D&D General New Interview with Rob Heinsoo About 4E

[GMforPowergamers]

Well, their invisible force-fields that keep them completely protected from all physical damage (except maybe poison, until the field goes down and they fall unconscious and start dying), recharge a lot easier in 4e (and 5e) than they did in AD&D. None of that only recharging the field up by 1 "hit point" per day or 1 "hit point" per "level" per day anymore! Quicker recharging seems more supernatural, right?

yes those enterprise level shields are amazing... almost supernatural.

 

[Cadence]

yes those enterprise level shields are amazing... almost supernatural.

Is sufficiently advanced technology indistinguishable from "spell-like" magic or indistinguishable from "supernatural" magic? (Do the shields go down to dispel magic, or just to anti-magic field? Assuming 3/3.5/PF1e anyway).

 

[pemerton]

Well, their invisible force-fields that keep them completely protected from all physical damage (except maybe poison, until the field goes down and they fall unconscious and start dying), recharge a lot easier in 4e (and 5e) than they did in AD&D. None of that only recharging the field up by 1 "hit point" per day or 1 "hit point" per "level" per day anymore! Quicker recharging seems more supernatural, right?

Given that in both systems its mostly luck and divine favour, I'm not sure that it's more supernatural to be back in top shape after a day or a month.

 

[niklinna]

Given that in both systems its mostly luck and divine favour, I'm not sure that it's more supernatural to be back in top shape after a day or a month.

Hey as long as you have a MONTAGE! it's all good.

 

[Cadence]

Given that in both systems its mostly luck and divine favour, I'm not sure that it's more supernatural to be back in top shape after a day or a month.

Are "divine favor" and "luck" force fields supernatural? Isn't getting more of something supernatural each day definitionally more supernatural? Or does the supernatural defy quantification? (Which would seem to fly in the face of things like "spell levels").

In any event, it appears I am past the time tonight I should be posting!

 

[niklinna]

Are "divine favor" and "luck" force fields supernatural? Isn't getting more of something supernatural each day definitionally more supernatural? Or does the supernatural defy quantification? (Which would seem to fly in the face of things like "spell levels").

In any event, it appears I am past the time tonight I should be posting!

Time to start that thread were we assign effective spell levels to all class features so we know how to upcast dispell magic and negate them.

 

[Cadence]

Time to start that thread were we assign effective spell levels to all class features so we know how to upcast dispell magic and negate them.

Is that only needed for the sci-fi game parts involving advanced technology?

Or could a magical character brought forward from a 30,000 BC equivalent dispel a cross-bow, glass windows, and a ship?

 

[niklinna]

Is that only needed for the sci-fi game parts involving advanced technology?

Or could a magical character brought forward from a 30,000 BC equivalent dispel a cross-bow, glass windows, and a ship?

Hey to that person it's all indistinguishable therefore the same. I say let 'er rip! Wizards are supposed to be Most Powerful Class anyhow.

This wouldn't fly in Torg of course, because they explicitly rank the levels of Magic, Technology, Spirit, and Social that-ness of every dang thing.

Also spellcasters can't heal in Torg but miracle workers can, because reasons. Both can fry you with fire or lightning, though.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Well, their invisible force-fields that keep them completely protected from all physical damage (except maybe poison, until the field goes down and they fall unconscious and start dying), recharge a lot easier in 4e (and 5e) than they did in AD&D. None of that only recharging the field up by 1 "hit point" per day or 1 "hit point" per "level" per day anymore! Quicker recharging seems more supernatural, right?

No see, there's no shield. Just great, gaping chunks get ripped off whenever you lose HP. Even when taking psychic damage (someone here literally said to me recently that even psychic damage is physical!)

Healing is picking up those chunks and stapling them back into place.

4 and 5e characters are just more conscientious in keeping track of their chunklets and staplers.

 

[Cadence]

No see, there's no shield. Just great, gaping chunks get ripped off whenever you lose HP. Even when taking psychic damage (someone here literally said to me recently that even psychic damage is physical!)

Healing is picking up those chunks and stapling them back into place.

4 and 5e characters are just more conscientious in keeping track of their chunklets and staplers.

It feels like, forcefield that stops everything except some "conditions" until it goes down (risking the death of whoever was protected by it) is the only thing that makes sense. Otherwise we're left with it being an unspecified mishmash of meat, luck, stress, divine gifts, exhaustion, etc... put together in a way that makes it easy to run a game and make stories. That can't possibly be right.