Ampersand for November - Incl preview of Weaponmaster fighter

[TerraDave]

I've got it, I guess.

Of course, we don't know all what will be in here...its just the first preview.

 

[OnlineDM]

Now that we're seeing the Essentials line fleshed out a little more, I think we can understand how Wizards of the Coast wants us to view it.

If you're an existing 4e player, the Essentials line is supposed to be viewed as new build options. For you, the PHB is still the authority and the original book (although yes, there have been lots of rules updates).

If you're not already a 4e player, the Essentials line is what you're intended to get instead of the PHB. For you, yes, Essentials does replace the original Player's Handbook.

Sure, they're trying to have it both ways (for YOU guys it's just new options, but for YOU guys it's sort of a new-ish edition), but I honestly don't mind. I think the Essentials stuff is well done, but I still feel totally comfortable playing my pre-Essentials characters.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Well, TD, it seems to me that this will be pretty much the fighter write-up. I mean if the goal is to make a write-up that describes the existing PHB1 FWT fighter, then there really isn't much wiggle room. They could certainly present a FEW tweaks, like the rogue getting 1/turn SA damage and a few things like that, maybe some text clarification here and there on things that were not worded super well or reformatting some stuff in power format like Compendium often does. It is pretty much exactly what I figured would come along eventually, all the parts of PHB1 that aren't already recapitulated in some form in Essentials. They can do a PHB2 and even 3 version if they want and eventually pretty much everything that is now in classic 4e ends up in Essentials format, which is kind of nice.

They COULD of course do rehashes of the Tempest and BRV fighter, etc. Honestly though MP will work fine with this new book if someone really wants to use it. OTOH BRV fighter really is a concept that overlaps a lot with Slayer and Barbarian already, so it really isn't the most critical sort of build to have at this point going forward. Tempest could be interesting but again it has a lot of overlap with other builds like ranger and whirling barbarian.

The best part is that Warlord will be there. That will be a good thing to see being carried forward.

 

[Klaus]

I guess technically Battlerager, Tempest and Brawler Fighters are Weaponmasters, unless one of those builds gets redone as a subclass.

Though one thing I wonder about that book, is will they split up the Warlord into 2 subclasses, both the classic one and something new.

No, those builds aren't "weaponmasters" as the two PH1 builds. Battleragers focus on invigorating (Con-based) powers, Tempests on "must be wielding two weapons" (Dex-based) powers and Brawlers on "must have a hand free" powers.

The PH1 builds had nothing to focus on except for their choice of weapons.

 

[Mirtek]

Yeah, essentials is totally not 4.5

 

[the Jester]

I guess technically Battlerager, Tempest and Brawler Fighters are Weaponmasters, unless one of those builds gets redone as a subclass.

No, battlerager, tempest and brawler fighters are battlerager, tempest and brawler fighters.

They don't need to reprint them for them to be usable. I have no idea where you seemingly got that idea.

 

[keterys]

Yeah, essentials is totally not 4.5

Exactly! Now that we know they didn't change _a single thing_ in that fighter preview. Not even the powers that _should have_ been changed, like Brute Strike, we know it's not.

Whee.

*was hoping for more change*

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Exactly! Now that we know they didn't change _a single thing_ in that fighter preview. Not even the powers that _should have_ been changed, like Brute Strike, we know it's not.

Whee.

*was hoping for more change*

Yeah, in a sense it would have been nice if they'd done a bit more tweaking on the older builds. Whatever though, keeping the older stuff in print is a worthy goal in and of itself.

 

[DracoSuave]

Yeah, in a sense it would have been nice if they'd done a bit more tweaking on the older builds. Whatever though, keeping the older stuff in print is a worthy goal in and of itself.

The older stuff's never gone out of print.

Also: The Tempest, Battlerager, Brawler, and Arena fighters are Weaponmasters with different Fighter Talents.

'Why didn't they preview that they're printing that?'

Cause seriously, they're not putting every build for every class in one book. That'd be a damn long book.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Never said they HAD gone out of print, but obviously including them in a new book that most certainly IS in print helps keep them in print. Anyway it is a nebulous term. Bill Slavicek stated that PHB1 was "not out of print" but that really is a totally meaningless statement. Any publisher at any given time MIGHT or MIGHT NOT order a reprint of a given work, all you can say is that such-and-such number of something has been printed and that such-and-such number are currently on order. If none are on order ATM then it is just as valid to say the work is "out of print". Since Bill actually said "we haven't ordered another printing" and certainly didn't say "we promise absolutely we will order another printing" (and such a promise would be empty anyway) the material certainly could be said to be out of print.

Anyway, reasonable interpretations of the in print/out of print status of PHB1 probably doesn't consider it out of print NOW, but since the book is largely obsolete and WotC claims to have a significant remaining inventory the chances of it remaining in print are not that high. This new book OTOH certain IS "in print" right now or soon will be, and it seems a LOT more likely that it will remain in print as an up-to-date book in the currently favored format vs an obsolescent one in a format that appears to be on its way out.

Thus I said it was nice that this material would remain in print. Obviously eventually every book in existence will cease to be published, but this material will at least get one more go around, and I like that.