D&D 4E If 4e fails you, what then?

[Wisdom Penalty]

I'm a 4on. Believe me. I love what I've seen (95% of it, anyway), and I find my D&D battery completely refreshed after the last couple years of an extended breaking-up session with 3.5e. There are so many changes that I find very compelling, vis-a-vis 3e, that I find myself looking at some 3e rules and wondering how I ever enjoyed them. This is odd, because I have a great group of friends and 3e gave us many, many, many hours of top-notch RPG goodness. It's hard to explain.

At any rate, the reason for this post: If 4e isn't what I hope and expect it will be, I can't see myself ever doing 3e again. I will be a nerd without a D&D edition. That is a terrifying thought. I'm a big fan of sword & sorcery, so d20 Modern or Star Wars or M&M just don't hold an allure. Since 1978 I've been playing D&D in one derivative or another.

I don't know what our group would do if 4e drops the ball. While nostalgia tells me to head back to BECM or 1e, we've tried that. As a one-nighter, it's fun. As a campaign, I doubt it could hold our interest. I never played 2e.

Do you guys have a "fallback plan" if 4e doesn't do it for you?

Wis

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Well if 4e fails, which I too highly doubt, I will go back to bemoaning having to play 3.5 because my friends want to and having gun playing nWoD and CthulhuTech.

 

[MichaelSomething]

There's always Pathfinder! It's goal is to fix the flaws of 3.5.

Of course, there are dozens of other systems out there. There has to be something out there that will appeal to you if you look hard enough.

 

[Jawar]

Wait for 5E

lol

The 1 hp minion shows that hp can be run out of the game - at least for no central characters. To me, conditions would suffice in 5E, main characters could get bloodied, unconscious, etc.
Hp are the main reason I fumble as a DM - I'm way too slow with numbers.

 

[Doug McCrae]

M&M or get a new hobby until 5e.

 

[Rex Blunder]

I'm one of the "4-ons" who still loves 3.5. I'd have no problem playing it for years to come.

Of course, I've already introduced some 4e houserules, that have worked really well so far. So I guess I'm playing something like 3.64.

 

[tuffnoogies]

Either Pathfinder, or my own version of 4.5. I could always play nWoD though.

 

[Jawar]

I miss the old Cthulhu - not the d20 crap.
I know, it was not very playable, characters did not last long, some parties mostly composed of former university professors too soon adopted the "fire in the hole" policy...
Still, most times, a five star ambiance all the way!

 

[Rechan]

Death.

I mean, er.

Spirit of the Century, and wait on The Dresden Files RPG, of course!

 

[Lord Mhoram]

Start playing Fantasy Hero solo again. D&D is a "simple game" vacation from Hero for me anyway, a McDonalds from the high gourmet of my primary system (and no insult intended by the McDonalds reference - fill in Burger King, or Sizzler if you will).