First review of the new Red Box

[BryonD]

This was the moment in the video that turned me right off the Red Box for good. Now I'm sure that even if I do buy this box, I'll never play 4th edition. I mean, holy cow, talk about stat inflation! What's so special anymore about having an eighteen ability score if every character pretty much automatically gets one? Not In My Game, thank you very much.

I'm fairly certain that was just the "quick start" example character.

 

[malraux]

This was the moment in the video that turned me right off the Red Box for good. Now I'm sure that even if I do buy this box, I'll never play 4th edition. I mean, holy cow, talk about stat inflation! What's so special anymore about having an eighteen ability score if every character just automatically gets one? Not In My Game, thank you very much. Where I come from, the chance of rolling an 18 on 3d6 is a mere one in two-hundred sixteen.

Well, 4e by default assumes point buy. Moreover, since the stats work differently from edition to edition, why should stat generation be the same?

 

[Jasperak]

I wouldn't exactly call it a video review since they were given an advance copy by WOTC to specifically do a video review. I would call it a video preview and nothing more.

For as much of the video I could watch, which was about half of the section, I get the feeling that 4ee is not for me. Someone said that one of the characters got a +6 or +7 to hit? Is this stat inflation for real?

I'll take a pass but I do hope that this is finally the beginner set for D&D that we haven't seen since the original Metzer Red Box. I hope it is successful for the hobby's sake.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I wouldn't exactly call it a video review since they were given an advance copy by WOTC to specifically do a video review. I would call it a video preview and nothing more.

For as much of the video I could watch, which was about half of the section, I get the feeling that 4ee is not for me. Someone said that one of the characters got a +6 or +7 to hit? Is this stat inflation for real?

I'll take a pass but I do hope that this is finally the beginner set for D&D that we haven't seen since the original Metzer Red Box. I hope it is successful for the hobby's sake.

Just to clear something up. That +7 is not as a result of stats only.
The way 4e works is that to hit number = stat bonus + weapon proficiency + weapon bonus + 1/2 level
So they give the rogue an 18 in Dex as part of the open adventure/create character which would not be uncommon in point buy
so the +7 = +4 from the Dex bonus (rogue attacks being dex based) and + 3 weapon proficiency from using a dagger and that is it since the dagger is non magical so has no magic bonus nor does the character yet have a level bonus.

 

[Jasperak]

Just to clear something up. That +7 is not as a result of stats only.
The way 4e works is that to hit number = stat bonus + weapon proficiency + weapon bonus + 1/2 level
So they give the rogue an 18 in Dex as part of the open adventure/create character which would not be uncommon in point buy
so the +7 = +4 from the Dex bonus (rogue attacks being dex based) and + 3 weapon proficiency from using a dagger and that is it since the dagger is non magical so has no magic bonus nor does the character yet have a level bonus.

I understand that the +7 is not only from the stats, but more than half of it is. That's my disconnect. I come from a time when a Dex 14 thief was ok and got no bonus to attack. Now it's not, and does nothing but force players to build their characters to meet the new standard. That's what I see as stat/math inflation. I hated it in 3e and hate it in 4e. To me it doesn't add anything to the game when every friggin thief is going to have a +3 or +4 bonus from stats. I come from a different time obviously.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I understand that the +7 is not only from the stats, but more than half of it is. That's my disconnect. I come from a time when a Dex 14 thief was ok and got no bonus to attack. Now it's not, and does nothing but force players to build their characters to meet the new standard. That's what I see as stat/math inflation. I hated it in 3e and hate it in 4e. To me it doesn't add anything to the game when every friggin thief is going to have a +3 or +4 bonus from stats. I come from a different time obviously.

Ok, I am of the same era but it does not bother me. It is the inevitable result of point buy systems. Not really a fan of point buy systems but I do understand the logic behind them.

 

[malraux]

I understand that the +7 is not only from the stats, but more than half of it is. That's my disconnect. I come from a time when a Dex 14 thief was ok and got no bonus to attack. Now it's not, and does nothing but force players to build their characters to meet the new standard. That's what I see as stat/math inflation. I hated it in 3e and hate it in 4e. To me it doesn't add anything to the game when every friggin thief is going to have a +3 or +4 bonus from stats. I come from a different time obviously.

I'm guessing you won't be happy with the easy answer of just subtract 4 from everything then? At a mathematical level, its all the same.

 

[mach1.9pants]

I wouldn't exactly call it a video review since they were given an advance copy by WOTC to specifically do a video review. I would call it a video preview and nothing more.

For as much of the video I could watch, which was about half of the section, I get the feeling that 4ee is not for me. Someone said that one of the characters got a +6 or +7 to hit? Is this stat inflation for real?

I'll take a pass but I do hope that this is finally the beginner set for D&D that we haven't seen since the original Metzer Red Box. I hope it is successful for the hobby's sake.

They don't call it a review either, they call it an unboxing.

 

[Jasperak]

They don't call it a review either, they call it an unboxing.

Good point, but the thread title and OP does.

 

[Jasperak]

I'm guessing you won't be happy with the easy answer of just subtract 4 from everything then? At a mathematical level, its all the same.

Or I can add 8 class levels. Read that as a +4 stat bonus is equal to the same bonus you would get from having 8 class levels. Significant disconnect in my book.