30 Levels

[Brennin Magalus]

I hope that a 20th level 3.5 character is approximately equal to a 30th level 4.0 character, so that advancement is simply happening in smaller steps. I have no interest in increasing the power level similar to the current epic system, it's just not the style of gaming I look for in D&D.

I agree.

 

[Grog]

I hope that a 20th level 3.5 character is approximately equal to a 30th level 4.0 character, so that advancement is simply happening in smaller steps. I have no interest in increasing the power level similar to the current epic system, it's just not the style of gaming I look for in D&D.

So just stop your campaigns at 20th level. Problem solved.

 

[A'koss]

IMO, this is one of the smartest things they did for the new edition.

By developing Epic Level rules right at the outset, they have saved themselves all kinds of headaches down the line. Now they can build the game from the ground up to accomodate these them - perfect. This is something that I remember discussing with Andy Collins at length on his boards a couple of years back and how the core rules hamstrung extending it out further (for a number of reasons). 3e simply was not designed to go beyond 20 levels (and it's seams were already coming undone at 15+ level) so the ELH ended up being cludgy in many areas. My only concern now is getting player enough options in a core book to accomodate all those levels...

 

[Agamon]

I believe Dave told us we should recreate/reimagine our 3E PCs, because directly converting them would be too difficult. This 30 level thing is probably one of the reasons why.

mhensley, that wasn't just funny, it was perfect satire, IMO.

 

[F4NBOY]

Video game comparisons are becoming more common about this edition. Hmm, I wonder if PVP will be encouraged?

LOL.
If they really use the IH combat zones, I hope they make some PVP combat zones too!

 

[I'm A Banana]

I hope that a 20th level 3.5 character is approximately equal to a 30th level 4.0 character, so that advancement is simply happening in smaller steps. I have no interest in increasing the power level similar to the current epic system, it's just not the style of gaming I look for in D&D.

I think this will be broadly true.

I think you'll see the middle padded out a bit more, with more treats being thrown at the players.

An increase in quantity, not an increase in power.

EXACTLY as I did YEARS ago in FFZ.

(this is my prediction only)

 

[broghammerj]

I hope (against all odds) we don't have 8 more months of accelerated cries of "munchkin", "videogamey", "roll-playing", etc. about every other change in this new edition. That will be a hard lead-in to actual 4e. It was silly enough before.

Is that from us players complaining about the changes or the DND R+D staff hyping the new "features"?

 

[Digital M@]

I hope the opposite. For ease of converting back and forth, I would want 4e and 3e levels, from 1-20 anyway, to be roughly equivalent.

You said you were not buying it anyway


I would also like to see very little difference in level 20 3E vs lvl 30 4E. I have never played the top 4 levels and would not mind getting a few more level that still had growth but kept your uber abilities down to a minimum.

 

[Dire Bare]

At any rate, if memory serves, my black box Basic D&D "Master" set (coincidentally ALSO released in 1984) went up to level 36, so I don't see how 30 levels is some sort of new-fangled heresy.

What?!?! 36 levels?? You mean that 4e is cheating us out of the last six levels of advancement!? The bastards!

 

[Korgoth]

Losing the upper end of the curve, means Elminster, Szass Tam, Halaster, Mordenkainen, Bigby and their friends just have lost a massive amount of power...

This is sounding better all the time. You mean the Mary Sues lose demigod status and the PCs can actually be relevant? Cool!

I know that at least one person was running FR with Mentzer D&D (the one that goes to 36), so all the Level 20 Ultracrats went from being able to cast "Improved Script Immunity" to not even being able to cast Wish.

That's a Good Thing (tm) where I come from.