D&D 4E Anyone playing 4e at the moment?

[jdrakeh]

Most of that is really subtle stuff tbh. It still plays as written (use the Skill challenges from DMG2 or later ) . Many erata is only significant if you are a group into optimizing WOTC had a habit of over tweaking, in my opinion. And I reject many of them on purpose. Tweaking my Character Builder to use the earlier forms.

Many will say the only thing usually vital is to make sure your monsters use the math of the 3rd monster manual . Look it up online its a simple adjustment. And even that is not immediately at lower levels much impact.

So I need the three core books, plus DMG2, and MM3 to start playing? That's not too bad, I suppose.

 

[Garthanos]

So I need the three core books, plus DMG2, and MM3 to start playing?

That could work, though having MM1 works at low levels and I think has more classic monsters and can be easily adjusted, based on online resources like this.

Monster Manual 3 on a business card

With the changes to monster stats in Monster Manual 3, it’s now so easy to create monsters that I can fit all the formulae I need for attacks, defenses, and hit points on a wallet-sized piece…

blogofholding.com

I have a deep fondness for other books like Martial Power I too. It kind of also depends a bit on what classes your players like if they like Paladins Divine Power is very nice.

 

[Garthanos]

For me Character Builder is a great resource too.

 

[jdrakeh]

Well, yes, MM1 is one of the three core books.

 

[Garthanos]

Well, yes, MM1 is one of the three core books.

derp yes my brain is fizzy today. Didnt sleep well last night and it looks like another insomnia streak coming on

 

[Garthanos]

There is a nice Discord Channel where they have been maintaining that Character Builder too. I love using it to put in my own custom content. But I think editing XML is pretty easy.

 

[Garthanos]

DMG2 and Heroes of the Feywild are actually my favorite 2, D&D books the latter is a beautiful book full of wonders.

 

[jdrakeh]

DMG2 and Heroes of the Feywild are actually my favorite 2, D&D books the latter is a beautiful book full of wonders.

I think I purchased Heroes of the Feywild years ago when it first came out. I also picked up the Essentials books. But, by that time, local interest in D&D 4e was pretty much dead.

Oh, also, thank you for the MM3 business card link! That's pretty neat!

 

[pemerton]

@jdrakeh

I'd suggest the following:

* Either PHB 1 or PHB 2 - probably the first if you want the most "classic" classes and races.

* The DMG and DMG 2 and Rules Compendium (the last is an Essentials book) - the RC will give you all the rules for action resolution and the final and best set of DCs-by-level; DMG 2 is good for skill challenges in conjunction with RC; DMG is also good for skill challenges and also for combat encounter design. I don't know what the price tags are on DriveThru but if that's too much, probably drop one of the DMGs (DMG 1 has got the treasure parcel tables, the version of these in the RC is not as good in my view (too random) but not terrible; the treatment of Quests in the DMG is better than in the RC, though to get the fullest (still only about half-a-page) discussion of player-authored Quests you need the PHB 1).

* The Monster Vault (an Essentials book) that has most of the classic monsters with MM3-quality stats. It's a bit thin on Epic tier creatures but if that turns into a problem for you you've been playing enough that you can get a bit more stuff!​

I know it's a bit weird to be recommending more "how to do it" books (DMG, DMG2, RC) than books-full-of-stuff (PHB, MM/MV) - but to get the best out of 4e (in my view) you need to combine a number of techniques/approaches that are scattered across multiple sources and are a bit of a departure from classic D&D. The more you're familiar with "indie"-ish games (especially scene-framed ones like HeroWars/Quest or Burning Wheel or Cortex+) then I think the easier you'll find it to do well with 4e, in which case mabye drop the DMG 2 but post to get its advice on how to treat powers, surges etc as a uniform currency for skill challenge resolution.

 

[jdrakeh]

@jdrakeh

I'd suggest the following:

* Either PHB 1 or PHB 2 - probably the first if you want the most "classic" classes and races.​

​

* The DMG and DMG 2 and Rules Compendium (the last is an Essentials book) - the RC will give you all the rules for action resolution and the final and best set of DCs-by-level; DMG 2 is good for skill challenges in conjunction with RC; DMG is also good for skill challenges and also for combat encounter design. I don't know what the price tags are on DriveThru but if that's too much, probably drop one of the DMGs (DMG 1 has got the treasure parcel tables, the version of these in the RC is not as good in my view (too random) but not terrible; the treatment of Quests in the DMG is better than in the RC, though to get the fullest (still only about half-a-page) discussion of player-authored Quests you need the PHB 1).​

​

* The Monster Vault (an Essentials book) that has most of the classic monsters with MM3-quality stats. It's a bit thin on Epic tier creatures but if that turns into a problem for you you've been playing enough that you can get a bit more stuff!​

I know it's a bit weird to be recommending more "how to do it" books (DMG, DMG2, RC) than books-full-of-stuff (PHB, MM/MV) - but to get the best out of 4e (in my view) you need to combine a number of techniques/approaches that are scattered across multiple sources and are a bit of a departure from classic D&D. The more you're familiar with "indie"-ish games (especially scene-framed ones like HeroWars/Quest or Burning Wheel or Cortex+) then I think the easier you'll find it to do well with 4e, in which case mabye drop the DMG 2 but post to get its advice on how to treat powers, surges etc as a uniform currency for skill challenge resolution.

Thanks for the recommendations!