Excerpt: Racial Benefits

[Mouseferatu]

I guess we differ here, as I tend to find mechanics inspiring.

Guess so. I might find a mechanic inspiring in so far as "Hey, that could be a cool way to take my character," but not beyond that.

As I see it, the flavor--be it printed or coming from the DM or players--is mostly the imaginative/storytelling stuff. The mechanics are how you implement the imaginative stuff.

I'm going to guess you hated LBB Traveller and the Hero System...

Not familiar with the former, but merely skimming through the latter has convinced me that I wouldn't play it unless--maybe--it was the only option besides no RP at all.

But I also must admit, I don't really even understand some of this argument. IME, it's no harder--literally no harder--to change "implied setting" flavor than it is to add flavor that's just not there. So to me, a slightly heavier implied setting can only be a good thing, as it provides material for beginners and/or those who want to use it, but it's no harder for world-builders to change "the Empire of Bael Turath" to "the Empire of Twenty-Three-Skiddoo" than it would be to add the name "Twenty-Three-Skiddoo" to a more generic "ancient tiefling empire."

 

[Rechan]

Hey Ari. Question for you, assuming this isn't in violation of your NDA:

How much implied setting is in the powers/feats? How much of it are the names that are Going to irritate people?

How much Fluff do the monsters get?

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

This. Also, if you notice in the Paragon preview there was basically a +1 AC feat (with +1 to offset skillcheck penalty or something). Obviously from a balancing perspective WotC is valueing AC pretty significantly. But then, since everyone gets +1 AC every two levels, I suppose that makes it significantly easier to balance, i.e. +1 AC = 2 extra levels worth of AC. A Dwarf with the racial and the armor feat would effectively be 4 levels higher (fighting large+) defensively than someone who didn't take those feats.

This exactly. I haven't really been able to talk about this until now. However, this is an example of the balance in 4e. Small numbers make big differences. A +1 to your AC is the equivalent of gaining 2 levels for purposes of defenses. It seems really small in terms of the numbers that people are used to in 3e, but it is a big deal in 4e.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Hey Ari. Question for you, assuming this isn't in violation of your NDA:

Well, I'll try to give personal impressions, rather than actual details.

How much implied setting is in the powers/feats? How much of it are the names that are Going to irritate people?

Unless you consider some monster names to be "implied setting," I think there's very little in the powers. There's a tiny bit in the feats--which tend to follow racial tendencies, like "race X is good with weapon Y"--but that's very minor, and of course has precedence in every edition to date.

I think the implied setting is most obvious in the racial write-ups and, of course, the gods. But even then, I've seen almost nothing that couldn't easily be changed (though I admit, for me, there's little reason to, as I like most of the implied setting).

How much Fluff do the monsters get?

Depends on the monster. Some only a tiny bit; some a great deal more.

Personally? I'd actually rather the monsters have more flavor than they do. But that's just me.

 

[Primal]

So it doesn't seem, to you, that 4E is much better about not being restrictive than 3.x was?
...Lack of alignment emphasis, targeted cultural racial abilities or racial class preferences...
I guess they do have some silly names for Powers, but...seems unrelated....

I don't know about you, but seems to me that 4E is far more restrictive than 3E has ever been. And if we're talking about fluff, names matter, too -- I wouldn't implement any "Asian-themed/Oriental" stuff to my setting, for example. Nor could I see them working in, say, the Forgotten Realms. And look at how much people were upset about the Golden Wyverns and Emerald Frosts and Dragon-Tail Cuts.

The biggest concern to me, as DM, is the continuity. If I was a beginning DM with "newbie" players, I don't think it would break anyone's Sense of Disbelief to tell them, for example, that Fomorians are rulers of the Feywild. However, I can't do that for my players unless I come up with pretty good reasons how those primitive, mutated giants huddling in remote caves (and whom many PCs have battled and slain) have "evolved" into magical rulers of another plane.

As far as actual Racial Benefits go, the examples provided do not hint at any "setting-specific" fluff, so I'm okay with them. However, if there are powers like "Horns of Bael Turath" or "Legendary Stamina of Nerathians" in PHB, I'm going use a black marker. On every player's PHB.

 

[abyssaldeath]

Dark Sun had halflings?

 

[Mouseferatu]

Dark Sun had halflings?

Coolest halflings ever.

 

[Rechan]

Personally? I'd actually rather the monsters have more flavor than they do. But that's just me.

I miss the 2e MM. That thing was chocked FULL of info about the monster.

 

[Rechan]

The biggest concern to me, as DM, is the continuity. If I was a beginning DM with "newbie" players, I don't think it would break anyone's Sense of Disbelief to tell them, for example, that Fomorians are rulers of the Feywild. However, I can't do that for my players unless I come up with pretty good reasons how those primitive, mutated giants huddling in remote caves (and whom many PCs have battled and slain) have "evolved" into magical rulers of another plane.

The same way that you'll have to explain how a Fighter now has abilities he can use instead of just 'swing sword'.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

That's a lot of AC boosts. I don't have a problem with certain classes meshing up nicely with certain classes (or roles). I think its a good thing in fact. But the iconic halfling certainly isn't a paladin or a fighter.

Anyone care to tell me how wrong I am? Or are we just at the "let's hope that's not how it is in the actual books" stage?

They certainly do make decent fighters or paladins. Just like all other races. However, keep in mind that their dex bonus is almost entirely useless as a fighter or paladin since you don't get your dex bonus in heavy armor and their attacks are based off of strength.

Sure, you can get pluses to your AC, in exchange you might not hit as often or do as much damage as if you'd been a different race. Net difference about equal.