'll just introduce new ones in the Essentials books, just like powers in MP. Two fighters can have completely different features but have the same powers. And from that I derive that you cannot combine two of the same class in any way. Of course I can be wrong.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

My understanding of what I'm reading here is that the E-Fighter and the PHB1 Fighter will be in relation to each other as a Feylock is to a Starlock.

 

[Scribble]

My understanding of what I'm reading here is that the E-Fighter and the PHB1 Fighter will be in relation to each other as a Feylock is to a Starlock.

That would appear to be how it is.

 

[fanboy2000]

And that's how I've been reading it.