So.
Fourth Edition DnD... I think I like it.
I found the Player's Handbook at Borders on a routine walk through the mall with friends. I thumbed through it and was instantly intrigued by the system of "powers" that each class received. I've been looking to add an element of this kind to my game for some time, wishing to "spice up" some of the simpler martial classes. The task would have been insurmountable on my own, but it would have been neat to give everyone the edge that higher-level spellcasters enjoy a world-shattering monopoly over. This may have biased my initial opinion somewhat, but as I read I found that everything had a sense of balance. From the tried and true Fighter to the tactically inclined Warlord, and even the dramatically altered Wizard I read and thought well of the rules that dwelled within. $34.95 later I had the tome in my messenger bag, tucked away for further scrutiny.
3.5 had become difficult to run, so I eventually hung up most of my dice and went to the Roll and Keep system of L5R and to the gritty six-sided world of Shadowrun, bringing my group along for the ride. Neither game felt quite as fulfilling as D&D, (L5R for the forced roleplaying aspect, and Shadowrun for the tremendous PC death-count and awkward gameplay elements) but at least setting up and running a session didn't feel like work. But now that I've got my hands on 4.0 I'm back in my game with my full stride and enthusiasm. I like memorizing rules and creating campaigns for my characters to run, these are things that I enjoy, but the game hasn't felt like a hobby in almost a year. I was able to create a more or less fully functioning 1st through 4th level campaign area in a little over four hours, using the monster manual, the PHB and MS Paint. My players loved it! I haven't been able to say that about a game night in which we actually rolled dice in months.
I like the streamlined character development, the intense reduction in bookkeeping. I have a few page numbers memorized for quick reference, and that is more or less all I need. Wizards and Clerics have been scaled back, much to my relief. My players actually consider playing these classes now, I finally have the first real spellcaster to join the PC's ranks since my horrible debacle with an NPC necromancer, whom the party nicknamed "Zygote". This excites me, for describing his characters eldritch destruction has quickly become something of a guilty pleasure of mine.
I like the hp kicker given to first level characters. It was the only thing I liked about Hackmaster (If you haven't played, my advice is; Look, but don't touch), and I'm glad to see it put to good use. Survivability was a big issue for our firsties, so I usually started my group at a higher level to improve this. When you try to emphasize background and character development, only to have a character felled by the first sword-strike, you find that player-enthusiasm drops dramatically. There are only so many times you can fudge the dice before the players start feeling invulnerable, but wading through PC's isn't a picnic either. Now I can actually have my group fight goblins and kobalds without feeling as if I'm wasting their time.
I love the way skills have been handled. This was a big issue in my group, particularly at higher levels. Rolling a skill check became a trite exorcise. You immediately knew whether you were going to succeed or fail, because you either had maxed points in the skill or practically none at all. Now everyone has a chance to bluff, intimidate or negotiate without instant failure. The rogue actually has to make a roll when he picks someone's pocket, instead of being glorified for allocating all of his points in stealth and sleight of hand, while the lowly fighter desperately seeks for something to jump over.
One of my biggest issues with D&D was scalability. Some things just became utterly useless at higher levels, and anyone who played a wizard knows what I'm talking about. It's not just spells, but attack and defense as well. Magic items are part of the game, yes, but after a short while a suit of plate mail would never do, and even thinking about fighting with a non-magical weapon could be a laughable endeavor. Now, however, even the most basic of attacks scale eventually. You are allowed to replace older powers with newer, potentially more effective ones, and even the basic attacks will deal double normal damage at 21st level. Attacks and Defenses scale with level like never before. No more charts for BAB, just half-your-level + mod! Though this does render most feats from the older books temporarily unusable I'm sure a number of fan modifications will be posted in due time (I will almost certainly be included among this number). DnD 4.0 takes a particular implication from 3.0 / 3.5 and took it further, into practically the entire mechanics of the game. I speak of the Wizards skill points and Rogue armor, and suggested attributes for classes. The wizards skill points were one of the few things in 3.0 / 3.5 that anticipated the character would have a high ability score modifier for. Wizards would be intelligent, and thusly receive more balanced skill points because of their higher score. Similarly Rogues would have a high dexterity, and thusly not require armor quite as dense to remain unharmed. This idea has been applied to practically every aspect of the game. A fighter will naturally be strong because he needs to be, and while he has the same "base" attack bonus as the wizard, the fighter will hit more often because he has a higher strength score and is 'proficient' with the weapon he wields.
I am mildly disappointed with the early feat selection. Can I really only take Improved Initiative once, I mean, it's one of the best things out there. There seems to be so little to choose from, besides your racial or class abilities. What would a rogue be, if not for Backstabber? But even some of those are a let down. (+2 when I'm practically dead? Give me some of that!) I'm not saying I entirely approve of all the myriad feats that could be found in 3.0 and 3.5 supplements. Some of these said feats were utterly useless, disgustingly unbalanced or, quite often, just plain silly (Try to get 'Let Him Go By' past your DM), but there doesn't seem to be much variety. For how many different character combinations they have with power selection, they don't give much in the way of feats. Not in the heroic tier, anyway.
Speaking of disappointment I would say that the multi-classing is a bit of a let down. Granted, you do get quite a bit out of a single feat (including a trained skill and an encounter or daily power) but I was hoping for a little bit more, like possible access to powers. Perhaps I haven't taken enough of a look at the various paragon-path cross sections, but from a low level standpoint I guess I expected more. What they have now does seem to be carefully planned and balanced, just not very exciting.
I have noticed, as have many before me, that the game has taken a step far closer to the MMORPG then many think comfortable. I am not particularly worried about this development. For now I am under the impression that D&D 4th edition has stepped over no line, crossed no horrible boundary into some unspeakable half-digital half-analog shadow-world, filled with the endless screams of lost dice and twisted with the burning fragments of poor IM grammar. It easily could, but I currently stand convinced that it has not. The addition of online content is not frightening to me, nor is the computer based, some-purchase -necessary DM helper have me convinced that table-top gaming is breathing it's last breath. I for one won't buy it, I don't need it, the game will continue if I do not have it. Why is it such a bad thing? I've been using a magnetic white board that has grid-dots on it for encounters, Players can either use a colored magnet or have a magnet attached to the base of their figure if they so choose. So when I stumbled upon the more tactical elements of gameplay I was not immediately filled with dread. This is a good thing! Strategic thinking is now useful in some situations, beneficial even. With my archaic white board technology I get the same gist across that the larger mats or boxed sets do. I can still have the players directly interact with their tokens. I don't have to invest in "Cardboard" Do-It-Yourself Dungeon Sets or Computerized 3-D Rendering Software. I draw simple geometric shapes on a white board and simple geometric maps on MS paint. The game is enhanced by the aid of a computer, certainly, but these additions are by no means necessary.
The core gameplay truly appears to be balanced. The only thing I'm not sure about is the fighter class, but I won't say more on that until I have another playthrough. In my groups last session there were a few kinks in rule-interpretation that unbalanced the session grossly, but I understand that it was my fault as a DM, and hopefully these problems have been worked out. (We had issues with temporary hit-points that turned the Warlock into a demi-god and the Fighter into a well outfitted dungeon custodian) I have felt the need to change nothing, and this is coming from someone who helped a friend develop a homebrewed point-based system for Conan-rules D&D. I wish to play 4.0 more, to experiment with character creation and otherwise prod its inner workings. I want to see my PC's develop and branch into the next tier of play and see what all it has to offer. I also hope to whatever deity is out there that the ECL of monsters actually means something now.
Whatever the case, for the time being I'm enjoying myself at the gaming table again, back in familiar territory with all my various polyhedrons sounding their clarion call. I am entertained, and for that, I am pleased.
Fourth Edition DnD... I think I like it.
I found the Player's Handbook at Borders on a routine walk through the mall with friends. I thumbed through it and was instantly intrigued by the system of "powers" that each class received. I've been looking to add an element of this kind to my game for some time, wishing to "spice up" some of the simpler martial classes. The task would have been insurmountable on my own, but it would have been neat to give everyone the edge that higher-level spellcasters enjoy a world-shattering monopoly over. This may have biased my initial opinion somewhat, but as I read I found that everything had a sense of balance. From the tried and true Fighter to the tactically inclined Warlord, and even the dramatically altered Wizard I read and thought well of the rules that dwelled within. $34.95 later I had the tome in my messenger bag, tucked away for further scrutiny.
3.5 had become difficult to run, so I eventually hung up most of my dice and went to the Roll and Keep system of L5R and to the gritty six-sided world of Shadowrun, bringing my group along for the ride. Neither game felt quite as fulfilling as D&D, (L5R for the forced roleplaying aspect, and Shadowrun for the tremendous PC death-count and awkward gameplay elements) but at least setting up and running a session didn't feel like work. But now that I've got my hands on 4.0 I'm back in my game with my full stride and enthusiasm. I like memorizing rules and creating campaigns for my characters to run, these are things that I enjoy, but the game hasn't felt like a hobby in almost a year. I was able to create a more or less fully functioning 1st through 4th level campaign area in a little over four hours, using the monster manual, the PHB and MS Paint. My players loved it! I haven't been able to say that about a game night in which we actually rolled dice in months.
I like the streamlined character development, the intense reduction in bookkeeping. I have a few page numbers memorized for quick reference, and that is more or less all I need. Wizards and Clerics have been scaled back, much to my relief. My players actually consider playing these classes now, I finally have the first real spellcaster to join the PC's ranks since my horrible debacle with an NPC necromancer, whom the party nicknamed "Zygote". This excites me, for describing his characters eldritch destruction has quickly become something of a guilty pleasure of mine.
I like the hp kicker given to first level characters. It was the only thing I liked about Hackmaster (If you haven't played, my advice is; Look, but don't touch), and I'm glad to see it put to good use. Survivability was a big issue for our firsties, so I usually started my group at a higher level to improve this. When you try to emphasize background and character development, only to have a character felled by the first sword-strike, you find that player-enthusiasm drops dramatically. There are only so many times you can fudge the dice before the players start feeling invulnerable, but wading through PC's isn't a picnic either. Now I can actually have my group fight goblins and kobalds without feeling as if I'm wasting their time.
I love the way skills have been handled. This was a big issue in my group, particularly at higher levels. Rolling a skill check became a trite exorcise. You immediately knew whether you were going to succeed or fail, because you either had maxed points in the skill or practically none at all. Now everyone has a chance to bluff, intimidate or negotiate without instant failure. The rogue actually has to make a roll when he picks someone's pocket, instead of being glorified for allocating all of his points in stealth and sleight of hand, while the lowly fighter desperately seeks for something to jump over.
One of my biggest issues with D&D was scalability. Some things just became utterly useless at higher levels, and anyone who played a wizard knows what I'm talking about. It's not just spells, but attack and defense as well. Magic items are part of the game, yes, but after a short while a suit of plate mail would never do, and even thinking about fighting with a non-magical weapon could be a laughable endeavor. Now, however, even the most basic of attacks scale eventually. You are allowed to replace older powers with newer, potentially more effective ones, and even the basic attacks will deal double normal damage at 21st level. Attacks and Defenses scale with level like never before. No more charts for BAB, just half-your-level + mod! Though this does render most feats from the older books temporarily unusable I'm sure a number of fan modifications will be posted in due time (I will almost certainly be included among this number). DnD 4.0 takes a particular implication from 3.0 / 3.5 and took it further, into practically the entire mechanics of the game. I speak of the Wizards skill points and Rogue armor, and suggested attributes for classes. The wizards skill points were one of the few things in 3.0 / 3.5 that anticipated the character would have a high ability score modifier for. Wizards would be intelligent, and thusly receive more balanced skill points because of their higher score. Similarly Rogues would have a high dexterity, and thusly not require armor quite as dense to remain unharmed. This idea has been applied to practically every aspect of the game. A fighter will naturally be strong because he needs to be, and while he has the same "base" attack bonus as the wizard, the fighter will hit more often because he has a higher strength score and is 'proficient' with the weapon he wields.
I am mildly disappointed with the early feat selection. Can I really only take Improved Initiative once, I mean, it's one of the best things out there. There seems to be so little to choose from, besides your racial or class abilities. What would a rogue be, if not for Backstabber? But even some of those are a let down. (+2 when I'm practically dead? Give me some of that!) I'm not saying I entirely approve of all the myriad feats that could be found in 3.0 and 3.5 supplements. Some of these said feats were utterly useless, disgustingly unbalanced or, quite often, just plain silly (Try to get 'Let Him Go By' past your DM), but there doesn't seem to be much variety. For how many different character combinations they have with power selection, they don't give much in the way of feats. Not in the heroic tier, anyway.
Speaking of disappointment I would say that the multi-classing is a bit of a let down. Granted, you do get quite a bit out of a single feat (including a trained skill and an encounter or daily power) but I was hoping for a little bit more, like possible access to powers. Perhaps I haven't taken enough of a look at the various paragon-path cross sections, but from a low level standpoint I guess I expected more. What they have now does seem to be carefully planned and balanced, just not very exciting.
I have noticed, as have many before me, that the game has taken a step far closer to the MMORPG then many think comfortable. I am not particularly worried about this development. For now I am under the impression that D&D 4th edition has stepped over no line, crossed no horrible boundary into some unspeakable half-digital half-analog shadow-world, filled with the endless screams of lost dice and twisted with the burning fragments of poor IM grammar. It easily could, but I currently stand convinced that it has not. The addition of online content is not frightening to me, nor is the computer based, some-purchase -necessary DM helper have me convinced that table-top gaming is breathing it's last breath. I for one won't buy it, I don't need it, the game will continue if I do not have it. Why is it such a bad thing? I've been using a magnetic white board that has grid-dots on it for encounters, Players can either use a colored magnet or have a magnet attached to the base of their figure if they so choose. So when I stumbled upon the more tactical elements of gameplay I was not immediately filled with dread. This is a good thing! Strategic thinking is now useful in some situations, beneficial even. With my archaic white board technology I get the same gist across that the larger mats or boxed sets do. I can still have the players directly interact with their tokens. I don't have to invest in "Cardboard" Do-It-Yourself Dungeon Sets or Computerized 3-D Rendering Software. I draw simple geometric shapes on a white board and simple geometric maps on MS paint. The game is enhanced by the aid of a computer, certainly, but these additions are by no means necessary.
The core gameplay truly appears to be balanced. The only thing I'm not sure about is the fighter class, but I won't say more on that until I have another playthrough. In my groups last session there were a few kinks in rule-interpretation that unbalanced the session grossly, but I understand that it was my fault as a DM, and hopefully these problems have been worked out. (We had issues with temporary hit-points that turned the Warlock into a demi-god and the Fighter into a well outfitted dungeon custodian) I have felt the need to change nothing, and this is coming from someone who helped a friend develop a homebrewed point-based system for Conan-rules D&D. I wish to play 4.0 more, to experiment with character creation and otherwise prod its inner workings. I want to see my PC's develop and branch into the next tier of play and see what all it has to offer. I also hope to whatever deity is out there that the ECL of monsters actually means something now.
Whatever the case, for the time being I'm enjoying myself at the gaming table again, back in familiar territory with all my various polyhedrons sounding their clarion call. I am entertained, and for that, I am pleased.
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