(I wrote this up yesterday, but I'm pretty sure it didn't get posted. If it did, please tell me and I'll remove this post.)
I was thinking about a rules-lite variant of Fourth Edition which took away some of the game's robustness and character options but also made it simpler, faster and easier to keep track of. Here's what I came up with:
I understand this takes away some of the tactical complexity and character development/diversity of Fourth Edition. I think the above creates a simpler, faster system that is interchangable with Fourth Edition monsters and characters (for example, you could play a Basic 4E character in a standard game, as long as you took none of the magic items).
Do you think it's balanced? At 30th level, these characters have a +30 bonus instead of a +15 one, but when you consider magic items, feats, class features, paragon features, racial traits, action points and ability score increases this may not be as overpowered as it seems.
I was thinking about a rules-lite variant of Fourth Edition which took away some of the game's robustness and character options but also made it simpler, faster and easier to keep track of. Here's what I came up with:
- The Biggest Change: Characters add their level, not half their level, to attack rolls, defences, skill checks, and initiative. Characters add half their level to damage.
- Characters do not acquire feats, magic items, ability score increases or action points.
- Races only grant their power (for humans, that's an at-will, for half-elves, dilettante, and for dwarves that's second wind as a minor action) - no ability score or skill bonuses, etc.
- Classes grant fewer features, and no defence bonuses:
Cleric: Channel Divinity, Healing Word
Fighter: Combat Challenge, Combat Superiority (no Wisdom bonus)
Paladin: Lay on Hands, Divine Challenge
Ranger: Fighting Style, Hunter's Quarry
Rogue: Rogue Tactics, Sneak Attack
Warlock: Eldritch Blast, Eldritch Pact, Warlock's Curse
Warlord: Inspiring Word, Combat Leader. - Paragon paths and epic destinies grant their powers, but no features.
- Characters can spend gold and time to learn rituals and languages. Maybe, time and money would be all it takes to trade out a power for a power of another class, but I've not thought through that yet.
- Marking, quarry and curse could be simplified/removed. For example:
Combat Challenge: Enemies adjacent to you suffer a –2 penalty when they make an attack that does not include you.
As an immediate reaction, you can make a normal melee attack against an adjacent enemy that shifts or makes an attack that does not include you.
Combat Superiority: If you hit with an opportunity attack because of movement, the target stops moving. The target may use remaining actions to begin moving again. - Each heroic tier Basic 4E character should receive, as his/her only magic items, two potions of healing each level. At the paragon tier, these are potions of vitality. At epic level, potions of recovery. At epic level, the party should also receive one potion of life each level.
I understand this takes away some of the tactical complexity and character development/diversity of Fourth Edition. I think the above creates a simpler, faster system that is interchangable with Fourth Edition monsters and characters (for example, you could play a Basic 4E character in a standard game, as long as you took none of the magic items).
Do you think it's balanced? At 30th level, these characters have a +30 bonus instead of a +15 one, but when you consider magic items, feats, class features, paragon features, racial traits, action points and ability score increases this may not be as overpowered as it seems.
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