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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dausuul" data-source="post: 5429775" data-attributes="member: 58197">1) At this particular moment? No. Modifying 4E enough to appeal to 3E/Pathfinder players again would change it so much that it would be a new edition, which instantly loses half the 4E base. It's a no-win situation right now.2) Probably not 90%, but something close to that, yes. Start with 3E as the basic framework. Overhaul the mathematical underpinnings of that framework to put the classes on an even footing. Give the "core races" a 4E-style upgrade (but keep the race list the same; dragonborn and tieflings can wait for a splatbook). Get rid of the Christmas tree. Provide easy access to noncombat healing, perhaps based on the Heal skill, to reduce cleric-dependency and extend the adventuring workday. Dump iterative attacks. Rewrite grappling from scratch.Cut the abusive wizard and cleric spells (no more CoDzilla; Batman loses much of his utility belt), and drastically limit save-or-lose magic. Casters get access to some basic abilities usable at will. Streamline the skill system and provide more options for noncasters, including damage-boosting abilities to make up for the loss of iterative attacks.Adopt 4E-style monster design (stats determined top-down by monster level and type, instead of "building" the monster as if it were a PC; few or no spell-like abilities that make you go looking stuff up in other books) but keep 3E's descriptive Monster Manual entries and include non-combat abilities for appropriate monsters. For NPCs, offer some "villain classes" like Iron Heroes had, where you just pick a level and a few key abilities and you're done.In case you haven't noticed, my goal here is to attack the problems 4E was trying to solve, but do it within the framework of 3E. Not everyone would be happy with everything listed above, but I think a lot more people would have come along.3) Follow the Essentials road for now. Re-introduce concepts from earlier editions into 4E, reducing the differential between editions as much as possible, and await the Awful Truth of RPGs, which is that the fanbase always burns out on any given game and moves on. Watch for this to happen to Pathfinder. When it does, it's time to introduce 5E, addressing at least some complaints of 3E/Pathfinder enthusiasts while keeping the 4E framework. No more healing surges; no more narrative-driven meta-mechanics; clear, strong differentiation between classes; flavorful and exciting game books.This strategy might--just might--be able to capture a lot of those departing Pathfinder players and bring them back into the fold, while keeping most of the 4E fanbase intact. It might also bomb spectacularly. But it's the best hope I can see.</blockquote>

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