D&D 4E Are powers samey?

[pemerton]

Had a group with three players all three were ritualist characters not one had it in their base class

And where rituals are a class feature (in the PHB that's clerics and wizards, and wizards get free ones as they level up) it seems odd to discuss the game without refrence to them.

 

[FrogReaver]

I don't get it because there is nothing to get.

No one is questioning that you find the differences between powers in 4e to small and thus feel samey to you. That's your feeling and you're more than entitled to it.

What's being questioned is what's your point? If you set the bar that low, why do you not set the bar that low for all D&D games? And, if pointing out differences doesn't actually matter, then well, you've basically created an unassailable position for yourself. That's rather convenient. Not only do you get to declare yourself right, but, you get to ignore any counter points.

How can you possibly claim that this is arguing in good faith if you refuse to accept any counter arguments?

Counter arguments that aren't addressing the point will not and should not be accepted.

The bar I set for samey isn't a low bar. It's a fairly high bar. 4e powers in the general sense meet that bar for me. 5e abilities in general do not meet that bar.

Now if you want to talk about elements in 5e I find samey. Attack cantrips in 5e feel samey to me in much the same way 4e powers do.

 

[Garthanos]

But a table which wanted fight to be ubiquitous could very trivially lower the check result needed without breaking anything else in the game.

There is a level 4 ritual that lets you enlarge and mount your familiar. Flying familiar == flying mount as early as level 4... 25 gp for 12 hours

Get your witch a broom shaped familiar.

Or the tiny wings... and have them grow to proper wings.

 

[Teemu]

There is a level 4 ritual that lets you enlarge and mount your familiar. Flying familiar == flying mount as early as level 4... 25 gp for 12 hours

Get your witch a broom shaped familiar.

Or the tiny wings... and have them grow to proper wings.

You could in fact ride around on an enlarged disembodied hand, a skull, a clockwork scorpion, or even a sword or a hammer.

 

[Garthanos]

You could in fact ride around on an enlarged disembodied hand, a skull, a clockwork scorpion, or even a sword or a hammer.

Or a giant bat like out of the Heavy Metal movie

 

[Teemu]

Can you create a 5e rogue who can cure diseases, grant long-distance flight, and ride around on a giant floating sword, and who’s a vampire and a werewolf too? In 4e you can.

 

[Hussar]

And where rituals are a class feature (in the PHB that's clerics and wizards, and wizards get free ones as they level up) it seems odd to discuss the game without refrence to them.

No, given historical evidence, it is not odd at all.

 

[Hussar]

Counter arguments that aren't addressing the point will not and should not be accepted.

The bar I set for samey isn't a low bar. It's a fairly high bar. 4e powers in the general sense meet that bar for me. 5e abilities in general do not meet that bar.

Now if you want to talk about elements in 5e I find samey. Attack cantrips in 5e feel samey to me in much the same way 4e powers do.

But attacks (melee and/or ranged) don't?

 

[FrogReaver]

But attacks (melee and/or ranged) don't?

Attacks are the same - not samey

 

[pemerton]

No, given historical evidence, it is not odd at all.

There does seem to be a bit of a tendency towards when we ignored the non-combat resources and non-combat resolution systems we didn't have enough non-combat in our games.

But I still find it puzzling!

Can you create a 5e rogue who can cure diseases, grant long-distance flight, and ride around on a giant floating sword, and who’s a vampire and a werewolf too? In 4e you can.

But you'll be forced to pick Blinding Barrage and be a supernatural shuriken-throwing ninja!