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If they can be cast at multiple levels, it could work a lot like SW Saga Force powers, only instead of having different levels of effect based on a Use the Force skill check, it's based on level.

Hmm. So spell level now seems to be directly tied to caster level. I wonder if this is part of the solution for multiclassing. Give multiclass characters partial caster levels for their nonspellcaster levels (like Bo9S get +1 martial level for every 2 non-martial class levels). Then allow...

Definitely. Compare it to going to a movie. If you see one movie a week, you've spent the same amount Besides, only a small minority of D&D players have spent that much. $3000 is about 100 books, and only the most die-hard gamer has that many products for a single game. I'd guess that the...

I doubt that they're going to keep the animal companions. They take too much time away from other players, and are difficult to account for in many situations. In a recent D&D podcast, someone (I think Mearls) talked about drastically changing the familiar, changing it into a class ability...

I might pick up a grand history of the realms, if it focuses more on ancient and near-modern history, and less on the "metaplot of the month" and novel events. I might pick up secrets of sarlona at some point. I'll buy tome of magic if I can find it for a good price, for the awesome fluff and...

That does seem to be one of the great playability goals: to make high level play as fun and easy to play as the low level "sweet spot". It's relatively easy to see the source of the problem too: when the designers created 3e, high level magic was a straighforward port of 2e magic, with changes...

If it's in, it'll work something like the shapechange alternate class ability in the PHB II. It's a LOT simpler, and much easier to keep balanced. If the druid as its currently conceived is out, it would be because it doesn't fit any of the roles well. It's essentially 1/2 controller and 1/2...

It's occurred to me that the design processes for each of the past couple editions have had different basic goals, leading to different ways of going about things. From 2e to 3e, the goal was to rationalize and standardize the D&D game. 2e was a jumbled mishmash of independent subsystems that...

A new Legends and Lore book, without god stats. A big book about the various gods, religions, legends, and beliefs, focusing on the priesthoods and the followers. The 3 religion books from 2nd edition were fantastic for this, and a 3rd edition one, with details on various earthly gods (Thor...

In the end of the interview with James Wyatt, he appeared very reluctant to say that the setup of every character having a role wouldn't change, as if they were currently working on extra possibilties that didn't quite fit into the 4 role conception. So if they started with 8 classes (2 per...

Lets do this the other way around, by trying to figure out which classes will not be in the PHB. It's reasonably certain that the new warlord class is going to be a part of the game, so we need to lose 4 of the PHB's 11 to get to 8. - Monk: Doesn't fit the western style fantasy game, and can be...

I believe it was said that the wizard's "per day" abilities account for 20% of his power. That still leaves a lot of space for spells that refresh "per encounter" and ones that are usable at will.

The only specific rules that I think need to stay are the ones that make D&D D&D, and even those can be tweaked to improve gameplay. One thing that no one has mentioned yet is spells that have discrete effects. As much as I like spontaneous magic systems like mage and ars magica, it just...

Not really. They're not even in the same market. They're completely different beasties. It's like asking whether a new novel line with combat a TV show. The DI might bring back some of the WoW players who are actually frustraded D&D players, the sort of people who can't find a D&D group and...

It depends on the game, but the reactions are more or less the same. With D&D, they might be more extreme because of the baggage surrounding the 3.5 debacle and years of 4e rumors. Of the recent edition changes: Mutants and Masterminds: Very well received, with a few very vocal opponents. Ars...

He used a great analogy from 3e to explain what they mean by "roles." In 3e, the cleric is the only character who's really good at healing. He's part of the archetypal 4-character adventuring party. If you don't have a cleric, a bard or druid could make do as the party's healer, but wouldn't...

:D There should also be an equivalent when talking about RPG art and saying it's too "anime".

c) a simple dispel magic spell grinds the game to a halt, as people calculate which buffs were dispelled, and then recalculate their characters' stats to accomodate. d) low duration buffs lead to the weird "go, go, go" style of play that Monte Cook once described, while long term buffs might as...

I'm curious about that myself. Obviously it'll have all sorts of 4e game mechanics - races, class options / prestige classes, regional feats, magic items, monsters, spells, stats for major NPCs. Maybe rules for mythals, portals, null and wild magic zones, and other realms-specific phenomena...

A designer was quoted as saying that each class has abilities that will be usable at will, per encounter, and per day. For wizards I suspect it'll work out like this: At will: something like eldrich blast or reserve feats (without needing the reserve), as well as possible defensive mage...