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]

Part of the overall narrative balance though is that martials don't have resource limitations like magic users...?

Its a narrative imbalance that dooms archetypes to being unable to do interesting extremes. Steady Freddy is boring AF to plenty of people.

Giving player agency over when this happens isnt always even what the
player wants but it needs to be an option and one could take a cue from combat
and use of randomized crits on those non-combat skill uses but always doing
that results in those with the tactics and strategy part of their tropes no power
over when they will bring there all to the table ie when bursts happen?


Being able to choose when your character chooses to exert or when a plan comes together nicely
is supported in 4e by both dailies and healing surge expenditures.

 

[Garthanos]

I guess it depends on which version of Achilles we are speaking to... that said even the invulnerable one's powers come from an enchantment on him as opposed to his own innate abilities.

It would have killed him without inherent bloodline gift (if I remember the myth right)

 

[Garthanos]

Most of Perseus explicit storyline centered on gifts granted by gods ... but it doesnt mean they arent other wise of god blood.

 

[Garthanos]

Hercules saw and wrestled death to basically raise a newly dead friends wife.

 

[Imaro]

It would have killed him without inherent bloodline gift (if I remember the myth right)

Achilles was the son of a Nereid in the myths... not a god. Either way the invulnerability that would protect him from the fire comes from an enchantment and not innate ability...something that can actually be replicated by a D&D fighter in nearly any edition.

 

[Parmandur]

Its a narrative imbalance that dooms archetypes to being unable to do interesting extremes. Steady Freddy is boring AF to plenty of people.

Giving player agency over when this happens isnt always even what the
player wants but it needs to be an option and one could take a cue from combat
and use of randomized crits on those non-combat skill uses but always doing
that results in those with the tactics and strategy part of their tropes no power
over when they will bring there all to the table ie when bursts happen?


Being able to choose when your character chooses to exert or when a plan comes together nicely
is supported in 4e by both dailies and healing surge expenditures.

I grant that this could be dull to certain people. This does not make it objectively undesirable, however, and frankly this is not my experience of how people in general enjoy martial PCs in D&D. Based on what WotC found, demographically this asymmetrical style is what the majority want from their Sword & Sorcery RPG experience.

It is possible to do all of the things you mention, with DM and player buy-in, in 5E. But it is not the usuall style.

 

[Garthanos]

I grant that this could be dull to certain people.

You can even ask people what they remember in real life its extremes and distinctions ... steady Freddy is also forgettable.

Sword and sorcery is better handled by games where the sorcerer gets cut down by one blow from a fighting type with better
initiative.

Where magic is inherently evil

Barbarians are better than other types because Civilization is evil (so being low or light armor might help fighting even more)

Rituals are the main type of magic

Doesnt sound so much like D&D to me

 

[Garthanos]

If I picked a Genre for D&D it would be Heroic Fantasy.

 

[Garthanos]

So serious question... If the DM in your example wouldn't allow this, what makes you think he would buy or run a game of D&D that forced him to allow it?

I am waiting for his response on this one (I have an answer but want to hear his)

 

[Parmandur]

If I picked a Genre for D&D it would be Heroic Fantasy.

Well, that is the descriptor used in the DMG. D&D, I would say, is it's own whole genre at this point, reinforced by decades of play and media such as the novels. Action types, such as Fighters, have plenty to do in this genre, and Fighters remain by a huge margin the most popular Class.