D&D Experience and the NDA

[Lonely Tylenol]

Well, he was talking about the 3e experience. Hopefully the 4e preview games won't be handled in the same ham-fisted way.

Well, if the PC abilities come with the same short descriptions as the monster statblock abilities, they can probably bypass a lot of problems. You don't need to know all the rules. You just need to know enough to run your character, and if a brief description of each ability appears on the character sheet, the DM can probably sidestep any follow-up questions, ad-libbing where necessary to smooth over stuff they're not allowed to reveal.

The thing is, there's probably a Basic Set-like adventure with pregen characters and a short write-up that tells you everything you need to know to get through the session, and nothing more. It'll be railroady, but it's a demo.

I do something similar when I run con games in D20 Modern or with non-core D&D characters. I put down one-sentence descriptions of powers, so that each player can quickly look over his sheet and learn what he can do before we start. I also take extraneous information out of the character sheet, like what the breakdown of skill bonuses is. It removes complexity so that the game can be played smoothly in the alloted time. My pregen characters look like the ones in the back of the Pathfinder adventures, although I also provide item cards to tell people what their magic items do, how often they can use them, etc.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Well, I'm gonna push the limits. Digital Camera, laptop with flatbed scanner. I'm getting a digital copy of as many chacter sheets as I can. Hell, I'll try to get a view of the adventure.

Best of luck on your mission. If you are captured or killed we will, of course, completely disavow you.

 

[Benimoto]

To point one more thing out, Wizards will be running a prerelease of the new D&D Miniatures set, "Dungeons of Dread" at DDXP. From the information we've been given so far, each monster in the set will have a full 4th edition statblock on the back of the card. So it will be like the information we got with the Spined Devil card times 60.

If the dungeon delve is like previous years, the RPG side of the miniatures cards are what the people running the delve will be using.

 

[The_Baldman]

The NDA's will still be in effect. Which means those running it (playtesters, LFR campaign staff, and Wotc types) cannot talk about things like their playtest experiences and such things. It does not mean they cannot answer rules as they pertain to the game you are playing. Asking how the Jump skill or Knowledge: Things Smaller then a Breadbox works as it pertains to your character sheet are common things are just fine.

Asking what powers a 19th level Fighter has or what's the combat bonus and special ability of the +92 sword of snickity-snackity are not good questions.

So do not worry folks. If you are going to DDXP you are going to have a grand time playing everything we have and especially the 4th edition preview events and the D&D Delve. Just don't expect to walk out with a Player's Handbook worth of knowledge. That is why they call it a preview afterall.

 

[Gundark]

i just wish that I could go :\

 

[ZombieRoboNinja]

The NDA's will still be in effect. Which means those running it (playtesters, LFR campaign staff, and Wotc types) cannot talk about things like their playtest experiences and such things. It does not mean they cannot answer rules as they pertain to the game you are playing. Asking how the Jump skill or Knowledge: Things Smaller then a Breadbox works as it pertains to your character sheet are common things are just fine.

Asking what powers a 19th level Fighter has or what's the combat bonus and special ability of the +92 sword of snickity-snackity are not good questions.

So do not worry folks. If you are going to DDXP you are going to have a grand time playing everything we have and especially the 4th edition preview events and the D&D Delve. Just don't expect to walk out with a Player's Handbook worth of knowledge. That is why they call it a preview afterall.

I vote all the people who work for WOTC and post here get a special "In-Crowd" forum rank so I know when this kind of statement comes from someone who knows what they're talking about.

 

[Colmarr]

I vote all the people who work for WOTC and post here get a special "In-Crowd" forum rank so I know when this kind of statement comes from someone who knows what they're talking about.

His sig does point out that he is an RPGA senior GM...

 

[vagabundo]

His sig does point out that he is an RPGA senior GM...

what level is that?

 

[Charwoman Gene]

Just don't expect to walk out with a Player's Handbook worth of knowledge. That is why they call it a preview afterall.

Are my intended actions, (Flatbed Scanner and laptop in backpack to scan the character sheets, or at least diigtal camera shots.) a violation of any rules?

 

[sidonunspa]

Indeed. I'm trying to imagine playing a wizard without knowing what any of my spells do.

I think I would propose to the rest of the party that the first thing we do is hang out for a week while I cast each of my spells to determine their effects.

As someone who played the 1st 3e open playtest at GenCon back in the day.. it was easy..

They had all the spells listed on the character sheet, so I knew what the spells I was able to cast did.

They handed all the players a character sheet with a hand out which had all the rules you needed to play your character.

LOL: As I remember the only class back then that had feats where fighters and they where called Heroic Feats.