D&D 4E Reply if you love 4e

[Aenghus]

I like 4e. I've played basic, AD&D, 2nd ed, 3.0 and 3.5 and 4th ed has been the best iteration so far for my needs.

In particular

• DMing the game is so much easier. Effective encounter design rules, monsters/NPCs not using the same rules as PCs, and NPCs not needing magic items to be effective massively reduces prep time, allowing more time to be spent on plots and NPC personalities.
  
• It's much harder to accidentally make an ineffective PC than in 3rd edition. The power spread of 4e PCs is much smaller.
  
• 4e is very transparent, making it more obvious that certain ideas are less likely to work. I really appreciate the clarity and lessened need for system mastery of a trap-laden set of rules.
  
• Reducing or removing the power disparity between magic using classes and non-magic using classes. Removing or weakening Save or Dies means all classes are playing the same game and reduces the number of anticlimactic. Non-spellcasters can produce impressive effects
  
• At mid to higher levels in earlier editions the transport, utility and divination magic became increasingly important, and was only accessible to spellcasters. In 4e any PC can learn ritual casting for the price of a feat and start teleporting around etc., if they want to. And these powers have generally been reduced in effect, making them less desirable/ broken.
  
• I like the separation of fluff and crunch. I have increasing allowed reskinning of powers in 3e so I don't find the idea strange or threatening.

4e isn't perfect, but I don't expect anything to be perfect.

 

[Feetz]

I cut my teeth on 3.5 and had fun but prefer 4e. I DMed for the first time with 4e. I would be very hesitant to DM with 3.5.

 

[cavalier973]

I like how one can build (using the Essentials "Knight") an effective defender that relies on an ability score other than STR.
Example: A human knight, using the standard array from HotFL
STR --11
CON --14
DEX --10
INT --18
WIS --14
CHA --10

Take the "Improved Defenses" and the "Melee Training: INT" feats. The important thing for a knight is not how hard or how often he hits, but how well he avoids getting hit while being in the thick of the skirmish. The above ability scores gives the knight Defenses of 20 AC, 16 Fort, 18 Ref, and 14 Will. He focuses on feats that increase the defenses as he levels.

At least, that's my theory; I haven't actually gotten a chance to play this particular character--yet.

 

[Chaos Trip Studios]

For me, luving 4e is an at-will power. The 4e love flows. Great game and it FEELS like what a D&D game should feel like.

This is just my personal experience with gaming but I started out with Vampire, and I guess I was spoiled by a game system that actually made sense. When a buddy coaxed me into trying 2e, I went along but WOW, that game sucked. Seriously, the TSR version of the rules were just stupid. I searched desperately for a fantasy game that was less flawed. I even stopped so low as to buy Forge: Out of Chaos. Finally we settled for Palladium Fantasy, which is a good game. But really? At what point does a Palladium product become prefered for its sensible and coherent rules?

Thank the RPG gods for 3rd edition (including all alternative d20 products). That was definately a step in the right direction. Many years of enjoyable gaming later, d20 still stands up as one of the better rules systems.

4E, however, is an entirely different monster. As a player, I'm down for whatever. As a DM, its 4E or nothing. I can do whatever I want with an adventure and it doesn't require 12 hours of prep time for a 3 hour dungeon.


As an aside, what other version of D&D lets you play a 1st level wizard who isn't completely useless?

"I know magic, I can do up to three points of damage with my ray of frost!"

(sound of rock being throw )

"Ow!"

(sound of dead wizard hitting ground)

Alas, the poor 1st level wizard. He was so so sad, so weak
The barbarian pushed him around
The rogue stole his loot
Even the monk made fun of his robe
But most of all the fighter laughed at him

Then 4th Edition came out, and it like "What's good now, b!tch?"

 

[Dragonhelm]

As an aside, what other version of D&D lets you play a 1st level wizard who isn't completely useless?

"I know magic, I can do up to three points of damage with my ray of frost!"

(sound of rock being throw )

"Ow!"

(sound of dead wizard hitting ground)

Alas, the poor 1st level wizard. He was so so sad, so weak
The barbarian pushed him around
The rogue stole his loot
Even the monk made fun of his robe
But most of all the fighter laughed at him

Then 4th Edition came out, and it like "What's good now, b!tch?"

ROTFL!

I tell ya, the wizard, for the first time, feels like a freaking wizard!

In prior editions, it was like, "I've run out of spells! Oh noes! Let me pull out my dagger." *poke poke*

To which, the bad guy would respond, "Hey, little fella, put that away. It tickles!"

Wizards should always cast magic. That's what I love about 4e. Your wizard never, ever runs out of magic. He should be about the magic.

 

[drothgery]

After reading all the 5e threads and how 4e isn't Classic D&D, etc etc, I'm feeling rather pessimistic.

I want a good old fashioned cheerleading thread. Yeah, it's not constructive to have an overly gung-ho echo-chamber that overlooks faults. But sometimes you just need a pep rally to shoo away the rain clouds.

So post here if you really enjoy 4e, regardless of whatever issues you have.

No problem. I mean, I've been cheerleading for 5e to come, but it's not because I don't like 4e -- it's certainly my favorite edition of D&D. It's because to play 4e in person I'd need to find a new group to play with.

 

[SteveC]

For me, 4E came along like a breath of fresh air when the product line was in desperate need of it. When 4E was announced, I was running a 3X game at high level, and it was crushing the spirit out of me. So much so that I was looking at leaving the game behind altogether.

Then I went out to Winter Fantasy in DC and played the new game. I was hooked and never looked back.

4E fixed all of the issues I had with D&D, and did it in a way that allowed me to run the kind of game I wanted with much less effort. And for the record: that game was not a combat intensive one at all! Investigation, roleplay intensive gaming for the win! And a high level combat that doesn't go on for weeks.

So yes, I do loves me some 4E.

 

[S'mon]

I admit it, I love 4e. I love the monster stat blocks. I love the non-Vancian spellcasting. I love the weak magic items and the PCs with lots of defined powers. I love adding half level to every d20 roll.

That said, I also love 1e, I'm running a cool 1e campaign right now. I also have a soft spot for 3e, and am tempted by the Pathfinder Beginner Box.

It's all good.

 

[MortalPlague]

I love the monster stat blocks.

This. A million times, this. The monster design and the ability of a DM to gauge monster threat is so much better than it has been in any previous edition. And the amount of work to make encounters is far less!

 

[ender_wiggin]

When I learned 4E's mechanics, my first thought was "this is so incredibly obvious. Why didn't anyone think of this until now!"

And that to me is the mark of genius: to create a complex, rules-heavy system, and make it so elegant it seems obvious.