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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ghaladen" data-source="post: 5425780" data-attributes="member: 92198">Okay, this may seem like utter heresy, but I actually DM both a 4e group and a Pathfinder group. Both are their respective core world settings (Points of Light and Golarion), and here's why I stick to both systems.4e is no "classic D&D". It's wargaming, taken to 11. Let's just get that out of the way. Now, is that so bad? Some people really like wargaming, and want to do it on a single player scale (ie not like Warhammer). I personally love wargaming, but I have no skill for painting, so WH is out of the question for me. I get my wargaming fix with 4e. It's 95% combat, with a bit of story here and there. Sure you can roleplay with it in small portions, but when so many skills, feats, powers, boons, etc are focused on in-combat mechanics, role playing feels a bit odd. The major non-combat skill uses are in skill challenges, so my campaign usually alternates with a 5:1 ratio of combats per skill challenge. Most of my 4e players are not heavy role players, and they like the combat heavy campaign, especially because 4e gives you options to create amazing (if not long drawn out) encounters. Now, the non-wargaming side of me needs more than just battle. That's where Pathfinder fulfills that need. Pathfinder gives me gobs of non combat player options that I can tell a story with. For example, wizard has Passwall? I can make a stone temple dungeon with shifting walls, and spirits of it's fallen denizens that talk to the PC's about how they used the shifting walls during the ancient days to fend off attackers, and eventually drive them mad, until they perished and their souls were captured and added to their "god", a harbinger of spirits. Or if they have polymorph? Make a mission where they have to change themselves constantly, like orcs for example so they can infiltrate an orc outpost and glean information from the brigands. Combat options I admit have less pizazz then in 4e, but combat is much more on the backburner in Pathfinder compared to the story, exploration, interations with NPCs, etc. So that being said, I think once you figure out where the strengths of the two systems lie, it's easier to enjoy them both. I personally do, and plan to continue to run both in parallel. I'm sure many of you will tell me that Pathfinder has phenomenal combats, or 4e can do wonders for roleplaying. This is just based on my experience with both systems, and solely my opinion.</blockquote>

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