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

[ppaladin123]

On a related note, I was wondering why you made the decision to make the cleric the only leader represented in the books. Part of the idea of 4e (I thought) was to get away from the idea that there was only one healer (cleric) class and that somebody had to play it. I would have thought the warlord would be included to give another non-magical option for the "leader" role.

 

[mach1.9pants]

Aaargh damn XP system, another good point PP

 

[Aegeri]

One of the other classes may have become a leader while we weren't looking.

Scandalous.

 

[MerricB]

How will the powers for the new classes interact with the old? Will the "New" Fighter be able to take "Classic" fighter exploits and vice versa?

Cheers!

 

[Beginning of the End]

"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."

Upon further investigation I found several additional quotes at WotC's website to back-up what Mearls is saying here:

"Your core rulebooks should work very well with any support product that is post-Essentials, and vice versa."

"Q: Will existing characters be easily and instantly portable to Essentials rules?
A: Easily, yes. Instantly -- depends on what you want to do. [They] can be run right out of the original books with few or no changes necessary."

I stand corrected. This is clearly nothing like the move from 3.0 to 3.5.

Mod Edit: In case anyone missed it, the linked quotes supposedly "backing up" what mearls says are from 2003, and are not about the Essentials line.

Please don't misrepresent prior quotes from WotC (or anyone else), even for satirical purposes.
~Umbran

 

[King Nate]

"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."

If it only matters as much as I want them to, then why is it called Essentials? That name makes me think the products are absolutely necessary, meaning they matter a lot.

 

[Aegeri]

If it only matters as much as I want them to, then why is it called Essentials? That name makes me think the products are absolutely necessary, meaning they matter a lot.

They are, for new players and that's what they are being aimed at. It's supposed to be a "This is essential for playing DnD if you've not played before". The intention is to bring in new players.

What remains to be seen, though I'm a bit more optimistic than I was, as to what they do after essentials.

 

[FireLance]

If it only matters as much as I want them to, then why is it called Essentials? That name makes me think the products are absolutely necessary, meaning they matter a lot.

One word: marketing. (And it looks like it's working. )

 

[Runestar]

I suppose it would be too much to expect an all-daily-powers class some time in the future?

 

[FireLance]

One of the other classes may have become a leader while we weren't looking.

Well, the paladin effectively has leader as a secondary role. A new druid build could be a secondary role leader as well.