D&D 4E What are the Silos in 4E?

[howandwhy99]

What are the elements of 4th edition that are modular enough that they can be removed, replaced by an enterprising DM, and not have the new module effect the rest of the system?

Right now, I'm thinking the Skill System fits. Aerial combat could be plucked out and replaced. Power types like Martial, Arcane, Divine, no one of these are necessary for the others and could be replaced or dropped without a problem.

Any other ideas? What can be cut out / replaced without effecting the whole?

 

[Starbuck_II]

What are the elements of 4th edition that are modular enough that they can be removed, replaced by an enterprising DM, and not have the new module effect the rest of the system?

Right now, I'm thinking the Skill System fits. Aerial combat could be plucked out and replaced. Power types like Martial, Arcane, Divine, no one of these are necessary for the others and could be replaced or dropped without a problem.

Any other ideas? What can be cut out / replaced without effecting the whole?

Power sources are obvious. Alignment is removable (only affects a paladin one power).

Wait, what would make aerial combat module?

 

[howandwhy99]

Aerial combat? That might be my mistake. In the past it's always been a separate subsystem from my experience, but now it's the same combat game. So, it'd just be a movement house rule. Like houseruling 1-2-1-2 movement back in for movement on a plane (mathetically termed).

 

[Nifft]

IMHO you're describing "modular", not "siloing".

Modular: We can remove Clerics from the game, and balance will be fine, because Warlords and Artificers will fill the same role.

Siloing: PCs can't spend all their actions healing others, they are thus encouraged to also attack every round.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Simm]

He could be discussing siloing. A class gets one power from list A and one power from list B and another class gets one power from list C and one from list D. There is no theoretical reason for a variant class not to get one power from list A and one from list D. For example there is no reason why a varient rogue couldn't draw its utility powers off of the ranger list.

This would probably work best for classes that share a role or power source, like the rogue/ranger example above, otherwise the feel of the class might be lost. Provided the abilities of a particular level are balanced across classes this would probably not be too unbalancing.

edit: The powers in 4e are its most obvious silos. Each character gets a number of options from a set of lists that ensure they can act in a variety of situation.