D&D 4E Are powers samey?

[Garthanos]

I played an 8 con rogue in 5e. Played fine.

Con is arguably twice as important in 5e as 4e but only in combat and physical things The Dex is an uberstat and a rogues meat probably doesn't hurt to a degree.

Yes - because fights were so finely tuned you really had to try and ink out every advantage possible.

How much a DM challenges and forces that is way too variable for that to be entirely true but its definitely more tuned than 5e because levels are more meaningful. And even that +1 to hit on the charge which was scoffed at was potentially handy.

In 5e I have to be 4 levels for that degree of distinction.

 

[Garthanos]

I suppose explicitly stating this would help: Classes can play differently and still be samey

Not to me.

 

[Garthanos]

I loved playing 4e but haven't in years so my memory is rusty, but I recall the classes at the table playing very differently. The issue I always had (some didn't but I did) was that I could never tell how they played differently until I actually got to the table - and then it would be a wow of a difference.

Role distinctions often didnt explain it completely at all did they. Different approaches to roles had differences. I liked the Avenger for its I never miss because the divine guides my hand meme for instance. Flavorful distinction.

 

[FrogReaver]

Role distinctions often didnt explain it completely at all did they. Different approaches to roles had differences. I liked the Avenger for its I never miss because the divine guides my hand meme for instance. Flavorful distinction.

That disctinction wasn't found in the powers though - right? It was in the class mechanics itself.

 

[Garthanos]

So if the tricks can be different each time - why can't you use that trick more than once a fight?

that was what I meant by functional simplicity and why I mentioned being able to page 42 repeats. They obviously needed to be different when applied to dramatically different enemies though its a less common phenomena to need to trick a cow into attacking than a Sword master and his retinue who probably All get the idea of your being inclined to faking out being vulnerable or that you arent likely to be vulnerable after you did it once.

That disctinction wasn't found in the powers though - right? It was in the class mechanics itself.

Some depended on class powers. The wizard had arguably too much of it in his powers too little in class features. There is another difference between the classes. For instance any fighter might take a thp granting power but battlerager fighter gettin thp from a power reinforced his class feature effect of being more stikerly by being tougher at the same time.

 

[Garthanos]

So if the tricks can be different each time - why can't you use that trick more than once a fight?

Pointing out with a different case say the Druids description I mentioned above.
The exception is something you have DMs for in my opinion if you have a druid and we decide to describe it as the scene has to purify. We could allow a scene change in middle of the battle (I do think that is a lot of fun highly recommend you fell in the underground river sweeping to a new location) so hey the druid can repeat it if its very reasonable you are immediately followed or treat the new scene as a new encounter with new enemies who just arrived and everyone gets their encounters back.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

I think I'm going to bow out. This thread is making itch to rewrite 4e, and I know I don't have time for that right now. Nice chatting with y'all.

 

[Garthanos]

5e gives me nothing to picture like encounter powers their 1 hour short rest ie milestone isn't even ballpark even if one could improve the 4e and I didnt say you couldn't which is the other reason i brought up those flavors of reasons why this is an encounter definitions ie they could be made more definite instead of diaphanous with tweaks for detail if you are into it

 

[Garthanos]

Make how a power is an encounter with explicit rules if that floats your boat its broad effect will be the same and none of its competing with daily resources in 4e land.

 

[Minigiant]

That disctinction wasn't found in the powers though - right? It was in the class mechanics itself.

For strikers, defenders, and leaders, yeh.

Controllers mostly fulfilled their role solely with power choice.

That's how you get the "everyone looks the same enough you role initiative" thing happened.

Boy do I wish that 5e clerics weren't just Laser Clerics and Heavy Clerics. I would have loved for Clerics to have absorbed 4e Avenger and Invoker into a domain or three. Or at least as aspects of the paladin.