Someone
Adventurer
Since I miss the rules scoops in the old Eric Noah's 3rd edition web site, I'll start this thread. I intended to include only specific data, like "attacks of opportunity disapear or are thoroughly revamped" instead of geneal statements like "combat is streamlined"
Of course, nothing of what's here is definitive (or even confirmed) given that playtesting still continues.
Races:
Mentioned some race dissapearing from core (bets go for the Gnome), possibly to be included in an early supplement.
Tiefling included, and they look much more demonic than now (almost half-demon)
Changeling from Eberron may be included.
"dwarven resilience, elven evasion, a half-elf’s inspiring presence" mentioned as racial traits.
Classes can be improved by racial feats, in a similar way to how current racial substitution levels work.
All classes have at will, per encounter and per day abilities.
Classes:
Levels go up to 30, instead of 20;
Level division:
1-10 Heroic- foes are orcs and ogres, some giants, small dragons. Adventures tend to be local
11-20 Paragon- on par with the current low to mid teens right now. Bigger threats are faced that might threaten a kingdom
21-30 Epic- World or Planar threats.
The goal is to have the levels play in a similar manner- they don't want a 25th character overwhelmed with 80 abilities. The main differences should be in the story, not how they play.
From GamerZer0's interview with James Wyatt: There are four "roles".
Although two PCs may serve the same role, they may do it in different ways. (Like fighters with different styles.) The roles are geared towards combat; a PC's non-combat aspects can differentiate him further. He also said that they are still considering the possibility of there being a class or two that doesn't quite fit the four "roles"
Fighter, Cleric, Rogue and Wizard definitely stay (multiple mentions and examples). Also mentioned Barbarian, Paladin and Ranger. Mentioned that wizard and sorcerer won't merge. Sorcerer will be different from wizards in more ways than just resource management.
Mentioned that paladins can be of other alingments other than lawful good
Mentioned a warlord class
Warlock class mentioned, though it's unclear if its an actual class and not a renamed sorcerer or wizard, or if it'll appear in the core books.
Druid mentioned in D&D's seminar's summary
Backstab mentioned.
Fighter's "powers" depend highly on the weapon they chose as primary - spears have different "powers" available than axes; swords and greatswords are very flexible in terms of said "powers"
Wisdom helps with power selection.
Mentioned a "rain of blows" power or maneuver for swords; mentioned making a choice between taking the abilities "Supreme Cleave" or "Massive Strike".
More on martial abilities:
"A skilled halberdier can hack a foe with his weapon’s blade and spin around to smash a second foe with the haft. A fighter with a longsword disarms her foe with a flick of her wrist, while a battle hungry axeman cleaves through shields, armor, and bone." "Rogues have a similar relationship with skills. A nimble rogue dives through the air to tumble past an ogre, while a charismatic one tricks an enemy into looking away just before she delivers a killing blow with her dagger. Just as fighters do more with weapons than any other character, rogues push skills beyond the limits that constrain other PCs."
Cleric mentioned creating a "surge of healing power" alongside a critical hit. This hints (yet unconfirmed) to mechanics similar to some Crusader maneuvers, from Tome of Battle.
Monk mentioned in a rather ambiguous way by WotC Logan.
Some current base class dissapear; a good candidate is Bard. Classes that don't appear in the PHB will appear in future products
Psionics not to be included in core, though they'll have support.
Prestige classes stay
Feats and skills:
Move silently and hide rolled into one
Some of the more obscure or less used skills dissapear (mentioned tailor and rope use)
Mentioned that Sage should be "considered a preview [of the skill system]"
Feats won't form long chains.
There will be rules akin to the retraining rules in PHBII - they don't like the dea of people planning their carers from level 1 to 30
Combat and encounters:
Rules for non-combat encounters. The example given was social interaction. Unlike 3E, where negotiation amounts to a single Diplomacy check, it's treated almost like a combat in 4E. I make a skill check, but I also tell the DM what/how I'm doing. The opponent responds with behavior (and a check) of his own. I counter with a new check, and new words. And so forth.
Saves mentioned
AC mentioned, apparently with the same function as it has today.
Free, immediate, move and standard actions mentioned. (it stands to reason Swift actions will be present too)
Critical hits mentioned.
Attacks of opportunitygone or greatly changed/simplified: a fighter charges a dragon and no AoO is mentioned. Also: "we've made attacks of opportunity dirt-simple by reducing the number of things that provoke AoOs and keeping the list short, intuitive, and free of exceptions"
Grapple greatly simplified.
Confirmation rolls for critical hits possibly go away.
Combat still uses a square grid
DR may dissapear (or be thoroughly changed)
Mentioned a "Bloodied" condition when the character is below half hit points; abilities may be tied to conditions (yours or your opponent's)
Spells and magic:
Vancian system survives, but it's ony a "fraction" of the magic (or magic options) available to characters: "a wizard who casts all his memorized per day spells should be at about 80% of power."
"Wizards will be able to cast 25th-level spells."
'Save or lose' spells reduced and/or changed in function, now dealing directly hit point damage and tying conditions to hit point loss
Buff durations drastically modified
Fireballs don't deal 1d6/level damage any more. Also, game breaking spells (spells that fundamentally change the gaming scenario, like etherealness, scrying, and save or die effects) "have been addressed as well"
Mentioned a "ray of freezing cold"
Magic items
Magic item creation doesn't use XP or require a feat.
Monsters:
What's now the Encounter level of a group of monsters is calculated in 4e adding the XP values of the enemies in the encounter
The monsters will have their own roles and their own abilities- the orc will have orc abilities, not fighter or barbarian abilites
Monsters no longer drain XP (implied no draining of levels?)
Templates mentioned
Vulnerability to energy likely to work differently in 4e, with additional effects (like slowing in the case of cold) instead of (or in addition to?) extra damage.
"The ettin, for instance, has the whole two-heads thing, so it can go twice in one round, and take unrelated actions."
Ancient (red?) dragons apparently now can do a lot of things:
(the dragon can't do all those things every round - that was clarified by Wizards' staff in the gleemax forums)
Said dragon would have around 1000 hit points.
Mentioned a "minion rule"
Of course, nothing of what's here is definitive (or even confirmed) given that playtesting still continues.
Races:
Mentioned some race dissapearing from core (bets go for the Gnome), possibly to be included in an early supplement.
Tiefling included, and they look much more demonic than now (almost half-demon)
Changeling from Eberron may be included.
"dwarven resilience, elven evasion, a half-elf’s inspiring presence" mentioned as racial traits.
Classes can be improved by racial feats, in a similar way to how current racial substitution levels work.
All classes have at will, per encounter and per day abilities.
Classes:
Levels go up to 30, instead of 20;
Level division:
1-10 Heroic- foes are orcs and ogres, some giants, small dragons. Adventures tend to be local
11-20 Paragon- on par with the current low to mid teens right now. Bigger threats are faced that might threaten a kingdom
21-30 Epic- World or Planar threats.
The goal is to have the levels play in a similar manner- they don't want a 25th character overwhelmed with 80 abilities. The main differences should be in the story, not how they play.
From GamerZer0's interview with James Wyatt: There are four "roles".
- Defender: fighter & paladin classes
- Leader: cleric & warlord classes
- Controller: wizard class
- Striker: rogue & ranger classes
Although two PCs may serve the same role, they may do it in different ways. (Like fighters with different styles.) The roles are geared towards combat; a PC's non-combat aspects can differentiate him further. He also said that they are still considering the possibility of there being a class or two that doesn't quite fit the four "roles"
Fighter, Cleric, Rogue and Wizard definitely stay (multiple mentions and examples). Also mentioned Barbarian, Paladin and Ranger. Mentioned that wizard and sorcerer won't merge. Sorcerer will be different from wizards in more ways than just resource management.
Mentioned that paladins can be of other alingments other than lawful good
Mentioned a warlord class
Warlock class mentioned, though it's unclear if its an actual class and not a renamed sorcerer or wizard, or if it'll appear in the core books.
Druid mentioned in D&D's seminar's summary
Backstab mentioned.
Fighter's "powers" depend highly on the weapon they chose as primary - spears have different "powers" available than axes; swords and greatswords are very flexible in terms of said "powers"
Wisdom helps with power selection.
Mentioned a "rain of blows" power or maneuver for swords; mentioned making a choice between taking the abilities "Supreme Cleave" or "Massive Strike".
More on martial abilities:
"A skilled halberdier can hack a foe with his weapon’s blade and spin around to smash a second foe with the haft. A fighter with a longsword disarms her foe with a flick of her wrist, while a battle hungry axeman cleaves through shields, armor, and bone." "Rogues have a similar relationship with skills. A nimble rogue dives through the air to tumble past an ogre, while a charismatic one tricks an enemy into looking away just before she delivers a killing blow with her dagger. Just as fighters do more with weapons than any other character, rogues push skills beyond the limits that constrain other PCs."
Cleric mentioned creating a "surge of healing power" alongside a critical hit. This hints (yet unconfirmed) to mechanics similar to some Crusader maneuvers, from Tome of Battle.
Monk mentioned in a rather ambiguous way by WotC Logan.
Some current base class dissapear; a good candidate is Bard. Classes that don't appear in the PHB will appear in future products
Psionics not to be included in core, though they'll have support.
Prestige classes stay
Feats and skills:
Move silently and hide rolled into one
Some of the more obscure or less used skills dissapear (mentioned tailor and rope use)
Mentioned that Sage should be "considered a preview [of the skill system]"
Feats won't form long chains.
There will be rules akin to the retraining rules in PHBII - they don't like the dea of people planning their carers from level 1 to 30
Combat and encounters:
Rules for non-combat encounters. The example given was social interaction. Unlike 3E, where negotiation amounts to a single Diplomacy check, it's treated almost like a combat in 4E. I make a skill check, but I also tell the DM what/how I'm doing. The opponent responds with behavior (and a check) of his own. I counter with a new check, and new words. And so forth.
Saves mentioned
AC mentioned, apparently with the same function as it has today.
Free, immediate, move and standard actions mentioned. (it stands to reason Swift actions will be present too)
Critical hits mentioned.
Attacks of opportunity
Grapple greatly simplified.
Confirmation rolls for critical hits possibly go away.
Combat still uses a square grid
DR may dissapear (or be thoroughly changed)
Mentioned a "Bloodied" condition when the character is below half hit points; abilities may be tied to conditions (yours or your opponent's)
Spells and magic:
Vancian system survives, but it's ony a "fraction" of the magic (or magic options) available to characters: "a wizard who casts all his memorized per day spells should be at about 80% of power."
"Wizards will be able to cast 25th-level spells."
'Save or lose' spells reduced and/or changed in function, now dealing directly hit point damage and tying conditions to hit point loss
Buff durations drastically modified
Fireballs don't deal 1d6/level damage any more. Also, game breaking spells (spells that fundamentally change the gaming scenario, like etherealness, scrying, and save or die effects) "have been addressed as well"
Mentioned a "ray of freezing cold"
Magic items
Magic item creation doesn't use XP or require a feat.
Monsters:
What's now the Encounter level of a group of monsters is calculated in 4e adding the XP values of the enemies in the encounter
The monsters will have their own roles and their own abilities- the orc will have orc abilities, not fighter or barbarian abilites
Monsters no longer drain XP (implied no draining of levels?)
Templates mentioned
Vulnerability to energy likely to work differently in 4e, with additional effects (like slowing in the case of cold) instead of (or in addition to?) extra damage.
"The ettin, for instance, has the whole two-heads thing, so it can go twice in one round, and take unrelated actions."
Ancient (red?) dragons apparently now can do a lot of things:
- An inferno aura, useable as a free action.
- A tail slap attack with an added pushback effect, useable as a free action.
- Two claw attacks, useable as a standard action.
- A fireball spit that sticks to the target dealing extra damage, useable as a standard action.*
- A breath weapon, but we don't get to see what kind of action it normally takes - a free one like the inferno aura, as different uses of the same ability?
- A special action granting an extra standard action.*
- They may take an immediate action to use their breath weapon when reduced blow half damage.
- They may take an immediate action to use their tail slap when about to be flanked.
(the dragon can't do all those things every round - that was clarified by Wizards' staff in the gleemax forums)
Said dragon would have around 1000 hit points.
Mentioned a "minion rule"
Last edited:
)
