Too Many Abilities?

[Scribble]

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.

I have had a similar fear for a while now...

Not really too many options, but too many options that happen when certain things happen...

Like when you're bloodied, or when X happens to Y, or when the monster does this or that...

I have a hard enough time remembering monster get certain special attacks to begin with. Add in that they only happen when certain conditions are met? They might as well not even be in the stat block.

 

[Quartz]

I think it's an interesting concern, but I'm happy to wait and see.

 

[Li Shenron]

Maybe those abilities are not very different from feats, so that they can be either passive abilities (or flat bonuses to something) or abilities that you have to activate by using a certiain action type. This way, at least if a player has some issue with too many abilities after just a few levels, she can pick more passive ones.

 

[nerfherder]

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.

I've had exactly the same thought.

I remember playing Spycraft and having to write out a short description of each ability/talent/feat that wasn't just a static bonus applied permanently.

I ran a SWSE session recently and handed out a 2nd level jedi to each player to run (they had never seen the Force rules before), and created character sheets with each power explained. This seemed to make a big difference to speed of play. We also use an action summary sheet I got from the Wizards boards. What I'd love to see is a character generator that could print out a stat-block and include a short description of each talent/feat/power the character has in a rules summary section (e.g. "Point Blank Shot: +1 att, +1 dmg to shots within point blank range")

 

[billd91]

What I'd love to see is a character generator that could print out a stat-block and include a short description of each talent/feat/power the character has in a rules summary section (e.g. "Point Blank Shot: +1 att, +1 dmg to shots within point blank range")

I'd love that with a monster stat block generator as well.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

I've had exactly the same thought.

I remember playing Spycraft and having to write out a short description of each ability/talent/feat that wasn't just a static bonus applied permanently.

That's something I've been doing for a while. I keep a separate sheet with my spells/invocations/powers/attacks written down, describing saves, DCs, modifiers, and damage, along with anything that might affect the base power, like items.

The *slight* problem is this means you can't have everything you need to play on one side of an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper out of the back of the book.

But on the other hand, many characters were never able to have that, anyway.

Brad

 

[Henry]

Simpler stat blocks might make play quicker for monsters, but what about NPCs?

If the PCs have 50% more abilities per level on average, then class based NPCs will also have 50% more abilities per level.

Not only does the DM have to understand the extra 50% abilities for his 3 to 7 PCs over 3.5 during the game, he also has to understand them for his plethora of NPCs.

I don't find this to be true in Star Wars Saga Edition; instead, minion/mook NPCs make up the majority of the forces to keep track of, and only 1 or two NPCs are fully statted out. The minion forces are basically bags of hit points with the occasional nasty kick, and the main 1 or 2 villains are the ones to concentrate on, I find.