4e Annoyances for those who like 4e

[hailstop]

An interesting thread about what people like about 4e. But something that I think might be more interesting is what people, after playing for a year, find annoying about 4e...yet otherwise they love it.

1. Too many damage modifiers, especially conditional ones. Where previous editions had some situational modifiers for to-hit rolls, there weren't many modifiers on damage. Yet in 4e you have damage from your power as normal, but can also have additional damage from feats, items, powers, paragon paths...but are situational...and they can be either additional dice damage or just a +1 or +2.

 

[RangerWickett]

2. Power cards. I play the same character week after week, but my powers are still just a bit too complicated for me to simply write them on my sheet and remember them. I need these danged cards, which have meager graphic design.

I wish they'd put some sort of background pattern in the green/red/black bars for powers. Like some simple theme to match the class you get the power from. Make them more visually interesting than monochromatic bars.

 

[AverageCitizen]

2. Power cards. I play the same character week after week, but my powers are still just a bit too complicated for me to simply write them on my sheet and remember them. I need these danged cards, which have meager graphic design.

I wish they'd put some sort of background pattern in the green/red/black bars for powers. Like some simple theme to match the class you get the power from. Make them more visually interesting than monochromatic bars.

I've been meaning to print some attractive cards, and then get those card cases they use for magic. They come it all the colors we'd need, and make them a lot easier to use.

 

[Joseph Rossow]

3. Magic Items. My boots of spider-climbing should last more than 6 seconds (even if I complete two more encounters that day)! It's hard to consider anything "magical" with such regimented limitations of said items.

They should call items like this boots of letting you walk up a vertical surface that you could walk on using one regular move action unless you complete two encounters that day which may allow you to do it a second time. They call them boots of spider-climbing, because it makes the item seem cool, instead of being a total douche.

 

[Filcher]

I love the game, but the flavor text for powers? BLEAGH.

 

[ppaladin123]

Hmm...

Scrying rituals that last six to eighteen seconds and cost thirty thousand gold pieces.

The padded sumo effect (too many HP on monsters)....which leads to grind

Lack of recharge mechanism on encounter powers....which leads to grind

Death mechanic: negative bloodied or three failed saves in one encounter...not lethal enough...less danger leads to feelings of grind.

The myriad mechanically useful but boring items lacking in any flavor (this is changing as the edition matures).

Most of these are easily remedied with a few house rules (e.g. my group uses negative surge value for the death threshold).

4e is a rather innovative so I expected some hangups and ideas that didn't quite work as intended (e.g. skill challenges). I think 5e is going to be amazing if they focus on ironing out the bugs in the system.

 

[Ourph]

- I don't like the "have two/pick one" mechanic for Wizard's Daily and Utility spells. IMO, it makes the class more fiddly than it needs to be.

- I'm not thrilled with the recharge mechanics for Action Points.

 

[Doug McCrae]

The necessity of the battlegrid.

 

[JeffB]

1)The "noun verb" monster names- not all of them- but there are plenty that drive me nuts

2) Lack of quality WOTC adventures-whether DDI Dungeon, or printed.

Rule-wise

3) I think Skill Challenges are a mess- great idea (though not new per-se, at least to RPGs in general) but poor execution.

4) Rituals- Love them, BUT A) Not enough of them & B) too easily accessed by just taking a feat (for the non-casters)

5) Magic Items- love hate relationship for me- I do like the new variety-i.e. I enjoy the lack of SOS we have seen for 30+ years of D&D previous- but I'd like to see more artifacts or "legendary" items and a bit more meat on the standard items.

6) I do wish it was tied a bit less to the grid, though I have to admit this aspect has grown on me-combats are more interesting, but I'd still prefer less bookeeping (modifiers and such).

7) Monster Hit points are too high- The Rayvns Brutal 4E rules help (bbasically exploding dice/high crits for all weapons, and reducing monster HPs)

8) I don't get enough time to run/play the game-life is always getting in the way of my fun!

Overall though, most of my complaints are nitpicks-nothing is perfect and I enjoy the system more than any version of the game since Moldvay/Cook/Marsh surfaced.

 

[Wik]

1. the mechanical focus of the rules. While it may not be empirically true, I've found that players tend to look at mechanics first, and character second. And the game tends to reinforce that. At my table, at least.

2. On that note, the idea that if the rules say you can do it, you can, even if common sense would imply otherwise. the example here would be "I'm going to run two squares straight, and then jump at a right angle to get the bonus."

3. You can knock an enemy to zero hit points, and at that point say "hey, I only knock him out" without taking a penalty. Gah.

4. The ability focus of the game. "My main stat is strength, and secondary is wisdom...", put big points into those, and then put the rest of your points into either dexterity or intelligence so you don't have a crappy reflex score. Rounded out abilities only matter for feat purchases.

5. Too many magic items. And they all are generally flavourless and boring.

6. Criticals. they just seem boring. While there are powers that can trigger on a crit, they're generally poor choices for a feat.

7. The Economy. It's a game economy, not a simulationist economy. A Horse costs 300 GP (or whatever) not because that's what it would cost in the world, but because of level prereqs for said horse. And why Plate should be so damned cheap, simply so a 1st level paladin can afford it, annoys me. Also, while I'm on this, mounts are too expensive at any point of the game. Rules-As-Written, you can't really afford a mount of your level. Hunh?

8. No Spellthief. And there probably never will be. Sigh.

9. The game "feels" more like a comic book to me, than older editions. 3e had bits of this... I really wish the game had a "look" to it reminiscent of the 90s fantasy RPGs.

10. Too much magic! Everything is magical - even terrain effects.