D&D 4E Nimble RPG interesting for DnD4e
- Thread starter Didier
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It seems to very much want to exist in the space of making 5E even more of a tactical combat game while also making it way, way simpler. For my money, that's exactly what I'd want out of a game revisiting the "vibes" of 4E, because I just don't have the willpower to slog through even more complexity.
Draw Steel, the 4E "retroclone" Orcus, and Strike! all looked cool to me at first glance, but reading through them I just couldn't push past the complexity level to really get into any of them. Nimble's use of the already-familiar and streamlined 5E rules helps immensely to solve that issue.
Draw Steel, the 4E "retroclone" Orcus, and Strike! all looked cool to me at first glance, but reading through them I just couldn't push past the complexity level to really get into any of them. Nimble's use of the already-familiar and streamlined 5E rules helps immensely to solve that issue.
I also think this is a good idea - you could definitely take the core of Nimble and do a 4E style game with it, though of course you’d need to do your own work on the Powers etc and so decide what level of complexity and variety you want there. I do think the Powers in 4E are often excellent but also often repetitive and duplicatory without any benefit in quality of play. You could get as complex (and needing a battlemat) as ICON in this space if you want to, but that wouldn’t be my choice.
I’ve done a version of 4E built on the Black Hack because that’s also a solid, simple, and consistent engine, and I think using Nimble would be similar.
I’ve done a version of 4E built on the Black Hack because that’s also a solid, simple, and consistent engine, and I think using Nimble would be similar.
For powers, you kind of just need to decide on templates that combine XdX damage + [insert list of conditions]. The Xs in XdX grow based on tiers of some kind, and the [list of conditions] changes based on the same thing. Like you shouldn't have a level 1 character doling out multiple d10s of damage nor adding the Petrified condition, but finding the balance of what goes where in what combinations would be neat. Spellcasters might unleash nastier conditions earlier, but deal less or no damage when doing so. Meanwhile, fighty classes dole out more dice of damage or gain advantage, which is in-line with Nimble's "you only miss if the left die is a 1" schtick.
"+ conditions" can be extended to other partial actions, too, like maybe handing out a free-but-only-half-as-effective armor block for an ally or something, too. This could potentially negate the issue some folks have with Nimble regarding "not enough defensive/armor actions."
"+ conditions" can be extended to other partial actions, too, like maybe handing out a free-but-only-half-as-effective armor block for an ally or something, too. This could potentially negate the issue some folks have with Nimble regarding "not enough defensive/armor actions."
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