4th edition-induced wonky-rules apathy

[Asmor]

Something I've noticed a couple times now is that I'll notice something that's fundamentally weird about the 3.x system, and start to formulate an idea of how I'd fix it... Which is something I've always done.

However, whereas before I'd try to come up with a good house rule, now I find myself stopping that mental thought process as soon as I notice it. "4th edition's coming soon," I think to myself, "what's the point?"

I kind of feel like someone's who knows he's getting a new car, or moving, so he lets the car/house go. What's the point in fixing it?

Anyone else feel this way?

 

[DaveMage]

I'm not going to switch to 4E, so take this with that understanding.

4E (compared to 3.5) will have extrememly reduced play options at the start. (By "play options", I mean race/class combos.) So if you're the type of player who uses features from a dozen different sourcebooks, chances are that what you're looking for in 4E will not be available for quite some time.

On the other hand, if the 3.5 core books are what you primarily use now, you might as well wait 7 months (or wait to hear the scoops from the preview books in 2 months).

 

[Asmor]

I'm not going to switch to 4E, so take this with that understanding.

4E (compared to 3.5) will have extrememly reduced play options at the start. (By "play options", I mean race/class combos.) So if you're the type of player who uses features from a dozen different sourcebooks, chances are that what you're looking for in 4E will not be available for quite some time.

On the other hand, if the 3.5 core books are what you primarily use now, you might as well wait 7 months (or wait to hear the scoops from the preview books in 2 months).

I'm well aware of that... I'm also missing the relevance to the topic at hand.

I'm sure I'll be in full house-ruling swing when I get my greedy mitts on that poor, unsuspecting 4ePHB

 

[DaveMage]

I'm well aware of that... I'm also missing the relevance to the topic at hand.

The relevance is, that you may want to go ahead and fix what you feel is broken if the areas you think are broken will not be covered in the initial release of 4E, as it may be some time before such areas are covered.

But if I missed you point - sorry for responding.

 

[Asmor]

Eh, a reboot's in order anyways... I'm almost assuredly switching to 4th edition, and so if I need any older material I'll just convert it on my own.

 

[Moggthegob]

Well I will likely not be converting for some time simply due to liking my options. So I am still house-ruling in full-bloom for a few things but for the most part after a few years of playing i have run out of things i feel need house-ruled...its kinda nice.

 

[Evilhalfling]

Boy right there with you - I have been feeling it since the weekend after gen-con
arguing here in the rules forum, coming up with new House rules, - eh -
I'll wait and see whats coming down the pipe.

this may be making me an easier DM - I just handwave more stuff rather than fix it.

I intend to try out some of 4th ed ideas, well before deciding if I will switch.
second wind and SW saga skills both appeal to me. Ill run both by my players at the begining of the next campaign.

I am taking at least Nov-Jan away from the DMs seat, so I will have alot more info to consider when I run again.

 

[Greg K]

I kind of feel like someone's who knows he's getting a new car, or moving, so he lets the car/house go. What's the point in fixing it?

Anyone else feel this way?

Not at all. I have no plans of switching as of this time as I have very little faith in the current WOTC in house design/development team to create a game that I want to run. Very little of WOTC's 3.x supplements have resonated with me or get used in the games that I run. More importantly, I have had negative reactions to TOB:Bo9S, MM V, Star Wars: Saga edition, Mearl's Iron Heroes (as opposed to his Book of Iron Might) as well as both the 4e previews and what has been revealed to date about the current design team's philosophy.

On the otherhand, I can get a game more to my liking by house ruling the current edition using Unearthed Arcana, third party material and my own ingenuity. A not complete list

Races
-environmental races (UA)
-half ogre (Savage Species)

Revised Classes
-cleric
-druid
-sorcerer

Class Variants:
- various from Unearthed Arcana (i.e., Barbarian hunter, Battle Sorcerer, cloistered cleric, Fighter Thug, Monk Fighting Styles, Martial Rogue*, Urban Ranger, Wilderness Rogue)
- Druid Shapechange* (PHB2):
- Spellless Paladin (Complete Champion)
- Spellless Ranger (Complete Champion)

- Paladin bard spell progression
- Ranger bard spell progression
- Ollave (a house variant for druid based on cloistered cleric)
- Swashbuckler (a house variant of the UA martial rogue)
- urban barbarian (house)

* default

Variant Class abilities:
- Favored Environment (UA)
- Specialist Wizard Abilities (UA)**

** mandatory for specialist wizards

New Classes:
-Knight (an OA Samurai variant from Hong's website)
-Psychic (Green Ronin's Psychic's Handbook)
-Martial Artist (Beyond Monks)
-Shaman (Green Ronin's Shaman's Handbook)
-Witch (Green Ronin's Witch's Handbook)

Feats:
-Combat Style Feats (Complete Warrior)
-Divine Feats (Complete Warrior and Complete Divine)
-Brawl, Combat MA, Defensive MA feat chains (d20 Modern) replacing standard unarmed feats

Skills
- City and wilderness skill substitution (Cityscape enhancement)
-expanded skills (Complete Adventurer)
-expanded wilderness skills (Masters of the Wild, Races of the Wild)

Combat
-class based defense
- Firing into a crowd (DMG)
-Maneuvers (Book of Iron Might)
- a mass damage threshold (UA)
-Effects/fatigue from hit point loss (Scrollworks)
-Death and Dying (UA)

Saving Throws
-Medium Saving throw

Magic
Alternate Systems
-Elements of Magic: Revised
-Elements of Magic: Mythic Earth
-Spell Points w/vitalzing (UA)
-Spontaneous Divine casting (UA)
-Revised Cleric domain spell lists incorporating spells from various books.

Psionics: Psychic's Handbook

Magic Item Creation
-Artificer's Handbook (Mystic Eye Games)
- Forge Ring variant (Sean K. Reynolds)
-Recharging Magic Items (Sean K. Reynolds)

Misc
Fewer Absolutes (Sean K. Reynolds)
Action Points (UA)
Experience
-Slower Advancement (DMG)
Poison
-Continuing damage (Sean K. Reynolds)
-Poison as Spell Descriptor (Sean K. Reynolds)
Training (DMG)
Weapon Groups (UA)
- new groups include ranger weapons and barbarian tribal/clan weapons,

 

[Geron Raveneye]

Not at all, quite the contrary...it's got me thinking on how some of the concepts of 4E can be simulated with 3E while using the current rules. Quite a fun experiment sometimes, and it's not too hard to do either in some places.

 

[MerricB]

However, whereas before I'd try to come up with a good house rule, now I find myself stopping that mental thought process as soon as I notice it. "4th edition's coming soon," I think to myself, "what's the point?"

Anyone else feel this way?

Hmm. I'm house ruling *more* now, and based on information I've got about 4e. Second Wind? Grabbed. (And my players love it!)

Cheers!