D&D 4E Your plans for 4e

[Nifft]

My game started in a heavily house-ruled 3e.

It continues in a lightly house-ruled 3.5e.

We stick new stuff in (like ToB:Bo9S and PHB-II) and retcon the mechanics every so often, PC and NPC alike. I try various house rules -- when successful, they stay; when unsuccessful, they are removed. My driving passion is to play a better game each week, rather than play a consistent game over several weeks.

We will probably convert to 4e, if it lives up to the hype, because we all really like SW Saga and ToB:Bo9S.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Radiating Gnome]

<hypnotic stare>

You feel compelled to find a job in Kansas City, and convince Peggy to do the same. When I snap my fingers you will awaken from this trance, and will not recall this command, but still be powerless to disobey.

</hypnotic stare>

*snap*

Oh, Contact, you're awfully close.

My team in the D&D Open came in third this year, and the prize was a set of books (when they come out) and to be playtesters of the new rules, when they start playtesting next month.

So, I'll be playtesting. I'm co-dming an AOW campaign this is one session away from ending, so this is perfect timing for us.

I'm very much intrigued by the talk about the rules changes they're making. Some of the talk is pure marketing hooey (the sweet spot, which is currently levels 7-14, will now be levels 1-30? We made many sweet spot jokes at the con . . . ). But a lot of the things they're talking about are very interesting.

So, I don't know what the playtester rules are -- I don't know how many different playtesting groups we can have, if we're allowed to have guests from time to time, etc. But I'm going to be the playtest team lead here, and if the rules permit, I'd love to have you come down and join us for a session or two.

And it's not even unreasonable for you, (contact). I'm in Wichita. Hell, our usual game sessions are noon-6 sundays, and it's a three hour drive, you could drive down, play, and still get home at a reasonable hour.

But all of that is assuming that the playtest rules don't make it impossible. I'm still not even sure I'll be able to run playtest games for both campaigns I'm running (I am also running a much less serious game for some noobs, including my wife and some other beginners).

-john

edit: that almost-invitation is not really just for (contact), he's just the close one. Assuming it's not against the rules of the playtest, I'll be happy to have anyone who finds themself stuck in Wichita when we're having a session join us.

 

[(contact)]

Some of the talk is pure marketing hooey (the sweet spot, which is currently levels 7-14, will now be levels 1-30? We made many sweet spot jokes at the con . . . ). But a lot of the things they're talking about are very interesting.

the G stands for Game! Game spot!

I don't think it's marketing fluff. I take it at face value -- D&D currently plays best at mid-level, and they're trying to get under the hood of that range, figure out why, and build the game's math accordingly. If it works, whoo boy, it'll be good. If it doesn't, then nice try-- it was a good target to have. If it fails spectacularly, we'll all be playing 3.5.

And it's not even unreasonable for you, (contact). I'm in Wichita. Hell, our usual game sessions are noon-6 sundays, and it's a three hour drive, you could drive down, play, and still get home at a reasonable hour.

Maybe Em and I could come meet up and grab a beer/tea/bite or play a one-shot with you some time. I grew up in the 'Ta, and my Dad is still there, so I'm in Wichita several times a year. We live in Lawrence, so there's a little more pull for them to come here (basketball, nostalgia and general Jayhawkness, natch), but we do get to Wichita every so often.

I am sure, sadly, that unless you guys have hypnotic stares of your own, I just wouldn't be up for 5 hours in the car every weekend. I'm just really lazy that way. I struggle with the 1 1/2 hours to KC and back for Saturday games.

 

[Radiating Gnome]

I don't think it's marketing fluff. I take it at face value -- D&D currently plays best at mid-level, and they're trying to get under the hood of that range, figure out why, and build the game's math accordingly. If it works, whoo boy, it'll be good. If it doesn't, then nice try-- it was a good target to have. If it fails spectacularly, we'll all be playing 3.5.

Well, of course it's a laudable goal, and it's what they have to say, but it's also dang silly. I mean, once you make all 30 levels the "sweet spot", then there really ISN'T a sweet spot anymore. It's just a better game. But talking about it that way would sure deflate the idea fast.

But, then, I have too many degrees in writing: I tend to fixate on word choices and expressions too much.

Maybe Em and I could come meet up and grab a beer/tea/bite or play a one-shot with you some time. I grew up in the 'Ta, and my Dad is still there, so I'm in Wichita several times a year. We live in Lawrence, so there's a little more pull for them to come here (basketball, nostalgia and general Jayhawkness, natch), but we do get to Wichita every so often.

I am sure, sadly, that unless you guys have hypnotic stares of your own, I just wouldn't be up for 5 hours in the car every weekend. I'm just really lazy that way. I struggle with the 1 1/2 hours to KC and back for Saturday games.

Let me know the next time you're in town, we'll make plans to get a drink at the very least. My wife Michele and your Em can roll their eyes while we geek out. Of course, I'm slowly converting my wife from the mild mannered engineer into a fairly accomplished geek in her own right -- she plays WOW with me (God bless the MMO gateway drug, City of Heroes) and is playing D&D now, too. Not quite a peer of Saint Peggy of Kthulutown, but she's on the path.

I'm sure that you wouldn't want to try the commute all the time -- but if you're in town over the weekend and we're running the game that weekend, it could work not nicely to have you visit for a cameo appearance.

-john

 

[(contact)]

Well, of course it's a laudable goal, and it's what they have to say, but it's also dang silly. I mean, once you make all 30 levels the "sweet spot", then there really ISN'T a sweet spot anymore. It's just a better game.

I do believe that is the plan, yes.

Let me know the next time you're in town, we'll make plans to get a drink at the very least. My wife Michele and your Em can roll their eyes while we geek out.

Heh, Em has teh geek love. She's the one that talked me into GenCon this year.

Edited to add-- not only is that a great idea, it's another good reason to make a trip to the 'Ta.

 

[Radiating Gnome]

Sounds good to me. You can email me at jpj171 at gmail dot com, or call me at 316.214.8701 to make plans.

Out of town guests the next two weekends, so don't get super excited and show up for the long weekend!

 

[phoamslinger]

The two products that 4e is reportedly closest to, Star Wars Saga and Book of Nine Swords are getting rave reviews around my gaming table. We dig the mechanics of the Bo9S classes, and while I'm not playing in it, I hear the Saga rules are good.

see? my experience with 9 Swords was just the opposite. the Friday night game I'm playing in the DM let people use Bo9S to build charaters with / cross class into and some did, some didn't. after about 5 play sessions, the Bo9S were turning into some of the worst munchkin twinks anyone had seen in quite a while and they weren't even trying to be munchkins. the final straw was when the DM started saying how he wanted to start class leveling the NPC monsters with Bo9S to throw against us, and the entire table vetoed using the book on the spot.

my personal experience: running a game of 9 Swords would be like a DM saying, "Bring in any character out of any book -from any d20 publisher- you want, no limits." (which I've done before and it can be fun for a short game, but it's death for a long running campaign.) if that's the template for 4e, that doesn't bode well.

if I wanted to play/run god characters, we'd be playing Exalted.

 

[Radiating Gnome]

my personal experience: running a game of 9 Swords would be like a DM saying, "Bring in any character out of any book -from any d20 publisher- you want, no limits." (which I've done before and it can be fun for a short game, but it's death for a long running campaign.) if that's the template for 4e, that doesn't bode well.

if I wanted to play/run god characters, we'd be playing Exalted.

I can only imagine that what's good for the PCs is going to be good for the NPCS and monsters, and that these things will be carefully balanced. You're highlighting one of the problems of dropping TOB into an existing 3.5 campaign -- which is the same problem as dropping the Spell Compendium into the campaign for the players -- if the DM doesn't also adapt what he's doing and use the same resources for his monsters and NPCS, the natural, designed power level creep of the new resources will push the PCs out in front of the monsters.

Think about the introduction of immediate action spells like close wounds and delay death, or some of the other new style buffs in the spell compendium, like the Pact series of spells. Those give the PCs a nice advantage over their opponents unless the NPCs also have those spells available to them. As a matter of course, using print adventures, I go over the spell lists of the opponents and swap in some SC spells. It takes some extra work, but it does help match the power levels of the PCs.

So, my expectation is that even the kobolds and goblins will have a maneuver or two that they can use in combat, they same way they have feats in 3rd edition.

Of course, they could really screw it up. But they did a pretty good job moving from 2nd to 3rd editions, and I have a lot of respect for the team that's been working on it, so I have a lot of faith that they'll do a good job.

-j

 

[(contact)]

Sounds good to me. You can email me at jpj171 at gmail dot com, or call me at 316.214.8701 to make plans.

Out of town guests the next two weekends, so don't get super excited and show up for the long weekend!

Be advised Wichita element designate Glow Gnome, an email is inbound to your location, over.

 

[(contact)]

the natural, designed power level creep of the new resources will push the PCs out in front of the monsters.

Thank Asmodeus for reinforcements.