Emerald City Comic Convention

[Votan]

I was at the Emerald City Comic Convention and they had a test run for 4E D&D. So I signed up for it. It was a well run event and the organizers managed to find DMs for everyone (despite a very long line of interested players).

I ended up trying out a Dwarf Fighter. I must admit, it was a lot more enjoyable than I'd expected. The combats seemed to focus on making the opponents interesting and giving them neat things to do. Everyone in the party (all 1st level) was effective (the rogue moreso after we discovered sneak attack damage which was omitted in the first combat by mistake).

So I had a couple of quick conclusions. The free trials at conventions are a very good idea and I hope that they keep happening (everyone at my table seemed to have a great deal of fun). The neat encounters helped stimulate interest and lead to some fun bashes (even if the plot was cribbed from default D&D). But it was a great showcase of the system.

It is fun to play a 4E fighter!. The fighter was not as effective as the Paladin but always seemed to have something interesting to do. Marking was also a lot easier to keep track of than I expected (although the Divine Challenge ability was clearly way superior).

All in all, a nice introduction to playing the latest edition.

 

[weem]

That's awesome!

I keep seeing things here and there in my area - people asking to get in on a game of 4e so they can try it, or to get in on a D&D game because they have played wow and want to see what "this tabletop thing is all about". I have been thinking about getting together some people who have never played it - it's fun to introduce people to a new system.

I have run 4e for a few different people who were trying it for the first time and it was a blast so I thought I might do an all "new to 4e" group at some point.

Anyway, yea, glad to hear you enjoyed it

Out of curiosity, what were you playing before? 3.5? Something else? And did that game persuade you to make your next game a 4e one?

 

[samursus]

Weem!! You've....changed...why, I barely recognize you! New haircut?

So as to not threadcrap, glad to hear you enjoyed yourself Votan. From other anecdotal evidence it seemed as if those running the 4e demos hadn't being doing a consistently great job in the past. I don't know if its 4e or just the timing of things, but around my place we have 3 completely new-to-pnp female players and 2 returning grognards (2e and earlier) playing in our 4e game.

 

[Votan]

Out of curiosity, what were you playing before? 3.5? Something else? And did that game persuade you to make your next game a 4e one?

My home group (Seattle) that I leave behind in 1.5 weeks to move to Gainesville (FL) is currently playing Rolemaster. Before that we played D&D 3.5; in my previous city I DMed a lot of 3.5 as well and was a long time AD&D player back int he 80's.

I'm also curious to try Pathfinder and Castles and Crusades; I suspect that both will have advantages in the types of stories they can tell (just like A&D and 3.5 did).

But it was nice to see a competent introduction to the game that the 4E was fun (although quite different) as a game.

 

[davethegame]

It is fun to play a 4E fighter!. The fighter was not as effective as the Paladin but always seemed to have something interesting to do. Marking was also a lot easier to keep track of than I expected (although the Divine Challenge ability was clearly way superior).

I think after some more play you might change that opinion- it may have been abbreviated due to quick-start, but the Fighter's ability to stop monsters from moving (and hit them when they shift) is pretty awesome, and more defendery. That's why I love me some fighters.

And glad to hear you had a good time with it!

 

[MortonStromgal]

I agree, demos are great. I was at the release party at Numos and played my first time there. Then I passed on PAX and ECC demos but I still think they are a great idea and may try it at this years PAX.

 

[Votan]

I think after some more play you might change that opinion- it may have been abbreviated due to quick-start, but the Fighter's ability to stop monsters from moving (and hit them when they shift) is pretty awesome, and more defendery. That's why I love me some fighters.

And glad to hear you had a good time with it!

I will definitely try playing a fighter in 4E again so I might revise that opinion. So we'll see how it turns out. But my favorite AD&D class was the human fighter and I suspect that it will play well in 4E too!