Class Compendium Official Announcement

[DEFCON 1]

And the one other thing you folks whining about how Essentials and/or the new Class Compendium is an all-new 3.5 have to remember is this...

When WotC created 3.5, they told everybody that from that point forward, everything they were going to release was going to be for 3.5 ONLY. They would no longer be supporting 3.0. Any new product or adventures would be designed under the assumption you were using the 3.5 rules. If you stuck with 3.0, you were plum out of luck with official WotC products.

But right now with 4E, that is NOT the case. WotC is designing, developing and producing product for both Core and Essentials uses. For many product it doesn't matter anyway because Essentials changes only encompass Character design... and thus any product involving adventures, monsters, traps, terrain, treasure and other stuff in the DM-purview works for Core-only, Essentials-only, or Coressential games anyway. And for the things that are character related... most of those get used by both types of games as well. They both use feats, they both use backgrounds, they both will eventually use themes, and they both use most powers. So it's only the rarest of cases when something WotC produces cannot be used by both of the two types of games. And these few things include like Daily Martial powers, or Essential level abilities. (But then again, for all we know, the Class Compendium will be giving us rules so that we CAN use those in both types of game.)

So lets all keep a hold of the reality a little bit more, shall we?

 

[MrMyth]

I find it terribly insulting that WotC would expect someone like me to be stupid enough to fall for this. But then again, maybe they have statistics proving that there'll be enough idiots out there that will buy into this and fork over the cash.

Well... no, they don't expect you to 'fall for this' again. Hence why, unlike with 3.5, you don't need to buy any Essentials content to keep playing the current version of the game. Future products will remain just as compatible with your existing PHB as ever. They specifically designed Essentials to avoid the sort of frustration you seem to feel over 3.5!

Now, you may ask, why would they then go ahead and publish what is essentially an updated PHB? Just with, presumably, errata included and a cleaner format and better presentation?

Possibly because many, many people on these very forums have been asking for something exactly like that. I don't imagine I'll buy it. But everyone who has been asking for a version of the PHB with errata... I'm pretty sure this is it. It's designed for those who want it, as well as for Essentials players trying to bridge into the rest of the game.

If you don't fall into either category, you don't need to buy it! I certainly don't plan to. I don't see anything WotC is saying that would 'trick me' into buying it. It says up front what content it contains, and that isn't content I need. I sense the same is true for you. So what is it you feel WotC is saying that is trying to trick you into buying this if you don't need it?

 

[jbear]

It all seems quite logical and well thought out to me. I can understand that people might feel upset when faced with what may seem like buying the same product in new packaging. I get that and I don't want to belittle anyone's feelings on the issue. But that isn't really what seems like is going on to me.

It seems like they are doing what they said they were going to do: redesigning things and organizing things to give a smooth entry point into the game for the new player. What they mean by new player covers both:’ completely new to D&D’, and includes 'played way back when and think that would be a fantastic present for the kids' type new. This means necessarily, they are going to have to cover ground already covered in previous books, because it's the same game.

They have done this in a pretty neat way if you ask me (and you can be sure I prefer PHB classes over essentials and would be loving seeing expansions of classes like the seeker and the runepriest as opposed to the current line of products).

They have taken this new (positive and necessary) focus and been able to include the following advantages:

-All the updated rules together in one book.
-The inclusion of some stealth errata that just makes sense (implements, magic item rarity)
-A simplified version of classes that work perfectly alongside PHB classes, expanding 'class concepts' and mechanics attractive to players of previous additions (i.e Backstab)
-An evolution of current iconic classes: The Wizards new look At Will Powers, and miss effects with their encounter powers (and are the changes to Wizard's Daily Powers appearing in the Red Box going to be updated across the board, if so they just got cooler as well), Wis-based at will melee cleric (reducing the MADness) and the Rogue just that much deadlier dealing Sneak Attack damage 1/turn (will the updated PHB rogue also deal MBA using DEX? Could you have a PHB rogue and take an essentials at will mobility power and a PHB at will attack power?)

And now the next step has been announced: the integration of these 'simple' classes into the more complex system. Which will include a system of how to 'hybridise' or incorporate the two??? Fantastic!!! So let's check out the advantages in this new product:

-All the classes can be updated appropriately, as per the wizard. (Will the wizard be the only class to have miss effects on encounter powers?? Will Non Str-Based melee classes have features added to allow them to make MBAs based on their prime attack ability as per the Thief)
-Errata can be included
-And now you know how to use all the essentials material with your current character, material which until now seemed irrelevant.
-It proves that Essentials is a 'step backwards' to take two steps forwards arm and arm with the PHB class structures.
Call this 4.Whateveryoufeel like. It all sounds pretty positive to me. I can’t see anything gained by pointing the finger and saying ‘haha, I tolllld you I was right! It is such and such!’
Of course it would have been great if 4e had been released following the current steps, but some things you learn as you go along. Creativity is a process. Part of that process is making something positive out of your mistakes, learning from them as best and as fast as you can.
That said, I think is unfair to say that you’re paying $80 (4 books) for what was previously contained in one $35 Hardback. Unfair and misleading. I think they've been very clever personally, coming up with a product that is designed as an in way point for new players, yet remains attractive to current players who prefer the 'essentials' feel. Having follow up products that hook back into their previous line of classes, at the same time updating them, which also link the two 'systems' that already work smoothly together within the game system itself...
I'm going to remain patient and see what happens. When you’re in the middle of something you don't get a good perspective of it. You can’t see the wood through the trees and all that. Time will tell. Til' then, I remain aloof, interested, patiently waiting to see the big picture. The Essentials line isn’t a product targeted me, but I don’t have the feeling it’s all Essentials from here on out. I think it is what they said it was. I think this class compendium is the step back towards the place where I’ll be patiently awaiting, enjoying all the side effects of these changes and wondering which direction things will go from there, but quietly confident it will be somewhere awesome!

 

[interwyrm]

I don't care if it's 4.5. The new material is substantially better than the original.

 

[Jhaelen]

Well, to me this announcement looks like TerraDave's conspiration theory might not have been that far from the truth.

When WotC created 3.5, they told everybody that from that point forward, everything they were going to release was going to be for 3.5 ONLY. They would no longer be supporting 3.0. Any new product or adventures would be designed under the assumption you were using the 3.5 rules. If you stuck with 3.0, you were plum out of luck with official WotC products.

Well, yes, they've learned something. This time their approach is sneakier: The changes that transform the game into 'something else' (i.e. Essentials, 4.5, zucchini, etc.) were introduced by (slowly) trickling them into the game using rules updates. They could have done the same thing for 3.5. There weren't actually that many ground-breaking changes from 3.0 to 3.5. I've continued using my 3.0 books with the 3.5 srd almost until the very end of my 3e campaign.

But right now with 4E, that is NOT the case. WotC is designing, developing and producing product for both Core and Essentials uses. For many product it doesn't matter anyway because Essentials changes only encompass Character design...

Well, the thing is, I had rather hoped for WotC to put out those ten Essentials products and then return to business as usual. Sure, I was expecting WotC to maybe make changes to the layout and presentation of new books, but I was not prepared for what I'd call the 'Essentialization' of the game.
[/quote]So lets all keep a hold of the reality a little bit more, shall we?[/QUOTE]THE reality? Are you talking about your reality or mine?

At the moment I'm reluctant to update the Character Builder. I wonder if it wouldn't be better to 'freeze' the game while it still has some resemblance to the game I like, i.e. 4e.

Currently, with three PHBs and all the Power books, I think, I have more than enough material to last me through another six-year campaign. And after that I'm probably ready for 5e or another long vacation from all things D&D (like I was after 2e).

As with 3.5 I may eventually come around, but at the moment I'm not interested in anything related to 'Essentials'.

 

[moxcamel]

I have to agree with DEFCON 1. The dream of any compnay, not just game publishers, is a steady revenue stream. Game publishers usually receive only sporadic income, usually when they release a new product or update. The idea of having a monthly subscription for content tends to result in a steady revenue stream as many people, myself included, will tend to look for the discount rate from an annual subscription.

Yes. And anyone who thinks that DDI is just an aberration hasn't seen Monte Cook's new site, Dungeon a Day. Ridiculously over-priced if you ask me, but what do I know. In any case, I expect to see more and more publishers jumping on the the MMO style subscription bandwagon.

Which is a stupefyingly bad decision, because the P&P industry is looking at subscription-based services exactly at the point the MMO industry is starting to look away from it, and more towards free-to-play with micro-transactions. Ironically, this is exactly what saved Dungeons & Dragons Online. The tabletop industry is (once again) already a step behind, trying to emulate a strategy that's already played out.

 

[Psikerlord#]

Really happy to see this book. Looking forward to seeing the original classes rehashed, and also very glad to see multiclassing and rituals in there. Good work wotc!!

 

[Aegeri]

More support for classes that have tons of it, while many others are left languishing with no future support anywhere in sight. The book is still a good idea, but can we please see something for classes that have absolutely nothing and haven't had for months now?

 

[DracoSuave]

More support for classes that have tons of it, while many others are left languishing with no future support anywhere in sight. The book is still a good idea, but can we please see something for classes that have absolutely nothing and haven't had for months now?

So the Artificer and.....?

 

[frogged]

So the Artificer and.....?

The poor, poor seeker and runepriest are always forgotten.