It Starts (Splatbooks - Martial Power in October)

[Glyfair]

Did WotC ever claim they weren't going to be releasing splatbooks in 4e? One of the earliest leaks about 4e was from the Israeli translator/distributor, and it mentioned that there would be a martial book later in 2008.

Indeed, we had that information before the official Gen Con announcement. We may not have been sure it was accurate then, but we knew shortly thereafter.

For the record, here is the list of the "initial books":

FR campaign setting (confirmed)
Dragon-related book (still not announced)
Magic item book (confirmed)
Arcane book (still not announced)
Martial arts book (confirmed)

 

[Reynard]

I always loved adventures that gave me some crunch to go along with the fun, made the adventure much useful in the wider campaign, and players LOVE getting new spells that only they have as a reward.

As long as it is quality non-essential stuff, it's great. I'd be pretty irritated if the druid, for example, appeared as an appendix to an adventure, though.

However -- 4E seems to be very geared towards module use. WotC is putting out two adventure paths and they have Dungeon again; Necromancer and Goodman were the first companies to commit to 4E; the "classics" are promised. It makes sense if the game is supposed to be easy to understand and run, even for an inexperienced DM. Writing adventures is leaps and bounds more difficult than running them.

 

[Scholar & Brutalman]

FR campaign setting (confirmed)
Dragon-related book (still not announced)
Magic item book (confirmed)
Arcane book (still not announced)
Martial arts book (confirmed)

I wonder what the Dragon-related book is? Dragonomicon 4e, or the Big Book of Dragonborn?

 

[Ahglock]

I enjoy reading rule books so I'll pick up the splats even if I don't intend to let them enter my game. But hey if they manage to keep it balanced and just add cool new ideas I get a fun read and something to add to my game.

 

[Hussar]

The 3e PHB came out August of 2000 and Sword and Fist was released January 2001. U

What's the difference here? Two months maybe?

 

[Ahglock]

The 3e PHB came out August of 2000 and Sword and Fist was released January 2001. U

What's the difference here? Two months maybe?

Not just two months, TWO WHOLE MONTHS.

 

[pawsplay]

The 3e PHB came out August of 2000 and Sword and Fist was released January 2001. U

What's the difference here? Two months maybe?

I hope one difference is that Martial Power won't suck.

 

[Ahglock]

I hope one difference is that Martial Power won't suck.

Not that I'm disagreeing, but ouch.

 

[Lizard]

I hope one difference is that Martial Power won't suck.

Probably suck the least of all the splats, since it's (most likely) been in development the longest.

 

[OakwoodDM]

I could imagine Swordmage, Barbarian and Monk all as Martial Power Classes.

Give Barbarian's been stated as being of the same source as Druid (which I can't see being Martial) and Swordmage being Martial would cause riotous complaints that either "Martial characters shouldn't use magic" or "It's called SwordMAGE, where're all the magical abilities" depending on which way they went, I can only see Monk of them being Martial, and even that'd probably fit better in an OA book with the other oriental classes (Samurai, Wu Jen, Ninja, etc), and possibly with (as suggested elsewhere) a Ki power source.