We had our fourth session of my 4e Castle Greyhawk campaign on Friday, which is using the currently released "Castle Zagyg" supplements of the Troll Lords as a base. It was a blast - in about 4 hours of game time, we had 3 combats (probably taking no longer than 90-120 minutes in total), and 2+ hours of insane plans and roleplaying.
You see, the PCs had to scale this 30' cliff to get to a cave where (they were unreliably told) the prisoners they needed to rescue were. Up goes the rogue, taking a rope with him, which he lowers down to the rest of the party. Up comes the (female) wizard, who, upon reaching the top, calls down to the others to stop looking up her skirt!
This was probably an OOC joke, but she'd failed her Stealth roll anyway, so I kept it as the reason the bugbears found the group.
The bugbears didn't attack immediately, but demanded tribute. "Your fur is very nice," replied the Wizard. The Rogue hurriedly threw a purse of gold to the bugbears (once we'd stopped laughing), and the bugbears let them go.
Back down the rope. At this point, the Rogue realised he really needed to go up there again to check the caves thoroughly. The Wizard used ghost sound to make it sound like they were climbing again. When a bugbear popped its head out to see what was going on, the Warlock and Ranger hit it, hard. Not quite enough to kill it, and so it retreated in pain.
The rogue climbed up (silently), and then the fighter came to join him. The bugbears investigated again, and a big battle occurred. It was made even more amusing by the absolute failure of the Warlock and Ranger to climb the rope - they couldn't roll above a 4! - The fighter went down, but the Cleric saved him.
A little later (and with no prisoners found) they looked up at the next cave along the bluff - 60' up, and up a really sheer slope. Not a chance of climbing that for most of the PCs. However, it was only 20' below the rest of the cliff, so they decided to troop around out of the ravine, up onto the top of the cliff, and lower a rope down from there.
On the way, they met an orc patrol. The Wizard used Thunderwave on one of the orcs, bouncing him off the cliff and 50' to the ground below. (He didn't survive). That was a cool moment for the Wizard.
No prisoners in the next cave, just stirges... and a punctured Rogue by the end of it it all. Thanks to the cleric, he's still with us.
####
Now, we all had a great time playing this. There was some mad stuff, certainly, but also some great moments as well. However, I have to wonder... was I doing something wrong?
You see, we used miniatures and a battlemap. We used 4e rules. And it felt like D&D. The only things that weren't really traditional D&D were the way the 1st level cleric and wizard could continue to contribute with their powers throughout the game. (And the cleric could heal and attack in the same turn).
We roleplayed, despite the calls of some on these boards that D&D 4e (and 3e, when you get down to it) is too regimented to allow such. The players came up with mad plans, and I, as the DM, came up with rulings on the fly. The rules were followed, sure, it's just that a good understanding of the basis of the rules led to superior play where they didn't interfere with the action.
If you say you don't like 4e because it doesn't work for you... you're right. Honestly, if you look at 4e and feel cold, if you look at the wizard and want the old "I win" spells, or if you look at the book and feel "that's not D&D", you shouldn't try to force yourself to like it. I assume that you've got a version of D&D or some other RPG that does feel right for you, otherwise why have you been punishing yourself playing games you don't like? Go and have fun!
However, if you don't like 4e because it won't let the game be like D&D, because anyone will find roleplaying using it impossible or hindered, or because it kills the imagination...
Cheers!
You see, the PCs had to scale this 30' cliff to get to a cave where (they were unreliably told) the prisoners they needed to rescue were. Up goes the rogue, taking a rope with him, which he lowers down to the rest of the party. Up comes the (female) wizard, who, upon reaching the top, calls down to the others to stop looking up her skirt!
This was probably an OOC joke, but she'd failed her Stealth roll anyway, so I kept it as the reason the bugbears found the group.
The bugbears didn't attack immediately, but demanded tribute. "Your fur is very nice," replied the Wizard. The Rogue hurriedly threw a purse of gold to the bugbears (once we'd stopped laughing), and the bugbears let them go.
Back down the rope. At this point, the Rogue realised he really needed to go up there again to check the caves thoroughly. The Wizard used ghost sound to make it sound like they were climbing again. When a bugbear popped its head out to see what was going on, the Warlock and Ranger hit it, hard. Not quite enough to kill it, and so it retreated in pain.
The rogue climbed up (silently), and then the fighter came to join him. The bugbears investigated again, and a big battle occurred. It was made even more amusing by the absolute failure of the Warlock and Ranger to climb the rope - they couldn't roll above a 4! - The fighter went down, but the Cleric saved him.
A little later (and with no prisoners found) they looked up at the next cave along the bluff - 60' up, and up a really sheer slope. Not a chance of climbing that for most of the PCs. However, it was only 20' below the rest of the cliff, so they decided to troop around out of the ravine, up onto the top of the cliff, and lower a rope down from there.
On the way, they met an orc patrol. The Wizard used Thunderwave on one of the orcs, bouncing him off the cliff and 50' to the ground below. (He didn't survive). That was a cool moment for the Wizard.
No prisoners in the next cave, just stirges... and a punctured Rogue by the end of it it all. Thanks to the cleric, he's still with us.
####
Now, we all had a great time playing this. There was some mad stuff, certainly, but also some great moments as well. However, I have to wonder... was I doing something wrong?
You see, we used miniatures and a battlemap. We used 4e rules. And it felt like D&D. The only things that weren't really traditional D&D were the way the 1st level cleric and wizard could continue to contribute with their powers throughout the game. (And the cleric could heal and attack in the same turn).
We roleplayed, despite the calls of some on these boards that D&D 4e (and 3e, when you get down to it) is too regimented to allow such. The players came up with mad plans, and I, as the DM, came up with rulings on the fly. The rules were followed, sure, it's just that a good understanding of the basis of the rules led to superior play where they didn't interfere with the action.
If you say you don't like 4e because it doesn't work for you... you're right. Honestly, if you look at 4e and feel cold, if you look at the wizard and want the old "I win" spells, or if you look at the book and feel "that's not D&D", you shouldn't try to force yourself to like it. I assume that you've got a version of D&D or some other RPG that does feel right for you, otherwise why have you been punishing yourself playing games you don't like? Go and have fun!
However, if you don't like 4e because it won't let the game be like D&D, because anyone will find roleplaying using it impossible or hindered, or because it kills the imagination...
Cheers!
