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A reason why 4E is not as popular as it could have been
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<blockquote data-quote="pawsplay" data-source="post: 5463969" data-attributes="member: 15538"><p>You're begging the question. I do not accept that these two things are equivalent and it is up to you to persuade me, if you are so inclined. </p><p></p><p>I am observing that in 3e, I can know my character's capability of defeating a 1st level orc warrior, or picking a secure but basically ordinary lock. In 4e, I know none of these things. An "ordinary orc" is probably scaled to my level. A secure but ordinary lock probably doesn't have a suggested DC; if it does, that's somewhat useful in an ordinary situation, but becomes irrelevant if the GM frames the scene as a skill challenge involving lock picking. </p><p></p><p>In 3e, my character's capabilities, at some level, relate to the imaginary world. In 4e, they primarily relate to the GM's chosen difficulty level. </p><p></p><p>Just as an example, upthread, I mentioned a balance check as part of getting into a castle, and gave an example of someone using an older version of D&D improvising an ability check. In 3e, most characters will face a somewhat quantifiable level of difficulty. Some characters would make such a Balance check each and every time. In 4e, the DC could vary wildly from a (shall we say) pedestrian difficulty to a fairly formidable difficulty if the GM decides it's part of a skill challenge. </p><p></p><p>Skill challenges are supposed to add drama, but since the GM sets every aspect of the difficulty, and the base DCs generally scale to level, it's actually a routlette game in disguise, with the GM setting house odds.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pawsplay, post: 5463969, member: 15538"] You're begging the question. I do not accept that these two things are equivalent and it is up to you to persuade me, if you are so inclined. I am observing that in 3e, I can know my character's capability of defeating a 1st level orc warrior, or picking a secure but basically ordinary lock. In 4e, I know none of these things. An "ordinary orc" is probably scaled to my level. A secure but ordinary lock probably doesn't have a suggested DC; if it does, that's somewhat useful in an ordinary situation, but becomes irrelevant if the GM frames the scene as a skill challenge involving lock picking. In 3e, my character's capabilities, at some level, relate to the imaginary world. In 4e, they primarily relate to the GM's chosen difficulty level. Just as an example, upthread, I mentioned a balance check as part of getting into a castle, and gave an example of someone using an older version of D&D improvising an ability check. In 3e, most characters will face a somewhat quantifiable level of difficulty. Some characters would make such a Balance check each and every time. In 4e, the DC could vary wildly from a (shall we say) pedestrian difficulty to a fairly formidable difficulty if the GM decides it's part of a skill challenge. Skill challenges are supposed to add drama, but since the GM sets every aspect of the difficulty, and the base DCs generally scale to level, it's actually a routlette game in disguise, with the GM setting house odds. [/QUOTE]
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A reason why 4E is not as popular as it could have been
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