D&D 4E Mike Mearls on how D&D 4E could have looked

OK on this "I would’ve much preferred the ability to adopt any role within the core 4 by giving players a big choice at level 1, an option that placed an overlay on every power you used or that gave you a new way to use them."
Basically have Source Specific Powers and less class powers. But I think combining that with having BIG differing stances to dynamically switch role might be a better idea so that your hero can adjust role to circumstance. I have to defend this NPC right now vs I have to take down the big bad right now vs I have to do minion cleaning right now, I am inspiring allies in my interesting way, who need it right now.

and the obligatory
Argghhhh on this. " I wanted classes to have different power acquisition schedules"

And thematic differences seemed to have been carried fine.

 

[Garthanos]

And 5E combat isn't that swingy: but it has enough swing to be fun, a real legitimate threat of death on occasion.

Gygax was arguing against critical hits when he was saying that but didnt notice the save or dies were just letting magic users do it anyway.

I have talked with people who have killed far more player characters in 4e than any other edition because they felt they could actually play it fair. So if that is the goal huzzah.

Gygax and Arneson didnt start play with level 1 characters but rather Arneson actually recommended level 4 from the very very beginning pre funny dice even.

 

[Parmandur]

Gygax was arguing against critical hits when he was saying that but didnt notice the save or dies were just letting magic users do it anyway.

I have talked with people who have killed far more player characters in 4e than any other edition because they felt they could actually play it fair. So if that is the goal huzzah.

Gygax and Arneson didnt start play with level 1 characters but rather Arneson actually recommended level 4 from the very very beginning pre funny dice even.

The current crew recommend starting at Level 3, for experienced players.

Killing PCs isn't a goal, but a certain level of danger adds to the fun. They spent a fair bit of time figuring out what amount was fun for people this go around.

 

[Shasarak]

Yes but we are speaking to PC's not god/demi-god level NPC's in the game... and note he still got his fingers whacked off by a prone human lashing out desperately with an improvised weapon...

Maybe Isildur rolled a lucky 20 just before he got smashed?

 

[Garthanos]

Doing it this way just makes my Fighter into a chump if I get attacked and take damage by stumbling out of the way of the blow. I would much rather the narrative be that my Fighter gets hit by the Giants club then it be my Fighter twisted his ankle and got winded by getting out of the way of the attack.

You never watch action movies do you?
The chump is the one who thinks it makes sense that a skilled and experienced combatant cannot avoid attacks any better than he could as an apprentice .

Winded lol we are talking high level arent we? he isnt moving noticeably slower till he is pretty beaten down nor is muscle fatigue super obvious or completely negligible.

Luck loss is also mentioned as is many ways hit points can work to not leave the fighter looking like he stands around being beat on instead of parrying blocking and evading AND effectively defending himself.

 

[Imaro]

Maybe Isildur rolled a lucky 20 just before he got smashed?

Edited the original post after you replied but I'll put it here as well...

Edit: And let's not forget that Eowyn singlehandedly slays the Witch King... Oh and Aragorn drives a horde of Nazgul off with a sword & a torch... If these are low level heroes why are they able to do stuff like this? Sounds like Bounded Accuracy to me.

Whole lot of 20's being rolled if it's not bounded accuracy.

 

[Shasarak]

Edit: And let's not forget that Eowyn singlehandedly slays the Witch King... Oh and Aragorn drives a horde of Nazgul off with a sword & a torch... If these are low level heroes why are they able to do stuff like this? Sounds like Bounded Accuracy to me.

Whole lot of 20's being rolled if it's not bounded accuracy.

Remember that Tolkien went through WW1 which proved that anyone could be killed at anytime so it probably made a lot of sense to him.

My suggestion re: Ring Wraiths is that they really are not that challenging if you have a way to by pass their damage reduction.

Otherwise how could Aragorn drive them off?

 

[Garthanos]

That is not a problem. The idea that a Fighter gets some kind of magic force field protecting him is a problem.

Yup that is so something someone said.... luck is a bit like or divine protection etc magic shield maybe if you squint and want it to be. There are so many things mentioned contributing to hit points.

Instead the Fighter uses his increasing skill to turn previously mortal blows into glancing hits. Which is exactly why we have increasing Hit Points.

Nobody ever said that was never happening but what you are saying is never happening is that his skill is never ever ever turning an accurate attack into a miss because his AC is static AND that makes utterly no sense.

 

[Imaro]

Remember that Tolkien went through WW1 which proved that anyone could be killed at anytime so it probably made a lot of sense to him.

My suggestion re: Ring Wraiths is that they really are not that challenging if you have a way to by pass their damage reduction.

Otherwise how could Aragorn drive them off?

Does that explanation extend to dragons like Smaug as well?

 

[Garthanos]

Killing PCs isn't a goal, but a certain level of danger adds to the fun. They spent a fair bit of time figuring out what amount was fun for people this go around.

I know a lot of DMs back in the day never did things like have enemies ignoring the fighter which was entirely doable in order to kill the wizard ( some called it a gentlemens agreement ) and rarely interfered with spell casters casting (I think it was because at low levels it felt really rude and could kill them out right) .

Or outright let characters survive unless they hit that negative 10 hit points immediately

Level 4 was recommended in a very early Dragon Magazine.

I think level 1 in 4e translates to level 4 maybe 5.(multi-attacking for the 5e character)

 

[Garthanos]

Does that explanation extend to dragons like Smaug as well?

A super uber crit on a bad guy does seem different.

In many games the hero could have reliable offensive luck he could save up and use on such a super thing.