D&D 4E Most Wanted 4E Rules Revelations

[Goken100]

Let's try to decide what preview we want most!

 

[WayneLigon]

Classes and multiclassing, which also covers how spellcasting will work.

I'm also most interested in alignment: how extensive is it, what do the various catagories mean now, etc.

 

[Goken100]

Forgot to include alignment!

Classes and multiclassing, which also covers how spellcasting will work.

I'm also most interested in alignment: how extensive is it, what do the various catagories mean now, etc.

Good question. While this isn't something I'm personally dying to know, from everything I've heard this is something that's going to ROCK in 4th Edition. From what we know:

1. The cosmology isn't spliced by alignment anymore, seeming to suggest alignment is less of a pervasive all-important magical aspect.
2. Alignment will be a suggested role-playing guideline, not a constraint to how to play a character (sort of like the Pirates' Code!).
3. Wasn't there some hint that classes would be less resctrictive when it comes to alignment?

Therefore I'd expect that the alignment choices will be unchanged. However, the meanings will be much looser. Hopefully we can get rid of some or most of the magical abilities that detect and react with alignment.

This change, IMHO, is a very good thing. D&D player, meet role playing. Role playing, D&D player.

 

[Cadfan]

I tried to vote for nothing but it wouldn't let me.

I actually think we have a pretty good amount of information for this point in time in the release schedule on basically everything on that list. I would enjoy more information, but I don't expect it yet given that this is just the beginning of October, and the core rules wouldn't be available for months.

If I had to pick something, I'd really most like to know about skills. They're one of my favorite parts of the game, and I'm interested in how the math works now.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Reduced Dependency on Magic Items

1) Will there still be magic items that give bonuses to game mechanics?

2) Will adventurers still find gold and other loot?

3) If (1) and (2) are both true, then by what in-game rationale do you keep players from trying to spend their loot on magic items to improve their characters?

 

[Doug McCrae]

All of it, though most interested in classes - they're the heart of D&D.

 

[Moonshade]

Wizard traditions and spellcasting are what I'm most curious about, because it seems there's going to be some big changes with the potential to either be exciting and refreshing or go horribly wrong.

 

[GlassJaw]

I'm mostly interested in what the new power scale is going to look like across the new level spread (1-30). How fast does it increase?, how does it differ from what 1-20 is now?, etc.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

Skills. Do I have fiddly bits and can it actually work for multiclassing?

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

Reduced Dependency on Magic Items

1) Will there still be magic items that give bonuses to game mechanics?

2) Will adventurers still find gold and other loot?

3) If (1) and (2) are both true, then by what in-game rationale do you keep players from trying to spend their loot on magic items to improve their characters?

This got a least sort of an answer already. It was said that magic items will still be things your characters want and will still be a benefit and part of your character, they just won't be mandatory anymore.

One of the designers said they were making magic items in such a way that if your party got an item and you let another party member use it your character wouldn't be somehow diminished by not having that item. You'd still be able to fight in the next encounter and not lose.

One of the playtest article talks about how the enemies were carrying around gold and loot and the party looted it.

I think the key from everything I've read is that the math is fixed so that the base AC of the enemies is not based on a average level party with average equipment but instead based on an average party with no equipment. Therefore, a fighter might need an 11 or higher to hit without a magic weapon or a 8 or higher to hit with a +3 weapon. But they wouldn't run into a situation where they need a natural 20 without a magic weapon and a stat enhancer like happened in 3rd Ed.