D&D 4E A theory regarding 4e

[hopeless]

Pardon me for this but from what I have been reading I have been wondering about this;

I suspect 4e was initially intended to be about campaign settings.

This first option sounds like its meant to highlight this so-called "Point of Light" concept, the Faerun setting intended to be released in August sounds more and more like an optional extra intended to make use of the first set of 3 core rulebooks.

Perhaps they're right and this version of 4e will highlight a new area of Faerun namely to explain the presense of both the Tieflings and their opposites the Dragonborn.

The following year the next 3 core rulebooks will highlight the Faerun currently known about in 3e with the following August will appear the 4e Eberron highlight in time for the following year when the next 3 core rulebooks highlight the core of what is known of Eberron under 3.5.

Sorry if I'm being obscure but for the changes in 4e to truly come about they have to be inventive about HOW it changed so what might be coming is to explain what truly causes the changes in Faerun rather than JUST changing the Forgotten Realms so dramatically so what MIGHT come in August next year will explain in a series of adventures why events have changed the realms so badly more importantly why there ARE no gnomes in the area they're planning on revealing rather than the core of the Realms previously explored.

This might be horribly wrong but it does provide a gem of what might be revealed and I'd like your point of view no matter whether you agree or not I'd like to discuss this possibility especially as come January we should finally know how far advanced 4e Faerun is being planned for.

Take care and all the best!

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

Perhaps they're right and this version of 4e will highlight a new area of Faerun namely to explain the presense of both the Tieflings and their opposites the Dragonborn.

I really doubt this. From everything I've read that there will be two FR campaign setting books: a DM one and a players one. They will describe the same world we already know with the changes for 4e.

From everything I've been able to tell it is very likely that there may be a combination of rewriting history or just using an alternate world theory to explain the changes. I figure that there are 2 versions of the world being held apart by magic. Mystra dies then both worlds collide together and large areas of the world become the alternate versions of those areas rather then the ones we knew before.

Therefore, say, Sembia (probably not, but I'm just picking a country) will cease to exist and will instead be replaced with Sembia-2 where there was an ancient empire of Dragonborn and the ruins of their cities still dot the land.

Then 100 years passes for everyone in FR to get used to the changes so that we aren't playing in a world where everyone is afraid or completely confused by the appearance of the new race. Most humans now have lived with their existence all their lives. Plus, a number of people in the world would have been from the alternate world as well and remember Dragonborn existing for thousands and thousands of years.

 

[hopeless]

A Century ahead

Therefore, say, Sembia (probably not, but I'm just picking a country) will cease to exist and will instead be replaced with Sembia-2 where there was an ancient empire of Dragonborn and the ruins of their cities still dot the land.

A good possibility, but this also renders every supplement up to this point virtually worthless perhaps they might think it would make these new series sell better but it has an even greater chance of driving away the very customer base that serves as their current support base and thts something they should be very wary of.

Then 100 years passes for everyone in FR to get used to the changes so that we aren't playing in a world where everyone is afraid or completely confused by the appearance of the new race. Most humans now have lived with their existence all their lives. Plus, a number of people in the world would have been from the alternate world as well and remember Dragonborn existing for thousands and thousands of years.

I actually like the idea of moving it a century ahead however it will be interesting to see where this leads and I really am hoping they find a way not to alienate their existing customers, so far I'm more inclined towards 3.75 but there's still hope and thats something worth waiting for.

Take care and all the best!

 

[monboesen]

Well I suspect that 4E initially was, still is, and always will be about...

-selling books to make money
-selling miniatures to make money
-attract new players to the game
-attempt to correct what customer surveys told that the majority of players found problematic about 3E and 3,5E
-attempt to correct what their game designers found problematic about 3E and 3,5E


At least thats some of the issues I would be considering, if I where a big company trying to make a profit by selling this game.

 

[hopeless]

Yes

Well I suspect that 4E initially was, still is, and always will be about...

-selling books to make money
-selling miniatures to make money
-attract new players to the game
-attempt to correct what customer surveys told that the majority of players found problematic about 3E and 3,5E
-attempt to correct what their game designers found problematic about 3E and 3,5E


At least thats some of the reasons I would be worrying about if I was a company trying to make my living from selling this game.

But whilst I'd understand if they added Tieflings to make space in the 4e faerun campaign book but there is no reason for adding dragonborn and there hasn't been any attempt to explain the removal of gnomes when they could have just said it would be released next year in preparation for 4e eberron where gnomes are far more important.
So far there attempts to promote 4e has been well abysmal which is rather shocking considering the best attempt so far has been James Wyatt's Greenbriar campaign setting mostly as he includes silverymoon as being nearby something I consider a good sign.

Still the one good piece of news from that podcast is that next month we should find out whats going on with Faerun however brief.

Take care and all the best!

 

[TerraDave]

2nd edition was about campaing settings.

4th edition won't come close. Not even. (and of course FR really exploded--for bad, good, and more bad--in the 2nd ed era).

But they have got to get changes to core to mesh up enough with FR to release it, as it is almost certainly their best selling campaing setting, or more importantly, some of their best selling product.

So, as with 2nd ed (there it is again), they blew it up to do so. Its getting almost as bad as Dragonlance.

But it is just a part of 4thed, I am sure it was never what "4thed was about".

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

But whilst I'd understand if they added Tieflings to make space in the 4e faerun campaign book but there is no reason for adding dragonborn and there hasn't been any attempt to explain the removal of gnomes

They've explained this fairly well I think. Gnomes don't have an interesting an unique flavor that adds something cool to being an adventurer. Every other race has some cool flavor to them:

Humans: We are all humans so they hold appeal to us.
Dwarves: Live underground, like gold, sour, tough as nails, got beards, drink a lot of ale.
Elves: Live in the forest, are one with nature, good with a bow, great eye sight.
Halflings: They were kind of lacking in flavor before, but the new versions move from place to place gathering information, stealing things, selling them elsewhere. They are nimble and get along with people.
Tiefling: They are part demon, they get powers of demons. They have to deal with the evil that runs through them.
Dragonborn: People like dragons. The ability to get a breath weapon and wings is pretty cool. Noble, honorable, strong, disciplined.

Gnomes: They live underground...like dwarves, they are short and often bearded...like dwarves, they are tough...like dwarves, they have the ability to talk to burrowing animals...which isn't very useful in combat or on 95% of adventures, they like to use illusions...which are typically some of the least powerful abilities in the game, and they like to play tricks on people....which tends to annoy DMs and other players alike when trying to do serious roleplaying or even when trying to get something done during a session.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I agree with monboesen, it is really about selling books. 3e had some problems, the Christmas tree, problematic LA/CR and endlessly changing polymorph rules but the biggest issue is that there was not much more books to sell. The world was saturated in feats, spells and PrCs. Extending the range of the game was problematic because of balance issues.
Stuff like Book of the Nine Swords worked but other attempts to bring alternate power sources and types were less successful and were often gimped but the balance issues in 3.xe anyway.

4e gives them a new slate and a design philosophy that allows them to parcel out powers and roles in a different way and to do more with less, if the information on the wizard is any guide.
He won't have illusions, necromancy and enchantments (at least to some degree) since they are doing away with schools as the classification base of arcane magic it is not clear how far that goes. This gives rise the future phbs having classes based on the missing magic types.

I think I saw something where the bard will be focused on enchantments and illusions. It also allows them to fit pacts, truenames and stuff line incarnum in to this also. It also looks like they are going to make psionics separate from arcane magic and that it will do different things instead of being magic with mana points.

As for Faerun, well the gnomes do not have to have gone anywhere. I suspect that they are not in PHB1 because they have not yet figured out the cultural flavour and that gnomes in established settings will continue more or less as before. Of course the parallel world thing allows them alot of scope.

 

[KingCrab]

Don't be silly. 4ed is all about 4dventue!

 

[The Thayan Menace]

4DVENTURE: Beyond the Dark Portal

​