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Legends & Lore - A Retrospective
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<blockquote data-quote="Iosue" data-source="post: 6528230" data-attributes="member: 6680772"><p><a href="http://archive.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20110308" target="_blank">Legends & Lore #4 - Stay Classy</a></p><p>March 8, 2011</p><p><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?302486-New-Legends-amp-Lore&highlight=Legends+Lore" target="_blank">Original EN World thread</a></p><p></p><p>This week, Mike Mearls looked at class complexity. First, he looks at the fighter -- generally the simplest class throughout D&D history, and compares the number of unique steps required to complete character generation (not counting things common through all editions, such as picking a race, generating ability scores, etc.) By his count, there are 6 extra steps in 1e, 11 extra steps in 2e, 16 extra steps in 3e, and 18 extra steps in 4e, indicating a marked movement towards complexity with each successive edition.</p><p></p><p>Mearls notes that not only were there higher raw numbers of steps, but more math in play as well. While in 1e and 2e finding one's to-hit numbers/THAC0 or AC was generally a matter of looking up a number on a table and maybe adding one or two modifiers, in 3e and 4e attacks, AC, defenses, and saving throws were all effected by a variety of modifiers, many of which depended on which feats one took.</p><p></p><p>Another layer of complexity was added via what kind of choices players had to make.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>He ends the article with a question, to be taken up in the following article:</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>How did things end up in 5e?</strong></p><p>So here things look pretty simple: how many unique steps does 5e have for completing a fighter? I haven't worked it out yet as I type this, but I'm going to hazard it's close to 2e, maybe between 2e and 3e...</p><p></p><p>Choose Fighting Style</p><p>Choose Class Skills: 2</p><p>Choose Background</p><p>Choose Personality Trait</p><p>Choose Ideal</p><p>Choose Bond</p><p>Choose Flaw</p><p>Calculate Attack Bonuses</p><p>Calculate Initiative</p><p>Calculate Skill Bonuses</p><p>Calculate Saving Throws</p><p>Calculate Passive Perception</p><p>Total Steps: 13</p><p></p><p>Heh. Right on the money: between 2e and 3e, but closer to 2e. The introduction of Personality Traits really adds to the steps one has to take. If they are ignored, you're looking at 9 steps. Take out backgrounds and skills altogether and you're looking at 5 steps, fewer even than 1e. But interestingly, 5e took a number of different tacks to allow for more (or less) complexity without paring down the steps to the bare minimum. For example, Equipment. Rather than choosing equipment a la carte (often time-consuming in any edition), you can just start with the equipment provided by your background and your class. If using the Basic rules, you don't even have a large list of backgrounds to go through -- just choose one of six. They also chunk some of your skills in with your background, providing the fighter with 4 skills, but only 2 of which he has to choose. Personality traits add to the steps, but handy random tables also allow for quick and easy choices. The game includes both sub-classes and feats, but delays these to later levels (3rd and 4th, respectively, for the fighter -- of course you don't choose these at all if playing with just the Basic rules).</p><p></p><p>When one talks about levels and dials in 5e, I think character generation is one area where we see their fullest expression. I have much more to say here, but I think I'll save it for some future articles. Character design and classes were a big issue, one that Mearls and Cook would visit many times in the year leading up to the 5e announcement.</p><p></p><p>Edit: Oh, hey, 1,000 posts! Maybe I should just stop here on a nice, round number. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Iosue, post: 6528230, member: 6680772"] [URL="http://archive.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20110308"]Legends & Lore #4 - Stay Classy[/URL] March 8, 2011 [URL="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?302486-New-Legends-amp-Lore&highlight=Legends+Lore"]Original EN World thread[/URL] This week, Mike Mearls looked at class complexity. First, he looks at the fighter -- generally the simplest class throughout D&D history, and compares the number of unique steps required to complete character generation (not counting things common through all editions, such as picking a race, generating ability scores, etc.) By his count, there are 6 extra steps in 1e, 11 extra steps in 2e, 16 extra steps in 3e, and 18 extra steps in 4e, indicating a marked movement towards complexity with each successive edition. Mearls notes that not only were there higher raw numbers of steps, but more math in play as well. While in 1e and 2e finding one's to-hit numbers/THAC0 or AC was generally a matter of looking up a number on a table and maybe adding one or two modifiers, in 3e and 4e attacks, AC, defenses, and saving throws were all effected by a variety of modifiers, many of which depended on which feats one took. Another layer of complexity was added via what kind of choices players had to make. He ends the article with a question, to be taken up in the following article: [B]How did things end up in 5e?[/B] So here things look pretty simple: how many unique steps does 5e have for completing a fighter? I haven't worked it out yet as I type this, but I'm going to hazard it's close to 2e, maybe between 2e and 3e... Choose Fighting Style Choose Class Skills: 2 Choose Background Choose Personality Trait Choose Ideal Choose Bond Choose Flaw Calculate Attack Bonuses Calculate Initiative Calculate Skill Bonuses Calculate Saving Throws Calculate Passive Perception Total Steps: 13 Heh. Right on the money: between 2e and 3e, but closer to 2e. The introduction of Personality Traits really adds to the steps one has to take. If they are ignored, you're looking at 9 steps. Take out backgrounds and skills altogether and you're looking at 5 steps, fewer even than 1e. But interestingly, 5e took a number of different tacks to allow for more (or less) complexity without paring down the steps to the bare minimum. For example, Equipment. Rather than choosing equipment a la carte (often time-consuming in any edition), you can just start with the equipment provided by your background and your class. If using the Basic rules, you don't even have a large list of backgrounds to go through -- just choose one of six. They also chunk some of your skills in with your background, providing the fighter with 4 skills, but only 2 of which he has to choose. Personality traits add to the steps, but handy random tables also allow for quick and easy choices. The game includes both sub-classes and feats, but delays these to later levels (3rd and 4th, respectively, for the fighter -- of course you don't choose these at all if playing with just the Basic rules). When one talks about levels and dials in 5e, I think character generation is one area where we see their fullest expression. I have much more to say here, but I think I'll save it for some future articles. Character design and classes were a big issue, one that Mearls and Cook would visit many times in the year leading up to the 5e announcement. Edit: Oh, hey, 1,000 posts! Maybe I should just stop here on a nice, round number. ;) [/QUOTE]
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