10 ways to play 4th Edition now!

[Klaus]

Back during the launch of 3e, Dragon had a "10 Ways to play 3rd Edition now", which included stuff like removing class and level limits, AC going up instead of down, etc. So I thought of starting this thread, which can be expanded as we learn more of the new ruleset. This doesn't have to be precise rules, but rules that give you a feeling of 4th Edition, or help you adapt to the new paradigm of 4th Edition.

Feel free to add your own lists!

1 - Saving Throw modifiers -> static Defenses: Add 11 to your Saving Throws to get your Ref, Fort and Will defenses. Save DCs become attacks: subtract 10 from the DC and replace it with a d20 roll.

2 - Gray Elves are referred to as lesser eladrin, and are weaker forms of the Eladrins from the Monster Manual. High Elves take on the fluff from Wood Elves and replace Favored Class: Wizard with Favored Class: Ranger.

3 - Fighters are replaced with Warblades. Warblade levels count as Fighter levels for feat requirements.

4 - Remove the tiefling's Level Adjustment. Let tieflings take levels in the transitional class to Half-Fiend, found at wizards.com , archived under Savage Progressions.

5 - Add dragonborn (Races of the Dragon - dragonborn humans only, ignore fluff). Dragonborn can spend feats at 6th and 15th level to gain additional aspects (wing, heart and mind).

6 - When creating characters, choose you role first. Defenders include Warblade, Paladin, Duskblade. Controllers include Wizard and Druid. Strikers include Rogue, Ranger, Barbarian, Warlock and Monk. Leaders include Cleric, Marshall and Bard.

7 - Wizards can take Reserve feats as their bonus feats.

This is all I have for now.

 

[Nikosandros]

Shouldn't the stat adjustments for the "standard" races be changed?

Also, what is the effect of picking a role for your character?

 

[Emirikol]

Well, you could try to change every little stat thing you've heard so far, or go with the big ideas..

....big ideas........let's see, what are the big idea changes?......the more I think about it, there aren't a lot of big idea changes. Little stat changes aren't "big ideas." 99% of the changes seem purely cosmetic in my opinion.

Here's one I can think of: Wizards always have endless magic missile or burning hands and can cast it every other round if need be.

Help me think of more.

jh

 

[Commonblade]

Tripple HP at 1st.
Remove Negative Stat Modifiers.
Give Everyone a self Heal ala Saga.
Remove Darkvision.

 

[Mighty Veil]

No gnomes

If a player asks to play a gnome. Respond by acting like he said "dragonborn" or "tiefling".

Wouldn't you add 10 to a static saving throw?

 

[WarlockLord]

Psst. 7 (wizard bonus reserve feats) is already 3.x rules.

 

[Gloombunny]

Wouldn't you add 10 to a static saving throw?

The average of a 1d20 roll is 10.5, so it depends on whether you want to round up or down.

I'd say if you're trying to do this, you should ignore detailed stuff like stat adjustment changes and just hit the main points:
* Flip the saves to attacks.
* Use Bo9S classes for melee characters whenever possible. Not just "fighters are now warblades", but use multiclassing to get things like rangers with Tiger Claw maneuvers.
* Give every spellcaster a free reserve feat as soon as they're a high enough level to have one. (Most of them require 2nd-level spells, IIRC.) Or consider using recharge magic from UA, especially for sorcerers and other few-spells-known casters.
* Import the second wind rule from SWSE.

 

[HeinorNY]

Divide spells in 3 branches:
-at will
-per day
-spells that are used mainly out of combat, turn them into "rituals"

"At will" spells are those you think a character could cast at will without breaking the game too much. Those you think are too powerful to be at will in a combat, turn them into "per encounter", so characters need to rest 1 minute doing nothing (like sleeping for per day spells) to recharge them.

"Per day" are those really powerfull spells you don't want character casting all the time.

"Rituals" are spells characters just don't use in combat and they are useful in only a few situations.. They can be used at will, but casting time is long, 10 minutes? and may have some costly components.

These are for arcane spells.

 

[brislove]

add 1/2 char level to AC. to bring atk bonus more in line

there is a pretty basic system for doing the spell casting, just by inference from random articles.

no bonus spells for higher stat modifier. this doesn't work that well with sorcs.
Vancien slots are per-day spells, but gain no benefit from higher intelligence modifier. In theory specializing should be gone, but I'm not certain how well that would work this edition.

At-Will Spellcasting: upon gaining your first level of wizard you may choose 2 at-will spells. upon reaching third level and at each odd level after that up to 17th level. you may choose 1 addition at-will power, that may be from any spell level up to the highest level wizard spell you can cast.

Per-Encounter Spellcasting:upon gaining your first level of wizard you gain 1 per encounter spell. At 3rd level and each odd numbered level after that, up to 17th level, you gain 1 additional per-encounter spell per day, that may be from any spell level up to the highest level spell wizard you can cast.

For At-Will powers: only Single target damage spells are available. up to 1 level lower then the highest level spell you can cast. As are healing spells. (if you have trouble with players always being at full health, just max monster HD and it works out.) magic missile and other similar splicing effects still count as single target, since that is their primary use.

For Per-encounter Spells: summoning spells, buffs and debuffs measured in rounds or minutes (haste, slow, enlarge person), AoE damage spells (fireball), Walls.

For Per-day Spells: Buffs measured in 10minutes/level or hours/level. Save or Lose/die (glitterdust, stinking cloud, Finger of death ect.).

Save or Dies: knock the target to -9 and stable. But don't allow regeneration or any healing effect for 24 hours. except a heal spell or higher effect.

Spellcasters of all types suffer spell failure if and only if they are NOT proficient with the armor/shield.

save defenses equal 10+save modifier, spells are cast at d20+casting stat modifier+spell level+save DC modifier.

Leave negative stat adjustments for now. the game doesn't support that change very well without a lot of work from the DM changing the stats on all monsters with racial adjustments.

Remove Tiefling LA AND racial SLAs. since those are basically where they are getting that LA from.

Ban Alterself, polymorph, shapechange. (that doesn't have anything to do with 4e, but still lol.) if you leave these spells, they are per-day abilities.

Ritual Spells: Any long range teleportation and spells with 10 minute or higher casting time are usable at will, with a 1 hour recharge time. Rope trick is also a fair ritual spell.
+20 HP at level one.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

To avoid repeating myself (and others repeating themselves):
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=214238

Contains house rules to get closer to D&D 4, too. (Might get you more than 10 things, but if 10 don't feel enough...)


A simplified rule for removing iterative attacks (from what I wrote there - too many total rerolls):
- No more full round attacks, but change standard attacks to gain the benefits below.
- 1st iterative attack allows one reroll on a regular melee attack. Take the second result, even if it's worse.
- 2nd iterative attack as above, but take the better result.
- 3rd iterative allows one reroll per encounter. Take the second result, even if it's worse. Can also be used on an attack of oppertunity.
- 4th iterative allows one reroll per encounter. Take the better result. Can also be used on an attack of oppertunity.

Two Weapon Fighting/Rapid Shot (all penatlies for two-weapon fighting remain)
- First extra attack allows one reroll per attack, you must take the reroll result, and use the damage of the off-hand attack if reroll hits.
- Second extra attack allows one reroll per attack, but you can use the better result. (Use of reroll means using off-hand damage)
- Third extra attack allows reroll, take the most favourable combination (after rolling both attack and damage). Can also be used on an attack of oppertunity.
- Fourth extra attack: One extra reroll per encounter, using the most favourable combination of attack and damage. Can also be used on an attack of oppertunity.

Clarification: YOu get only a total of one reroll per attack (if it is for each attack), but how you can use it changes. Encounter-based reroll can be used in addition, but only once per encounter.