After having played SWSE and having read many of the WotC entries and blogs, I'm wondering if DND 4E will have too many options per PC/NPC per level. Our gaming group discussed this last night after the game.
1E and 2E tended to have few options for Fighter and Rogues, many more for spell casters.
3E/3.5 upped the number of options for all classes with the introduction of feats. A 10th level 3.5 Fighter had ~10 feats (not including weapon and armor proficiency) and a small handful of maneuvers (but Trip, Grapple, etc. are not that good in 3.5 due to penalities without the proper feats). A 10th level Rogue had ~4 feats and ~4 special abilities (not including non-combat ones like Trapfinding which is just really a skill modifier).
In 4E, if it is modeled similar to SWSE, a 10th level PC will have ~1 special first level ability (which is not weapon or armor proficiency), 9 feats and 5 Talents. 15 abilities compared to the 8 to 10 non-spell caster ones of 3.5. Every level gains at least one ability.
This seems, on the surface, to indicate that 4E might have areas where it is actually more difficult to DM as opposed to easier. If each PC has more abilities and most PCs have different abilities, that is more different rules for the DM to be aware of then in 3.5. On top of that, the DM also needs to know all of these special abilities of NPCs and monsters.
So sure, the stat blocks might have fewer entries, but the special abilities/feats/talents might have many more items listed to be aware of (which was interesting that the Spined Devil did not have a section for feats or talents, do monsters not get those?).
Granted, talents and feats that just add a bonus to AC or skills or Defense or some such are easy to handle. It is the ones with special rules (such as when sneak attack can be used in 3.5) which require additional knowledge and effort.
1E and 2E tended to have few options for Fighter and Rogues, many more for spell casters.
3E/3.5 upped the number of options for all classes with the introduction of feats. A 10th level 3.5 Fighter had ~10 feats (not including weapon and armor proficiency) and a small handful of maneuvers (but Trip, Grapple, etc. are not that good in 3.5 due to penalities without the proper feats). A 10th level Rogue had ~4 feats and ~4 special abilities (not including non-combat ones like Trapfinding which is just really a skill modifier).
In 4E, if it is modeled similar to SWSE, a 10th level PC will have ~1 special first level ability (which is not weapon or armor proficiency), 9 feats and 5 Talents. 15 abilities compared to the 8 to 10 non-spell caster ones of 3.5. Every level gains at least one ability.
This seems, on the surface, to indicate that 4E might have areas where it is actually more difficult to DM as opposed to easier. If each PC has more abilities and most PCs have different abilities, that is more different rules for the DM to be aware of then in 3.5. On top of that, the DM also needs to know all of these special abilities of NPCs and monsters.
So sure, the stat blocks might have fewer entries, but the special abilities/feats/talents might have many more items listed to be aware of (which was interesting that the Spined Devil did not have a section for feats or talents, do monsters not get those?).
Granted, talents and feats that just add a bonus to AC or skills or Defense or some such are easy to handle. It is the ones with special rules (such as when sneak attack can be used in 3.5) which require additional knowledge and effort.
