D&D 4E Who's still playing 4E

[YOGZULA]

I still play on occasion, but mostly switched to 5e

 

[doctorbadwolf]

TBH in my last full-up campaign I think I didn't prep anything for months at a time. I just wrote notes and spent maybe 20 minutes per session making bookmarks into the Compendium to bring up at the table. I didn't make a single stat block, nothing, just reflavored stuff on the fly, etc. Nobody knew the difference.

I only run games I can do this with. It's harder in 5e, but thankfully doable. Only things I prep in 4e are skill challenges sometimes, and things like hazards and traps, on occasion...honestly I spend a lot more time on the social and exploration stuff, and outlining story arcs and recurring npcs and the like

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I fan-girled out when I went through all my stuff before moving and found so much 4e stuff that I bought a long time ago and saved for a rainy day. I have enough adventures/tiles/DM books to probably run an entire campaign's worth of adventures without having to do too much myself.

Adventures are great for that. I like grabbing encounters whole from an adventure, shifting some crunch on the fly, and relfavoring all of it completely to fit the scene. It takes seconds, and there is little that is cooler than that. Also maps. Why draw when I can repurpose? I do buy tiles sets though. I find it's very versatile and fun. If layout doesn't matter much, I'll grab a couple sets and tell everyone else to build something while I make notes and drink a beer, get my head in the game. Luckily, all of my plasters enjoy that.

 

[dream66_]

I really really wish I was...

but no one around here will play it with me And I've sadly learned I can't make the commitment for online games anymore.

 

[GrahamWills]

My son started a 4e game with the local church youth group. I offered to help on the off chance he needed a second GM. He said extra people might turn up for the first one, but at worst I'd have to run a game monthly for a few months.

So ... now we both have a full table of 6 each and they just asked us to run every second week rather than every month. I'd prefer 13th Age myself, but he's in charge and prefers 4E. And it's my second favorite F20 game anyway, so no real issue there.

 

[D'karr]

My son started a 4e game with the local church youth group. I offered to help on the off chance he needed a second GM. He said extra people might turn up for the first one, but at worst I'd have to run a game monthly for a few months.

So ... now we both have a full table of 6 each and they just asked us to run every second week rather than every month. I'd prefer 13th Age myself, but he's in charge and prefers 4E. And it's my second favorite F20 game anyway, so no real issue there.

It's always good to see this.

 

[tyrlaan]

Man, I have GOT to get a 4e game going! Reading this thread is almost like self-inflicted punishment while I sit here gameless

Silver lining, the thread is filling me to the brim with ideas

 

[CCamfield]

So, I've been playing 5e for about a year - with the best group of players I've found in at least 10 years. But recently the DM announced he has to stop DMing to focus on his thesis, but we could still get together to play board games on our gaming night.

I tentatively suggested I could try running a 4e game, and to my surprise everyone's willing to give it a try. So I'm starting them off in Fallcrest as employees of the tiefling trading company that has an office there. But I guess my one sentence conceptual pitch would be:

"Raiders of the Lost Ark with the Grey Company in place of the Nazis"

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

So, I've been playing 5e for about a year - with the best group of players I've found in at least 10 years. But recently the DM announced he has to stop DMing to focus on his thesis, but we could still get together to play board games on our gaming night.

I tentatively suggested I could try running a 4e game, and to my surprise everyone's willing to give it a try. So I'm starting them off in Fallcrest as employees of the tiefling trading company that has an office there. But I guess my one sentence conceptual pitch would be:

"Raiders of the Lost Ark with the Grey Company in place of the Nazis"

Sounds like a fine concept! They could be 'digging' in a wide variety of locations.

 

[darkbard]

So I'm starting them off in Fallcrest as employees of the tiefling trading company that has an office there.

Sounds like a ton of fun! Are you planning on tying in the Fell Court (tiefling criminal organization in Fallcrest) in any way?

I'm DMing a game set in the Nentir Vale too; the group is currently in the first third of Gardmore Abbey and having a blast, so I highly recommend thinking ahead to that adventure if your game goes that long.

 

[The Fighter-Cricket]

Yeah, the Grey Company as nazi like villains is a good concept. I always had the vibe that they tended to the more fascist side of things. The Raiders of the Lost Ark theme could also be very well connected to Gardmore Abbey and the Deck of Many Things.

And while we're at it: the Nentir Vale rocks!

 

[thanson02]

I've taken the whole traits/bonds/flaws system wholesale: I love it. I still use 4E backgrounds etc... but I love the way these really flesh out the character especially for those players who sometimes struggle with that sort of thing. And I've coupled that with inspiration as well.

They actually covered this ides in a Unearthed Arcana article that is all 4E, but covers the mechanics that led into the 5E version.

 

[The Fighter-Cricket]

They actually covered this ides in a Unearthed Arcana article that is all 4E, but covers the mechanics that led into the 5E version.

Do you know where to find the article? Dungeon/Dragon mag?

 

[Radaceus]

Do you know where to find the article? Dungeon/Dragon mag?

Dragon Magazine 422
Article: Unearthed Arcana; Building a Character, Random Background Stories (pg 14)

EDIT: Author: Matt Sernett

 

[thanson02]

Dragon Magazine 422
Article: Unearthed Arcana; Building a Character, Random Background Stories (pg 14)

EDIT: Author: Matt Sernett

I love that article for random background generation! Another one that is fun, but not as in depth (good for quick character building) is "Where do I come from?" in Dragon 383, p. 79.

The article I was talking about though, was Unearthed Arcana: Personality Traits in Dragon 427, p.31. They went with the flaws and merits route from 3.5, but instead of making it part of the feat system, it is an additional element to your character generation and once per session, if you express something or do something that reflects who your character is through these flaws and merits, you can get an action point.

With working with the DM, you can certainly do a hybrid of these and use the random background generation to establish your flaws and merits (figuring out your bonds will establish themselves through the background generation) to do something like what they did in 5E, assuming the DM likes to play with action points and hand them out more. That is something I do with my players, but I also work with the expanded combat rules from Unearthed Arcana: Combat Options in Dragon 425, p. 36 so they have more things to do with action points then just get an extra standard action.

 

[Jessica]

I'm trying to start up a 4e group in Lansing. I have my roommate and her SO playing and a possible 3rd person who lives nearby. Once my roommate's SO moves down here we'll probably start on Friday or Saturday nights.

 

[Ashoka]

I'm DMing a campaign that's at level 18 and has been going for almost 2 years. 5 players, including 2 originals and one that joined at level 3. Our current group has been together for around a year.

We're all still loving it and dreading the day the character builder disappears.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I love that article for random background generation! Another one that is fun, but not as in depth (good for quick character building) is "Where do I come from?" in Dragon 383, p. 79.

The article I was talking about though, was Unearthed Arcana: Personality Traits in Dragon 427, p.31. They went with the flaws and merits route from 3.5, but instead of making it part of the feat system, it is an additional element to your character generation and once per session, if you express something or do something that reflects who your character is through these flaws and merits, you can get an action point.

With working with the DM, you can certainly do a hybrid of these and use the random background generation to establish your flaws and merits (figuring out your bonds will establish themselves through the background generation) to do something like what they did in 5E, assuming the DM likes to play with action points and hand them out more. That is something I do with my players, but I also work with the expanded combat rules from Unearthed Arcana: Combat Options in Dragon 425, p. 36 so they have more things to do with action points then just get an extra standard action.

I wish they would do a background chapter like the one in the Heroes Of The Feywild book from 4e. Other than a few mechanical gripes and making satyrs male only for no good reason, that book is fantastically good.

 

[hugodlr]

I'm DMing a campaign that's at level 18 and has been going for almost 2 years. 5 players, including 2 originals and one that joined at level 3. Our current group has been together for around a year.

We're all still loving it and dreading the day the character builder disappears.

I light candles, say my prayers, and offer gnome sacrifices to the old gods so that the character builder never goes offline

 

[thanson02]

I light candles, say my prayers, and offer gnome sacrifices to the old gods so that the character builder never goes offline

The gods have a backup for you if the fates are not kind.

Offline Character Builder with CBLoader. Really fun, especially if you understand code.