D&D 3.x Mearls' 3e Drider: A Hint at 4e Status Effects?

[Anthtriel]

It seems good for flavor and play, but it's certainly too much bookkeeping for just one ability. If all debuffs are handled with counters, and if you only have a fairly small amount of them, then they could work really well.
You wouldn't be required to remember all sorts of details of a spell, only the amount of counters and the DC. Sure, you would need to remember the various counter effects, but that could cancel out with the easier spell descriptions. It's similar to the current fear effects (except easier).
Also note how it cares about the con bonus, which works well with my prediction that status effects work on the 4E level adjusted attribute boni.
Well, and the "fades after 5 minutes" part needs to get replaced with "fades after taking 5", otherwise it's way too much bookkeeping.

If it works out that way, I very much hope (and believe) it's effectively a 4E preview.

 

[Shadeydm]

Great job of making the game simpler to run...NOT!

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Great job of making the game simpler to run...NOT!

I was about to say the same thing

 

[Baumi]

I really like the simple Web-Power. It's easy to understand and easy to use.

I do not understand why they have the Cloak of Shadow. It would be simpler to just give them a +4 Racial Bonus to Hide.

The Poison itself is strange. I dislike the old Poison rules, but this has to much bookkeeping and I don't understand how you get Poison-Points. Only when you got hit or every round and what are the additional saves for?

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

In a purely electronic game, that poison mechanic would work really well. Heroes of Might and Magic 3's In the Wake of Gods fan expansion introduces something very similar with its ballistae.

In a tabletop game, though?

Ouch, that's ugly. I can't even imagine the headache of dealing with just two status effects in this manner, much less three or more.

 

[TerraDave]

There are all sorts of special abilities on his menagrie that seem to be in 4th ed spirit.

A sampling.

From the Norker


Snapping Rebuke (Ex): If a foe attacks a norker in melee and misses, the norker may use an immediate action to attack the foe with its bite. The norker gains a +4 bonus on this attack and ignores the standard accuracy penalty for using its bite as a secondary weapon when it attacks in this manner.
Bite +10, 1d4+1 damage

Sudden Surge (Ex): Once per day, a norker reduced to half or fewer hit points may use a swift action to heal damage equal to its HD + its Con bonus. The standard norker presented here heals 5 points.

From his Boneswarm

Shard Swarm (Su): When reduced to half or fewer hit points and when destroyed, 20 foot burst shard of bones, 3d6 damage, Reflex save (DC 15) for half damage. This spread is centered on the swarm.

Frenzy of Claws (Ex): Once per round if two or more claws hit one creature, make opposed Strength check with standard size modifiers to move target up to 3 squares in any direction.

Two of these fit nicely with the "bloodied" condition, and one is the sort of reaction we have been seeing hints towards.

 

[frankthedm]

I think it is fine if utterly weak. Now If ya ask me, -1 square and -1 Attacks and AC per poison counter is much simpler.

 

[Delta]

I was about to say the same thing

As was I. I just can't believe this is the way that Mearls does his designs, adding more point-tracking and arithmetic at every turn. And people complain about Grappling?

 

[olshanski]

"Okay, fight's over. All of you who are paralyzed, take five."

Or, as we say in my campaign:

"All of you who are paralyzed, walk it off."

 

[olshanski]

As was I. I just can't believe this is the way that Mearls does his designs, adding more point-tracking and arithmetic at every turn. And people complain about Grappling?

one problem that I had with his redo of the rust monster is that the rust monster's attacks had some temporary adjustment to a weapon's hardness.

Why not simply damage a weapon's hit points?