Favorite and Least Favorite 4th Edition Elements

[Alaxk Knight of Galt]

The Good: Focus on the character and not the gear - Major props if this happens

The Bad: (Increased reliance on / continuing to need) a battle mat. I'm not playing DnD for miniature combat game, I'm playing it to Role Play. If I want miniature combat, I'll play warhammer. Heck, WotC agrees that miniature combat is time consuming and is developing software to make the miniature combat aspect of the game go faster. Does that seem right?

The Ugly: Warlord/Warlock - Come on guys spend five bucks on a thesaurus.

 

[pawsplay]

Favorite: Talent trees.

Least Favorite: Thieves jumping over people's heads, clerics crit-healing, and other super moves.

 

[howandwhy99]

1. what is the one thing that you like most about 4E?

The 4 prong initiatives, especially the digital initiative.

2. what is the one thing that you like least about 4E?

The assumptions behind the mechanics.

 

[Lanefan]

Obviously this is based only on the speculations so far, but:

Favourite things: Points-of-light design background; ditching of lots of silly half-monster PC races; streamlined prep time (if this comes out real); demons (but not as PCs); less reliance on magic items;

Least favourite things: numeric inflation was bad in 3e and looks like it's getting worse in 4e; lack of some core classes (Druid, Bard, Illusionist, etc.); too much realism sacrificed on the dual altars of gamism and efficiency; always-on abilities and corresponding loss of resource management; loss of wish

Things that could go on either list depending what the designers end up doing: buffs (fewer=good, same or more=bad); item creation (rare and not done by PCs=good, 3e method=bad); various specific spells; etc.

Lanefan

 

[FireLance]

Did you miss the fact that warlocks can have Fey/Feywild patrons?

Well, going by the Design and Development article, the warlock can have "feral" patrons. While this could include the Fey, "feral" by itself implies a dangerous sort of wildness which is amoral or possibly non-evil rather than obviously good or light-flavored.

 

[Imp]

I am going to be positive-to-lukewarm about 4E until I see the books.

Pro:
- I don't think I'll miss the Vancian casting one bit.
- Ways to avoid having clergymen truck along with all adventuring parties ever everywhere = happy.
- The flow of the game (well, the fight scenes) in those playtest report things sounds like fun, honestly.
- Bigger quicker fights against more foes. Monster design seems to be working.

Save to Disbelieve:
- Sweet spot all the way from level 1 to level 30! Buy now and get a free warhorse!
- Item Christmas Tree gone gone gone! Inventory closeout! Everything must go!
- Every character does something fun all! the! time! You don't have to wait! 50% off!
- We done screwed up 3e, but we know just the thing now, boy howdy!

Who Cares:
- Points of Light: Gee, that's nice, I guess. Me, I make my own fun.
- New default pantheon: Huh. Well, goody. I suppose that beats having a default pantheon set in a setting you don't even publish books on but it doesn't mean that much to me.
- Dr. Raven Darktalon Blood's DEMONIC FOCUS echo echo echo okay sure I'll take that under advisement.

Who Knows:
- all that resource management stuff

Grr:
- Stupid names that lead to the confusion and the 2 a.m. headaches. That's really been the only thing I've complained about around here because at least it is concretely visible.
- the PCcentric DDI software; but I'm not sure I would have subscribed anyway - I must be one of a few around here that's never so much as bought an issue of Dragon or Dungeon in his life.

GRRR:
- Spreading out of longtime "base" classes and monsters over multiple books so you will BUY BUY BUY is crap and the only thing that's really truly annoyed me so far.

 

[JamesP]

1. Racial abilities increasing with level. I like that a 16th level Elf Fighter will be finally different to a 16th level Dwarf Fighter.

2. Removing the barbarian from the PHB?
*starts to type little confused-face-emoticon-thingie but thens stabs self in face to death with ball-point pen instead*
And I don't think I've ever played a barbarian but I think they are such an elemental facet of any fantasy world.

 

[Baby Samurai]

Well, going by the Design and Development article, the warlock can have "feral" patrons. While this could include the Fey, "feral" by itself implies a dangerous sort of wildness which is amoral or possibly non-evil rather than obviously good or light-flavored.

True, my mistake.