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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Zelgadas" data-source="post: 4117545" data-attributes="member: 17044">I've run a couple of 4E playtests in the last couple of weeks; my comments are <a href="http://www.gamecrafters.net/archives/303" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.gamecrafters.net/archives/304" target="_blank">here</a>.  Be warned, these posts are both lengthy.  For those who can't be bothered to read such exposition, I'll post a few of my observations here.Tracking conditions: I had little difficulty doing this, and really neither did my players.  I did use visual aids in both cases, and for those for whom this is a concern, here's my solution: go to Joanne Fabrics, or some other craft store, and buy a couple packs of alphabet beads.  The little square ones.  C for curse, Q for hunter's quarry, M for marked (or F for marked by fighter and P for marked by paladin; whatever you want, really).  It works beautifully, and helps players see just how screwed that one guy that they're all dumping on is.  Ease of play: Yes.  4E is very easy to run (at least, knowing the rules that I know now; I can only imagine it'll get easier when I actually know all of the rules).  Monster stat blocks are small enough that you can easily put all of the monsters you need for a standard encounter on a couple of printed pages (or one per index card), and they convey enough information in a clear enough manner that it's never really an issue hunting for some specific statistic or ability.  The abilities are also flavorful and interesting enough that I usually wound up just remembering what they did, rather than having to reference them; I usually only referenced stat blocks for defenses and hit points.  Running multiple monsters is also not difficult; in fact, it's a joy!  Monsters that would logically be together tend to have a lot of synergy with each other, which allows you to do a lot of interesting and challenging things with your encounters.PC Power Level: Not really an issue.  I ran one encounter that seemd a bit too easy at first, but they were fighting minions and a couple of kobold skirmishers for most of it, so it's to be expected.  Many of my encounters did feature enemies of higher levels than the PCs, and the PCs were able to defeat them, but not without difficulty.  I view this as a good thing.  It's no fun to start a new game of D&D at 1st level, be all jazzed up to be heroic, and then start fighting nothing but kobolds, goblins, and giant rats.  I mean, four PCs for a single orc?  What's heroic about that?  Now not only can PCs engage in low-level encounters that really feel heroic and interesting, and not only can they fight monsters that seem tough and a little scary, but as a DM, a wide array of possibilities are opened up that weren't in 3.5.  Would you send your 1st-level 3.5 PCs against a CR 5 creature?  What about a CR 5 creature, two CR 2 creatures, and two CR 1 creatures?  They'd get creamed.  But those are the levels of the very first fight that I sent my PCs up against in the second session that I ran.  And they won.  They were wounded, sure, and they used some of their daily powers and had to burn some healing surges afterward.  But you know what?  They would have been ready for another fight just as challenging and exciting after a brief rest.  And I love that.</blockquote>

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