PeterWeller
First Post
I was going to write this up in its own thread, but I think it fits nicely enough here to not bother.
I think the changes to D&D's core are actually opening up new avenues of gameplay that weren't as easily implemented in earlier editions of the game. There are two factors that are creating this: races and classes.
The eight races we are getting in PHB1 present a much greater range than earlier editions. Most D&D races could be summed up as "they're like us (humans) but..." In 4E, though, we are also getting lizard people, demon tainted people, and fey people on top of the traditional Tolkien set of Dwarfs, Elves, Halflings and Humans. We now have core races that can fit into a greater variety of settings. Old school D&D is supported by its Tolkien adoptions. Tieflings are a solid fit for Lieber or Howard style Sword & Sorcery. Dragonborn work with a wide variety of antecedents, especially JRPG influences. Eladrin fit any setting where fey interact with humans. That's not to say 3E or previous editions couldn't support these types of settings, but 4E has a lot more of their guts incorporated into its own.
Classes also help define a much greater range of styles and themes in 4E. From what we're guessing, the list is fighters, rogues, rangers, warlords, clerics, paladins, wizards and warlocks. Four of those are martial classes, and that's drawn some comments from these boards. Why are there 4 martial classes and only 2 each of arcane and divine? A possible answer comes from looking at people's desire to use D&D to play low magic S&S style games. Look at 3E's options for such a campaign: barbarian, fighter and rogue. These classes don't support a balanced party without making a lot of changes to the rules. In 4E, on the other hand, we have four classes that fill three of the four roles. A much more balances S&S style party can be built with the PHB tools. In addition to this, warlocks look like they're going to much better emulate S&S style wizards. Wizards themselves are being toned down, and thus fit better into a greater range of magic power. Those implements are opening the door for the Harry Potter, Willow, and Gandalf fans out there. Paladins losing their alignment restriction makes unholy knights and amoral warrior priests more viable. Warlords mean that clerics are no longer a practical necessity. No longer do you have to depend on the four pillars to have a balanced party, so no longer do you have to bend your campaign around these four pillars.
Basically, the choices WotC have made in establishing a stronger core identity to D&D have included a greater range of influences and styles than any previous edition. D&D is becoming more identifiably D&D, but in doing so, its also cherry picking a new batch of assumptions that fit a greater range of play.
Now, I need to add a caveat to all this. Everything I've said is based on my conjecture, so don't go bashing me for speaking as if its true. I know it's mostly conjecture, but I didn't want to pepper "in my opinion"s and "as far as I can tell"s all over the preceding two paragraphs. Also, I don't believe the martial classes are going to have flashy, mystical wuxia powers. I think the whole point of the martial power source is to explain why cut purses and sell swords don't need mystical abilities to stand alongside arcane masters and the servants of the gods.
I think the changes to D&D's core are actually opening up new avenues of gameplay that weren't as easily implemented in earlier editions of the game. There are two factors that are creating this: races and classes.
The eight races we are getting in PHB1 present a much greater range than earlier editions. Most D&D races could be summed up as "they're like us (humans) but..." In 4E, though, we are also getting lizard people, demon tainted people, and fey people on top of the traditional Tolkien set of Dwarfs, Elves, Halflings and Humans. We now have core races that can fit into a greater variety of settings. Old school D&D is supported by its Tolkien adoptions. Tieflings are a solid fit for Lieber or Howard style Sword & Sorcery. Dragonborn work with a wide variety of antecedents, especially JRPG influences. Eladrin fit any setting where fey interact with humans. That's not to say 3E or previous editions couldn't support these types of settings, but 4E has a lot more of their guts incorporated into its own.
Classes also help define a much greater range of styles and themes in 4E. From what we're guessing, the list is fighters, rogues, rangers, warlords, clerics, paladins, wizards and warlocks. Four of those are martial classes, and that's drawn some comments from these boards. Why are there 4 martial classes and only 2 each of arcane and divine? A possible answer comes from looking at people's desire to use D&D to play low magic S&S style games. Look at 3E's options for such a campaign: barbarian, fighter and rogue. These classes don't support a balanced party without making a lot of changes to the rules. In 4E, on the other hand, we have four classes that fill three of the four roles. A much more balances S&S style party can be built with the PHB tools. In addition to this, warlocks look like they're going to much better emulate S&S style wizards. Wizards themselves are being toned down, and thus fit better into a greater range of magic power. Those implements are opening the door for the Harry Potter, Willow, and Gandalf fans out there. Paladins losing their alignment restriction makes unholy knights and amoral warrior priests more viable. Warlords mean that clerics are no longer a practical necessity. No longer do you have to depend on the four pillars to have a balanced party, so no longer do you have to bend your campaign around these four pillars.
Basically, the choices WotC have made in establishing a stronger core identity to D&D have included a greater range of influences and styles than any previous edition. D&D is becoming more identifiably D&D, but in doing so, its also cherry picking a new batch of assumptions that fit a greater range of play.
Now, I need to add a caveat to all this. Everything I've said is based on my conjecture, so don't go bashing me for speaking as if its true. I know it's mostly conjecture, but I didn't want to pepper "in my opinion"s and "as far as I can tell"s all over the preceding two paragraphs. Also, I don't believe the martial classes are going to have flashy, mystical wuxia powers. I think the whole point of the martial power source is to explain why cut purses and sell swords don't need mystical abilities to stand alongside arcane masters and the servants of the gods.
That simple option, my friends, used to be in the good old 1E PHB. 
