D&D 4E Does anyone else feel like 4ed isn't really a new edition?

[Gloombunny]

I'm expecting to see less items of the format "you get +X to Y stat", and more that do cool things you simply couldn't do without the magic, rather than just making you marginally better at something you already did.

 

[Baby Samurai]

I'm expecting to see less items of the format "you get +X to Y stat", and more that do cool things you simply couldn't do without the magic, rather than just making you marginally better at something you already did.

Exactly, it's not cool to have to have an item because it gives you a permanent buff (boring) you need to keep up with the Joneses.

 

[Ranger REG]

So, at worst, wizards now have the same issues fighters always had.

So far, wizards/mage/magic-user class have not changed much since OD&D. Overall, their "power level" is weak at 1st and low levels, that they must rely on others to protect them when they ran out of spells (their main ability), but the designers compensate that by making them more powerful than the other classes at high level. That doesn't sit well with me.

 

[F4NBOY]

Considering that we've just seen 0,0001% of the new editon... hmmm....yeah I think it looks like a new edition that's becoming much better than the old one.

 

[BASHMAN]

True-- they did say it was still the d20 system.

But the differences between 1st Ed and 2nd were almost nothing. 2nd ed GOT RID OF 3-4 character classes and added the Bard as a standard class. That was it.

Hit dice stayed almost the same [only change was ranger I think], class abilities hardly changed, what really changed was the quality of artwork & layout of the books. Beautiful color full page art instead of crappy left-handed b&w cartoons scrawled in the margins. The book wasn't all black & white anymore -- it was blue... and black and white.

I have a feeling that the differences between 3.5 and 4th will not be so different from the update from 1st to 2nd. There will still be feats & skill points, still be AOOs [unfortunately] and still be races or classes that are massively unbalanced with the rest.

 

[Kwalish Kid]

Dude, from 1st to 2nd edition, about as much changed in D&D as 3.0 to 3.5, so I cannot see how you can sanely argue that 4E, based on existing evidence, isn't more of a change.

Seriously, this man has been my favourite poster on these boards for, what, seven years now?

 

[Just Another User]

To me it feel more a new, different game than a new edition.

 

[pawsplay]

At times, it feels like they're making a whole new game, between all the fluff changes to the setting and, more importantly, the massive changes to spellcaster resource management.

Yes. I'm not sure the novels, fluff in campaign coursebooks, etc. could even be describing the same things. To me, 3.5 to 4e feels more like going from AD&D 2e to 3.5 set in Eberron.

 

[Cake Mage]

I know what it is.

Its the fact that they've been leading up to this with supplaments and alternate rules with Saga, and the PHII and what not.

I've been using the stuff for a while (well some of the stuff that I've seen already) in my current game. Warlocks and skill tricks, and even the the Bo9S stuff my group has started to use more. Yes I know its not core rules, but If that is all that is changing.... :-(
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The magic system has changed in 4th ed? From what I know, which may, or may not be everything ;-p, they haven't said "Spell casting is differnt in this way, X,Y, and Z." They have implied changes are coming, like 30th level spells, implements, etc, but they haven't said anything, that I'm aware of, that says it is different.

Adding 30th level spells is not a new edition. Changing or adding classes (or removing them) is not a new edition.

I agree its still early. I'm just worried, very worried. I want to make sure the game that I like to play is still good and a game I want to play.

 

[Mercule]

As the title says. I feel likes its more of another update. More like polished up some things and to added a bit. I don't feel as though they went and changed to a new edition.

From 2nd to 3rd, that was a new edition. They practicly scrapped everything, and began a new.

This 3.x to 4th ed though. Not so sure.

Are we reading the same blogs/updates? I was sure the full question you were going to ask was: Is this really a new edition or is it a whole new game using an old name?

If anything, I'm expecting 3e->4e to be bigger than 2e->3e. Really, the biggest changes in 3e were adding feats and skills and changing multiclassing and which way to count.
-Making AC count up was laughably minor and pretty insignificant (other than it actually is easier).
-Multiclassing was pretty much just allowing the old human dual-classing rules for everyone.
-Skills were a refinement of NWPs that began late in 1E. So, feats was the only huge change.

4e, by contrast, already has confirmed a batch of changes that are bigger.
-The skill system is undergoing a revision that will probably be only slightly less than the change from NWPs.
-Feats are undergoing what sounds like roughly the same level of retooling.
-!All classes will now have resource management resembling casters.
-!There are 25+ levels of spells.
-!Races now have abilities that accumulate and improve with character level.
-!Spellcasters have at will and per encounter magic.
-Multiclassing is being redone.