D&D 4E Talents and Talent trees in 4E?

[Sitara]

Talent trees have not yet been mentioned inany previews or blurbs, yet they are such a sweet concept it would be silly for them not to be included. Therefore I think talents and talent tree's are most definately in, but have been renamed into powers/power tree's.

This has probably been done due to the MMORPG influence (i.e. in Wolrd of warcraft everyclass gets 'oH dEh kEwl powaHz') to draw in new players.

Thoughts?

 

[FabioMilitoPagliara]

Talent trees have not yet been mentioned inany previews or blurbs, yet they are such a sweet concept it would be silly for them not to be included. Therefore I think talents and talent tree's are most definately in, but have been renamed into powers/power tree's.

This has probably been done due to the MMORPG influence (i.e. in Wolrd of warcraft everyclass gets 'oH dEh kEwl powaHz') to draw in new players.

Thoughts?

probably true, and it's a good idea

before only magic using class got kewl new toy with each level (or even in mid level)

it's much better to get a new thing with a level beyond the +x point in this and that, it gives much more the impression of an improvement

 

[Charwoman Gene]

Umm... Talents and talent trees are WOW terms.

 

[Jack99]

Umm... Talents and talent trees are WOW terms.

Just renamed after diablo 2 skill tree! They probably just changed the name so that we wouldn't know it was to draw in the WoW-masses. Really....

 

[Sitara]

err yeah but many mmrpg use the term powers and power tree's. (and other popular game such as diablo2 I think..) But I htink you get my meaning.

Whatever the case I hope thye are in, because as SAgA showed they are a cool concept and really sweet for char customization.

 

[FireLance]

I'm starting to think that "groups" might be a better name than "trees", since it seems that most talents/powers/whatever are not going to have many prerequisites.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Talent trees have not yet been mentioned inany previews or blurbs, yet they are such a sweet concept it would be silly for them not to be included. Therefore I think talents and talent tree's are most definately in, but have been renamed into powers/power tree's.

This has probably been done due to the MMORPG influence (i.e. in Wolrd of warcraft everyclass gets 'oH dEh kEwl powaHz') to draw in new players.

Thoughts?

Well. . . sure, maybe. :\

Or yeah, it could just be that they've decided to use some of the already proven and popular game mechanics from existing d20 products (e.g., d20 Modern) - such as, oh, talents and talent trees, for instance - in 4e.

That would be most likely, IMO.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Well. . . sure, maybe. :\

Or yeah, it could just be that they've decided to use some of the already proven and popular game mechanics from existing d20 products (e.g., d20 Modern) - such as, oh, talents and talent trees, for instance - in 4e.

That would be most likely, IMO.

I really wonder where it (feats & talens) "really" came from, though.
Was it trying to apply spells to non-magical abilities? Was it applying concepts from flaws & edges (often found in point buy systems) to a level based system? Or was it just the notion of distinguishing between things you roll for (D&D skills) or options you just have (feats or talents)? (I think that's something they did in the new Warhammer Roleplay system.)

Well, as far as I understood, talents are now generally called "powers", and they seem to encompass both spells and maneuvers and any other class ability that can be selected instead of automatically granted.
I am not sure if the concept of "tree" is still existent. In d20 Modern, it was a pretty strong component of the talent system, talents required other talents from the same tree as prerequisites. I got the impression the focus on prerequisites has been reduced.
I think this grants us 2 advantages:
1) You don't have to have a specific character build in mind for which you carefully adjucate which prerequisites you have to fulfill to get a special ability you want.
2) Designers are forced to create abilities that are roughly equivalent in power, instead of trying to rely on prerequisites to justify a power (or PrC) stronger than any other.

 

[Abstraction]

Power trees? I am picturing high-power electrical towers.

 

[Dragonblade]

I think "talents" have been around since d20 Modern was released. This was pre-WoW. Heck, every fantasy RPG from the first NES Dragon Warrior, up to and including WoW are ultimately derived from D&D.

Since WoW owes its very existence to D&D, its a bit misleading to say D&D took anything from WoW.