D&D 4E 4E: New power sources, new resource management

[Kunimatyu]

Per-encounter design rocks. From what I've read so far, I think they might be using more of it in 4E.

I hope so. When you don't have per-encounter design, that leads you to design time-wasting encounters whose only purpose is to get the players to throw away resources. Per-encounter design prompts you to design fun, meaningful encounters all the way through, regardless of whether it's some bugbear guards or a dragon.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Younger players, nuthin. I'm 30, and I've hated the Vancian system since the Red Box. Still, I don't expect we'll be seeing a mana system in D&D 4E, due to bookkeeping issues. Personally, I'd be happy to put up with it, but I think that's probably the kind of thing they'll try to avoid in the core system.

Yeah, really. I'm twenty-bloody-nine and been playing AD&D/D&D since I was ten and I've never liked the Vancian stuff (not that I dislike Vance, it just doesn't feel very... "medieval fantasy") - it felt a bit off even when I was first introduced to it (probably because I'd already played computer games with mana or even free spells, and read books where spells took effort, not weird "memorization"). Per encounter would be neat, so long as it's well-handled, and some kind of mana-type system could be okay, but as you say, it would have to be low-book-keeping (i.e. no more complex than HP).

 

[Aus_Snow]

Good!

Did I say it was a bad thing?

Hey, I'm the one who very recently posted my ideal 4e as featuring Mike Mearls as the main Game Design credit type dude in the 4e PHB, with not a lot else in terms of details. Heh, and guess what just happened, most likely. . .

 

[Irda Ranger]

So from one of the previews, it was said that D&D 4E will have "new power sources" and "new resource management".

"New resource management" I get, but the meaning of "new power sources" eludes me. What are power sources in D&D 3e? Is the Wizard's class his power source? His spell book and components? I have no idea what this means.

Maybe they'll have Tokens like Iron Heroes? Possible, I guess, though I'd rather they didn't.

I expect per encounter casting, and that's a good thing. I dislike the current state of the Wizard and the Sorcerer. A Warlock who can cast hold his own with the Fighter and Cleric in a round to round basis, but also cast Wall of Stone or Rope Trick when necessary would be an awesome thing.

 

[Simplicity]

Red, blue and green bars. Stuff per encounter. 'Nuff said.

GREEN bars? I sincerely hope we aren't using a typical stamina pool system. Ugh.
Although, I suppose if you used a stamina pool for those per-encounter abilities, that
could be kind of interesting. My players would be doing a lot more adding and subtracting per combat though...

 

[Aus_Snow]

GREEN bars? I sincerely hope we aren't using a typical stamina pool system. Ugh.

Aw crap, I am so out of the loop on CGs. Seriously!

I thought it was XP, last I checked. Yeesh. What's that now, according to all those ankle-biters, eh? Grumble, grumble. Yellow? Purple? Feh.

 

[Simplicity]

"New resource management" I get, but the meaning of "new power sources" eludes me. What are power sources in D&D 3e? Is the Wizard's class his power source? His spell book and components? I have no idea what this means.

Maybe they'll have Tokens like Iron Heroes? Possible, I guess, though I'd rather they didn't.

I expect per encounter casting, and that's a good thing. I dislike the current state of the Wizard and the Sorcerer. A Warlock who can cast hold his own with the Fighter and Cleric in a round to round basis, but also cast Wall of Stone or Rope Trick when necessary would be an awesome thing.

I do wonder how a per-encounter system would translate to the computer realm, and I'm sure that must be on the minds of designers. For a real-time D&D game, do you have a cooldown timer for per-encounter abilities? The definition of "encounter" sure seems fuzzy at times.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

Heavy Bo9S influence? Increased focus on per-encounter mechanics? Both very good things in my opinion.

I'm not really big on the SAGA magic system. What I'd really like to see is some sort of fusion of Bo9S and recharge magic. Whether that's something we'll see I don't know but at the very least I'll probably roll whatever they do create for useful mechanics once it's out.

EDIT: To be more clear this example a certain number of ability slots ala Bo9S which can have any level of spell placed in them. Use within the encounter is on a recharge-like mechanic with higher level spells taking longer to recharge. And spells readied can be switched out with minimum fuss out of combat but not in combat.

 

[Kunimatyu]

Did I say it was a bad thing?

Hey, I'm the one who very recently posted my ideal 4e as featuring Mike Mearls as the main Game Design credit type dude in the 4e PHB, with not a lot else in terms of details. Heh, and guess what just happened, most likely. . .

It's incredibly exciting -- I really like all the changes I've heard about so far!

Not that I'm particularly worried, though -- if I don't like 4e, I'll play E6(go to the House Rules forum for details) until I can figure out some good tweaks for 4th. I'm really not worried, though...

 

[Simplicity]

Aw crap, I am so out of the loop on CGs. Seriously!

I thought it was XP, last I checked. Yeesh. What's that now, according to all those ankle-biters, eh? Grumble, grumble. Yellow? Purple? Feh.

Now it's either bubbles of purple or blue with purple bits in it for rested mode.
Oooooooooh. More XP if your players stay in a tavern.

Player 1: "Awww.. Do we have to go back to the Inn?"
DM: "Only if you want double XP. Besides. The Inn is where I keep all my mysterious strangers."