Have These Basic Questions been answered yet?

[JohnSnow]

It's pathetic in 3e, where an 8 gives you a -1 to rolls.

It's something quite different in 4e, where you don't suffer penalties from ability scores, only bonuses.

I just want to point out that this is STILL not confirmed. The person who posted this has confirmed it was his reverse engineering based on the Spined Devil card, and NOT something a designer said.

I believe the Spined Devil has an extra +3 to all of its "ability bonuses" because it's Level 6. That means the +3 from level effectively wipes out its penalties. Similarly, the Pit Fiend's numbers are high by a value of +13 from being Level 26 (but are otherwise consistent with the old bonus scale).

It seems to me that what's listed there are the numbers for untrained skill bonuses, which may even apply when you're making "ability checks."

However, at 1st-level you get no level-based bonus. So I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that for a 1st-level character, an INT 10 is still no bonus and a STR 18 is still a +4.

 

[DandD]

I hope rolling hitpoints isn't the default anymore. And it is said/believed that hitpoint progression is now standartised.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I certainly hope there is no more rolling for HP. Seriously, do people still roll for hitpoints? No group I have been in has rolled hitpoints in ages. Everybody just gets max HP. Nothing sucks more than rolling a 1 for hp.

I had a 9th level fighter where I rolled 1s for HP in five different levels. The fifth time, the DM let me roll over and I rolled a 1 again. He let me roll again and I rolled a 2. He made me keep the 2.

 

[Nikosandros]

I just want to point out that this is STILL not confirmed. The person who posted this has confirmed it was his reverse engineering based on the Spined Devil card, and NOT something a designer said.

I believe the Spined Devil has an extra +3 to all of its "ability bonuses" because it's Level 6. That means the +3 from level effectively wipes out its penalties. Similarly, the Pit Fiend's numbers are high by a value of +13 from being Level 26 (but are otherwise consistent with the old bonus scale).

Exactly. To me it seems fairly certain that the modifiers will remain the same.

 

[maggot]

Seriously, do people still roll for hitpoints?

Raises hand. (Although we play maximum at levels 1-3, then roll after that.)

Nothing sucks more than rolling a 1 for hp.

Oh, I think many things suck worse than that.

And ability scores, 28 point buy is pathetic. Does anyone actually play like that?

Again, this is what we do. When we aren't using roll best 3 of 4d6 and assign.

They shouldn't inflate the standard attributes too much. Those that like higher stats can always go for more, but if the system itself requires 50 point buy, those that like a lower stat array will be greatly disadvantaged.

I'm not holding my breathe though. 4E could very well go this direction.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

I had a 9th level fighter where I rolled 1s for HP in five different levels. The fifth time, the DM let me roll over and I rolled a 1 again. He let me roll again and I rolled a 2. He made me keep the 2.

This is exactly why I make my players roll for hit points. It's funny to make them suffer.

 

[The Little Raven]

I just want to point out that this is STILL not confirmed.

We shall see.

 

[EATherrian]

Heck, I still roll for Hit Points. It allows some randomness into a character's development. Also I still enjoy the 4d6 drop the lowest, no re-rolls for my character generation.

I certainly hope there is no more rolling for HP. Seriously, do people still roll for hitpoints? No group I have been in has rolled hitpoints in ages. Everybody just gets max HP. Nothing sucks more than rolling a 1 for hp.

And ability scores, 28 point buy is pathetic. Does anyone actually play like that?

My group does 84 points, assign to each stat on a 1 for 1 basis. Nothing above 18 or below a 3 (this is before applying racial modifiers). Thats the equivalent of having at least a 14 in every stat. PCs should be the best of the best.

Alternatively, we do 4d6, drop the lowest, reroll all 1s and 2s.

I'm hoping that rolling for HP and subpar stat point buy systems are a thing of the past.

 

[DanMcS]

I hope rolling hitpoints isn't the default anymore. And it is said/believed that hitpoint progression is now standartised.

Who believes that? It's not said anywhere. Conversely, Races and Classes says "Defensively, the wizard is still less sturdy than most of the other classes. While the new system allows all first level characters to survive at least one solid hit, the wizard might not last past the second."

Wizards still have less hit points than other classes. It may be a d4 + con per level, or 4 + con mod, or some new scheme. Who knows?

 

[Scholar & Brutalman]

1. How are ability scores generated?

No. Only that both a point buy and roll system are in the PHB

2. How are hit points determined?

Nope.

3. What classes will be in the PHB?

Wizards haven't officially said exactly which classes will be in the PHB, or even how many. Cleric, Fighter, Rogue, Warlock and Wizard seem to certain though, since they're covered in depth in R&C.

4. What races will be in the PHB?

No official lists as yet. Dragonborn, Dwarf, Eladrin, Elf, Halfling, Human and Tielfling are covered in R&C, and we're told Half-elves were left out for space reasons. Gnomes and Half-orcs.

Why do you expect them to come out and tell you now? Not telling you seems to be successful marketing because you keep coming back to ask the same questions.