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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Fanaelialae" data-source="post: 4488564" data-attributes="member: 53980">There are actually short explanations regarding how a party lacking certain roles is affected, on pg 10 of the DMG (Covering the Character Roles).  It isn't lengthy, but it does mention the weaknesses of, and what creature types are extra strong against, a party lacking a given role.I don't think that 4E is any more videogamey than any other edition of D&D (or AD&D).4E does have some mechanics that are reminiscent of videogames.  I don't think that this is a bad thing though.  Dragons' Bloodied Breath ability is an example of something that seems like it might have been WOW inspired, but lends an interesting new dynamic to combat,  enhancing the game overall.  Personally, I think it's silly to denounce a game for borrowing good elements from videogames.  They're both games after all.  While I wouldn't want my D&D game turning into a Devil May Cry hack n' slash (not that I don't love DMC, but it belongs as a videogame), that isn't what I see happening at all.3.x had all sorts of videogamey elements.  For starters, spamming abilities.  With the Improved Disarm (or Improved Trip, or Improved Whatever) feat, you could attempt to disarm endlessly.  Repeatedly attempting a specialized maneuver like that is an invitation to get yourself a beat-down in the real world.  If your opponent knows what you're about to do, you're probably in a heap of trouble.  While, admittedly, bringing the real world into these discussions is rarely beneficial (it's a heroic fantasy game after all), I mention this because many of those who object to 4E based on its videogameyness do so based on an objection that those video game mechanics aren't realistic.AD&D (2nd ed) had them too.  One example would be that a (foolish) DM could create a creature with scores of special powers and only 1 Hit Die.  Such a creature, under that system, was worth ridiculous amounts of xp, regardless of whether it presented a realistic threat or not, to the point where lower level characters could gain a full level for slaying just one.It was present in RC D&D too.  In this edition, if you wanted to play a demihuman race, your race was your class!  Dwarves were fighterish, halflings were roguish, and elves were fighter/ magic-user multiclass characters (in an edition where multiclassing didn't exist).  Elven thieves (yup, they were called thieves back then) simply didn't exist, as though no elf could ever even consider a life of larceny.There have been video games made of all of these editions (except 4E, which is too new).  I know from personal experience (Baldur's Gate) that those video games were quite accurate to the D&D ruleset at least as far back as AD&D.D&D is videogamey because pnp rpgs and video games are all games.  Putting aside freeform rpgs like Amber, both types of games require similar rules to define their boundaries.  While they undoubtedly have differing strengths and weaknesses, when we get right down to it they are all meant to bring hours of enjoyment to our lives.  Some degree of migration of ideas between these mediums is not only to be expected, but can be seen as a natural evolution that benefits both.</blockquote>

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