D&D 4E How is the 4e announcement affecting your game groups?

[Tortoise]

Wow, I'm floored! I usually kill any thread I create with the first post!

Thanks to everyone for the great replies, please keep them coming.

Here's what I've been able to guestimate based on the replies. Mind you, this is a very inaccurate calculation and is only a guess.

For the comments numbered 1 through 60 it appears that there are three, nearly evenly balanced schools of thought on 4e so far.

About 35 to 36 percent in the yes column, about 28% maybe, and about 36 to 37 percent in the no column.

I suppose my groups aren't that unusual compared to other EN World groups after-all.

 

[Fifth Element]

[sig]I thank WOTC for the 3.x years and a great rules system; I reject WOTC for $th Edition and their lack of PR!

Ah, this takes me back to the days of T$R...

 

[Gundark]

Our group is anxiously awaiting 4e. Right now we're playing Star Wars Saga...which I will say has us looking forward to playing 4e.

 

[Elf Witch]

In the three groups I play in the discussions have gone like this.

Group 1 we play 2E AD&D. If they didn't switch to 3E they won't be switching to 4E. Most of the players with the exception of myself refuse to play any other DnD than 1,2 or basic DnD.

So the awitch to fourth is no problem at all.

Group 2 I DM this group we made the decision to stay 3.5. So far done of us are thrilled with we have heard about 4E.

This is my first time really DMing and I don't want to start over with a new ruleset. Also I like 3.5 and I have a ton of books that I want to use. So I don't see any need to awitch.

player 1 hates everything about 4E and has said that she won't play in a game that uses that system.

player 2 Is not thrilled with a lot of what he has read he would be willing to try it but has no buring desire to go out and find a 4E game.

player 3 just started playing 3.5 after a huge break from gaming and has no desire to learn new rules.

player 4 does not really like any rule set of DnD and keeps trying to talk me into running fantasy hero.

Group 3 is having major issues and will split because of it that is my guess. You have two players who embrace everything new. And several who are not thrilled about the changes.

We play DnD and Shadowrun. Now I and another player quit the Shadowrun game when they switched to 4e. We gave it a try and hated it to us the world does not feel like Shadowrun anymore. The DM wants to switch the Eberron game to 4 as soon as it comes out. I am not thrilled by this because I hate switching a campaign. So if he does I will quit this game. Now if he starts a new game using 4 I would be intrested in trying it.

 

[Mephistopheles]

It hasn't affected my group yet. Our plans are still to wrap up our current 3.0/3.5 FR campaign and then move back to 1E or 2E using a minimal set of rulebooks for a homebrew campaign.

We're probably a prime target for 4E as we feel 3.0/3.5 just bogs down our gaming sessions too much. However what we've seen of 4E so far hasn't impressed us so the decision to go back to a previous edition remains. We may consider 4E but it has some barriers to entry that moving back to a previous edition doesn't impose so it kind of needs to go the extra mile to make the investment worthwhile.

 

[EricNoah]

Sorry for the brief thread hijack.

Eric,

Is this a pure and simple Dungeon Crawl? I have been thinking about buying this and adding it to my 3.5 collection and running it in the future, but the blurb at RPGNow does not give any detail other than lots of dungeon levels, thanks for any input

Haven't been able to give it a thorough read, but what I like about it so far is that it has a bunch of sub-quests scattered throughout; it assumes the PCs will be in and out of the dungeon repeatedly (so they provide you with lots of details on a nearby city -- including a fully mapped and fleshed out tavern -- and a gazetteer of the the surrounding nation); it has some very useful tools like a master list of keys -- which keys go to which locks and where those keys can be found -- and a booklet of visual aids for the players; and there seems to be a great variety in the themes and inhabitants of the various levels. It seems like it hangs together well enough though it also seems very modular (take out a level you don't like, or use a level as a stand-alone dungeon). I picked it up for $62 at Amazon.com.

 

[Toric_Arthendain]

In the group I DM, there has been little discussion at all on the subject. Of the six of us, I am likely the only one who visits ENWorld on a regular basis and thus I probably have the most knowledge about the new edition amongst the group.

Two of the players are relative newbies to D&D (although one did play back in 1st edition days) and neither of them have even mentioned being aware a new edition was coming.

The rest of us have briefly discussed 4E but not by any means extensively. I had mentioned that I would not switch from 3.5 to the new edition unless the entire group wanted to. So far, there seems to be little interest in a new edition. From converting our campaign to buying new books, I don't believe my players really want the hassle.

Besides, we are only four sessions in to Paizo's Rise of the Runelords adventure path. Playing for 5 hours only twice a month, that path should take us over a year to complete. I am content to stick with 3.5, at least for the forseeable future. I have enough material to last for years. I won't say that I won't eyeball 4E when it comes out but I won't be in any rush to buy anything.

 

[Cbas_10]

In our seven-person group, one of the guys and I take turns running the show; I DM for a few months until I wrap up the end of a storyline, then he runs his game for a few months, then we go back to mine, etc.

I'm in absolutely no hurry to switch to 4E...from a DM standpoint. We don't really need to go into the reasons, here, but I simply have not experienced the "failings" of 3.5 that many others talk about. When it is my turn to DM....it will continue on as 3.5 until something dramatic happens.

As for the other DM, he wants to try out the new 4E. I'm okay with that...I'll even get the PHB. At least then, I'll be able to give the new edition a fair shake. We all will.

Unless something REALLY knocks my socks off with 4E (which would involve a few previewed new ideas to be taken back out of the PHB), I think this set-up would remain that way indefinitely...and our group is cool with that. The other DM is still relatively new at running a game, so the new edition appeals to him. However, 3.5 is just so intuitive and perfect for my style of gaming, that I don't want to start doing something different....just....because....for no really good reason.

But, as a player, 4E looks like it could be a bit of fun; stress-relief in the form of a simple, basic, monster-smashing, dungeon-crawling Loot-fest.

 

[Jorunkun]

The group I DM for has been playing together since the mid 1980s, going from OD&D to 1st and 2nd Edition, then pausing for most of the 90s until we got back together thanks to online play and 3.x (I'm in Japan, my four players are in Germany mostly).

I think we will all get the 4e books as soon as they come out and play a module in parallel to my ongoing 3.5 campaign. If it plays well, I reckon I will set up a new campaign while I fade out the existing one sometime in the late summer.

Since we're not big on rules-extensions anyhow (our campaign only uses core books, and no prestige classes) and eager for anything that makes the game go more smoothly, I think there won't be any heated discussions about the switch.

 

[BronzeDragon]

My group is not affected at all, since we only have time to play one session per month (on average) and we're busy with Conan right now.

Conan gave us everything we wanted. Less magic, more physical combat options to make melee exciting, and the storytelling potential of Howard's world. Did I mention less magic? If I didn't, and I'm pretty sure I did, here it is again, in bold: less magic!

No one is even remotely interested in 4E.