D&D 4E 4E: The Biggest Changes in any D&D Edition Switch

[Bugaboo]

The biggest change: use of "crunch" and "fluff" in new edition polls.

 

[Filcher]

Once upon a time, elf and dwarf were classes and all weapons did 1d6 dmg. Jumping to race + class was a massive leap. How did our game ever survive?

 

[Vigilance]

Once upon a time, elf and dwarf were classes and all weapons did 1d6 dmg. Jumping to race + class was a massive leap. How did our game ever survive?

That was so anime.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Perceptions, at least on this self-selecting subset of a subset, appear to differ drastically.

I wonder why that is, that the most vocal people interested (or not) in the new edition think that it's a HUGE change, while WotC seems to be saying "It's not THAT big, guys!" in some places.

There are three groups of people -
1. Those who think 4e is a massive change and it's fantastic. AKA fanbois. Post in the 4e forum on ENWorld.
2. Those who think 4e is a massive change and it's terrible. AKA hatorz. Post in the 4e forum on ENWorld.
3. Those who think 4e isn't a massive change and consequently don't care strongly one way or another. Do not post in the 4e forum on ENWorld.

This is why the internet sucks. Only people with completely unreasonable opinions come here.

The answer to your question is that WotC are correct and the ENWorld 4e forum is wrong.

 

[Wystan]

Funny thing is I like the direction that 4E is taking but still like 3.5E where do I fall here?

 

[an_idol_mind]

Once upon a time, elf and dwarf were classes and all weapons did 1d6 dmg. Jumping to race + class was a massive leap. How did our game ever survive?

Huh? oD&D had race + class. Admittedly, most races could only take one or two classes, but it was there. It got stripped back in the Moldvay set.

 

[Mercule]

There are three groups of people -
1. Those who think 4e is a massive change and it's fantastic. AKA fanbois. Post in the 4e forum on ENWorld.
2. Those who think 4e is a massive change and it's terrible. AKA hatorz. Post in the 4e forum on ENWorld.
3. Those who think 4e isn't a massive change and consequently don't care strongly one way or another. Do not post in the 4e forum on ENWorld.

This is why the internet sucks. Only people with completely unreasonable opinions come here.

The answer to your question is that WotC are correct and the ENWorld 4e forum is wrong.

Some of us don't think it's a huge change, but I'm hoping that the changes that do come will be positive ones. Consequently, I'm excited and post in the 4e forum on ENWorld, but think group #1 and group #2 are both a bit... um... off kilter.

 

[Delta]

Well, those spells still exist in 4E. They just have different mechanics behind them. And I am sure these spells have changed since 1E, 2E, 3E and now 4E. Compare how Magic Missile works in 3E as opposed to the earlier versions.

Okay, that's an excellent example (fortunately I have all 3 sources available digitally). Comparing magic missile in 1E, 2E, 3E, all share the following:

- 1st level spell
- Evocation school
- Components V, S
- No saving throw
- Range similar in each case
- Number of missles 1 at 1st, 2 at 3rd, etc., up to 5
- Damage 1d4+1.
- Describes the effect as, quote in each case, magical energy which "dart forth from the character's fingertip and unerringly strikes its target."

Additionally, the most important fact that is that it sits within the overall Vancian system of preparing spells and magic, can be prepared a limited number of times per day, swapped out for other spells, discovered in a spellbook, etc. I don't see any substantial changes whatsoever. How many of these shared qualities from 1E->3E will be changed in the 4E version?

Now, multiply that across all 600 spells in the last version of D&D. That's how many changes 4E will be making in the magic system alone. It's safe to say that's unprecedented.

 

[Lanefan]

2e to 3e was, I think, the biggest "crunch" change so far; if only because most of the previous changes tended to happen piecemeal rather than in one big lump. 2e to 3e was a pretty major "fluff" change as well, if only in the change to the "look and feel" of the game (I'm looking at you, Eberron), but from what I've seen I think 3e to 4e will match it. That said, some of the 3e to 4e fluff changes - example being Points of Light - seem like welcome returns to much older setting designs. I only hope they leave lots and lots of blank spaces on the map for people to fill in on their own.

Lanefan

 

[MaelStorm]

@ Doug McCrae

We're not only in a black and world here at EN World, there are shades of gray too.