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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dykstrav" data-source="post: 5150279" data-attributes="member: 40522">Not quite what I had in mind, DragoonLance, but it's a neat read anyway.Let me share with you some more of what I had in mind--why I think the concept could be neat and worth trying to work out.First off, I wouldn't want to make it as complicated as creating gestalt characters. I don't really want to load down characters with more in-play options (I think 4E plays slower because of in-play options already). I want them to just have more access to the things they already have.Second, I'd like it to be as quick and painless as possible. Ideally, the rules could be used interchangeably as the DM sees fit. The DM could announce at the start of a session if the group is playing by "standard" characters or "elite" characters for that session, based on attendance and the like. The only math they should have to do is doubling their hit points, which should be quick and easy, even to do in your head.Third, I'd like the system to allow a single "elite" character to be completely interchangeable with standard characters. For small groups, some players like to play two characters--some don't. Say that we have three players. Two of them could play standard characters and a companion character, while the last player could play an elite character. I'd like to have that option available.Given these caveats, it makes more sense (to me, anyway) to change the way characters access their powers, rather than change the basics of their power selection, feats, class features and the like. Unfortunately, giving an elite character more hit points is the only way I can see to give a single character the staying power of two separate characters. Perhaps giving elite characters more access to their healing surges would also work, but they'd need more healing surges to compensate. I think there is room to experiment.I've also heard the sentiment echoed of constraining design to compensate for a small party. This is a legitimate approach. It'd certainly make your encounters go by faster since fewer creatures involved means fewer actions going on in a round. This option is unpalatable to me for 4E, however. One of 4E's big features is the design to accommodate encounters with multiple creatures. If you take this feature out, I think that you're removing one of 4E's big selling points.</blockquote>

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