My first proper 4E game - Our reaction.

[Crothian]

re: CoC

Weird question since it doesn't relate to 4E, but what version of CoC mentions the "play stereotypical characters". I don't remember this and I thought I had all versions of CoC.

Trail of Cthulhu not Call of Cthulhu

 

[Ruin Explorer]

re: CoC

Weird question since it doesn't relate to 4E, but what version of CoC mentions the "play stereotypical characters". I don't remember this and I thought I had all versions of CoC.

Trail of Cthulhu isn't CoC, it's a different, rather more modern Cthulhu-based game (with a somewhat more limited license than CoC has, iirc).

More here: http://www.pelgranepress.com/trail/index.html

I think most CoC fans will be interested by it, though it wouldn't necessarily displace CoC. Solidly-written review here: http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/13/13714.phtml

re: 4E questions.

Did the players feel that the characters were different in combat (on paper, they seem similar, but I think this is one of those, "plays better than it looks" thing)

How "lethal" did you think combat was? Did the PCs feel they were in danger or hard-pressed?

Well, I was deliberately soft-pedalling the encounters in this adventure, so I'm not sure I got an entirely accurate picture here. I would say that they felt more threatened by creature abilities than in other editions (where low-level creature abilities are generally a joke), but I wouldn't say it was really horribly dangerous. The next lot of encounters I have for them step things up a notch, though, so we shall see. Generally I'd say combat felt less lethal than 3.5E, even when we had people in 3.5E having their Con score for starting HP. This is level 1, though.

 

[The Little Raven]

Races - Zero interest in Dragonborn, Eladrin mocked, but pleased with changes/improvements to other races.

Why would the Eladrin (aka the high elf) be mocked, considering he's been a staple part of the D&D elf's schizophrenia (am I tree-hugging hippie or a magic-loving wizard?)?

It seems odd to me that people act like the Eladrin is something entirely foreign and new, when it's just an old favorite with a new/tweaked name.

Minis - Didn't like, but were fine the idea of moving on a grid, so I think the solution is to use counters, easy enough fix.

As recommended, use counters. I'd suggest the Alea Tools Token Master pack for generating solid counters, as well as the markers they sell for tracking conditions and such.

Alignments - Much eye-rolling about the "don't be evil" (not like they ever are!), but Unaligned much preferred to "Neutral" and it's variants. Resident Instigator complained that no-one ever lets him be Chaotic Evil, but I suspect he'd be happier with Evil or Unaligned anyway. Chaotic Evil is too demanding!

Every edition of D&D I've read has basically said "Don't be evil."

Still, back on topic, surprised at how positive the reaction was, and we had a lot of fun. So, yay for 4E, I guess

Glad to see you approached it with an open mind. Even more glad to see that you're having fun, since that's the whole point.

Does this mean you'd like a glass of the Kool-Aid?

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Mourn - Because Eladrins are fey and "glam". To the max. They're the whole "OMG I totally want to be a noble sidhe, like, fer sure!" (sidhe mispronounced "sid-he" inevitably). Like a fashion-goth just saw Labyrinth and had a life-changing experience. Some people like that sort of thing, that's cool, because D&D's races have generally been a fairly broad church. I mean, they've had halflings for years. And gnomes, and I think I've seen all of about three of them played, and none of them beyond level 5.

In our games, Grey Elves were a lot less "fey" than Wood or High (vanilla) Elves, very intellectual and very solid (I'm not sure what influenced us into this view). So when they're suddenly "OF THE FAE!!!!!" and stuff it's kind of funny. Like meeting an old friend you've not seen for a while and finding that he's wearing frilly shirts, painting his nails and has glitter mascara on. Hence mockery of these glam-rock Elves. I do think they add to the game rather than subtract for it (I'm not sure Halflings do, otoh, they're a bit personality-free, ymwv).

Also they (and I) didn't have much time for the idea of them having eyes that were solid globes of colour. That can go to hell together with whichever WotC designer has the sad obsession with the concept (which he felt he needed to inflict on Tieflings as well).

Semi-ironically, I'm pretty sure well see them getting played before we see any Halflings. I also suspect we'll see a Dragonborn before too long.

On counters, yeah, I really need to order the Alea stuff, it looks perfect for our needs.

As for "don't be evil", hey maybe they did, I don't recall. If they did, I guarantee there was eye-rolling every time I think 4E puts in a slightly more eye-rolling way than previous editions might have, too. Unaligned was a big hit, though, like I said.

I'll certainly drink the "basic 4E books are decent" kool-aid (I'd prefer ribena if you have it though, kool-aid scares me. It's like drinking sweets), time will tell if the "whole deal" improves things or makes them worse. I certainly prefer it to 3.XE, but I think that's been clear for a while, as I said in another thread, 4E is kind of what I expected 3E to be, so many years ago.

 

[Henry]

Ruin, glad to see the group had fun. I think a big part to the success of 4e, and of course all games, is going to be if the DM running it gives it a fair shot, too. Rules count, but a DM setting the tone positively, or at least neutrally, helps a game succeed or fail on its own merits.

 

[Mystery Man]

I have to say the reaction to 4E so far from my groups has been strongly positive.

Seems to be the consensus from my group as well.

 

[EATherrian]

Every edition of D&D I've read has basically said "Don't be evil."

My 1E Assassin begs to disagree.

 

[Mercule]

Mourn - Because Eladrins are fey and "glam". To the max. They're the whole "OMG I totally want to be a noble sidhe, like, fer sure!" (sidhe mispronounced "sid-he" inevitably). Like a fashion-goth just saw Labyrinth and had a life-changing experience.

Weird. That's totally not how I interpreted them. Other than the "Fey Step", I've been wondering why they renamed the same-old, same-old elves and gave some jonny-come-lately the elf name.

 

[webrunner]

Weird. That's totally not how I interpreted them. Other than the "Fey Step", I've been wondering why they renamed the same-old, same-old elves and gave some jonny-come-lately the elf name.

I like to think of them this way:

Half-Elves
Elves
Double Elves aka Eladrin

 

[Holy Bovine]

I like to think of them this way:

Half-Elves
Elves
Double Elves aka Eladrin

4E - now with MORE ELVES

Glad to read abotu your experiences RE. I hope mine are as positive (will find out this Sunday!)