With all the ruminations on Essentials, are Power Cards even worth buying any more?

[Lord Ernie]

The Character Builder on DDI really is the easiest way to handle cards.

You can print out a new set every time something changes.

You don't even really need to print them in cardstock. Just normal paper. Put them in protective sleeves and slip a regular playing card behind them to give some rigidity.

This is pretty much how we handle things. That way, you can also add the occasional extra information for players that need it (such as calculating the damage for secondary damage rolls, like our Sorcerer's Flame Spiral), and you're always working with the latest errata.

As for having a limited budget: I'd recommend using a one-month subscription (which costs $10); perhaps take one for October, or wait for Heroes of Forgotten Kingdoms. That should set up you pretty nicely. If it weren't for the compendium which I find indispensable for my games, I'd probably go for a once every four months update scheme myself

 

[Walking Dad]

...

Especially if you like most groups split the cost.

...

You realize this isn't officially allowed? Only the buyer (the name you used to buy the subscription) is entitled to use the builder. I know the practice is different, but this is what the contract says.

If you buy cards on the other hand, you can use them as a group.

 

[Amphimir Míriel]

These are the cards I use.

I find them prettier and easier to use that the ones in the character builder (in fact, I copy and paste the text from the ones in the builder)

Also, since some of my players don't speak English that well, I translate the powers in order for them to be more comfortable playing.

 

[Festivus]

I skip the whole "Print out and cut the cards up" thing using DDI. I print the full card sheets and slide them into an 8.5x11 plastic protector sheet, and then use dry or wet erase over the whole page.

I never understood power cards until the other night when a friend said he used them because he has a Macintosh (and is totally not tech savvy to get parallels running). He likes them and has all the sets, and was wondering if more were coming out or not.

I think WoTC should just release a Mac version of the damn software.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

I skip the whole "Print out and cut the cards up" thing using DDI. I print the full card sheets and slide them into an 8.5x11 plastic protector sheet, and then use dry or wet erase over the whole page.

That's what I and many of the rest of my group does. It makes keeping track of powers simple, fast, and organized.

 

[The Human Target]

See, what I was thinking about doing was buying my Warden Power Cards, updating my powers every six months and re-laminating the fresher powers on the old cards so they'd still be of use, and be nice and stable, and durable instead of just.. laminated pieces of paper.

Why go to all that effort though?

 

[GRStrayton]

Um, I guess, but IMO you're really missing out. What I do is spend 10 bucks every 6 months, update CB, download back issues of Dragon and Dungeon. For characters, I print powers on cardstock and stuff them in sleeves. I can reprint each level if I want, or just write changes on the sleeves.

As opposed to the cards for one class, say cleric, cost $10 for PHB 1 and another $10 for Divine power Cleric. Then more if you want to multiclass (though I suppose that can be mitigated if your whole group goes in on it.

There are 25 classes in 4e. In my group's experience, we tend to play something that we haven't seen before, at least as a core class. Cards would be a pretty expensive option, certainly more than the $20-30 a year I spend now. And I also get all the feats, Paragon Paths, EDs all in one place and the magazines.

It's a fair point. I do have a DDi account, but I'm on a Mac, so it would cost me an extra $250 to print out the cards (I'd need Windows plus Parallels to run the CB), so in the long run, it's actually cheaper for me to get the store-bought Power Cards (not to mention the cost of ink and paper).

 

[The Human Target]

You realize this isn't officially allowed? Only the buyer (the name you used to buy the subscription) is entitled to use the builder. I know the practice is different, but this is what the contract says.

If you buy cards on the other hand, you can use them as a group.

I don't think thats true.

The original explicitly stated purpose of the character builder was that it was to be split amongst a party.

 

[The Human Target]

It's a fair point. I do have a DDi account, but I'm on a Mac, so it would cost me an extra $250 to print out the cards (I'd need Windows plus Parallels to run the CB), so in the long run, it's actually cheaper for me to get the store-bought Power Cards (not to mention the cost of ink and paper).

Do you not know anyone with Windows?

 

[GRStrayton]

Do you not know anyone with Windows?

I seem to be in a weird niche group. I'm involved in 3 campaigns, 15 people total, and everyone's a Mac person. We're all writers, actors, directors, and editors, so that's not surprising, I guess. But my whole family and my wife's family are all Mac users as well, so no help there. That's all right, I still prefer the store-bought Power Cards anyway (just wish they'd put out ones for the PHB3 and Essentials)!