Is D&D becoming more fantastical?

[Pinotage]

I've been thinking about this in the light of rumours of rules from 4e, but also in the light of many recent releases from WotC and others.

Back at the start of 3e, you had a fighter, who was well, a human that was very good at fighting. But by his core he was still human. Much like a real human today.

These days you have classes like the warblade, for example, that is much more fantastical. He's not a mere human anymore. He's a magical human, that can create fire with his manuevers or other 'magical' effects.

It strikes me that the concept of being 'human' has changed through the years. The average 'person' in D&D is now a lot more magical, can easily gain supernatural abilities, and can use magic more often. D&D to me appears to be becoming more fantastical.

I suspect that 4e is going to go that way even more so. The average 'person' in the game will be able to likely utilise magic in some way, be it creating fire with his blade as a warblade, or healing supernaturally as a cleric. Gone is the concept of a human in a fantasy world, to be replaced by a race of human where fantasy pervades them more.

Is it just me, or has the 'norm' changed and the average person now better fits the fantasy world where things are supposed to be more fantastical.

Pinotage

 

[Davelozzi]

I agree that D&D is steadily becoming more fantastic, but I doubt that the average person in 43 will have any magical abilities. The average PC classed character, maybe, but not the rest of the human population.

 

[Grymar]

I am hoping that there are a few classes (if not many) who do not have innate magical abilities. Even in 3.5 there were what...three core classes without some sort of magic-like talents (rogue, fighter, barbarian)?

I'm hoping the new fighter has tactical feats that are based on his weapon and training rather than magic.

 

[Umbran]

These days you have classes like the warblade, for example, that is much more fantastical. He's not a mere human anymore. He's a magical human, that can create fire with his manuevers or other 'magical' effects.

You ever see some of the stuff that 2e "kits" could do? Same thing.

It strikes me that the concept of being 'human' has changed through the years. The average 'person' in D&D is now a lot more magical, can easily gain supernatural abilities, and can use magic more often. D&D to me appears to be becoming more fantastical.

Well, compare apples to apples - don't compare the initial core rules of 3e to the late-life full spectrum of supplements in 3.5e. Compare the late-edition spread of supplements for 2e to the late-edition full spectrum of supplements for 3.5e.

Both are pretty darn fantastic. Kits? Fantastic, and they're a 2e thing. Planescape? Fantastic, and it has been around a long time. The game, in general, has been pretty darned fantastic for all its life. Nothing new here.

 

[Oryan77]

I've been wondering the same thing. I sure hope fighters don't become magic users with swords. But I'm not going to start assuming anything. I'll wait for my rants once 4e comes out....I may be pleasantly surprised

 

[Oryan77]

The game, in general, has been pretty darned fantastic for all its life. Nothing new here.

You're talking about supplements though. He's talking about what is core. Fighters are core....the Warblade is a supplement. If 4e turned core Fighters into people that summon small fire elementals for 1 round for a flanking bonus, then that's more fantastic than what the core Fighter ever was.

 

[jdrakeh]

No. I submit that you could do crazy with flaming swords as a 'mere human' in previous editions of D&D, as well. Look at Rangers in AD&D (both editions). They were capable of casting spells. And don't get me started on AD&D 1e Monks. Choosing to be either class made you much more supernatural than human. No, D&D isn't anymore fantastic today than it was 30 years ago, it's just fantastic in different ways.

[Edit: Also, Umbran mentioned kits, which were to AD&D 2e what supplemental classes like Warblade are to D&D 3x -- as Umbran also notes, there's really nothing new here.]

 

[Delta]

Yes, I agree with the OP.

 

[Ghendar]

More fantastic? No. More like a video game? Bingo!

 

[Umbran]

If 4e turned core Fighters into people that summon small fire elementals for 1 round for a flanking bonus, then that's more fantastic than what the core Fighter ever was.

Well, now you're getting into fine detail - whether the fighter, specifically, is more fantastic does not say whether the game overall is more fantastic. What you suggest there, for example, can already be pulled off by a cleric (or a paladin and warhorse) pretty easily. So, I wouldn't call it more fantastic than already exists.