Monster Alignment

[cwhs01]

If you play D&D to have fun, playing a game you are familiar with and comfortable with is a lot of that to people, and a game that doesn't feel familiar and comfortable doesn't have that certain intangible "D&D vibe", and a lot of that familiarity and comfort zone is the general sense of continuity in "fluff". Sorry, but that's the way it is for many of us.

I think this here may be the primary reason that people are angry or disappointed. I think there is a pretty good correlation between how long one has played dnd and how likely you are to be offended by any of the changes in the new edition.

Familiarity with the implied setting and core assumptions from the last 30 years of dnd fluff is imo a good enough reason not to desire changes.

However, it IS a new edition and it isn't (exclusively) targeted towards people with 30 years of experience. It should be playable by people with no prior experience with rpgs (which it fails in slightly imo, as it is still a little to rules heavy to be an ideal game for beginners). It's a restart of the franchise, and the old paradigms should be reviewed and changed as needed.

The new implied setting focuses on the "points of light" concept. This mostly means that the pc's are the shining exemplars of good in a sea of darkness and conflict (using wotc's sales lingo). This also means that there will be few powerful allies to rely on for help, and that conflict can be found everywhere. Changing alignments is just one method used by wotc to promote the POL concept.

Changing alignments doesn't decrease the options for roleplaying and conflict, it just changes the implied setting. which depending on where you come from, may be a good thing or bad.

 

[avin]

Wait, what? The PH specifically says that the evil alignment is not for player characters.

Character Builder does not agree with PHB

One more page and I'm still convinced that new players must be pigholed to the path of Gooooooood like some cartoon Paladin.

As cwhs01 said, removing good oponents from the book it's a way to promote the Points of Light idea of bold heroes fighting evil. No older edition pushed so much. Good for some, bad for my 4E games. That's ok.

I just don't know if this will work. Maybe you guys experience is different but if Wotc aims to attract a new generation the last thing I think they would want is to play Warriors of Light. The teenagers I DMed want fight, loot and have a good laugh. They don't hesitate stealing, cheating and killing if there's some fun in it. They're probably like 8 Bit Theater group, not gooood doers

(I'm just repeating myself again)

 

[Agamon]

One more page and I'm still convinced that new players must be pigholed to the path of Gooooooood like some cartoon Paladin.

I'm on my 3rd campaign, and still not a single Good PC (no Evil PCs either...)

Of course, that might have to do with the threat of violence I issue my players should they be lazy and try to right down an alignment instead of personality traits on their sheet.