new 4E titles for Sept/Oct 2010

[Windjammer]

I can completely believe it's a stealth 4.5 update.

And, for the record, I am 100% fine with it. Even excited about it, honestly - there's a marked quality gap, IMO, between the PHB1 and later releases. 4e didn't hit its stride until a while after the Core 3 were released.

-O

Totally agree with the assessment, with e.g. the Paladin class's reworking in Divine Power being a pretty much inarguable case in point. I'd also mention Arcane Power making the wizard more of a controller as a clear indication that the initial design was found lacking.

But personally I haven't noticed a similar trend, comparable to the improvements in 4E's class design, as far as the base rules of 4E are concerned. Ok, so there's a useful errata on Stealth that made it into PH 2. But what else is there in the rules "updates" since 2008 that's really an improvement as opposed to smoothening out some rough edges that caused trouble in LFR play?

 

[Fanaelialae]

The Rules Compendium and Gamma World are released in successive months. The RC is probably a genre-agnostic presentation of the essential 4E rules, divorced of things like race and class, so that genre-specific settings can plug into it without every single one having to say "and none of the D&D classes and races apply, and most of the items don't, either".

I think this is likely the case.

Considering the allegedly small page count for the GW book, it makes sense that they'd do a basic rules book and then could make 4e genre books that focus specifically on races, classes, and fluff. It keeps costs down if they plan to do several different genre settings, because they don't need to waste space reprinting X pages of skill, combat, and other such basic rules that anyone who's played 4e has already seen.

It's similar to the NWoD White Wolf model. The basic WoD book has the core rules for playing the game, while additional books (Werewolf, Mage, etc.) focus on special subsets of the rules. Unlike OWoD, they didn't waste space reprinting the basic rules in each book.

 

[WotC_Trevor]

Hey all. We'll be covering the basics of our 2010 releases at D&D Experience, so if you're going, you'll be there when the news hits. If you're not, keep your eyes peeled as I'm sure you'll start seeing the announcements roll in starting tomorrow. It should be a good chunk of information and hopefully we can address most of the questions we're seeing.

 

[ggroy]

Possibly. I could see them collecting things like the artificer, swordmage, and dark and vestige warlock pacts into one book. That would be a real bonus for those who didn't want to collect all the setting and splat sourcebooks. Hopefully, there's new material in there too.

Another point which can be raised is whether this upcoming 4E Player's Essentials book, will also compile stuff from the "Power" books (ie. Martial Power, Arcane Power, etc ...) in addition to stuff from the Player's Handbooks.

 

[Jack99]

Hey all. We'll be covering the basics of our 2010 releases at D&D Experience, so if you're going, you'll be there when the news hits. If you're not, keep your eyes peeled as I'm sure you'll start seeing the announcements roll in starting tomorrow. It should be a good chunk of information and hopefully we can address most of the questions we're seeing.

Including spilling the beans on the Rules Compendium?

 

[AntiStateQuixote]

However, for my own personal nostalgia, Star Frontiers 4e would hit the mark nicely. We have to stop the Sathar from conquering Volturnus!!

My name is Brent Nall, and I approve this message!

 

[ggroy]

From Amazon: "A D&D Genre Setting" ... now this could get interesting if there's more "genre settings" in the works.

A 4e Gamma World is definitely awesome (only played it a few times way back when). However, for my own personal nostalgia, Star Frontiers 4e would hit the mark nicely. We have to stop the Sathar from conquering Volturnus!!

Wonder which other older TSR/WotC properties they will do a 4E "genre settings" treatment for.

- Gangbusters
- Top Secret
- Alternity
- Urban Arcana
- Oriental Adventures or Kara-Tur (or Mahasarpa)
- Al-Qadim
- Planescape
- Spelljammer
- Hollow World
- Maztica
- Ghostwalk

 

[vagabundo]

Yum, I like surprises. I've never paid much attention to gamma world.

Looking forward to tomorrow.

 

[ggroy]

I can completely believe it's a stealth 4.5 update.

A cynic will also say, right on schedule too.

(That is after taking into account the acceleration of "change" and shorter internet attention spans).

From an historical perspective, the earliest official announcement of 3.5E that I can find offhand is one from January 2003.

Previews: See What's "In the Works"

 

[Remathilis]

Wonder which other older TSR/WotC properties they will do a 4E "genre settings" treatment for.

- Gangbusters
- Top Secret
- Alternity
- Urban Arcana
- Oriental Adventures or Kara-Tur (or Mahasarpa)
- Al-Qadim
- Planescape
- Spelljammer
- Hollow World
- Maztica
- Ghostwalk

Of course, they could always announce that they're doing a Dark*Matter Genre book and then right after its released cancel the whole line...