4e: big change in essentials: no more daily powers!

[Morrus]

Before this becomes some internet meme it's worth emphasizing heavily this is not what is happening.

Heh - it's funny how they say it, and then repeat it, and then finish with an example of how it's not that. It's almost like they've gotten used to the idea of people completely misreporting stuff on the intrawebs!

 

[Aegeri]

Heh - it's funny how they say it, and then repeat it, and then finish with an example of how it's not that. It's almost like they've gotten used to the idea of people completely misreporting stuff on the intrawebs!

Yeah, what they're doing is still pretty different though and pretty confusing as well. Emphasizing that they are not making older material irrelevant is very important.

 

[Morrus]

So, am I the only one that liked uniform mechanics such every class having the at-will/encounter/daily system?

I'm not a fan of the uniformity. I like classes to feel - and work - completely differently. But it's just a taste thing.

 

[Aegeri]

I don't mind them mixing up mechanics now and I actually think it's a good idea. So long as they have learned the mistakes they made when they created the psionic classes we might be in for some neat new ideas.

 

[Beginning of the End]

*Developers have eliminated daily powers in Essentials version of some classes and simplified many encounter mechanics.

Dang. I was really hoping this wasn't going to be 4.5.

I get that they're really, stridently insisting that this isn't the case. But changing the rules for PHB classes was arguably the most significant "this isn't compatible" change from 3.0 to 3.5. Even if there were plenty of people who kept playing their 3.0 rangers under the new ruleset.

 

[mach1.9pants]

I'm not a fan of the uniformity. I like classes to feel - and work - completely differently. But it's just a taste thing.

It may be a taste thing but it was also the DnD way, especially with the plethora of classes with 3rd. Until the 4E anyway.

Obviously it used to be not just classes that operated differently, everything used to. Which became more uniform over time ending in 4.0E, which is a logical progression I guess. But a lot of us think they went to far and it seems they think so too. So we have essentials which (although aim at beginers in one way also aim at more old school in another) increase complexity/optons in classes. Will we see Advanced 4E offering even more? A Wizard subclass that only uses dailies? A Fighter that only uses at wills? That would be great IMO, making 4E offer a full spectrum of class options.


Doubt it though.

 

[mearls]

Dang. I was really hoping this wasn't going to be 4.5.

"If you’re already playing a Dungeons & Dragons game, there’s one very important thing to remember—the Essentials products matter only as much as you want them to. We very carefully designed the new classes and added more options to the races in such a way that existing characters remain unchanged."

 

[mach1.9pants]

"If you’re already playing a Dungeons & Dragons game, there’s one very important thing to remember—the Essentials products matter only as much as you want them to. We very carefully designed the new classes and added more options to the races in such a way that existing characters remain unchanged."

Make it your sig, there is going to be a lot of this on the net LOL

It is more like 4E+ or Advanced 4E from that article.

 

[ppaladin123]

"If you’re already playing a Dungeons & Dragons game, there’s one very important thing to remember—the Essentials products matter only as much as you want them to. We very carefully designed the new classes and added more options to the races in such a way that existing characters remain unchanged."

Mr. Mearls,

I assume you are pretty much happy with the way races and classes are set up in the PHB III. Will the classes and races in PHBI&II not covered in these products (e.g. the deva, the warlord, the barbarian) also get the "essentials," treatment at some point though? It's great that there will be kits/sub-classes available for some classes (especially paladins and warlocks who need alternate class features badly!) but players of the other classes might feel left out in the cold.

On other question: Going forward, will Dragon support both essentials and original versions of classes in articles or are the original versions basically considered complete at this point?

 

[Aegeri]

Dang. I was really hoping this wasn't going to be 4.5.

I get that they're really, stridently insisting that this isn't the case. But changing the rules for PHB classes was arguably the most significant "this isn't compatible" change from 3.0 to 3.5. Even if there were plenty of people who kept playing their 3.0 rangers under the new ruleset.

It isn't, because this in no way makes the PHB classes obsolete in any respect or manner at all. A fighter built using the PHB is still as functional in the rules as the essentials fighter. Mike Mearls wrote this over on the official forums:

This is something worth pointing out - the Essentials doesn't change anything that you like about 4e.

I don't want to say too much, since we have more preview articles coming out, but if you decide you don't like anything in the Essentials you'll still have plenty of new books, interesting options, and so forth to look forward to.

To pull the key sentences from the article:

"If you’re already playing a Dungeons & Dragons game, there’s one very important thing to remember—the Essentials products matter only as much as you want them to. We very carefully designed the new classes and added more options to the races in such a way that existing characters remain unchanged."

It was critically important throughout the design process to make sure that the above statement was true.

Also they made it very clear in the essentials article that it was fully compatible with what has come before.

Edit: He has beaten me to the punch! You win this time Mr. Mearls, but I will get you next time and your little dog too!