D&D 4E Richard Baker talks Magic in the 4E Realms

[Brian Compton]

?
Why couldn't Lathander be the one responsible this time around - maybe something similar to when he invoked the Dawn Cataclysm?

He's got his own problems. The plot threads point to him turning into Aumanator, the mature Netherese sun god. It's yet to be seen if this is true and, if so, how it will play out in the chaos of everything else going on, but many not-so-subtle hints in "Grand History," and elsewhere make this seem highly likely.

 

[Tiberius]

BTW, if atomic attractive forces suddenly "broke down," would some other force just take over for them, or would that be it? Otherwise, you can't consider magic among the essential forces, since it can self-mend or otherwise adapt while others can't.

No, we'd be screwed. If the strong force (which is responsible for holding nuclei together) went poof, then atoms would fly apart. The protons would repel each other due to their positive charges, leaving us with lots and lots of atomic hydrogen.

Stars would probably be around, as they would have sufficient gravity to attract and fuse the hydrogen, but most everything else would be in trouble.

 

[Mieric]

He's got his own problems. The plot threads point to him turning into Aumanator, the mature Netherese sun god. It's yet to be seen if this is true and, if so, how it will play out in the chaos of everything else going on, but many not-so-subtle hints in "Grand History," and elsewhere make this seem highly likely.

Oh I know - I was just ranting about the same deities that were involved in the last edition change are the same ones that are involved this time around.

The soap opera of the gods in GHotR makes me either want to puke or yawn - basically I think this is where I hop off the 3e FR express and begin homebrewing the realms instead of buying tickets for the 4e FR monorail.

-Blackstaff Spoiler-
First act of business in my time line deviation involves Miyeritar. The 3 plus 90 pre-decent dark elves accept the change back to their original forms without suffering any ill effects now that their sanity has been restored. So now I have some decent non-sun elf high mages, with a highly independent streak - that while good, will have no problems telling any other elf realms to piss off.

Basically Miyeritar rises again - as a proper independent pre-decent Dark Elf (not drow) goodly realm and not in the hands of any damn sun or or moon elves.
-End Spoiler-

 

[Baron Opal]

You know, the idea of setting-specific Power Sources makes me wonder about the Dragonmarked Houses.

Yes. In my Dune / Nine Princes in Amber homebrew campaign I use the concept of the dragonmarks very heavily. Unfortunately I'll have to wait a long time to see the WotC concepts. I'll probably write my own as I wait.

 

[Zaruthustran]

You know, the idea of setting-specific Power Sources makes me wonder about the Dragonmarked Houses.

Wow. Great thinking, there. The feat-based Dragonmark system never really felt right to me. Probably because it was so far into the realm of "feats are for GRANTING abilities", and far from "feats are for ENHANCING existing abilities". It's weird that in 3E, something like Skill Focus is balanced against spell-like abilities.

4E is reportedly strongly in the "ENHANCING" camp.

Maybe Eberron 4E should make the decision of whether or not to be Dragonmarked a roleplaying choice, like height or skin color. If you're marked when your class gains an ability you can instead choose a Dragonmarked ability which are unique for each house but balanced against similar abilities of similar level. Essentially dragonmarked abilities are no more or less than additional character options.

 

[BadMojo]

The soap opera of the gods in GHotR makes me either want to puke or yawn - basically I think this is where I hop off the 3e FR express and begin homebrewing the realms instead of buying tickets for the 4e FR monorail.

The stuff in GHotR doesn't strike me as any more soap opera-ish than the Greek gods. They played out like a season of the Real World with slightly more angst.

I'd love to see a newly risen Aumanator get a little cranky at being forgotten for millenia and grind Shar in to dust and then have his followers convert the old Lathanderites at sword point. The Realms could use more bloody holy wars.

 

[Stone Dog]

You know, the idea of setting-specific Power Sources makes me wonder about the Dragonmarked Houses.

I'm betting that dragon marks will be racial options instead of feats or class features.

 

[Xethreau]

Player's Handbook II: Primal, Psionic and Shadow Heroes?

Sounds great to me!