Ecology of the Deathknight up

[Cam Banks]

What truly impresses me is the 4e team's willingness to reconsider assumptions. Rather than simply 'update' the old Death Knight, they re-invented it with an emphasis on actual play.

I think this is a very smart move on their part, but re-invention of something with such a classic grounding in older products is something that's annoying a hell of a lot of people (not just here, but in all of the other previews, too.) I can tell just by what's been revealed in that Ecology that a 4th edition version of Lord Soth is going to need stuff added back onto the "standard" death knight in order to make it match the character DL fans expect. Unless, of course, the 4e version has command words, walls of ice, the ability to create skeletal warriors, etc.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[frankthedm]

I can tell just by what's been revealed in that Ecology that a 4th edition version of Lord Soth is going to need stuff added back onto the "standard" death knight in order to make it match the character DL fans expect. Unless, of course, the 4e version has command words, walls of ice, the ability to create skeletal warriors, etc.

The DM gives his version of 4E Soth those abilities as a Dark Boon granted by entities grateful for his hand in the cataclysm. No muss, no fuss, no giving every Death Knight the Uber magical abilities a plot device had over two decades ago.

 

[Wormwood]

Unless, of course, the 4e version has command words, walls of ice, the ability to create skeletal warriors, etc.

Oh gods I hope not.

Just stat out Soth as a unique creature for the DL purists and be done with it.

edit: kinda like frankthedm just said

 

[JVisgaitis]

Looking more at the picture...

Does anyone else think it looks like the elf (or whatever) was added/photoshopped in after the fact? Maybe it's just the aura of electricity, but it really looks to me like she was stuck on over the rest of the image.

Its possible, but I think it looks like that because she has the blue line around her.

 

[Dragonhelm]

Oh gods I hope not.

Just stat out Soth as a unique creature for the DL purists and be done with it.

edit: kinda like frankthedm just said

Problem is, Soth isn't the only death knight on Krynn. There's 3 or 4 others I can think of right off the top of my head. Whether the new death knight will fit them or not, I don't know. It might be easier to create a "Death Knight of Krynn" template.

 

[Wormwood]

It might be easier to create a "Death Knight of Krynn" template.

There you go. Problem solved.

 

[Alaric_Prympax]

I remember thinking "why Demogorgon?" in the first place.

Now it's been a long time since I read the original Death Knight entry in the 1e FF (it's in storage) but IIRC one of the reasons for Demogorgon creating the DK's was to use undead loyal/created by him (Demo) against the Prince of the Undead.

A friend of my decided in his campaign that of the 12 DK's 6 remained loyal to Demo while 6 went over to Orcus.

 

[Korgoth]

So the Death Knight has been downgraded into a Skeletal Warrior?

It seems like the underlying principle is to make everything bland and corporate.

 

[Reynard]

What truly impresses me is the 4e team's willingness to reconsider assumptions. Rather than simply 'update' the old Death Knight, they re-invented it with an emphasis on actual play.

That's some of the audacity and vision I've been hoping to see!.

This is why 4E will split the fanbase and, as such, ultimately not meet WotC's expectations. Half the D&D players want to see massive change and reinvention; the other half just want a better, more fun version of their favorite game -- with all its tropes intact.

 

[Wormwood]

It seems like the underlying principle is to make everything bland and corporate.

We must have read completely different articles.