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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Neonchameleon" data-source="post: 5689095" data-attributes="member: 87792">To me the biggest difference is what the rules represent.In 3e the rules were there to set up the world.  In 4e the rules help everyone tell a story.A lot of 4e rules are built on "Holywood Physics" - if it's vaguely plausible and pretty cool the 4e rules support it.  3e is built on a much more "realistic" basis except for the spellcasters.  So a shotgun in 4e would knock someone backwards with the recoil because it's cool.  In 3e you'd apply Newton's Laws.  Which leaves the fighters stranded when the mages get to fly.Also 4e is patterned like a show - everyone has spotlight time and levels of powers.  At will/encounter/daily better translates to Default/Once per scene/Once per episode.  And fighters can keep going like Indiana Jones or John McClain without needing spellcasters to support them.  But there's a limit to even magical healing.The next difference is that 4e is balanced.  Vancian magic has gone (perversely it's easier to play characters from the Dying Earth wtihout it) and although Wizard daily powers are strong, so are e.g. Warlord dailies.  Which is another thing - non-magic users can heal - or rather can yell at people enough that they climb back onto their feet. Which might not be realistic but is cinematic.DMing is easier but different.  The monster only has combat powers on its statblock - give it the rituals it needs if a caster and the skills (or use the DCs for what the PCs want to do and ignore the skills) ad hoc.  It's telling a story not trying to simulate the world.  But there's no looking up spells between four books.  And other than major bosses the stats for monsters can be picked in minutes (or on occasion at the table) with no trouble at all.And use whatever fluff you like.  Most people who like to play martial classes will love you for the switch, most who like casters will find themselves limited as the martial characters are as effective and versatile as they are.Edit: Minions will take a bit of getting used to.  Basically with rare exceptions they are a way of getting monsters who are out of their league to contribute a little.  And their XP values are often too low if a wizard can just nuke them.</blockquote>

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