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*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Just how compatible is Essentials?
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<blockquote data-quote="Redbadge" data-source="post: 5594936" data-attributes="member: 61463"><p>Somehow, I missed this thread over the last few days. I just can't help myself from jumping in. I'll just repost something I said from a very similar thread. I make the point that the PHB3 is <em>also</em> an Essentials book, and is just as compatible with earlier material as HotFL and HotFK are.</p><p></p><p>"What part of essentials doesn't conform to the broader system or use the full rules? Essentials has variant mechanics and additional rules only to the extent that every expansion of the 4e system has.</p><p> </p><p>Let me provide an example from the very designer responsible for the "essentials direction", Mike Mearls. When preparing for the Player's Handbook 3, Mearls and the other designers noticed that the power sources may not be differintiated enough, and thought that this might be something that would be popular with players. Like many people recognize that Heroes of Shadow is just one part of the larger "essentials direction", it is easy to see that Player's Handbook 3 is also an essentials book in all but name.</p><p> </p><p>Like essentials classes, psionic classes move away from the AEDU structure, except instead of giving up dailies (in the case of martial classes), psionic classes give up encounter powers (notwithstanding the monk).</p><p> </p><p>Like essentials sources, which introduced the limited binder and vampire, PHB3 introduced the similarly limited seeker and runepriest.</p><p> </p><p>Like essentials, which expanded the range of complexity for which the player base could choose from, PHB3 provided a wider range of complexity by introducing hybrid classes (which will be and have always intended to be fully compatible with essentials classes).</p><p> </p><p>Like essentials sources, PHB3 provides very little support for ritual casting, and few mentions.</p><p> </p><p>Like essentials sources, the races in PHB3 introduced races with variable ability scores to choose from.</p><p> </p><p>Like essentials, PHB3 saw a bit of power creep with the introduction of a strictly better expertise (as well as superior implements for spell casters).</p><p> </p><p>Like essentials, (some) PHB3 classes gain class features at levels other than 1.</p><p> </p><p>When PHB3 did really well and received a generally positive reaction from the 4e fanbase, Mearls might have said to himself, "Man, if they like this, they'll love what we've got coming up!" If they had released all of essentials in a blue hardback book and called it Player's Handbook 4, we probably wouldn't be having this discussion. Understandably, WOTC figured the new players they so covet probably wouldn't be picking up something called Player's Handbook <em><u>4</u></em>."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Redbadge, post: 5594936, member: 61463"] Somehow, I missed this thread over the last few days. I just can't help myself from jumping in. I'll just repost something I said from a very similar thread. I make the point that the PHB3 is [I]also[/I] an Essentials book, and is just as compatible with earlier material as HotFL and HotFK are. "What part of essentials doesn't conform to the broader system or use the full rules? Essentials has variant mechanics and additional rules only to the extent that every expansion of the 4e system has. Let me provide an example from the very designer responsible for the "essentials direction", Mike Mearls. When preparing for the Player's Handbook 3, Mearls and the other designers noticed that the power sources may not be differintiated enough, and thought that this might be something that would be popular with players. Like many people recognize that Heroes of Shadow is just one part of the larger "essentials direction", it is easy to see that Player's Handbook 3 is also an essentials book in all but name. Like essentials classes, psionic classes move away from the AEDU structure, except instead of giving up dailies (in the case of martial classes), psionic classes give up encounter powers (notwithstanding the monk). Like essentials sources, which introduced the limited binder and vampire, PHB3 introduced the similarly limited seeker and runepriest. Like essentials, which expanded the range of complexity for which the player base could choose from, PHB3 provided a wider range of complexity by introducing hybrid classes (which will be and have always intended to be fully compatible with essentials classes). Like essentials sources, PHB3 provides very little support for ritual casting, and few mentions. Like essentials sources, the races in PHB3 introduced races with variable ability scores to choose from. Like essentials, PHB3 saw a bit of power creep with the introduction of a strictly better expertise (as well as superior implements for spell casters). Like essentials, (some) PHB3 classes gain class features at levels other than 1. When PHB3 did really well and received a generally positive reaction from the 4e fanbase, Mearls might have said to himself, "Man, if they like this, they'll love what we've got coming up!" If they had released all of essentials in a blue hardback book and called it Player's Handbook 4, we probably wouldn't be having this discussion. Understandably, WOTC figured the new players they so covet probably wouldn't be picking up something called Player's Handbook [I][U]4[/U][/I]." [/QUOTE]
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Just how compatible is Essentials?
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